'Starfield' Reviews Go 'Mostly Negative' After Perceived Complaining About Criticism By Bethesda Dev

It's no secret that Bethesda's much-hyped Starfield has mostly failed to live up to expectations due in large part to gamers finding it dull, but it appears that Bethesda attempting to defend themselves has turned a "Mixed" reception into a pile on.

Late last month, Bethesda was caught responding to negative reviewers on Steam with defenses of the AAA title, arguing with gamers that the parts they found "boring" actually weren't boring and the excessive wait times and loading screens were necessary to deliver an epic space adventure (which many players feel like they're not getting). Two weeks later, a Bethesda developer posted a Twitter asking for some grace for the game developers behind a disappointing title.

On December 13th, Emil Pagliarulo, the game's lead writer, posted a thread discussing the challenges of game development. Some have speculated the thread was in response to an 8-hour critique of Starfield by PatricianTV that called out Pagliarulo specifically and got community members talking about the game's shortcomings in design and writing.

The thread doesn't say gamers shouldn't complain about Starfield or any other game, but it does ask players to be charitable to game developers in their critiques because development is "a series of concessions and tough decisions" and that there is a disconnect between the game developers want to make and the game they can make.

Though not tremendously combative, the thread left a sour taste in disappointed players' mouths. This, along with the previous "defending the game" controversy, has been reflected in the game's Steam reviews, which currently are clocking at an alarming "Mostly Negative."

Many of the new reviewers are voicing the same complaints as those before them, with several arguing the game is mid and boring. Others have brought up Bethesda's defenses of the game, which they argue amounts to gaslighting players.

Bethesda has promised updates to Starfield starting in 2024, which may help save its reputation, but as for now, players seem content to recommend another heavily-patched game that was poorly received on release: Cyberpunk 2077.