It's easy to get caught in the Starfield character creator trap. If you're anything like me, then there's a good chance that your first few hours with any new RPG are spent scouring menus instead of a beautiful new world. Adventure awaits, so long as you can settle on a look, style, and personality for the character you're about to spend an obscene amount of time with. Oftentimes, that's easier said than done. But one of the Starfield tips I wish somebody had shared with me before I took my first steps into the Settled Systems is that you really don't need to sweat the details.
Bethesda throws a hell of a lot at you right from the outset, and it's possible to waste a lot of time trying to understand the web of new systems and ideas. But the best way to play Starfield is to make it through the character creation process as quickly as possible, and then figure out the rest as you go – unlike Fallout and The Elder Scrolls, this is uncharted territory for us all, and you're better off rolling with the punches and seeing how your captain gradually evolves over time.
Check your style
If you've ever played a Bethesda game before, you'll be familiar with the sort of character creation tools available. It's possible to really define your look, so long as you're willing to spend some time tweaking rather finicky dials. How muscular is your body tone, what color should your eyes be, how bright are your teeth going to be, how long is the bridge of your nose, and what are we going to do about those cheekbones. Honestly, the freedom of the appearance tools is impressive, but the execution is middling – and as ever, it's possible to make a character that looks alright from the front and absolutely monstrous in profile. You know, classic Bethesda.
So here's what I'd suggest: rather than spend your first few hours with Starfield stuck in character creator hell, just pull something together that you think is reasonably acceptable and then start moving forward with your life in the Settled Systems. The game is playable in both first and third-person, and you'll have to wear a spacesuit and helmet anytime you head planetside anyway. And it's not like your look will affect any Starfield relationships or romance opportunities either. One thing I do really appreciate about the game, with that all said, is that you can change your appearance in Starfield pretty easily – at any time, for basically no cost, from any one of the three major cities.
After I crossed the 10-hour threshold and had a better feel for my character and who I wanted them to be in the endless expanse of the universe, I went right ahead to one of the Enhance stores – stuck on an album – and then spent a good hour or two messing around with the look of Captain Josh. It only costs 500 credits to change cosmetic attributes, and you'll find that your Starfield companions will hand that over pretty readily at regular intervals on your travels. In hindsight, I'm really glad that I sped out of character creation and into the story, there's so much to see and do out there, so why not get right into the action and refine your look later.
Know your role
The same goes for Starfield backgrounds and starting skills selection. Once you've settled on the look of your character, it's time to really let indecision cloud your vision. Bethesda presents 21 preset backgrounds, ranging from Beast Hunter to Xenobiologist. This effectively defines your initial role in the galaxy, and the three skills that you're going to start the game out with. The Space Scoundrel has proficiencies in Pistols, Piloting, and Persuasion… but the Bounty Hunter comes equipped with points in Boost Pack Training and Targeting Control Systems. Given that I haven't yet shot a weapon, explored a planet, flown a ship, or built an outpost, knowing where to invest feels like a shot in the dark.
So I say you should treat it as such. If you really want to plan your character in minute detail, then I'd recommend that you take a look at our in-depth guide to all of the Starfield skills (including recommendations on what you should unlock first). As for me, I just picked the Background that sounded as close to the fantasy that I hoped Starfield would fulfill – a smooth-talking, gunslinging Space Scoundrel – and just went with it. The great news is that you level up pretty quickly in the first few hours, so you'll be unlocking skill points in no time at all. Don't like your original starting skills? Then don't invest in them any further, it really doesn't matter. The great thing about Starfield is that it's pretty easy to refine your build, or change the sort of role you want to play through the experience.
"If there's any one element of the character creator you don't want to rush through, it's the final tab collecting the Starfield traits"
If there's any one element of the character creator you don't want to rush through, it's the final tab collecting the Starfield traits. You can select up-to three of these, with each offering a unique buff and subsequent penalty. Dream Home starts you off with a luxurious house on a peaceful planet, but you will have a 125,000-credit mortgage hanging over your head, for example. This is the only opportunity to assign Traits in the game, so you'll want to think carefully about the decisions that you make here. For the most part, I'd say most of the bonuses outway the negatives, although the traits specific to the Starfield Factions and Starfield Religions can impact dialogue options in conversations. Thankfully, if you pick a Trait and later decide that you hate it there does appear to be options to remove them hidden throughout the universe – one NPC offers to wipe my 'Wanted' status for a large bounty payment, while it's possible to tell your parents to piss off if you don't want to continue sending them 2% of your credits every week.
Listen, you play Starfield the way that you want to play Starfield. If you want to spend a couple of hours tweaking variables in menus and getting stressed out over investing in skills that you have no concept of yet then be my guest, but I think that there are better things to do in the game than burn your time away here. There's an entire universe to explore, so get out there, figure out your place in the world, and then work to refine and define it.
Starfield is one of the best Xbox Series X games of the year, but to see what's up next you'll want to check out our living list of all the upcoming Xbox Series X games and new PC games for 2023 and beyond.
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