14 September 2023 , 09:30
1140
0
Spoilers ahead, as we discuss what happens when you complete Starfield’s final mission and what awaits should you choose to end your current playthrough.
For all its seemingly infinite mysteries, Starfield admittedly isn’t so great at explaining itself much of the time, with players curious as to how to sell contraband and where to find important resources like Lubricant and Ship Parts soon after starting the adventure. That said, one of the biggest mysteries up until now has been how the major Xbox Series X console exclusive handles its New Game Plus mode. While this isn’t explicitly what it’s called in-game, there is something very cool that occurs after Starfield’s final mission.
You presumably clicked on this article because you want to know what happens with regards to the Starfield New Game Plus mode. From this point onwards, therefore, we’ll be venturing into spoiler territory to help give you the full lowdown, so fair warning. Now with that out of the way, let’s discuss how to access Starfield New Game Plus and what changes when you enter this fresh state of the game.
Starfield New Game Plus – how to access it
After reaching the end sequence of Starfield’s final mission ‘One Giant Leap’, you’ll be faced with one of two options in which you can complete the game. They are very different from one another and have major implications on how the rest of your playthrough will play out, so choose carefully.
- Accept the Unity: The first is to walk into the giant shining orb known as the Unity and become what’s known as Starborn, whereby you’ll be reincarnated into an alternate universe – this is very much the game’s version of a New Game Plus mode.
- Reject the Unity: The second option is to walk away from the Unity, returning to your ship to stay in the original universe and complete whatever missions or tasks you have left. That said, you can return to the Unity at any time to trigger the first option.
All roads eventually lead to the first option, of course, with your player character becoming Starborn to be reincarnated within the new version of the universe.
Why Star Wars Jedi: Survivor's six week delay is a good thing
Starfield New Game Plus – what carries over into the new playthrough
When you eventually opt to become Starborn, rest easy knowing that developer Bethesda has elected to make it so you don’t lose all of the progress made in your starting universe. Here’s everything you get to keep after beginning a new loop in Starfield New Game Plus.
- Skills
- Powers
- Character background traits
- The Frontier (beginner spaceship)
In addition to these carryovers, accessing a new universe will also see you gifted what’s called the Starborn Space Astra suit and Starborn Guardian ship. The former easily makes a case as being one of the best suits in the game, with maxed-out resistances to Thermal, Corrosive, Radiation and Airborne damage. It also comes with three perks: Bolstering, Sentinel and Resource hauler that are fairly self-explanatory. The Starborn Guardian ship, meanwhile, isn’t quite as impressive, but it looks cool and can fit lots of storage and a maximum crew number of five.
Starfield New Game Plus – what to expect
Much more than simply rearranging enemies, moving around some planets and the like, however, the Starfield New Game Plus essentially acts as an infinite loop, where you can zoom past story objectives with each run to enjoy the remixed universe. And when we say remixed universe, we mean it, because there's no guessing what kind of alternative universe you'll be thrown into, with the changes being seemingly random.
Players are reporting that they've come across the Constellation Lodge being full of children when they've stepped into the Unity, with some saying that the Constellation NPCs turn into plants instead and even an example of Barrett wanting to have powers, which leads to a brand-new mission. And because you're stepping into an alternate universe, you can complete the main quest again to repeat the process, and you'll get another random experience.
So there you have it in terms of what to expect from Starfield’s version of a New Game Plus mode. It’s certainly different from a lot of other games, generating a take on the universe you thought you knew to create a fresh experience every time.