When Starfield first released for Xbox Series X in 2023, I was so excited. When the initial hubbub from 2016 and 2018 occurred, I didn’t think too much of it. It was merely a pipe dream that was still years away. As the release date drew closer, I made a mental note that this would become a placeholder for me until the next Elder Scrolls game. It had very similar story and visual style beats. It used an updated version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim's Creation Engine, which they call Creation Engine 2. To an experienced player, Starfield had a similar feel to previous games by Bethesda Game Studios. This made it easy to pick up on and easy to engage with. Oh, was I wrong in thinking that this would last until Elder Scrolls VI. I, as I tend to do with BGS games, ran through it fairly quickly. I’m sorry. I am the kid in a candy store when it comes to games from Bethesda. Usually, this would be the death knell for me. This is why I wandered the world of Skyrim in 2011 after defeating Alduin and deciding to just pick berries and make potions for seven months until the Dawnguard DLC released.
As you finish Starfield, you are given the option to move forward onto New Game Plus in a very clever way. Stay and remain a human, or move into The Unity, and become Starborn, and gain the ability to move in and out of the multiverse as you please. If you’re not familiar with New Game Plus, or NG+ as the kids call it, imagine finishing the game, and then starting from scratch. Only, you don’t start from scratch. Some of the things from the previous playthrough carry over. That’s essentially what NG+ is. Starfield rewards NG+ players with special ships, trinkets, and in-game character knowledge that he/she did not have before. After reading about what you get after each level (playthrough) I decided to keep on going. Besides, what was the alternative? Pick space berries for an entire year until the new DLC? No, thank you. My ultimate goal was to get The Hunter’s armor, weapon, etc at the end of level 10. I felt I could do it because previously, I had beaten The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on every console, including PC, and each special edition and re-release. This was going to be no different.
I was very wrong. And for a long time, I tried to figure out why this game bothered me so much. Perhaps it was the endless void that was space. Maybe it was that I felt so overpowered that nothing mattered anymore. This is where the irony of the game’s story sets in. Through initial runs, I sided with The Emissary, the opposite of The Hunter. After all, The Hunter killed the love of my life and wiped-out worlds and people throughout the multiverse. He could get bent! The thing that drives The Hunter is his boredom… He feels humans do not deserve such a gift as The Unity. He has gone through these worlds so many times that he is not completely bored, and none of it means anything, so, blast away! As my own personal boredom set in, I came to understand The Hunter and even sided with him in my last few playthroughs. The mundanity of the game made me side with the bad guy. Wow! Eventually, I just stopped. This game was going to play on an endless loop, and none of it mattered.
Why did this game trouble me so when The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim did the complete opposite, even though I’d ran through each quest probably about 8 times already. I have compiled a list on why I got so annoyed with Starfield’s NG+ and why new playthroughs of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim do not have that effect on me.
Why did this game trouble me so when The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim did the complete opposite, even though I’d ran through each quest probably about 8 times already. I have compiled a list on why I got so annoyed with Starfield’s NG+ and why new playthroughs of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim do not have that effect on me.
First, there was the loss of attachment and progress. Everything reset except me. In Starfield's NG+, I lose almost everything: my ships, outposts, inventory, credits, and even my relationships with companions. While I keep my skills and levels, the tangible progress I made in the world is wiped away. This led to a feeling that my efforts in the previous playthrough were somewhat meaningless in the grand scheme of the new universe. Now, after the game is over in Skyrim, I keep my stuff, my houses, my guild affiliations, mah wife (Borat voice), Now, when I start a new character in Skyrim, it feels more like a brand new story, rather than a complete loss of everything. The way Starfield’s NG+ puts it, your previous attachments, your money, wife, homes, are still out there somewhere, and you can’t get to them, nor see them. Also, the people you met are missing you dearly. That’s when the darkness set in. My wife from playthrough one (the only time I married) wakes up with me not there, in a house we shared together, looking at all my old armor and weapons. That hit me hard.
The Nature of "New" Content. While Starfield's NG+ promised variations in the main storyline and some unique universe permutations, these felt relatively minor or infrequent. The core quests and world often remained largely the same, just with occasional Starborn dialogue options or slightly altered scenarios. Now, Skyrim, its strength lies in its vast open world and the emergent stories that arise from player interaction and the game's systems. Even if the main quest is familiar, a different build, faction choices, or random encounters can lead to a significantly different experience each time. The "newness" comes from your choices and the world's reactivity.
