Bethesda’s upcoming sci-fi gameStarfieldis shaping up to be an interesting title. As the release date approaches, players have been given more glimpses into what the game is all about, and it’s safe to sayStarfieldis taking the RPG format in some intriguing directions. With its focus on exploration, expansive areas, and dedication to realism,Starfieldhas aspirations to measure up to and even surpass some of Bethesda’s most beloved and respected former titles. While only time will tell if the upcoming game can reach these lofty heights, it does seem to have some of the necessary ingredients for a hit.
Thanks toBethesda’s periodic episodes of “Into the Starfield,” players have been given more insight into how the world of the game functions and the level of freedom that they will have within it. With the release of trailers, screenshots, and interviews with members of the development team,Starfieldis becoming less and less mysterious. From explaining the complex inter-character interactions toStarfield’s factions, every detail revealed so far seems to hint at a diverse and intricately crafted game world. One of the aspects that should help add depth to the gameplay is the player’s choice of background – a decision that could have far-reaching consequences throughoutStarfield.
RELATED:How Starfield Companions Can Improve on Skyrim’s Companions
Starfield’s Character Backgrounds
One of the main features of the game that was discussed in more depth in a recent “Into The Starfield” episode were the potential character backgrounds. In addition toStarfield’s extensive character creator modethat will even let players pick their pronouns, gamers will be able to choose a background for their space explorer that will affect how and where they start their game. Not only will this help to give players a vast array of tools to competently create the character that they want, but it should open up some interesting avenues for the decisions they make early to affect how they experienceStarfieldas a whole.
Only a handful of backgrounds have been revealed so far, but there are bound to be more on the way. Currently,Starfieldhas three very distinct options when it comes to starting the player’s journey, and each offers a look into the game’s various factions and organizations. Two of the largest groups in The Settled Systems arethe United Colonies and the Freestar Collective. These factions have a history of rocky relations and were the key instigators of the Colony Wars that ended in an uneasy peace spanning twenty years prior to the start of the game. As well as being a member of an organization of space explorers called Constellation, players can choose to join either of these factions when they beginStarfield.
This is a big decision, as The United Colonies and the Freestar Collective are two very different groups. The first is an organized and central group that prioritizes order, whereas the latter is a ragtag bunch of hardy explorers who prefer the challenging outer edges of colonized space rather than the more controlled areas. In addition to these two factions,Starfieldplayers can also choose a company called Ryujin Industries as their character background, providing a more corporate start to their journey in a routereminiscent ofCyberpunk 2077’s own Lifepaths.
What They Could Mean For Players
Giving players the choice to customize their characters to such an extent bodes well for the flexibility ofStarfield’s gameplay. Developers have confirmed that whichever background players choose will affect the manner in which they start the game, with the Ryujin Industries affiliation giving players the chance to climb the corporate ladder as they prove they would be a valuable hire. In addition to the different starts the backgrounds give, there could be wider impacts. It’s hard to believe that a game striving for authenticity and depth in all ofits NASA-Punk designwill offer players the same equipment, armors, and ships irrespective of which faction they first join.
Another major aspect thatStarfield’s developers have revealed is the focus on companion characters and how they interact with the player.Starfieldwill look toupgrade the persuasion mini-game fromOblivionto add complexity to dialogue. Companions will also reportedly add to the game’s depth and will comment on player actions as well as provide meaningful relationships. Companions and NPCs will surely have their own affiliations, and it will be interesting to see how they interact with players based on their own groups and faction loyalties.
RELATED:The Odds of Starfield Having a Larger Impact Than Skyrim are Slim
How Starfield Should Use Dragon Age: Origins For Inspiration
There are lots of games thatStarfieldcould look to in order to create a truly diverse, carefully crafted, and significant system of player backgrounds. To make the feature really standout, it needs to be more than just an aesthetic choice or a shallow segregation. WhileCyberpunk 2077’s Lifepaths look diverse, they didn’t have much of an impact on the rest of the game. One title that handles this aspect much better isDragon Age: Origins,which offers players meaningful differences depending on which background they select for their character.
InDragon Age: Origins, players can choose both the race and class of their protagonist, and then within that there are additional choices like whether to be a dwarven noble or commoner. Each choice offered a variety of ways to start off the story, but they also impacted the wider gameplay as well. The race in particular was an aspect that added nuance to character interactions, as players that chose elves witnessed firsthand the widespread prejudice they were subjected to. While the galactic hierarchy inStarfieldis not exactly clear, it shouldemulate the fractured society inDragon Age: Originsto make the entire world feel more authentic and layered.
Anotheraspect ofDragon Age: Origins' backgroundsthat could helpStarfieldsuccessfully create their own version would be to verify that there is real depth and diversity to each option.Dragon Age: Originsdid such a good job of using the backgrounds to introduce players to the world of the games and its expansive lore. It gave insights into the relationships between factions, races, and classes, and added to the game’s replayability so that players could experience the different paths for themselves.Starfieldneeds to ensure that the character backgrounds are as distinct, grounded in the wider lore, and as impactful asDragon Age: Origins.
Starfieldreleases June 21, 2025, for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
