Will Starfield support pacifist runs?
We already know that Starfield will feature multiple ways to resolve quests, including dialogue and speech challenges. However, can you complete the whole thing without killing a single enemy, or destroying a single spaceship? Speaking to PC Game Spotlight at Starfield’s showcase event, lead quest designer Will Shen answers this question.
“We’re not totally sure about [supporting non-lethal playthroughs], it’s something we’re looking at,” Shen says. “It’s not totally feasible, but we’re trying.” This isn’t necessarily a firm ‘no,’ but it sounds like it isn’t a feature the team is 100% on top of just yet.
That said, Starfield does offer some good non-lethal options. Your character, who you can fully customise, has access to the ‘speech challenge’ system, which pops up in most quests where important characters confront you. You can resolve these peacefully, without resorting to violence, by countering with your own speech skill.
It appears in most quests where important characters confront you. You can complete these peacefully, without resorting to violence. However, Starfield’s universe is dangerous, and if you stray from the beaten path, you won’t be able to avoid conflict.
“It depends on the situation,” Shen continues. “If you’re in a really dangerous area and you run into a bandit, you’re going to fight them.” However, he adds, “There are some [non-lethal] options, but it’s not like Fallout 4 where you can just put [enemies] to sleep.”
It’s worth noting that while some of the more recent games in the RPG genre are more combat-focused, that wasn’t always the case. The classic Fallout games and Baldur’s Gate series had options for nonviolent resolutions, and personally, I’m wondering about whether I can pull off a non-lethal run in the upcoming Baldur’s Gate 3.
Shen says that sticking to knockouts only would be tough in BG3, but it “is a feature,” so it’s there at least in some capacity. When asked about Starfield’s non-lethal options, he does admit that he has “never done a non-lethal playthrough [of Starfield], but it’s there.”
Finally, I ask Shen what he’d say to the families of space goblins if we could send them apologies. He answers with a lot of laughter, “I don’t know! I guess you could do that, but I’m not sure [if it’s an option].”
I’m personally a big fan of killing goblins, and I’m sure I’ll be blowing up plenty of spaceships in Starfield. That said, I love exploring games in new ways and seeing what I can do, so I’m personally happy that Starfield offers the option to try a pacifist run.
