Summary
Starfieldis home toover 1,000 planets, each with its own factors that make it unique. While flora and fauna are some of the more obvious traits a planet can have,the player can also scan for unique planetary traits.These can be quirks of geology, biology, or climatology.
While some traits are relatively simple, others have broader implications beyond a completed planet scan. From the sites of deaths that occurred millions of years ago to singing crystals,the Settled System is full of weird and wonderful spectacles sure to amaze any spacefaring explorer.Here are some of the coolest anomalies a player can find inStarfield.
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10Prismatic Plumes
Beautiful Spikes That Are Rarely Seen On The Surface
Caves are dark and contain little life, but they do host spectacular views for spelunkers.Stalagmites and stalactites, formed from millennia of calcium deposits, are typically the source. These beautiful spikes are rarely seen on the surface, as wind and rain brush away any minerals before they have a chance to form.
Travelers on their way to Akila City, central hub for the Freestar Rangers and theirStarfieldfaction questline, may decide to make a pit stop at Skink in the same system. Though this planet does not have much to offer as far as life goes,it is home to many resources and the more interesting Prismatic Plumes trait. These can be quickly identified by the easily-spotted crystal clusters. Skink is too hot for rain to form, but its high temperature means it probably has strong winds, which usually prevent stalagmite formation.This makes the formation of crystal stalagmites around the planet’s mineral pools one of the many mysteries ofStarfield.
9Aeriform Life
Plants That Release Microbes Into The Ventilated Air
Plants have many mechanisms for spreading seeds.Fruiting plants generally rely on animals, but others, like dandelions, rely on the wind. These plants usually grow as tall as they can to ensure the wind will carry their seeds as far as possible, butStarfieldhas some plants which take a slightly different approach.
Spindly, often jagged structures found on certainStarfieldplanets host Aeriform Life, a rare kind of planetary trait.The scanner description states that the “plants release microbes into the ventilated air,” but it is unclear whether those plants are the twisted pillars themselves. They could instead be located deep within, allowing them to take advantage of natural wind tunnels and have a wider reach. Newly-christened Vanguards are likely to stumble upon these features on Tau Ceti II.
8Diseased Biosphere
The Putrid Pods Can Kill Most Life
Human history has been heavily impacted by the spread of infamous diseases like the plague, flu, tuberculosis, and many more. Unfortunately, diseases inStarfieldare not limited to Earthlings.Pathogens typically burn themselves out if they cause too much damage, but planets with the Diseased Biosphere trait seem to have missed the memo.
The Narion system is infamous for its role inStarfield’sColony War, sometimes referred to as the Narion War. It is home to several planets which are home to life, including Vesta. Though it has plenty of biodiversity with its seven major fauna and four major flora species, the population is listed as marginal.This may be due to the many visible pockets of diseaseon the planet.The putrid pods could kill most life, causing the planet’s low population.
7Sonorous Lithosphere
Crystals That Produce Sound
Cave systems the world over are full of crystals. Provided they can survive the attempt,many of these crystals will produce sound when struck. InStarfield, some planets exist which have crystals that make sound completely on their own.
Ourea is devoid of life, but that does not mean it lacks activity. Scattered across the planet’s surface are massive crystals. As the player gets closer, it becomes clear that they are producing sound. There are many potential sources for the sounds. They could be caused by imperceptible tremors below ground, constant wind, ormaybe the crystals are immobile but sentient creatures desperately trying to communicate.
6Slushy Subsurface Seas
The Possibility Of An Ecosystem Far Below The Surface
The Sol system is no stranger to worlds that are too cold for any life to exist. Some, like Earth’s moon, are barren, rocky worlds with mostly uniform surfaces dotted by craters. Europa is somewhat different, as it is covered in a thick layer of ice.Modern scientists hypothesize that deep below the surface of this ice, a vast ocean may exist which could be filled with simple life.
This possibility is what makes Slushy Subsurface Seas so tantalizing. Wandering Sirius II, the player may come across jagged rocks surrounding a pool of water.Rainbows can be seen across the surface of these rocks, though they are not the most interesting aspect. The invisible gasses hovering above the liquid have made their way to the surface through the planet’s icy surface. It is suggested by the vent description that these spew organic nitrogen,hinting at the possibility of an ecosystem far below the ground.
