Starfield is the first Bethesda RPG with a new game plus, and while it has some mechanical problems, it’s a narrative delight to experience after your first playthrough.
It took a few hours for me to really “get” Starfield, but I’m now in love with Bethesda’s biggest, sprawling-est space RPG. Between my adventures with exploration society Constellation and all of the factions in the Settled Systems vying for my help, there are lots of stories to explore. But narratively, the real star of the show is Starfield’s new game plus mode. Some of its mechanics get in the way, but the way it handles the main plot is worth the hassle.
[Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Starfield’s main quest and its conclusion.]
I spent dozens of hours in my first playthrough running around the Settled Systems, becoming a Freestar Ranger, a UC citizen, and dabbling in piracy as a side gig. I ended up playing a mostly moral character who would break the law a little bit, as a treat. Sure, I’d break into the restricted cargo area to steal some supplies for a lady I met two minutes prior, but I never pulled the trigger on any truly terrible decisions. I stayed well within the “lovable scoundrel” archetype.
At first, I found the main narrative’s Constellation quests to be a side show to the faction questlines for every other major group in the game, such as the United Colonies, Freestar Collective, Ryujin Corporation, or Crimson Fleet. Sure, you get cool space powers for hunting down Artifacts and temples, but it feels like busy work – going to various backwaters and secret temples to complete isolated projects.
No one involved in these Constellation quests has many answers, and Constellation characters just repeat many of the same questions. You’re also harassed by a faction called the Starborn, and they refuse to give you much in the way of solid information.
