Starfield, the highly anticipated Xbox console exclusive, is just a few weeks away from its release. As the excitement builds up, Bethesda has been teasing fans with even more details about the game’s sci-fi world. Questions have been swirling around, such as whether players will be able to purchase apartments in the cities they visit, engage in smuggling activities, or face consequences for committing crimes. The answers to these questions and more have been revealed, and they are all affirmative.
Bethesda recently conducted a Q&A session on Discord with fans on August 16. Lead designer Emil Pagliarulo and lead quest designer Will Shen answered select comments, carefully managing the pre-release hype and anticipation leading up to Starfield’s launch on September 1. While some of their responses align with the expectations set by Bethesda’s previous titles like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4, they also unveiled new possibilities that were not previously confirmed.
Here are the key features and highlights shared during the Q&A session:
– Players can acquire dwellings in major cities either by purchasing them or completing quests.
– Certain items will be considered contraband and will require players to hide them on their ships using special modules in order to pass inspections.
– Faction quests are not mutually exclusive and can be completed independently of each other.
– Up to 20 named characters can join your crew, accompany you, and carry your belongings.
– Committing crimes can lead to consequences such as imprisonment, fines, or resisting arrest.
– Mechs in the game are in ruins and cannot be used.
– A fully nonlethal playthrough is not possible.
In addition to these gameplay features, Pagliarulo and Shen also discussed the worldbuilding aspects of Starfield. One intriguing element highlighted was the role of religion in the game’s futuristic universe. The Sanctum Universals, a group within the game, believe that space exploration is a means of getting closer to God. On the other hand, The Enlightened, a group of atheists, focuses on secular and humanitarian programs. Another noteworthy faction is House Va’ruun, a death cult with a peculiar fascination for snakes.
Pagliarulo delves into the lore surrounding House Va’ruun, stating, ‘A colony ship embarks on a journey to a new world, utilizing grav jumps along the way. After one of these jumps, a passenger claims to have communed with a celestial entity called the Great Serpent. For him, the experience lasted much longer than a few seconds, and he brings back a mandate: ‘Join us or face annihilation when the Great Serpent encircles the universe.’ In the game, players are left uncertain about the complete truth, with rumors circulating among the guards.’
As players venture into Starfield’s vast universe, charting undiscovered planets, mining resources, and maintaining trade routes, they will encounter all sorts of captivating elements. Bethesda promises that the game is filled with many more bizarre secrets and surprises, ensuring an enthralling experience for all. The countdown to Starfield’s release continues, and fans can hardly contain their excitement for this immersive sci-fi RPG.
