The Xbox and Bethesda Showcase gave fans a glimpse at some of the most anticipated games releasing within the next 12 months. Of all the news revealed at the showcase, Starfield’s presentation was one of the most in-depth looks at Bethesda’s first new IP in over two decades and gave fans a preview of gameplay, exploration, factions, and character creation. Starfield promises players a high level of freedom and excitement, allowing them to create unique characters and explore a vast system of planets that are ripe with opportunity.
One of the biggest reveals of Starfield’s showcase was the detailed look at the character creation menu. From sculpting the looks of characters all the way down to walking style, to picking unique traits that can affect gameplay and conversations, Starfield’s character creation is set to become Bethesda’s most complex creation suite ever. With this, the game is giving players the opportunity to play their own creation as well as experiment with different combinations of backgrounds and traits to improve replayability.
Physical Appearance in Starfield
As with most Bethesda games, the character creation menu allows players to create unique characters down to small details. Starfield takes this system a step further, giving players the ability to adjust more than just the standard definitions of a body and face. The Starfield reveal first gives fans a look at the Biometric ID, which is simply a set of templates that players can change later in the game by going to a genetics facility.
Following this, fans can sculpt the body shape using a wheel selector that allows players to pick a point between muscular, thin, and heavy. The body customization menu also lets players pick premade body types and change the walking style and skin tone of the character. Finally, the face sculptor gives players various sliders to shape the different parts of the Starfield protagonist's face and pick the best combination for their character.
Starfield's Backgrounds
Starfield’s character creation stars the Background system, which will give characters a backstory that affects how the character is played. There are over 16 possible backgrounds for players to pick from, each providing Starfield players with three starter skills, along with a small snippet about the character’s history. These elements help not only in character immersion but also in the overall world-building of Starfield, as players can read about different professions or events that took place in the past.
The Showcase gave fans a look at a few of these backgrounds and their starting skills, starting out with the Chef who gains increased health and melee damage, as well as the ability to craft and research specialized recipes. Fans also got a glimpse at the Combat Medic, Cyber Runner, Cyberneticist, and Diplomat backgrounds in the Starfield showcase, as well as how a background could affect dialogue with NPCs. These backgrounds could be instrumental in dictating the playstyle of certain characters, and given the variety, could force players to really think about their choice.
Starfield's Traits
Finally, traits apply certain characteristics to the player, allowing fans to pick 3 attributes that will affect the character in different ways. These traits can truly transform the experience as many of them will give certain boosts to combat, unique dialog options, increased money, and more. These traits will define the many characters created in Starfield and will allow the player to make completely different characters through multiple playthroughs.
Each trait can have different effects on the character and can also give created characters a boost or deficit going into the main game. For example, picking the trait Kid Stuff will mean that the character’s parents are alive, and their home will be accessible to the player; however, it also means a portion of any funds earned is taken out and sent to the parents. Another example is the Introvert trait that boosts endurance while traveling alone but decreases it when adventuring with a companion. Deciding between the pros and cons of each trait will certainly elevate the amount of detail that goes into character creation in Starfield.
With Starfield now delayed to 2023, fans will continue to hope for future reveals regarding the epic space adventure that Bethesda is creating. With a huge character creation suite that is set to be Bethesda’s most in-depth, along with the massive open world and the stellar storytelling abilities of Bethesda, Starfield has become one of the most ambitious games in recent years. The game has all the promise to become yet another Bethesda success story and seems to have the right mix of role-playing elements and freedom to give players a unique experience as space adventurers.
Starfield is set to release in 2023 for PC and Xbox Series X|S.