Bethesda had initially planned to incorporate gore and dismemberment mechanics into Starfield, but these were ultimately removed due to technical challenges, particularly related to the complexity of interactions with space suits. Dennis Mejillones, a former character artist who worked on The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, Fallout 4, and Starfield, explained to Kiwi Talkz that the technical demands of managing different suits posed significant hurdles. "There were a lot of implications with the different suits from a technical perspective," he noted. "You have to cut the helmet in a certain way and it's got to come off, you have meat caps to the bottom where the flesh is. We had systems for all of that and it turned into a big rat's nest."

Mejillones highlighted the additional complexities introduced by the game's evolved character creator and the various hoses and accessories on the helmets. Some fans expressed disappointment over the absence of these mechanics in Starfield, which marked Bethesda's first full single-player RPG in eight years, especially since they were a feature in Fallout 4. However, Mejillones argued that such mechanics fit better within the "tongue in cheek" humor of the Fallout series, adding, "It's part of the fun."

Starfield was released in September 2023 and has since attracted over 15 million players. IGN's review praised the game's expansive roleplaying quests and solid combat, rating it a 7/10 and noting that despite its challenges, "the allure of its expansive roleplaying quests and respectable combat make its gravitational pull difficult to resist."

In recent developments, another former Bethesda developer expressed surprise at the extensive loading times in Starfield, especially in the city of Neon. Since its launch, Bethesda has made efforts to enhance the game, including the introduction of a 60fps performance mode. The expansion, Shattered Space, was released in September.