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5Primed For Life
The Recipe For Simple Microbial Life
While Earth is covered in life, it is also the only known planet on which it exists.There are many theories about how life first came to be, and one of those is the “primordial soup” theory. This suggests that pools filled with water and an abundance of organic compounds were the origin of the biosphere as it exists today.Planets with the Primed for Life trait inStarfieldshow this process occurring.
The dark pools of Kang V contain methane, ammonia, and other basic materials. These are not too exciting themselves, but together with heat from below the water,they form the recipe for simple microbial life. Millions of years after the game’s end, the planet may be a paradise.
4Continual Conductor
Lightning Can Strike Twice In The Same Place
Lightning is a powerful, incredibly hot plasma which tends to only occur naturally during thunderstorms or near erupting volcanoes (due to static building up in the atmosphere because of all the ash).It is sometimes said that lightning never strikes the same place twice. Unfortunately, this saying is false, andStarfield’s Continual Conductor planetary trait is an extreme example.
Some planets, like Indum I, are home to vast stretches of sand-covered deserts. The eagle-eyed adventurers on these worlds may spot sharp crystal formations. Upon closer inspection,it is revealed that these are made of glass, which was forged during a cataclysmic thunderstorm. Glass chunks are patterned in a way which reflects what often appears as temporary scarring on those who have been struck by lightning. The crystals are stunning, but they are also an ominous sign that this weather may return any day.
3Sentient Microbial Colonies
A Planetary Trait Similar In Appearance To Aeriform Life
Even though there are plenty of plants and animals, most of the life on Earth is microbial. In fact, while estimates vary, as much as 90% of the cells in the human body belong to microbes. Because these organisms are so small, they are relatively simple. Some planets inStarfieldchallenge that notion.
Planets like Linnaeus II are home to Sentient Microbial Colonies, a fascinating planetary trait similar in appearance to Aeriform Life.These appear like twisting roots spreading through the air and along the ground, as the dark structures are always searching for resources and information. Because the colonies are considered sentient, they may even be able to experience pain.
The existence of this biological feature suggestsa different path for the evolution of life on this planet.In the case of Linnaeus II, it is possible these microbes could have diverged into the more advanced Frigid Palm, which is an excellent source of high-tensile spidroin.
2Psychotropic Biota
The Player Is Likely To Encounter Them On Polvo
Poison is a common defense exhibited by many organisms to protect themselves from predators. While this can be effective for deterrence, each species reacts differently to different toxins, meaningwhat is deadly to one animal can produce euphoria in others. OnStarfieldplanets with the Psychotropic Biota trait, this latter effect is more common.
The mind-altering effects of this trait can be traced to spore clouds which seem to originate from the morel-like mushrooms nearby. These spores eventually land on plants and rocks nearby, scaring away anything that might try to eat the giant mushrooms.The fact that the spores land on plants nearby suggests there may be a symbiotic relationship between the mushrooms and fauna.While there are many planets with this trait, the player is likely to encounter them on Polvo, a key planet in the Ranger questline.
1Extinction Event
Where There’s Life, There’s Also Death
The natural history of Earth is full of extinct species like dinosaurs and dodo birds. Unfortunately, extinction is not restricted to the pale blue dot.Where there is life, there is also death, and several planets inStarfieldhost sites which act as monuments to this fact.
Visitors to the House Va’ruun-infested Serpentis system can see examples of these Extinction Events on Serpentis V-d. At first glance, this frozen world seems hostile to all life, as evidenced by its lack of flora and fauna. However, skeletal remains around tar pits testify that this was not always the case.
These remains are likely fossilized, and depending on the surrounding conditions, that meanslife could have existed on the barren rockas recently as 10,000 years before the game starts.Starfieldplayers are free to theorize what could have caused the climate to change and extinguish the planet’s only life.
Starfield
Bethesda Game Studios presents Starfield - the first original IP from the studio in twenty-five-plus years. Set in the year 2310, the United Colonies and Freestar Collective are observing a shaky truce after a war set 20 years prior. The player will customize their character as a member of a space exploration team called Constellation while navigating The Settled Systems and the conflicts between the warring factions. According to Bethesda, players can explore over 100 systems and 1000 planets to find resources and build their ships, living out their own sci-fi journeys.
