It’s a scene we’ve all witnessed before. The law closes in on the galaxy’s most wanted criminal. They rally en masse, their weapons and shields at the ready. Will the target come in quietly? Or will they try to escape in a blaze of glory? The only difference in this instance is that I was the villain.
It’s no secret that Starfield has a pretty entertaining criminal and morality system, something we’re only just seeing players begin to experiment with. Commit a petty crime and you'll have to pay a bounty, but commit a serious crime and you’ll feel the full weight of the law. I learnt the latter all too well - and I swear, it was a total accident.
Take a look at our video review of Starfield below.
For the most part, I played Starfield stoically. My character took the moral high ground, said the right thing, and helped the right people. Sure, Ryujin Industries and the Crimson Fleet had me making a few questionable decisions, and I may have nicked the odd med pack on occasion. Desperate times call for desperate measures, as they say, but on the whole, it was very rare that I’d find myself visiting a bounty clearance self-service terminal.
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Picture the scene. I’m in Neon, crouching behind a store counter, a bead of sweat drips down my forehead. In the game, that is, though truth be told, my real life hands were pretty clammy too. The entirety of Neon’s law enforcement is out, guns blazing in front of them. I can hear them shouting, ‘Any sight of the target?’ I let out a panicked and nervous, ‘Uhhhhh’.
The guards enter the store. I remain crouched behind the counter, praying they don’t find me. I’d already tried running. Trust me, there was no good way out of this one. Oh lawd. Here they come … I have nowhere to hide. “TARGET LOCATED,” they screech as they open fire. Cue an imaginary voiceover that says, ‘I bet you’re wondering how I got here?’ as the scene in front of you pauses.
I ran but oh dear, those bullets were flying. The worst part though? I lost my dang cowboy. ‘Sam Coe disliked that,’ read the screen. Next thing I know, my budding yeehaw romance was over. Sam had simply just left. Single and on the brink of death, dearest reader, I knew it was time to revert to an autosave made five minutes prior.
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What heinous crime did I commit, I hear you ask? Well, I may have accidentally bombed a crowded public space … an accident, I swear. I didn’t set out to commit mass murder, your honour. If you’re playing Starfield on Xbox, you’ll likely know that LB opens up your scanner, while RB will launch whatever throwable weapon you have equipped. Seeing as the game is mapless, you’ll likely have found yourself relying on your scanner’s directional guide arrows a lot.
I intended to open the scanner but, you know, it’s oh so very easy to mix up LB and RB. Bam. Off the grenade went, starting what was perhaps the most stressful five minutes I’ve ever experienced in gaming. I hope you got a little chuckle out of this tale though and take away an all important lesson: watch what button you’re pressing.