To callBethesda’s 2023 sci-fi RPGStarfieldcontroversial is an understatement.
There’s no denying itsepic scope and scale, but it’s failed to resonate with audiences the same way games likeFalloutorThe Elder Scrollshave.
One reason could be Bethesda’s in-house Creation Engine, which produces quirky bugs and technical issues. Former artist Nate Purkeypile, who has since founded Just Purkey Games, recently spoke toKiwi Talkzas as part of a promotional tour for the recently releasedThe Axis Unseen.
Skyrim Lead Developer Explains The Buggy State Of Bethesda Titles
In an interview, the Skyrim lead developer explained why Bethesda games often come out unpolished and the internal struggles behind them.
As the lone developer at Just Purkey Games, Purkeypile chose to develop his game with Unreal Engine 5, which was very different from working with Creation Engine. He explains that developing open-world games can be a difficult experience, especially in the past.
Now that open-world games aren’t a “weird fringe thing,” something like Unreal Engine 5 saves him so much time and effort. He told Kiwi Talkz that “there’s no way I could have shipped this game in 3 years” working with something like Creation Engine; he saved hundreds of hours by using Unreal 5.
Major Studies Have Recently Shifted to Unreal Engine 5, and Bethesda Should Join Them
Kiwi Talkz even mentioned that Bethesda hasn’t moved to Unreal 5. Purkeypile referenced howCD Projekt RED has shifted to the popular game enginebut also admits that moving from one engine to another requires a lot of work. Purkeypile acknowledges that working in Creation Engine feels like “you’re on a train while also laying the train tracks…it’s also on fire the entire time.”
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It’ll be expensive and time-consuming to shift from Creation to Unreal, but one that Purkeypile thinks is worth it. He admits that he’d be “shocked” that Bethesda would leap. “It’s important to re-evaluate tech, and games are constantly changing,” he says. “To always commit yourself to these decisions you made in the past is dangerous.”
While other Xbox studios are moving to Unreal Engine 5, most notably343 Industries with theHalofranchise, Bethesda seems content to stay with what it knows best for now.
WHERE TO PLAY
Create your own story in Bethesda’s epic open-world (or open-galaxy) RPG. With factions to join, wars to fight, and over 1000 planets to explore, Starfield is the legendary RPG developer’s most ambitious game yet.
