An open world that’s split up into separately leveled sections is not unusual for an RPG. Some games tell you the level requirements for an area outright, while some are a bit more vague. And Bethesda Game Studio’s titles usually fall into the latter. However, it looks like the many systems in Starfield will be leveled, which is atypical of the developer’s other games.
As spotted by GamesRadar, Todd Howard appeared on Lex Fridman’s podcast to discuss many things besides Starfield. These topics ranged from discussion about Bethesda Game Studio’s earlier titles, as well as some of the funny quirks that appear throughout its games. But the topic of Starfield is undoubtedly one of the more intriguing sections. And it’s here that Todd Howard confirmed that the systems in Starfield would be leveled. Howard goes on to say that “us being able to at least control the scale is how we ended up with the hundred-ish systems we have.”
Players can avoid Starfield‘s dangerous, high-leveled systems
Starfield is poised to be a massive game, one which we’ve only seen a small portion of. And the scale it’ll offer to the player is supposedly far bigger than that of Skyrim or Fallout 4. So a more obvious level indicator for each system seems like a pretty solid idea. If a player decided to go to a higher-level area in Fallout 3, the worst they could find would be a Deathclaw nest. And a fatal encounter would set you back to your last save. Since the scale of Starfield is so much bigger, a similar situation could end up being far more frustrating. With that in mind, having each system be clearly leveled is arguably a big positive for Starfield.
Image via Bethesda Softworks
There are certain aspects to this that Howard didn’t explain. We aren’t sure about the exact jumps in level from system to system for one thing. And there’s no word on whether certain systems could be locked out to players who are too low level. The likelihood is that you’ll have free rein to go wherever you want, and each system will have its level clearly displayed to let you know what you’re going into. Starfield and its leveled systems are a big change from the norm in Bethesda Game Studio’s titles. But Starfield seems to have plenty of changes to the formula besides just that, with a galaxy spanning over a thousand planets waiting to be explored.
