Does Bethesda Need A Different Game Engine?

Bethesda has been using the Creation engine since Skyrim released in 2011. Recently I've began to wonder if it's still a good engine for them to be using considering the negative feedback that Starfield received. I know that it's not entirely the fault of Creation Engine for what Starfield was lacking, there's many other problems with the game in my opinion than just the engine.

In this video though I dive a little into where I think the Creation Engine really shines. I hope you enjoy, make sure to subscribe and also leave me a comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanks,

-Mr. HorseArmour

[guldcat]

Bethesda needs a different management team.

[vxskud]

Bethesda needs to learn what an actual city looks like and how to make a world that actually feels alive

[chilbiyito]

Fallout New Vegas was and still is amazing, the Creation Engine is the least of Bethesda's problems.

Also the Creation Engine just isn't made for space games so if Bethesda wants a Starfield sequel it's gonna have to be in another engine.

[kenmck]

They need MORE than a new engine now. It seems someone walked up to them and blew their brains out and now they're just zombies walking around, "Argggh it just works, arggghh it just works."

[alyssafaden]

I'm not sure they need a _different_ engine, but they sure need to take an honest open-minded look at HOW they are using it. Case in point: those loading screens *could* be hidden between animations / cut scenes, like some games do. Bethesda chose not to. That's on them leaving the old clunky old xbox requirement in place.

Look at how they implemented the inventory system for the past few games. It's the same plug/play and reskin with no thought to EVOLVING it, and it shows the most in Starfield, because you can click on an item to get through to extra details like what it scraps down into (Fallout), but that doesn't exist in Starfield, so you click through to .. another screen showing the same model. There's no PURPOSE to this screen now, but they have the same mess that they just keep plugging in and they never honestly sit back and try to evolve what they have.

"Let's make the AI better" just doesn't exist as a line in their internal development.

Well, if it is, it gets a hard cold star from some manager giving the "shut up, Jenkins, stink eye".

[lamebubblesflysohigh]

Let me rephrase the original question: will new engine fix Bethesda's creative bankruptcy and corporate decision making producing bland safe boring slop? Is it engine's fault that ChatGPT can come up with better and more interesting quests than writers in Bethesda? I doubt that.

[ReluctantReader]

7:28 "hopefully they take the feedback" lol

[gpcube]

One reason they need a new engine isn't just technical. It's to force them to abandon much of the laziness of their process that has set in over the decades, by approaching development from a new perspective.

And to be able to bring in outside talent that is well versed in modern engines like UE5. Smarter game designers avoid working for Bethesda because they'd be stuck using an archaic dead-end engine for a chunk of their career, and when it came time to leave they'd be rusty and not up to speed on what the rest of the industry is up to.

[alexcardosa]

They need writers and throw out a bunch of management.

[RyanAndTheHawk]

Hey man, I really like your style of video. You're killing it - keep it up 👏

[BigVorst]

While I'm not a game designer, coder, etc... I think the problem I've always had with this question is that... All of the answers I typically see to it just assume it's just one problem.
Like, yes you could fix the engine... But that doesn't fix the bad writing, lack of a design document and lack of developer cohesion, and so on.
IE there's more than just one hole on this sinking ship that needs to be plugged

[filidhdeklend]

Changing their engine isn't going to improve their writing. It wasn't Fallout 3's engine who was complaining about players turning his great American Novel into paper airplanes by asking questions like "what do they eat? They can't all be looting 200 year old grocery stores" or "Why is Little Lamplight filled with school children 200 years later?"

[GIOfgo]

Honestly, it would've been cool if it were only a few planets in starfeild that we could explore, and if we wanted to explore that planet, we would've needed resources to be able to explore it, so when we finish grinding to be able to get to the other planets, the loading screen would 100% be so worth it

[RePeLSTeeLTJe--]

As much as i hate the creation engine sometimes, it's the magnum opus of Bethesda. Skyrim was pretty groundbreaking for the time, and proved that when updated, you can accomplish nearly everything with the creation engine. And that's based on the same engine Morrowind runs on!
In the end, it's just a bunch of code that allows certain mechanics and exist. So as long as they update the foundation from time to time (moving to 64-bit with FO4 for example), it will be fine.
Just look as Skyrim today, with the proper mods, most of the experience still holds up fine honestly.




I'm still wondering who ever thought that making a game like starfield in the Creation engine was a good idea, especially considering games like Start Citizen are their competition.
But maybe even more, who wrote that horrible dialogue?!

[_.Mac._]

Firstly, I just wanna say I’m glad I found this channel, subbed, watched both your videos now and can’t wait to see what you keep putting out!

I don’t think it boils down to ONLY the engine, but I think it’s a large part. A lot of people suggest Unreal engine, and I think seeing what the new cyberpunk game feels like on it will be a good indicator, and how they handle mod tools; since lack of modding is a huge argument I see to not switch.

There’s a few games, SQUAD, Insurgency sandstorm, OHD, that all use unreal, and all have a public SDK (Frostpunk 2 as well)
which is the unreal development tools the devs used, just restricted to protect code. SQUAD, and ISS have had total conversion mods like the Star Wars ones, so if Bethesda, CDPR, etc, any company swapping to unreal that already releases public mod tools, would continue releasing mod tools even with the new engine, then modability will remain.

In my opinion, not necessary if they actually choose to get better writers, but if they stick with the dogshit writing, they may be able to use a new engine to eliminate some of the criticism in the gameplay/technical side.

[waterbottles]

3:03 This is what I've been saying. If they just compressed everything down so it wasn't so massive and sprawling they coulda kept the space theme effectively and still made it an engaging game

[dogeyes]

People don’t understand that if the engine change = no more mods or at least modding will not be like now.

[Navarill]

What I've found is that most gamers/content creators who discuss game engines don't know WTF they're talking about. Not at all.

[seandoyle]

Nice, getting in on the ground floor to this channel before it explodes into the thousands. I'm subscriber 881, pal. Don't forget it.

Hopefully, the amount of BGS *constructive criticism* channels gain more traction, so they realize what their fans want and what they don't, and how to deviate from what made Starfield such a pathetic first entry to a new series.

I just want actual roleplaying games again, not streamlined slop. I wish you well on your crusade, broham.

[HoskTheCub]

They need to look at the delivery of their storytelling and cinematography in every important scene they make, then look at scenes from BG3. Look at the way they use camera placement, body and facial animations, voice acting, music and how they build the scene to capture and convey emotions. Then they need to ask themselves: Is this scene done, or is it just delivering the bare minimum, the spoken word? If their engine isn't able to deliver on what they need to convey - then they need a new engine. If not, they just need to care more about everything they do.