Starfield players call the game’s lack of gore “really strange”

Though Starfield does have blood splatter, some players can’t help but wonder about the game’s lack of visible gore.

Starfield is packed with firearms and other types of lethal weapons players can use to dispatch their enemies. As such, the chances of encountering blood while exploring the Settled Systems are extremely high.

Striking an enemy with a hatchet, for example, causes blood splatter effects. Sometimes players will stumble across deceased NPCs who obviously suffered greatly before perishing.

There’s little in the way of gore, though – no dismemberment or the like. And even after being hacked at with bladed weapons, the bodies of dead enemies look relatively pristine. Some users can’t help but wonder why.

Starfield fans ask, “What happened to the gore?”

Noticing the above-mentioned discrepancy, Reddit user Walkingdeaddd22 asked, “What happened to the gore in Bethesda games?” They noted that while seeing blood in Starfield isn’t an uncommon occurrence, “all the dead characters look like they’re laying down for a quick nap.”

This person’s not the only one who’s taken notice of the weird dissonance between what happens to NPCs and the resulting damage. Another Redditor replied in the thread, “There’s a mission where you go to an apartment to find someone and there’s blood EVERYWHERE. The body? Perfectly intact.”

Wrote someone else, “Imagine my disappointment when the rivet gun doesn’t pin enemies to the wall anymore.” Another reply reads, “Yeah, combat seems way less impactful without that fallout violence… it’s really strange.”

Bethesda, misharoyal/Reddit

A few people posited that there’s a wholesome explanation behind Bethesda’s decision to rein in the gore in Starfield. One person said they’ve picked up on a more family-friendly vibe. “Starfield overall feels a bit more “family-friendly” than other BGS games. I don’t exactly know why.”

Another fan recalled director Todd Howard once describing the RPG as hopeful. It’s possible the quote in question comes from Howard’s message in a 2021 “Into the Starfield” video, wherein he says, “Starfield is about hope, our shared humanity, and searching for the answers to life’s greatest mystery.” This line of thinking could’ve influenced a conscious decision to avoid any hints of bleakness.

If it hasn’t been done already, Starfield’s growing modding community will likely add more gore-oriented features as time goes on.