Very early in Starfield, at the character creation screen, players are introduced to three major, fictional religions present in the Settled Systems. There is a trait associated with each, but the small amount of information provided doesn’t necessarily give any insight on what each religion is, how they might affect a playthrough on a large scale, nor their general standing among the denizens of the Settled Systems. The presence of Starfield’s three religions in the character creation menu also brings into question the existence of contemporary religions players may have faith in, and whether those worldviews can be brought into the game’s version of the year 2330.
Luckily, for those hoping to make their character a self-insert, much of Old Earth culture (as it’s known in the Settled Systems) has survived the three centuries and change. Starfield giving the main character a practically blank backstory lets players roleplay as if their character is a practitioner of any faith without feeling as though their religion has become an archaic institution. Creating this sort of head-canon won’t have much tangible effect on the many hours of gameplay, though, and Starfield prefers to center its theological musings around the three creeds it’s invented for its vision of humanity’s future – Sanctum Universum, the Enlightened, and House Va’ruun.
Character creation is the earliest opportunity to adhere to a religion in Starfield. The Raised Universal, Raised Enlightened, and Serpent’s Embrace traits make the player character a member of Sanctum Universum, The Enlightened, and House Va’ruun respectively. Each trait has its benefits; the former two will give players access to some extra items, while the latter grants buffs to health and oxygen levels for a time after grav jumping (the method by which ships fold spacetime and travel between the stars in Starfield).
The most impactful facet of all three, however, comes in the form of unique dialog options. Seemingly every trait in Starfield will provide the player character with special lines to say, but the three religion traits provide the opportunity to leverage one’s faith in conversation, and perhaps occasionally open up new avenues in resolving a quest objective. Beyond relatively minor changes such as these, it’s unlikely choosing a religion will significantly impact the experience. Starfield seems designed to allow players to engage with every quest line, regardless of their character’s background.
Two of Starfield’s three religions, Sanctum Universum and The Enlightened, have doctrines seemingly at odds. Sanctum Universum believes reality itself is a divine creation, built by a higher being that’s somewhere out in the cosmos. The Universals posit the idea that humanity entering the interstellar age is a major step in its destiny to meet its creator, and that grav jumping is a glimpse into one of many higher dimensions. Grav jumping, to members of Sanctum Universum, is a religious experience to be…
2023-09-02 10:48:03
Original from screenrant.com
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