Starfield New Game Plus Feature: A Second Chance for Exploration

Starfield New Game Plus (NG+) in has proven to be a controversial feature among players and redditors. Some see it as an exciting opportunity for continued adventure, while others feel it detracts from the meaningfulness of their choices. However, both sides may be missing the real purpose behind NG+.

Understanding Starfield New Game Plus

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Starfield New Game Plus is not intended to be “endgame content”, as some players believe. Rushing through multiple New Game Plus cycles in search of the best gear misses the point. Starfield New Game Plus is meant to enhance long-term replayability over months and years, not provide a goal to quickly grind towards.

Bethesda likely added procedural generation to New Game Plus for this reason. To keep players engaged across countless hours, each new universe offers slightly varied experiences through randomized narrative seeds. This maintains an element of surprise and discovery for veteran players on their 5th or 10th playthrough.

For players overwhelmed by the scope of Starfield, New Game Plus also offers a clearer direction. After completing the main story once, the mysteries of the universe have been unveiled. New Game Plus becomes an opportunity to re-explore with new knowledge, locating hidden details you may have missed before.

Retaining Meaningful Choices

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Some players argue that Starfield New Game Plus negates the meaningfulness of their narrative choices, since they can always just visit another universe. But this is not necessarily true.

The universe you leave behind continues to exist, unchanged by your absence. The companions you befriended or enemies you made remain there, living with the consequences of your actions. Just because you move on does not erase what you did before.

And within each playthrough, your choices still shape that specific universe in substantial ways. Whether you save or doom a companion, or decide the fate of various factions, those outcomes remain intact in that timeline. NG+ does not undo them.

A Roleplaying Opportunity

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If anything, Starfield New Game Plus presents exciting roleplaying opportunities to explore how your character changes across universes. Their perspectives and personalities may shift as they gain new powers and perspective from visiting alternate realities.

Perhaps they descend into nihilism as the multiverse makes their actions feel meaningless. Or maybe they become more driven to leave a positive impact after witnessing so many difficult realities.

There are compelling directions to take your ever-evolving protagonist on an NG+ journey. It allows you to continually redefine your character across playthroughs.

Retaining Customization

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The lack of trait/background selection does limit customization, forcing you to stick with your original choices. Being able to alter these in Starfield New Game Plus would improve roleplaying potential.

But other options exist, like using console commands to change your name or appearance before entering a new universe. Some modding will likely allow greater flexibility here too.

Balancing Completion vs Enjoyment

Ultimately, how much you engage with Starfield New Game Plus is a personal choice. It certainly provides incentives for players who want to achieve “completion” by obtaining every item or upgrade.

But nothing requires using it that way. You can always ignore Starfield New Game Plus entirely and remain in a universe you enjoy. Or do only a few cycles casually to see some variations.

For long-time Bethesda fans, Starfield New Game Plus will likely enhance their enjoyment as they replay Starfield for years. But for players focused on a single immersive playthrough, avoiding it is also perfectly valid.

Either way, Starfield New Game Plus remains optional content designed for additional adventures, not an mandatory grind. Viewing it as a tool for endless exploration, not an eraser of past deeds, reveals its true purpose.

While not without some flaws in execution, Starfield New Game Plus ultimately provides:

Endless worlds to discover something new in
An evolving protagonist to roleplay
Alternate outcomes to witness
Retained meaning through separate timelines
Customization options via mods/commands

It may not be for everyone or for all playstyles. But for those seeking infinite adventure across the multiverse of Starfield, New Game Plus offers an incredible opportunity.