Todd Howard Offers Theory On Addressing Starfield: Shattered Space Criticism

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home November 16, 2024 28 Views 5 Min Read
Todd Howard Offers Theory On Addressing Starfield: Shattered Space Criticism



Key Takeaways

  • Bethesda’s Todd Howard wonders if the studio should have delayed Starfield’s REV-8 buggy for the Shattered Space expansion.
  • The long-awaited REV-8 release improved planetary exploration.



Xbox boss Phil Spencer has revealed that Bethesda’s Todd Howard wonders if holding back the release of Starfield‘s REV-8 buggy for the Shattered Space expansion could have been the right choice. The REV-8 gave Starfield players a new way to traverse the surface of planets and, for a long time post-launch, was probably the most requested feature for the game.

After almost a year of waiting, Bethesda released the REV-8 for Starfield in August 2024. It was a huge step for the studio, which had never previously released a game on the Creation engine with player-controlled vehicles. It’s an impressive feat that massively improves planetary exploration, with many wondering why it wasn’t included in the base game in the first place. The release of Starfield‘s REV-8 came just a month before Shattered Space was launched in a free update, and it was somewhat of a surprise that the feature wasn’t bundled with the expansion.


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Speaking to Game File, Xbox’s Phil Spencer spoke about a conversation he had recently with Bethesda’s Todd Howard. Recalling the conversation with Howard about the reception to Starfield‘s recent Shattered Space DLC, Spencer said, “I think some of the feedback on the expansion is: “We wanted more features.” And he’s like, “Well, should we have waited to put buggies out?”” Spencer went on, “I think you’re trying to tune both development effort and the impact of the expansion. And I think there will always be a balance to managing the game month to month.


Starfield Could Have Delayed the Buggies for Shattered Space


While the Shattered Space expansion faced plenty of criticism, lots of it seems to be centered on how the DLC doesn’t deviate enough from Starfield‘s core gameplay loop. It’s more of the same of a game that many didn’t love in the first place. While delaying the REV-8 undoubtedly would have added to the expansion’s content offerings, it’s unlikely to have tipped the balance in the court of public opinion. If anything, Bethesda made the right choice by making it a free update, rather than something players needed to pay for.

Despite Shattered Space‘s mixed response from fans, Bethesda hasn’t given up on Starfield. Earlier this month, the studio released a big update for Starfield, bringing tons of important fixes to the game. It remains to be seen whether Bethesda plans to release any more expansions for Starfield, remaining tight-lipped on the topic for now. The developer is also at work on The Elder Scrolls 6 at the moment, so it’s unclear whether that will impact any decisions on Starfield‘s future.


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