Starfield Quest Development Under Pressure, Lead Designer Admits Time Shortage

During a session at the Game Developers Conference, Will Shen, the lead quest designer for Starfield, revealed the challenges faced during the game's development. Shen admitted to having "no time" to design the final main quest due to multiple responsibilities and an overbooked quest design team, as reported by PC Gamer.

The urgency to tie up the game's narrative was evident as the team played through the entire game and identified the absence of a significant final location crucial to providing a satisfying conclusion.

Creative Solution and Reception

To address the time crunch, Shen sought assistance from senior level designer Steve Cornett, whom he described as the team's "panic button." Cornett proposed a solution involving dimension hopping, allowing players to traverse familiar areas from a new perspective, thereby saving development time and resources.

Despite the last-minute scramble, Starfield garnered favorable reviews upon launch, receiving an aggregate score of 83 on Metacritic.

Mixed Reviews and Future Outlook

While praised for its compelling story, Starfield faced criticism from the gaming community for its bugs and perceived lackluster progression, resulting in a "Mostly Negative" review score on Steam. However, Bethesda's space-faring RPG continues to garner attention, with hints of upcoming downloadable content, such as the Shattered Space DLC, appearing on Steam's backend.