“I swear to God…”: Starfield’s Lead Quest Designer Questioned His Faith, His Understanding of the Universe, and More Thanks to Bethesda’s Big Space Opera

The lead quest designer had his beliefs challenged while working on Bethesda's most ambitious game.

Starfield Game

SUMMARY

  • The lead quest designer of Starfield had his faith tested while working on the ambitious project.
  • Bethesda Game Studios worked on the project over the course of more than seven years.
  • Emil Pagliarulo was affected on a personal level, which made him question the mysteries of the universe.
Show More
Featured Video

Starfield is a true dream for director Todd Howard and Bethesda Game Studios. The team managed to get the project up in the air after years of hard work, but one of the developers had his faith tested while working on the project that involved the dark vacuum of space.

Advertisement

The gaming community has had high hopes for this game ever since it was revealed, and the developers worked day and night to meet expectations. It is common for massive open-world games to feature quests for players to take on, and the design process for this game is eye-opening.

The Lead Quest Designer of Starfield Had Second Thoughts About His Faith

Starfield was a massive endeavor for the developers and some team members were impacted in ways unimaginable.
Starfield was a massive endeavor for the developers, and some team members were impacted in ways unimaginable.

New stories about the game’s development have surfaced, and there are several interesting tidbits, like the fact that the Constellation watch was inspired by the director’s wife’s great act of love and generosity. It is evident that the team poured its hearts out for this project, recognized the potential, and discovered the game’s ability to question its beliefs about the universe.

Advertisement

I swear to God, I’ve never reflected so much while making a game.

The team members are comprised of people with different backgrounds and belief systems, and the time they spent working on this game made them reflect and ask questions that have no firm answers.

Is there anything out there but blackness? We’re tackling some pretty big themes that your average shooter probably doesn’t get into.

Emil Pagliarulo was in charge of the quest design, had an existential crisis while working on the game, and was constantly pulled between atheism and being agnostic.

It’s really affected me personally.

The impact of the game affected the developers on a personal level, which was a feat that no one expected it to achieve. Video games are meant to ignite the flame in each player and give them an experience they can’t forget.

Advertisement

Space may seem like a pitch-black void, but no one knows for sure what lies beyond the frontier, and Pagliarulo was faced with the daunting task of filling it with his imagination. Quest design is far more complicated than one might expect.

Bethesda Game Studios Is Breaking New Ground Through the Quest Design in Starfield

Starfield is asking hard questions that both the developers and gaming community are hard pressed on.
Starfield is asking hard questions that both the developers and gaming community are hard-pressed to answer.

Xbox players have been begging for significant quality-of-life improvements, and the developers have answered. Bethesda worked on a new update for Starfield that includes a world map to make exploration more convenient, and it could save players time as they ponder more questions about what lies above their heads.

Players embark on a journey to accomplish one quest only for it to lead to another, which is the essence of the game.

Advertisement

Quest design is no different from navigating real-life adventures, and Pagliarulo was affected by his creativity on a personal level that could push him in a different direction.

The mysteries of the universe have haunted academics and space explorers for quite some time, and the quest design of the game gives a similar experience.

What are your thoughts about the quest design in Starfield? Let us know in the comments section below!

Advertisement
Avatar

Written by Rouvin Josef Quirimit

Articles Published: 622

Rouvin is deeply fascinated by pop culture media ranging from comics, movies, TV shows and especially video games with a rich narrative.