When it comes to massive games, Starfield takes the cake. With over 1,000 planets to explore, numerous factions to join, copious amounts of loot to steal, and spaceships to buy, build, and fly, the world is overflowing with possibilities. As such, starting off fresh can feel overwhelming. Here is what you need to do first in Starfield!
Starfield – Five Things to do When Starting
1) Explore Kreet Fully
While in the midst of the prologue, before ever joining Constellation, you’ll wind up landing on Kreet to take out the local Crimson Fleet pirate captain. He’s not overly difficult to defeat, nor are his goons infesting the research lab itself, but the moon offers plenty to overcome.
On top of the various flora and fauna, Kreet is home to a few points of interest, though these vary due to the procedural generation. You may wind up with an abandoned spaceport, which is the perfect landing zone for bounty hunters to chase you down. Or, you may discover a satellite dish infested with Kreet Stalkers. It varies wildly.
But one thing reigns true: Kreet is expansive. It’s the first genuine look at Starfield’s enormous open world to explore, with plenty of possibilities to discover and resources to harvest for later use.
This isn’t just about Kreet, though. Kreet is just the vessel for the exploration mechanic; it’s your first glimpse into the possibilities that Starfield holds!
2) Advance the Main Quest
While the main quest line in Starfield is genuinely exciting and enthralling, there comes a point in its tale where you truly just want to explore. And hey, there’s nothing wrong with going over and forging your path.
But for the most part, you should advance the main quest to a certain point. The quests to complete include:
- One Small Step
- The Old Neighborhood
- Into the Unkown
Upon completing The Old Neighborhood, Sarah Morgan will officially welcome you as a member of Constellation. She also opens up three paths: Back to Vecetra, The Empty Nest, and Into the Unknown. All three offer a lot of fun and exciting characters to meet, including Sam Coe and Barrett.
However, it would be best if you started with Into the Unknown. If you didn’t know, Starfield has alien powers the player can use, and your first comes upon completing this quest. It also opens the door to additional powers, almost like shouts in Skyrim, that come in handy.
3) Buy a New Ship
Your first ship, the Frontier, is acceptable. Just fine. It’s not overly impressive outside of being a spaceship that you can fly from planet to planet, but there’s more in the universe than just this hand-me-down.
You’ll need to spend a few credits if you want to fly in style, with additional weapons and a better grav drive. And by few, we mean a lot. The cheapest ship in Starfield is approximately 60,000 credits, with the average floating around 100,000, give or take.
Thankfully, you have options. A few quests provide free ships, like heading down the Crimson Fleet path to unlock the UC Prison Ship. Alternatively, why not steal a ship if you’re playing a pirate anyway? For a small fee, you can register it at any spaceport and claim it as your own.
Or, take the morally righteous route by paying for a ship at any of the ports in the game. Most have ships for sale, including Neon and New Atlantis.
But first, know that ships come in different sizes, styles, and classes. There are advantages and disadvantages to consider, so choose wisely. Opt for a vessel with additional cargo space if you want to roleplay as a long-haul space trucker. If you fancy yourself a dogfighter, something more elegant with high-power weaponry should be on your radar.
Related: Where to Buy Class C Ships in Starfield
4) Don’t Ignore Side Quests
Starfield features a metric ton of side quests to tackle, and these aren’t your typical travel here, talk to this guy and return to the first person-type of side quests.
For example, while playing recently, I received a distress call from a research base on Altair II. Spacers overran the base, and both UC Marines and Freestar Marines had landed to help repel the attack. Unfortunately, neither was successful. The scientists and what was left of the soldiers remained trapped inside, with Spacers knocking down the doors. It was up to me and Sarah Morgan to blast through each corridor, rescuing civilians and marines with a ticking clock in the background.
I accepted this quest, thinking it would take 20 or 30 minutes to complete. An hour later, and yet another Space assault was barreling down upon the planet as the pirates were laying claim to the entire system. I was asked to take my ship, the only ship on the world, and rescue the remaining scientists trapped in the field.
The side quests in Starfield are so expansive and enjoyable. Like many, I’m accustomed to fetch quests in RPGs due to my predilection for MMORPGs. This was a breath of fresh air!
5) Explore the Galaxy
Starfield plays host to numerous systems, each with unique planets, moons, settlements, and chance encounters while passing through space. Many will land on a planet and remain there, surveying and completing side quests for what can feel like one hundred hours of gameplay. That’s okay!
But if you want the whole experience, you must venture off the beaten path. There are numerous planets and star systems with exciting content to explore. For instance:
- Hopetown: On the planet Polvo, in the Valo system, lies Hopetown. It’s a small settlement home to a few exciting side quests, but it also features a spaceport with some of the more unique early-game ships to purchase.
- Neon: While certainly not off the beaten path, Neon is one of the most interesting video game cities in recent memory. It’s what Cyberpunk 2077 should have been at launch, with a seedy underbelly, crime-ridden streets, a drug kingpin, and neon lights adorning every business.
- Deimos Staryard: In Sol, the Deimos Staryard sits silently, awaiting new patrons. It’s the perfect spot to land, recruit a few crew members, and upgrade your ship. Or, walk around the station to breathe in the atmosphere.
There is so much more to see and do in Starfield than any previous Bethesda title, so take advantage of interstellar travel and explore the galaxy!
With as expansive as Starfield is, it seems like you’ll need a few more guides from Prima Games! Why not check out Starfield vs. Star Citizen: What Are the Differences? – Explained!
