Bethesda is known for delivering some big open-world RPG experiences. Their latest release is a brand-new IP. Starfield was easily one of the more hyped-up and anticipated games. While there was a bit of a divide between players who enjoyed the game and others who were down, one thing that might surprise everyone is that the game didn’t have as much loading in production. One former developer revealed that loading sequences were a surprise to them.
There is a ton of work, I’m sure, that goes into this behemoth of a game. So, it wouldn’t be too surprising that developers have to load chunks of the game for players. But what might surprise you is that there was a build that didn’t require as much loading to be endured by players. That’s according to Nate Purkeypile. Speaking to Videogamer, the former Bethesda developer commented on this aspect of the game.
Nate had worked with Bethesda for quite some time. They joined back in 2007 and wouldn’t leave until 2021. But during that time, when Nate was working on Starfield, he commented on Neon, in particular, being an area that featured less loading. The former developer noted that this area could have existed without the loading zones, and when he worked on the game, some areas didn’t include any loading. So when Starfield finally launched, and he was able to see the final product, they were surprised by how many loading zones there were in Neon.
It could have existed without those [loading zones]. Like, some of those were not there when I had been working on it and so it was a surprise to me that there was as many as there were. – Nate Purkeypile
Of course, because the game is so massive, some areas would be gated off for performance, as Nate noted to the media outlet. They also went on to say that even the new Atlantis focused on a transit system to help load players into new areas. It was noted that this system was also made to ensure players were forced to sit during an entire train ride just to go from point A to point B.
Meanwhile, it was also noted that even Bethesda’s Todd Howard was unsure if they made the right move post-Starfield’s launch. One major update that brought in the Rev-8 was likely better suited off as being attached to an expansion.
