Starfield, praised for many aspects, has not escaped a flood of criticism, arousing support that is unexpected to say the least. What can we learn?
Despite its success, Starfield has come under fire from some criticism, particularly with regard to the character animations, judged by some to be rigid, even shameful. Players do not hesitate to compare them to those, rather successful, of Cyberpunk 2077 to discredit the game. An argument which is clearly not unanimous…
A Cyberpunk/Starfield comparison that doesn’t work
Patrick K. Mills, development veteran at CD Projekt Red, the company behind Cyberpunk 2077, spoke out to defend Starfield. Remember that the launch of Cyberpunk 2077 in 2020 was fraught with pitfalls. However, after several significant updates and the release of the ambitious Phantom Liberty expansion, CD Projekt Red managed to turn things around in a spectacular way. Fans, impressed, expressed the wish that Starfield would take an example from the latter.
The story, however, begins gently. A Twitter user named SynthPotato pointed out Starfield’s dialogue animations as outdated compared to Cyberpunk’s. In his tweet, he emphasized the absence of body animations during dialogue in Starfield, aside from basic movements and some generic hand gestures. Patrick K. Mills responded, pointing out that both games’ handling of cutscenes and animations is more about “tools and design” than the engine they were developed on. Mills clarified that Starfield is all about offering enormous freedom on a colossal scale, explaining that the game features “many, many scenes with an ever-changing cast and a staggering number of possible locations.”
Reassuring support?
He also noted that every major scene in Cyberpunk 2077 required years of development, an effort that would not be feasible for a game as expansive as Starfield. Instead, Bethesda Game Studios invests its resources to provide maximum freedom to the player. They’re “just using their time differently, and that’s fine,” Mills says.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time Mills has defended Starfield. Last month, he responded to a video comparing the game to Cyberpunk 2077, calling it a “false review” and “dangerously harmful.” This is quite surprising, and it’s fascinating to see that, despite the criticism, a spirit of camaraderie and support persists between competing game developers. Proof that human nature is not totally obscure.