Bethesda's top man says Starfield was 'the best we've ever done' in massive case of amnesia

Starfield's Steam score is currently a beige "Mixed", with only 59% positive reviews. Shattered Space is even worse. It's currently rated "Mostly Negative" with only 38% positive reviews.

But Starfield's design director Emil Pagliarulo doesn't let it discourage him. Pagliarulo told GamesRadar that, while Starfield may not be "everyone’s cup of tea," he believes "it's in many ways the best game we've made."

It's a bit wild for a studio that has made Morrowind, its best game, and Skyrim, its most popular game, to say this. I'm not sure Pagliarulo did not forget all the games Bethesda produced after Wayne Gretzky hockey to reach that conclusion. He does, however, offer some justifications for his judgement.

Pagliarulo says that Starfield is the "hardest Bethesda game ever" in a number of ways. "We pushed to make something completely different. "We pushed ourselves to make something totally different." The fact that the studio, by its own admission, was able to achieve this makes it one of their most ambitious and best games. Pagliarulo says, "I don't say Starfield is better than any other game. We just offer something different." It's the weird Bethesda mix of immersion, RPG, and action."

Which, sure, kinda. On some level I do commend Bethesda's attempt to try something different with Starfield. I wouldn't discourage the studio from attempting this again, but I don't believe the experiment was a success.

Skyrim, a game that Bethesda released 13 years ago, has a storyline that is still as compelling today as it was when it was released. Even Fallout 4, which is not the studio's best-loved title, was more experimental with its building mechanisms than Starfield with its countless blank slate planets. Starfield being the best game you have in your library is more of a defiance to the backlash, than a true assessment.

Bethesda didn't seem to be too discouraged by the lackluster reception that its space sim received. Pagliarulo claims that it has now joined Fallout and Elder Scrolls as one of Bethesda’s "big three".

"Most importantly Starfield has its unique personality and now sits next to Fallout and Elder Scrolls," says he. I'm not certain that this will be welcomed news by fans who are lusting for a new game in either of the other two series. But hey, if Emil or Todd are seeking ideas, I have a few suggestions on how to make Starfield's next installment less of a damp-squib than the predecessor.