I hope Starfield’s financial system is as oppressive as real life

Take a peek at New Atlantis, the crown jewel of Starfield’s space-age cities, and you’ll find the usual utopian futurist sights. A spotless landing strip to welcome new arrivals, gleaming cream-coloured buildings interspersed with lush trees, and a sparkling central high-rise that curves upwards to the stars. Look a little closer and you’ll notice sitting slap bang in the middle of them is a bank, crammed within the otherwise idyllic scene.

At least, it’s probably a bank. Emblazoned on the outside of the building, and spotted elsewhere on another unknown planet, is the half-completed word “GalB-“. The rest of the lettering is hidden from view, but a character creation preview video released last October all but completes the missing signage: “You own a luxurious, customizable house on a peaceful planet!” reads the Dream Home character trait. “Unfortunately it comes with a 50,000 credit mortgage with GalBank that has to be paid weekly”.

Of everything we’ve seen in Starfield over the past few months, it’s that mention of GalBank and its accompanying mortgage system that’s stuck most firmly in my mind. It hints at a vastly more substantial in-game economy than what’s appeared in previous Bethesda releases – one that potentially includes an entire loan system and visitable bank branches spread across Starfield’s many worlds. It’s a dose of financial reality, and one I hope the team at Bethesda is given room to expand on so they can fully explore the crushing weight of our spacefaring future.