How does Starfield New Game Plus work? This is without a doubt Bethesda’s most ambitious game to date, and the Starfield New Game Plus mode is one of the reasons why, providing its own twist on the formula. However, it’s not an easy decision whether you should start NG+ or not, so here’s all the New Game Plus differences and rewards.
It’s looking like one of the best RPG games of the year – at least according to our Starfield review – and a shoo-in for anyone’s list of the best games of all time. From scope to scale, from characters to sheer content, this will be the biggest game from the publisher yet. So, you may want to play it several times and complete all the Starfield missions again and again, especially with the differences between each run.
Starfield New Game Plus explained
Starfield New Game Plus can be started after finishing the main story quest, resetting all your progress, items, and equipment, except from your level and skills. However, there are exclusive rewards and quest changes between each NG+ run.
What may take you by surprise is just how deep Starfield’s NG+ mode goes, as you can replay the game several times with different rewards and even slight quest changes. That’s right, you can do repeat playthroughs of New Game Plus. After you finish a NG+ run, you’ll be prompted to make the decision again, either staying in your current run or entering the next stage.
When you sit down and think about how long it will take to beat Starfield, the idea of finishing a game this big sounds a little overwhelming. With over a thousand Starfield planets to explore, and plenty of Starfield characters to complete quests for, there’s going to be a lot of content to churn through. In fact, Bethesda’s Pete Hines expressed that Starfield is so big it’s like “a bunch of different games” in one open-world RPG.
However, this makes the proposition of Starfield’s New Game Plus mode even more exciting, as there will be plenty of activities for you to complete, including differences in dialogue in repeat playthroughs. It’s also the perfect time to take a look at the many intriguing Starfield easter eggs, now that you’ve finished the main story for the first time.
Fortunately, you won’t have to play every main story quest through again, as you will have the option to skip them and play an abridged version of the main missions.
How to start New Game Plus in Starfield
During the final Starfield mission, “One Giant Leap”, you are given two options: explore the galaxy further, or complete the main story. Choosing the latter will lead to a New Game Plus mode.
However, don’t worry if you decide to stay in your universe for longer; you can always head back and make this decision again if you wish to start New Game Plus later down the line.
Starfield New Game Plus differences
The Starfield New Game Plus differences include:
- Main quest variations
- An abridged main mission story
- Different quest dialogue relating to you being Starborn
- Starborn dialogue options
The biggest change in New Game Plus is the opportunity to encounter wildly different main quest variations. For example, one run might see all the members of Constellation missing, with kids inside the Lodge instead. There’s also a version where all the Constellation members have been killed by the Hunter besides Vasco. In fact, there’s even one where your own character is evil. We won’t spoil any more of the NG+ variations, but there’s a lot of fun to be had.
The changes in dialogue are also a nice addition. For example, you’ll have the option to perform Starborn options in dialogue, akin to persuasion and the different background dialogue options. These can let you skip certain parts of quests or lead to slightly different conversations than your first playthrough.
You will also have the ability to complete an abridged main story. Upon heading to the Lodge, Sarah Morgan will claim that you seem familiar, giving you the option to reveal that you are Starborn. This will give you a new main mission, Among the Stars, which lets you get straight into finding the Artifacts again.
What do you lose when you start New Game Plus in Starfield?
While your skills, powers, and XP (level) will be spared, everything else will be reset when you start Starfield New Game Plus, including items, exploration progress, outposts, and quest progression.
Perhaps the biggest downside of NG+ is that you will lose any Starfield outposts and Starfield ships you’ve created. This makes the decision of entering the mode quite a tricky one, as you will have to remake your custom creations. Luckily, it’s also the perfect opportunity to try something different, so take a look at the best Starfield ships and best Starfield outpost locations to learn more.
You will also lose the weapons and armor you’ve collected as your whole inventory is wiped. That’s right, that includes the best Starfield weapons and Starfield unique weapons you’ve grown to know and love. Say goodbye and be prepared to find and earn them all over again.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom, as you’ll also net yourself some New Game Plus exclusive rewards, with each run giving you more unique items in return.
Starfield New Game Plus rewards
The Starfield New Game Plus rewards are:
- Starborn Guardian ship
- Starborn Spacesuit
- Upgraded powers
- Quest variations
Starting consecutive New Game Plus playthroughs will land you more unique gear, ships, and Starfield powers. That’s right, the more you replay Starfield, the more you’re rewarded for your time invested. You can check out a comprehensive rundown on this from ‘BlackHeart86’ below.
However, the beginning Starfield’s New Game Plus for the first time will reward you with the Starborn Guardian ship. This is one of the best Starfield free ships you can get, and it only gets better. With each New Game Plus completion, this ship will be upgraded with better stats.
Likewise, you’ll also get the Starborn Spacesuit. Entering your first run will reward you with the Starborn Spacesuit Astra, with each completion of NG+ giving you a better version with a different name, such as the Materia version for NG+2 and the Locus for NG+3.
Perhaps most excitingly of all though, you’ll also be able to upgrade your powers. Each time you complete a temple, instead of giving you a power like they did in a normal run, they will instead upgrade a power. These typically reduce the energy cost of the power, letting you use them more frequently.
And that’s everything you need to know about Starfield New Game Plus. In an effort to satiate your Starfield hunger before you reach it, why not check out what Star Wars’ most iconic spaceship might look like in-game right here and why actor Al Pacino is the key to this exciting Starfield quest here.
Still looking for more? While a good Starfield wiki can be a handy source of information, our new Starfield Database goes further, offering you daily news, searchable databanks, and even interactive tools.