Starfield Toned Down The Gore Significantly Compared To Other Bethesda Games
Earlier Bethesda games like The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind weren't particularly gory, having puffs of blood to signify damage. But since the release of its sequel Oblivion and Fallout 3 in the mid-to-late 2000s which let players dismember enemies with well-aimed attacks, gore has been prominent in Bethesda's more recent RPGs. Despite being given an M-for-Mature 17+ rating by the ESRB for "blood, strong language, suggestive themes, use of drugs, and violence," Starfield was incredibly toned down in comparison to past Bethesda games, to the point that there was very little gore present, even when using melee weapons like axes. This made players question why Starfield didn't receive a T-for-Teen 13+ rating instead.
The blood mentioned was likely in reference to some of the locations that can be visited, rather than the combat. For example, Redditor UnexpectedRanting pointed out on a thread discussing the game's Gore that one mission features an apartment with blood "everywhere," although bizarrely, the body lying in the middle of it was "perfectly intact." It's likely that this decision was made to be more in keeping with the game's cleaner "NASApunk" aesthetic, but considering some of the weapons that can be used in combat, removing the impact they would have does feel like a bizarre omission for those familiar with more recent Bethesda titles.
Modders Are Looking At Ways To Implement Gore Into Starfield
While Mods such as Cazanu's "Improved Blood 4K" have been available since September 2023, very shortly after Starfield's main launch, and go a long way to create more realistic impacts and wounds when enemies get hit, fans such as Redditor JTM3030 have been vocal about wanting to take this further with a Dismemberment system more akin to Fallout 4's, stating that "Shooting folks in the head with a shotgun and not seeing any realistic results is sort of getting old."
On JTM3030's thread, there were several comments about wanting to port Fallout 4's gore into Starfield, or what would be needed to create gore Mods, with some discussion surrounding the "Deadly Mutilation" mod for Skyrim, and how it lets players slice enemies in half with their swords and added more visceral effects. According to this discussion, this kind of mod requires a lot of work with modeling and visual effects, as modders would essentially need to rebuild the character bodies to come apart in different ways and then program them to interact accordingly with weapons to achieve the desired effect.
Starfield's Gore Limitations
At the time of this discussion, Bethesda hadn't released the official Creation Kit modding tool for Starfield yet, so the only options were to use third-party resources such as Blender, and Script Extender, which would have required a lot of work. The Creation Kit was finally released for free in early June 2024, however, which gives players access to the same engine and tools Bethesda built Starfield on, potentially making it easier to amend the pre-existing character models from the base game to implement these gore effects.
Mods made in the Creation Kit can also be downloaded by console players on Xbox, making them more widely accessible than the previous Starfield PC Mods that didn't have support from Bethesda. Therefore, if someone is finally able to add some of the gore effects players are requesting, every Starfield player should have the option to install this to get a combat experience more akin to other recent Bethesda titles.
Starfield's Combat: A Different Experience
While Starfield may not be as violent as previous games, it still offers a unique and engaging combat experience. The game's focus on space exploration and exploration opens up new opportunities for player choice and decision-making. The lack of Dismemberment and gore doesn't necessarily detract from the overall gameplay experience. It's more about the individual player's preference for a more "clean" or "realistic" combat system.
Ultimately, Starfield's combat is a different beast, one that prioritizes strategic planning and player choice. Even with the absence of dismemberment, the game still delivers a satisfying and engaging combat experience. This is a testament to Bethesda's ability to innovate and create new experiences within its established RPG framework.
