Starfield is one of Bethesda's most ambitious attempts at an open-world RPG with over a thousand planets and hundreds of NPCs. You'll be running into many factions and deciding the fate of many people throughout the game. Here are some of the most important decisions in Starfield.
These decisions are important because they are permanent and can have lasting consequences for you and the people in the Settled Systems. You can't usually take them back and will have to live with the weight of your decisions. So here are the most important choices in Starfield, along with their pros and cons.
Who to Romance
Let's start with a simpler one. Starfield has a romance system that allows you to woo any of your recruitable companions from Constellation. These companions currently include:
Starfield doesn't allow you to have multiple partners at a time, and the partner you decide to woo will be your only choice unless you opt for a divorce. Getting married can affect the endings of Starfield, and you can also avail of the Sex XP bonus while playing.
SysDef or Crimson Fleet
Another major decision you make will be to side with the Crimson Fleet or UC System Defense during the Eye of the Storm mission. This decision has lasting consequences and dictates which faction will look favourably upon you. Siding with either will net you a hefty sum of 250,000 Credits.
If you side with Sys Def, your companions will approve of this decision, you'll stay on friendly terms with this division of the United Colonies, and you'll keep access to the UC Vigilance.
If you side with the Crimson Fleet, your companions will dislike this decision, but you'll be on friendly terms with the Crimson Fleet and all their bases. You also keep access to all the vendors at the Key who have ship modules that help with smuggling contraband. So this decision is more enticing.
Operation Starseed
During Operation Starseed, you will be faced with choosing between Franklin Roosevelt, Genghis Khan, and Amanirenas. Not only do you hear their ideologies, but this lengthy quest also has you decide which faction you will support.
Ultimately, you also choose the fate of the entire colony and its power dynamics. If you resolve things relatively peacefully, you can unlock a new secret companion and have Amelia Earhart join your crew.
Reporting on Mathis
During the Crimson Fleet quest line, you'll be paired with a mouthy mercenary named Mathis. Mathis will spout a lot of plans and grand ambitions and try to talk you into joining him to overthrow Delgado. However, he'll change his mind by the end of the quest.
You have to decide what to report back to Delgado. If you praise and defend Mathis, he will eventually see the error of his ways and join you as a companion. However, if you report his statements to Delgado, he'll be kicked out of the fleet and return later to try and kill you.
Dealing with Ron Hope
During the Freestar Collective questline, you uncover the conspiracy behind the mysterious mercenary attacks and track the culprit down - Ron Hope. Ron Hope is a powerful mogul on the Freestar Collective's council. You choose to kill him or accept his bribe and let him be.
Killing him seems like the moral decision, but it turns Hope Town into a ghost town. You can let him go and accept a pretty hefty bribe, especially if you try to negotiate harder. The decision is ultimately yours to determine if Credits are worth letting a murderer let go.
Save Rafael or Not?
The decision to save one man who has suffered at the hands of others or to save the group in the lab. This decision poses an ethical dilemma for you to tackle, and you'll have to live with the consequences of your decision. However, if you'd like to break this dilemma into practical results, we've got you covered.
Letting Rafael die will allow you to access a Legendary Nishina Helmet and Spacesuit in the lab. Legendary gear is relatively easy to farm, so you might not be too tempted with this option. On the other hand, saving Rafael lets you recruit him as a companion for your crew. Rafael comes with the following skills:
Eye or the Lodge
This is one of the major decisions you'll make near the end of the game and dictates which companion close to you will survive. Yes, the consequences of this decision include letting one of your closest companions die. We would suggest looking at our Eye or the Lodge guide to see the best course of action here.
Hunter or the Emissary
Near the end of the game, choosing between the Hunter or the Emissary is an important decision that will dictate how your final quest plays out and which of the two powerful Starborn supports you. It will also dictate the last boss you will face and the ending you will receive. The legendary weapon you receive after dealing with the final boss depends on this decision, so don't take it lightly. You can read our Hunter or Emissary guide to learn all the outcomes of this decision.
Reveal Identity as Starborn
These are two different decisions written as one. The first is whether you enter Unity and start a new game plus. The consequences of starting a new game should be considered when doing this. Once you enter a new universe and go to the Lodge in New Atlantis, you can reveal your identity or hide it.
Revealing it allows you to skip portions of the main quest and collect artifacts. However, staying silent sees you play the story all over again while having knowledge and dialogue options to employ as a Starborn.
That concludes our list of the most important decisions in Starfield. While here, learn how to change your appearance and the best late-game XP farming guide.
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