Bethesda discussed the extensive range of Starfield traits and backgrounds during the Starfield Direct after the Xbox Showcase, and it sounds a lot like Mass Effect meets Fallout. Like Mass Effect, you pick a background for your space explorer at the start of Starfield, but where your role as a survivor or fighter in Mass Effect only has a slight influence on the rest of the RPG, Starfield takes it much further.
Your background – chef, beast hunter, and so on – has its standard bonuses, such as giving you buffs in the kitchen, but you might stumble upon an ally or stranger who has a quest specific to your background. Bethesda briefly showed a scene where the beast hunter path unlocks a new quest from a stranger in a cafe who just so happens to need someone of your abilities.
The traits you pick seem like they’ll have a more substantial effect on how your story unfolds, though. One is hero worshipper, where you get a devoted fan of your own who can join your ship, ramble endlessly, adore you, and sometimes even give you rare, useful items. If you pick kid stuff, you have to randomly send credits back to your parents to help out and get some extra scenes when you return home for a visit.
Some traits affect your character’s religion, which can gain them allies – or enemies – in the galaxy, while another makes mercenaries track you across the stars and launch surprise attacks.
It sounds impressive, and we don’t have to wait long to see if it lives up to that potential. Starfield launches on Sep. 6, 2023, or five days earlier if you buy the special edition.
Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF
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