Summary
While planetary exploration inStarfieldoozes that Bethesda sandbox charm, its environmental hazards once played a more complicated role compared to the one they have at launch.Spacesuits inStarfieldnot only represent some of the most expensive equipment in the game, but they’re also an important source of protection against the extreme weather conditions found on the less hospitable worlds of the Settled Systems. Each spacesuit has different values for the amount of thermal or radiation resistance that it provides, and though these values have their merits, unlessStarfieldplayers engage with environmental hazards recklessly, this mechanic can easily be ignored.
However, some fans correctly assumed that these resistances were a vestigial feature carried over from development, where characters were severely punished forlanding on aStarfieldplanetunprepared. Similar to the effects of radiation in theFalloutgames, these many-flavored hazards inStarfieldwere supposed to add a layer of realism for players tackling the vast reaches of space.
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In a recent interview on the Game Maker’s Notebook podcast, Todd Howard sat down with Ted Price, the founder of Insomniac Games, to discuss the development ofStarfield, as well as shed light on some of the cut content that never made it to launch. Howard explained that in earlier builds of the game, environmental damage played a much bigger role, as players had to prepare their resistances to different types of atmosphere effects accordingly. He claimed that it was a complex system that ultimately got nerfed, as it became more of a hassle to deal with than an interesting gameplay mechanic in its own right.
Though hazards and resistances still exist in the game, Howard pointed out that they’re largely made for flavor. One of the solutions proposed by the development team was to allow players a spacesuit loadout, where each suit would be automatically equipped to handle a different type of extreme environment. Given thatStarfieldcontinues to break player milestoneson Steam, and that the relaxing nature of planetary exploration is one of its gameplay highlights, it may be argued that Bethesda made the right call to neuter the severity of environmental hazards.
That being said, Todd Howard did not shoot down the possibility ofStarfieldrevisiting environmental mechanics in the future, whether through official content packs or via mods. Thelaunch ofStarfield’s modding toolsin early 2024 should open the door for content akin toSkyrim’s Frostfall, which introduced an engaging (and optional) survival mode for the game.
Starfieldis available now for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
