By the time Bethesda was on Starfield, you'd 'basically get in trouble' for breaking schedule, says former dev: 'A lot of the great stuff within Skyrim came from having the freedom to do what you want'

Starfield sort of came and went, huh? With a lukewarm reception on release, a DLC that didn't quite summon that bygone Bethesda magic, and a dedicated fanbase starting to gnaw on their own tails due to a lack of communication, an RPG we were anticipating to be a landmark has gone quiet as the vacuum of space, with nary so much as a bit of raging against the dying of the night.

Many attribute Starfield's muted response to the idea that Bethesda has grown a bit, well, sterile and rigid. It's...