Recently, Starfield has been under scrutiny for its cap of 30 FPS (frames per second), with some players expressing disappointment and frustration. However, Dannie Carlone, the lead gameplay designer for God of War Ragnarok, has come forward to defend the decision, stating that it was made in order to prioritize stability and ensure a smooth gameplay experience. This is not the first time that industry insiders have commented on the game, and it remains to be seen how the controversy will affect its reception upon release.
DreamcastGuy, a popular gaming YouTuber, recently shared his thoughts on the revelation that Starfield would be capped at 30 FPS. He criticized the decision, citing it as a common issue with AAA games being released unfinished. However, his comments on Twitter received backlash from Dannie Carlone, a senior environment artist at Sony Santa Monica who has worked on games such as God of War Ragnarok. Carlone defended the choice of framerate, explaining that it was done to maintain consistent resolution and minimize pop-in, which would be particularly important for the large interplanetary map in Starfield. Despite his defense, Carlone acknowledged that DreamcastGuy was entitled to his own opinion and even expressed his admiration for the YouTuber. At this time, DreamcastGuy has yet to respond to the tweet.
Despite the criticism of modern games lacking a 60 FPS mode, the positive pre-release reception of Starfield and its comparisons to other critically acclaimed titles suggest that it may not be significantly impacted by this controversial aspect. Additionally, with its scheduled release on PC and Xbox Series X/S on September 6, 2023, it remains to be seen how successful the game will ultimately be.