The Nature of "New" Content. While Starfield's NG+ promised variations in the main storyline and some unique universe permutations, these felt relatively minor or infrequent. The core quests and world often remained largely the same, just with occasional Starborn dialogue options or slightly altered scenarios. Now, Skyrim, its strength lies in its vast open world and the emergent stories that arise from player interaction and the game's systems. Even if the main quest is familiar, a different build, faction choices, or random encounters can lead to a significantly different experience each time. The "newness" comes from your choices and the world's reactivity.
Also, the feeling of purpose and power lost me. Starfield's NG+ heavily emphasized the acquisition and upgrading of Starborn powers. I have to admit, these were never fun for me. The repetitive temple runs to acquire them can felt like the biggest grind, and the powers themselves did not fundamentally change how I interacted with the world outside of combat. Plus, I hated the whole “chase down the Alka Seltzer fizz and catch it quickly.” I was never quick enough and would often spend 20-25 minutes in each chamber. In Skyrim, your power progression feels more directly tied to your exploration and character development within the world. Learning new shouts from ancient walls or crafting powerful gear feels more integrated with the world itself. I could affect the world around me through weather shouts, wind shouts, or summoning a dragon or companion to help. Starfield has this too, yet, not as cool as seeing a dragon come down and clean house. Dragons > Everything else.
Then there were the thematic differences. The narrative justification for NG+ in Starfield is the multiverse. While thematically interesting, for me it created a sense of detachment. If every universe is just one of infinite possibilities, the specific connections and efforts within one universe might feel less significant. Skyrim's world feels more singular and impactful. Your actions have weight within that specific realm, contributing to a stronger sense of belonging and investment. In Starfield it’s more, “Oh, wait, did I just accidentally kill that character? Pfft, he’ll be alive in the next playthrough.”
Then there were the thematic differences. The narrative justification for NG+ in Starfield is the multiverse. While thematically interesting, for me it created a sense of detachment. If every universe is just one of infinite possibilities, the specific connections and efforts within one universe might feel less significant. Skyrim's world feels more singular and impactful. Your actions have weight within that specific realm, contributing to a stronger sense of belonging and investment. In Starfield it’s more, “Oh, wait, did I just accidentally kill that character? Pfft, he’ll be alive in the next playthrough.”
And finally, the mundane effect. The core gameplay loop of Starfield, even in NG+, can feel somewhat repetitive to some players (go to planets, explore similar POIs, complete similar quests). The NG+ doesn't fundamentally alter this loop in a significant way. Even after all my 89 playthroughs, Skyrim offered a familiar comfort. I know the world, the lore, and the general flow of things. The joy comes from experiencing it with a new character or approach, like revisiting a beloved place with a different companion. When I go back to play Skyrim when I am an old man, after not having played it for years, I will jump for joy at seeing these old characters again. Even know, when I watch a first-timer’s playthrough on YouTube, and see them point out Bleak Falls Barrow in the distance, I think to myself, you can go there! But I don’t say anything so as not to ruin the surprise. No way will I have this same reverence for anything from Starfield.
In the final analysis, the contrasting experiences with New Game Plus in Starfield and repeated playthroughs of Skyrim highlight a fundamental difference in their approaches to player investment and world-building. While Starfield's NG+ offers a mechanical incentive to continue playing through new powers and slight variations, it ultimately sacrifices the deep personal connections and tangible progress that made the initial playthrough meaningful. Skyrim, on the other hand, fosters a sense of belonging within a persistent world, where each new character and playthrough feels like another story woven into a rich and reactive tapestry. The ephemeral nature of Starfield's multiverse, while narratively intriguing, ultimately led to a sense of detachment and eventual boredom, a stark contrast to the enduring comfort and emergent joy I continue to find within the familiar embrace of Skyrim's world. Or, hey, maybe it’s my fault for playing the game too fast.
In the final analysis, the contrasting experiences with New Game Plus in Starfield and repeated playthroughs of Skyrim highlight a fundamental difference in their approaches to player investment and world-building. While Starfield's NG+ offers a mechanical incentive to continue playing through new powers and slight variations, it ultimately sacrifices the deep personal connections and tangible progress that made the initial playthrough meaningful. Skyrim, on the other hand, fosters a sense of belonging within a persistent world, where each new character and playthrough feels like another story woven into a rich and reactive tapestry. The ephemeral nature of Starfield's multiverse, while narratively intriguing, ultimately led to a sense of detachment and eventual boredom, a stark contrast to the enduring comfort and emergent joy I continue to find within the familiar embrace of Skyrim's world. Or, hey, maybe it’s my fault for playing the game too fast.
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