As one of the most awaited video games releases of the year, Starfield has generated considerable buzz ahead of its launch on 6th September. The game is set in a massive open world spanning over a 1000 planets, and developer Bethesda says it is their biggest and most ambitious game yet, which is saying something given their storied history.
Also read: Gamescom 2023: Starfield Kicks off the Event With a Stunning New Trailer
Since we’re close to the release date, Bethesda has been giving out more and more information on Starfield, ranging from graphics to the number of available companions within the game. Through their games, Bethesda caters to many different players and many different playstyles, and it’s one of the specific playstyles that is of note when it comes to Starfield – namely, a pacifist playthrough.
What did Bethesda have to say about a pacifist playthrough in Starfield?
Lead Quest Designer Will Shen and Lead Designer Emil Pagliarulo recently spoke on how a pacifistic playthrough wouldn’t be “totally feasible” in Starfield. Some players, whether it be in Bethesda games or other similar games, prefer to play without actually hurting an NPC (non playable character). So to them, it might be quite a disappointment that they can’t do it in Starfield, though they might still give it a shot anyway.
However, Shen and Pagliarulo did mention that they’ve integrated several gameplay mechanics in the game, among them some which might reduce the amount combat a player might see. This feature is called the Speech Challenge, where players use their charm and persuasion skills to talk their way out of a fight. Pagliarulo had this to say:
“The Settled Systems is mostly civilized, but it can be a dangerous place if you’re going off the beaten path. And you’re absolutely going off the beaten path!”
From where did Starfield get inspiration for its quests?
Given that Starfield is set in outer space and centers around exploring several planets, it was only natural that the game would look at several other works of science fiction in terms of taking inspiration for its quests. This includes not only visual media, such as movies and TV shows, but even pieces of literature like those written by Arthur C. Clarke and Robert Heinlein.
Specific mention was also given to Star Wars, the original Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, Event Horizon, Contact, Interstellar, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Speaking on what all of these science fiction stories have in common, broadly speaking, Emil Pagliarulo said:
“In all of those examples, you realize that outer space is two things: 1.) A source of mystery and wonder, sometimes terror, AND 2.) A giant blank page on which you can write any story. And we have written a lot of VERY different stories in Starfield.”
None of the sources of inspiration for Starfield are very surprising, with many of the titles listed being among the best known works of science fiction over the years.
Source: IGN
