What is the Story in Starfield?
Starfield’s story will put players in the role of the main protagonist, who stumbles onto an alien artifact while out in space. After making contact with the members of Constellation, they become part of something much larger – a quest to answer some of humanity’s biggest questions!
What Year Is Starfield Set In?
Starfield’s story is set to take place in the year 2330 – a distant, but still imaginable future where humanity has developed settlements on other planets.
Twenty years prior to the start of the story the United Colonies went to war with their primary rival for power, the Freestar Collective. Although the Colony Wars are now at an end, the peace between these two factions is an uneasy one. Additionally, the pirates of the Crimson Fleet are aggressively expanding their footholds into systems where they have never been seen before.
What are the Alien Artifacts?
Based on what we’ve seen in gameplay previews so far, your protagonist Character will start the game on a moon called Kreet. There is a research lab here which has been taken over by Crimson Fleet pirates. You’ll need to clear them out before you can explore further.
Exactly what happens next is a mystery, but at some point you will stumble upon an Artifact which appears to be of alien origin. Upon touching it your character will experience cryptic visions – an inciting incident players of the Mass Effect series might find familiar. However, what these visions show in Starfield is currently unknown. Is it a threat? An advanced technology? A warning? An invitation?
This one artifact appears to be a piece to a greater whole, so the initial vision you see will only be a small hint. The only way to receive or understand the full message will be to put all of the pieces together. This has all the hallmarks of the start of a grand adventure! However, there are still a lot of open-ended risks and questions.
Aside from the visions, does touching the artifacts alter your character in any other way? Is this a possible way for players to gain mysterious new powers and abilities? The most recent Starfield Direct gave us a tantalizing brief glimpse of what appears to be the player character incapacitating several enemies in the middle of a gun battle by somehow changing the gravity.
The world that Starfield is based on is a very practical and grounded one. Game Director Todd Howard has said several times that they went to great lengths to keep the technology in the game relatively realistic and restrained. The addition of such powers would fall more under the realm of ‘space magic’. Maybe not so realistic, but definitely adding a dash of extra fun!
What is the Main Story Quest in Starfield?
Whatever they might be, the discovery of the Artifacts has the sole attention of the members of Constellation. This group describes themselves as “the last group of space explorers” and their members are committed to unlocking the mysteries of the galaxy.
At some point during the events on Kreet you will meet your first member of Constellation. A man named Barrett, a scientist and explorer, takes a keen interest in your discovery and directs you to the group’s headquarters. Upon arriving in the United Colonies’ capital city of New Atlantis your character will come in contact with the rest of Constellation.
They are in the process of collecting the scattered pieces of an alien artifact in order to fully assemble it, and when they learn of your discovery the members of Constellation eagerly welcome you to the group.
This kicks off the main story quest of the game – can the completed artifact answer some of humanity’s biggest questions? Why are we here? What’s next?
Companions and Crew
Some of the members of Constellation will join you on your adventure. These Companions will have their own skills and abilities, and can assist you not only on quests and exploration, but can also be assigned to starships and/or outposts. You will also have the option to romance some of these NPCs, learning their backgrounds and personalities and completing personal quests for them. The following Constellation Companions have been confirmed as possible romance partners:
- Sam Coe – former space cowboy, descendant of Akila City founder Solomon Coe
While others have not been officially announced, it’s likely that one or more of the following NPCs may also be romance options:
- Sarah Morgan – An ex-soldier and adventurer, who now leads Constellation
- Barrett – Explorer and scientist
- Noelle – Scientist and Sarah’s protege
- Vlad – Ex-pirate
Additionally, there will be a larger variety of Crew personnel who can also join your team. Their skills and stats will generally be lower than those of the more robust Companions. However, you will still find them very useful as you expand your reach into space with additional ships and outposts.
Starships
In the process of looking for the answers to those large, omnipresent questions, the player will visit not just human cities and settlements but travel out in the empty wilds of unexplored space. In order to do so, a Starship will be required!
Starfield’s ship building system promises to offer a great depth of options. Not just for upgrading any ship you acquire, but also to completely modify and overhaul its look and function if you wish! Your starships can serve as exploration vehicles, fighters, transports and more. However you wish to prioritize your gameplay, your starship will see you through.
Outposts
Like Starships, Outposts are another important way for players to expand their reach into space. Established outposts can not only farm resources for you, but they can also be used as rest stops. Places where your starship can stop and refuel and restock. Consequently, also expanding your reach into the unexplored depths of space.
You can assign Companions and Crew to manage your outposts. Many of these individuals will have skills and abilities which an influence the quality of resource production.
Combat
With all of the various Factions at play across the settled systems, you will need to be able to hold your own in a fight! Weapons will keep your enemies at bay. Armor will protect you not only in combat, but also from the harsh environments found on unsettled planets.
As your character gains skills and levels up you’ll want to make sure your Build suits your playstyle. Whether you like to get up close and personal in Melee, attack from range as a Sniper, prefer the quiet take-downs found in Stealth, or would rather Persuade your enemies that your way is best, find a build that’s powerful and fun!
Looking for more about Starfield?
- Comprehensive Starfield Guides
- The Best Starfield Builds
- Starfield Ship Builder & Character Builder
- More Starfield…
Starfield launches exclusively on Xbox Series X|S and PC on September 6, 2023. You can play it day one with Xbox Game Pass.
Thank you for reading Starfield Story article! We’ll do more deep dives into Starfield and cover the game. Additionally, you can also watch Deltia streaming the game on Twitch.
