Out of all the buttoned-up, ties-done-up-to-eleven execs that take to the stage and reel off factoids like popping multiple headshots in VATS, Todd Howard has to be up there as one of the most arrestingly charming and absurdly charismatic of the entire bunch. That’s right, move over Phil and skedaddle Jim!
Sure, he may not exactly be a new kid on the block — I mean, the 53-year-old has been doing his thing for many years now — but, I don’t know how he does it, he legit looks like he hasn’t aged a day. Good genes, maybe? Or good jeans, perhaps? (I’m here all night, folks…)
Yes, it’s fair to say that Howard is undoubtedly the don when it comes to his captivating stage presence, laid-back public speaking, and hardened magnetism. Okay, yes, I may have a small man crush on the dude, but that’s not important right now!
The thing is, Howard’s entrancing polish is a little bit at odds with — ahem — the polish of some of his video games. Indeed, for such a legendary game developer, and he really is a legend, his studio’s last couple of titles have been… a wee bit shaky from a technical perspective. And that’s probably putting it lightly.
More specifically, 2015’s Fallout 4 may’ve come out the gates swinging at launch — it was really novel seeing a game get announced on the E3 stage, and then release just six months later — but the passage of time hasn’t been particularly kind to the post-apocalyptic sequel.
Through a modern lens, Fallout 4 is largely considered a misstep from a hugely talented studio, though it’s important to note that the game’s reputation has very much diminished over time due to its myriad bugs, crashes, and overwhelmingly middling writing. Of course, the company did iron out some of the kinks via post-launch support. However, it still runs pretty poorly, even to this day. But, that’s not where Bethesda Game Studios really stumbled. Ever heard of a wee game called Fallout 76? We’re about to open a whole new can of post-apocalyptic worms…
Yes, 2018’s beleagured Fallout 76 was the nuke that almost destroyed Bethesda Game Studios’ reputation. From game-breaking bugs to its always-online status to its lack of meaningful story (at launch, at least), the game as a service was a big ol’ bust. And even though it still boasts a dedicated fanbase even after all this time, a sea change surrounding Bethesda’s reputation began to shift (personally, I actually didn’t hate Fallout 76, but I digress).
And that’s all without mentioning a borked PS3 Skyrim port that increasingly became more broken as you played it, and the Fallout 76 Power Armor Edition controversy where the Maryland-based studio advertised a “Full-Scale Wearable T-51 Power Armor Helmet” and a West Tek canvas carrying bag, which actually turned out to be nylon, invoking the ire from the entire gaming community. Sub-optimal indeed.
Having said that, I’m not here to just rehash the past and shine a light on Bethesda’s recent gaffes. In all seriousness, I authentically believe the Microsoft-owned developer is easily one of the most important and influential Western RPG outfits in the industry. In contrast, I actually want to look to the future, as I’m genuinely excited for Starfield later this year.
Thankfully, like the moments before the eclipse of a star, there are some glimmers of hope beaming like eye-meltingly beautiful god rays through the dark vacuum of space. After all, not only will Starfield employ a revamped and heavily modified version of their bespoke, in-house engine — dubbed Creation Engine 2 — but Microsoft has even gone on record to confirm that the much-anticipated space RPG has the “fewest bugs in Bethesda history.” Sounds pretty promising, right?
Further still, with Starfield being locked at 30fps, this should take some of the strain off the in-game engine, meaning it’ll hopefully run smoothly on both the Xbox Series X and S. Granted, this is undoubtedly the company’s most ambitious title to date, dwarfing huge, boundary-pushing RPG worlds like Fallout 4 and Skyrim, so there’s bound to be a wee bit of jank nestled deep in there somewhere.
Still, we’re quietly optimistic that Bethesda is gonna knock Starfield right out of the park, slap bang into the far reaches of the cosmos. I mean, the team in green sure could do with a win right now, huh?
When all is said and done, though, judging by the studio’s most recent duo of releases, I’ve just got my fingers firmly crossed that Bethesda’s first new IP in 25 years is as polished and as smooth as its leather clad bigwig. Well, if that’s even humanly possible, anyway…
Starfield is scheduled to launch on Xbox Series X|S and PC on 6. Sept, 2023.
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