It feels as if fans have been waiting forever for Bethesda’s massive new RPGStarfield,but finally, after delays and years of radio silence from the developer, players will hopefully get their hands on the game next year. Bethesda has been pretty tight-lipped about its highly-anticipated IP since it was announced in 2018, but with the game’s release date looming closer, the developer has opened up more and more about features and aspects ofStarfield.
One element that players were particularly excited about was the game’s character creator and how they’d be able to customize their protagonist. This is an integral part of many RPGs, and withrecent games likeElden Ringbeing praised for their use of this feature,Starfieldalready has a lot to live up to. From what’s been shown and discussed so far, it seems like Bethesda andStarfieldmight be looking to titles likeCyberpunk 2077and previous entries inThe Elder Scrollsseries to inform the upcoming game’s classes and character backgrounds.
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What We Know About Starfield’s Classes
Bethesda has released a few trailers, images, and gameplay videos by now to help show players what its expansive sci-fi game is all about.Fans have seen some ofStarfield’s combat, its base-building capabilities, and even its spaceflight in action, but one of the aspects that has generated the most buzz is its character creator. This is usually a popular feature and gives gamers a chance to create some truly individualized and (in some cases) crazy characters to explore the in-game world with. WhileStarfield’sis reportedly extensive and gives players plenty of choices when it comes to physical attributes, it isn’t quite as whacky as some other games.
One of the elements that mighthelp setStarfieldapart is the intricacy of its trait, background, and class options. This has been shown off a little in gameplay videos and behind-the-scenes clips, but a lot of this process will probably remain a mystery until the game is released in 2023. However, gamers do know some things, like how the choice of background or class will give three specific starting skills as well as provide the protagonist with a backstory. Bethesda hasn’t revealed yet what each background entails, but here is the list of available options:
The Similarities To Cyberpunk 2077 and Elder Scrolls
Some available classes inStarfieldseem like obvious choices for a sci-fi gamecentered around humanity finding its place in space, like an Explorer, and others seem part of professions that will be instrumental to humans finding a home among the stars and forging a peaceful existence like a Diplomat or Homesteader. Some, however, seem to be a little out of left field, like a Bouncer or Chef. These will inevitably have their uses and show the wide spread of available options when it comes to creating a specific character.
In the second episode of a series of developer-led videos called “Into the Starfield”, Bethesda went into more detail about some of the different backgrounds that players could pick for their protagonist. The developer had already discussed a few of the factions within the game like the United Colonies, the Freestar Collective, and Ryujin Industries, but it seems like players will be able to pick which one they want to associate with early on, which will affect how and where they begin theirStarfieldadventure. This is veryreminiscent ofCyberpunk 2077’s initial Lifepaths, and according to Bethesda, this decision will also affect the rest of the game.
This will add another layer to the background class that players can pick in the character creator, as they could make themselves a Gangster member of the Freestar Collective who values personal freedom and prefers to operate outside the law and live on the fringes of the Settled Systems.Cyberpunk 2077’s Lifepaths didn’t end up having too much of an impacton the rest of the game, much to the disappointment of players, butStarfieldseems determined to give these decisions weight and narrative importance.
Players who are alreadyfamiliar with Bethesda’sElder Scrollsserieswill also notice some similarities betweenStarfield’s backgrounds and the class system in the developer’s previous fantasy-focused games. The classes in titles likeThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivionalso offered a number of different choices that each had perks and designated specializations which players could then build upon as they leveled up and made their way through the game. Some gamers felt like the class system used in a few of theElder Scrollsgames was a little restrictive and didn’t allow for a lot of flexibility when it came to how they could approach combat, but hopefully,Starfieldcan strike the right balance.
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Why This Bodes Well For Starfield
Players may not have all of the information aboutStarfield’s character creation processyet, and it definitely seems like something that they’ll need to get hands-on with in order to fully appreciate, but from what has been shown so far it seems like the game is heading in a great direction. There appears to be a truly comprehensive spread of options that will not only accommodate a variety of playstyles but will also offer lots of opportunities for proper role-playing.
Although Bethesda has promised that there will beplenty to see and do inStarfield, with hundreds of systems and planets to investigate, the story will mostly be player-driven. This makes the role of the protagonist crucial in not just the player’s experience of the game, but alsoStarfield’s narrative trajectory. Bethesda has also said that interactions with NPCs will be important alongside the emphasis on exploration, and if this is the case the type of character the player uses will be central to the shape of the overall story, and their background, affiliations, and personality will be major factors inStarfield’s success.
Starfieldis scheduled to release in the first half of 2023 on PC and Xbox Series X/S.
