Summary
Starfield’s storytelling isn’t always perfect, and sometimes moments that seem like they should have more of an impact kind of fall flat. Some of these moments may initially work, but when given some extra thought, players realize it doesn’t really hold true when looking at it from an in-universe perspective. This type of issue isn’t uncommon inStarfield, especially when it comes toquests replayed after entering The Unity. The problem with this type of storytelling is that it hurts the player’s sense of immersion in the world they are meant to inhabit.
In this particular instance,Starfieldrelies on the ignorance of the playerto deliver an apparent plot twist. However, it only works because the player doesn’t have too much knowledgeabout theStarfielduniverseyet. Subsequent playthroughs make it much more obvious that this twist doesn’t really work the way it was intended to.
New Starfield Mod Gives Players The Quest Menu They’ve Always Wanted
A new Starfield mod grants players the quest menu they’ve dreamed about as it declutters all those side-quests that crop up out of nowhere.
Andreja’s Va’ruun Reveal Shouldn’t Come As A Surprise
Andreja Reveals Herself As A Member Of House Va’ruun
Players meet and recruit Andreja duringthe “Into the Unknown” quest. When players first meet her, Andreja acts somewhat mysterious, keeping her cards close to her chest. Only after players begin to get to know her better will she finally reveal that she is a member of House Va’ruun. This is meant to be a big moment since House Va’ruun has a pretty negative reputation due to a previous violent crusade they went on to spread their religion. This reveal does play as a twist for the player, butit shouldn’t really be a surprise to their character.
Andreja makes it pretty clear in conversations that she feels like an outsider amongst the Constellation and even hints at her past with the Va’ruun. She explicitly says that she has had issues with Va’ruun zealots in the past. Andreja also mentions that her family didn’t trust outsiders, and House Va’ruun is notably isolationist. As if this wasn’t enough, Andreja’s dark clothes and distinct style fit in well with the rest of House Va’ruun’s stylings. All of these hints make it pretty obvious what Andreja’s background is.
10 Biggest Starfield Story Spoilers And Reveals
There are so many narratives and side stories in Starfield it can be hard to keep track of everything. These are the game’s biggest spoilers.
Andreja Should Have Tried Harder To Hide Being Va’ruun If It Was A Secret
Andreja Clearly Telegraphs Her Past Through Her Dress And Dialogue
The hints that Andreja gives about her past aren’t very subtle, leaving players to wonder if she was even trying that hard to hide being Va’ruun. If she didn’t want anyone to know, then it would only make sense that she would make a conscious effort to differentiate her style from theirs and avoid talking about topics that hint so heavily at her past. It is clear that the intention behind her dialogue is to hint at her past, so players want to know more about her. While this is an effective narrative tool, it hurts the suspension of disbelief.
Thiscould be a result ofStarfield,in general, having some clunky dialogueat times. This can best be seen in how unsubtle the game is with its player’s dialogue options. Any dialogue option with special implications like flirting or intimidation is spelled out for the player in brackets, as though players couldn’t simply intuit that saying “I love you” to their companion is considered the romance option. This hamfisted approach to dialogue could be to blame for this reveal not being handled too well. However, it could also be a symptom of another common Bethesda flaw.
Every Starfield Faction Questline, Ranked Worst To Best
Faction quests have historically been the coolest parts of Bethesda’s RPGs, and Starfield delivers the best yet. But some are better than others.
Are You Even From This Universe?
In their roleplaying games, Bethesda has a tendency totreat players like the audience for a movieas opposed to an actual person who is living in the world of the game. This habit is apparent in Andreja’s reveal. Sure, the player probably doesn’t know Andreja is a member of House Va’ruun right away, but their character probably would. She dresses like them, expresses similar beliefs, and hints at her past with them. Any person who actually grew up in the universe ofStarfieldwould see Anderja’s reveal coming a mile away.
Starfield: Shattered Space DLC - Release Window, Story Details, & New Gameplay
Starfield showcased its first DLC, Shattered Space, in a trailer during the Xbox Games Showcase. Here’s what it reveals about the upcoming expansion.
This becomes an issue with the game’s story because it breaks the player’s sense of immersion inStarfield’s world. They don’t get to feel like someone who grew up in this universe and would actually know these details about its history. Instead, the game treats the player’s character like a window through which to deliver exposition to the player that their character likely already knows. While some level of exposition is necessary when introducing players to a new sci-fi universe,Starfieldhandles it in a very straightforward way that feels unnatural for how people in its setting should talk.
