It's clear Bethesda has big ambitions for its upcoming sci-fi RPG Starfield. Whether it's Xbox boss Phil Spencer's hopes that it will have a wider player base than Skyrim, or the studio's own ambitions for Starfield that will see the game restoring a lot of the goodwill that Bethesda lost with Fallout 76. For better or worse, Bethesda has been fairly secretive about the exploration-focused title before its release later this year. Fans have been keen to hear more ahead of Starfield's launch to see if it's going to live up to the hype that it's generated.
In the second episode in Bethesda's "Into the Starfield" series, titled "Made for Wanderers," some of the development team dive into Starfield in more detail, discussing companions, factions, and the wider aims of the game's expansive story. One aspect that has players particularly excited is the brief discussion of the different parts of the game world that players can engage in that seems to affect how and where they start their Starfield adventure. With various groups to associate with, this Starfield feature feels surprisingly similar to the character choice aspect of Cyberpunk 2077 and its branching Lifepaths.
Choosing The Right Path For Each Player
The recently released "Made for Wanders" video on Bethesda's YouTube channel provided some intriguing updates on the goals of Starfield, and how the game is shaping up. It's clear the developers want to emphasize player choice in Starfield's storytelling, with the game providing the tools for gamers to craft their own adventures and imbue their characters with their own unique destiny. From what players have seen of the character creation so far, it appears as if Starfield will have an incredibly detailed and intricate character-building system, with the aim of making protagonists as distinct and realistic as possible.
Bethesda highlighted how the factions and lifestyles that players choose at the start of Starfield will influence the player's whole experience and determine whereabouts in the galaxy they'll begin their game from. For example, there is the United Colonies, which represents an idealized futuristic space republic. This is one of the largest factions in the game and was engaged in a violent Colony War with another group, the Freestar Collective, prior to the start of Starfield. While the former is more concerned with a unified existence, the Freestar Collective exists on the more dangerous frontiers and represents an "anything goes" space western fantasy.
Although not much is currently known about these in-game groups, it's easy to see why the more consolidated and perhaps more controlling ethos of the United Colonies came into opposition with the individualistic Freestar Collective. In addition to these two antithetical groups, there is Ryujin Industries — a megacorp that represents the slick and neon-lit world of corporate life. Whichever group players choose will influence how they start the game, with the Ryujin Industries choice reportedly providing the most interesting beginning as players must prove themselves worthy of a job at the megacorp.
What Starfield's various factions represent is the developer's attempts to create an intricate world with believably diverse groups and a realistically stratified society. Giving players the choice to associate with one faction or another, or explore how they can interact with these warring groups, will help to craft a meaningful and nuanced gaming experience, in keeping with Bethesda's desire to give the storytelling reins to gamers rather than restricting them with a linear and completely planned out narrative.
The Cyberpunk 2077 Influences
CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 may have had its fair share of controversies and disappointed hopes, but one of the cooler aspects of the game was its Lifepath options. When creating their characters, players could choose between the Corpo, Nomad, or Street Kid Lifepaths, with their choice completely changing the way they would start the game. Depending on their choices, gamers would start their Cyberpunk 2077 adventure either on the outskirts of Night City, in Arasaka Tower, or in the midst of the action with an already established cohort of street links. As well as a starting storyline, the player's Lifepath affected dialogue and characterization options throughout the game.
While players may not have all the details about the different factions or how an association with them will affect their experience of Starfield, it's clear that the various options resemble Cyberpunk 2077's own choices. Not only do both games have a corp questline as a starting option, but they also have one which represents a more nomadic/outsider mentality, and another that sees the player already established within one of the main groups.
Cyberpunk 2077's Lifepaths didn't have quite the overarching effect that players might have expected, as the narratives quickly merge together despite the different chosen groups. Based on the focus on complexity and player agency, Starfield might choose to deepen the impact of this initial choice which could have interesting consequences for the game's wider plot.
How This Could Affect Starfield
From what players have been shown so far, it seems like player choice is going to be a linchpin of Starfield's story. From crafting their own unique narratives in the vast game world to picking which faction to side with, Starfield might face a make-or-break moment when it comes to its narrative and the freedom it grants players. Gamers may be wondering how much an associated faction will influence their gaming experience, but it's too soon to tell what impact it might have. Like Cyberpunk 2077, their decision will determine how they start the game, and there could be other impacts like different quests, items, or even ships based on who they choose to side with.
In the "Made for Wanderers" video, the developer team discussed how NPCs will react to players and how Starfield's creators wanted this to feel authentic and realistic. It stands to reason that depending on an NPC's own affiliations, their reaction to and relationship with the player character will differ greatly depending on which group they've chosen. There will also be an updated version of Oblivion's persuasion mini-game in character interactions to help provide further depth and nuance to conversations.
Other elements could become more complicated by a player's organizational affiliations. For example, players can choose to join Starfield's answer to space pirates called the Crimson Fleet. However, if they want to experience the raider lifestyle while still maintaining their upstanding and law-abiding persona, they can choose to act as an informant while still participating in Crimson Fleet activities. So conceivably, players could be a loyal member of the United Colonies but still have a bit of Crimson Fleet action on the side, creating a truly individualized experience.
Starfield releases November 11, 2022, for PC and Xbox Series X/S.