As the hype surrounding Starfield continues to reach stratospheric heights, Bethesda continues to fan the flames with exciting news. The recent revelation by Todd Howard, the long-time executive producer over at Bethesda Game Studios, in a GQ Interview is a good example. The reveal wasn’t about a new starship or an alien species, but rather something that took many by surprise: a New Game+ mode, and with a “unique and exciting twist” at that.
For those unfamiliar, the New Game+ mode allows players to replay a game post-completion, often with the perks of retaining items, abilities, or features from their previous playthrough. This isn’t a typical feature for Bethesda RPGs, making its announcement all the more unexpected.
Now, considering the enormity of Starfield – which features thousands of worlds, each of which you can visit on foot – it’s a feat to even think about finishing the game once, let alone diving in for a second playthrough. With an expansive universe filled with Starfield planets to explore and a plethora of characters to interact with, the amount of content is simply staggering. As Bethesda’s Pete Hines puts it, Starfield could be likened to “a bunch of different games” merged into one epic RPG. Given this, what could a New Game+ mode bring to the table that could incentivize players to start over?
Firstly, there’s the unique role-playing aspect of Starfield. It’s been described as the most immersive experience since Bethesda’s 2006 release, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, a game that’s rumored to be getting a remake.
From character appearance to skill traits and backstory perks, players have vast flexibility to create a unique identity, a comparison that Xbox boss, Phil Spencer, made in a recent interview at Gamescom 2023.
So, could the New Game+ mode offer even greater depth and customization for characters, building upon the choices made in the initial playthrough?
The community, as expected, is busy speculating about what this could all mean. Some believe the twist may involve an integration of the mode into the storyline. A prevailing theory is the use of time-travel elements, where players might send their minds back, altering past events based on future knowledge. This concept isn’t alien (no pun intended) to the RPG genre and could be a riveting addition to the narrative structure.
Others ponder on the possibility of procedural generation influenced by the player’s initial decisions. Imagine landing on a planet where outposts you set up in your first playthrough now exist as ancient ruins. The exploration and lore-building opportunities in such a scenario would be incredibly engaging.
Yet another fascinating speculation revolves around the story itself. Could there be parts of the main questline that are only accessible through the New Game+ mode? While some players might be thrilled at this prospect, others, familiar with the extensive content of previous Bethesda titles like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4, might feel daunted at the idea of a potentially incomplete initial playthrough.
And then there’s the modding community. Many players have voiced concerns about mods affecting the continuity and playability of a New Game+ mode. Given Bethesda’s past titles and the expansive modding opportunities they provided, it remains to be seen how this will be handled in Starfield.
Bethesda has remained tight-lipped, leaving the gaming community to theorize, ponder, and hope. With its release date fast approaching – September 1 for premium editions and September 6 for general availability – players won’t have to wait much longer to see what surprises Todd Howard and his team have in store.
Whatever the twist, one thing is for sure: the inclusion of a New Game+ mode, especially one with a unique aspect, is a promising experience of an already vast game, allowing players to explore the expansive universe of Starfield in ways they might not have considered during their first journey amongst the stars.
