Bethesda is known for making large games that let you interact with objects and people in multiple ways, including stealing from them. Starfield will also allow space explorers to liberate one of the many NPCs of their belongings should they so choose. However, if they do decide to walk that path, they’ll discover that pickpocketing is not like how it used to be. This game’s new pickpocket mechanics will definitely have all potential thieves adjusting their approach if they hope to get away with even the shortest interaction. This may be a sign that the sci-fi title may be among Bethesda’s most realistic titles ever.
Pickpocket in Starfield
Starfield has been boasting and pushing a lot of its mechanics and gameplay through all of its cinematics and gameplay footage. Even so, some of the finer details have not been as clear as they could be, which will certainly affect the experience.
As reported by IGN, it appears that the Starfield pickpocketing mechanic will be unlike other Bethesda titles in terms of realism. Namely, if a player decides to steal items from a character, they will have to do so in real time. Just picturing it provides an idea of just how awkward things are going to get where “sleight of hand” is more of a fantasy than an attainable goal.
This will be a noticeable shift from Bethesda’s other IPs like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout. In those games, whenever you decide to pickpocket someone, all you have to do is approach them stealthily (aka crouching while unseen) and then interact with them when in range. This causes the game to pause as the inventory UI pops up and you just drag the target’s stuff to your inventory.
Since Starfield has pickpocketing happen in real-time, that means you’ll have to crouch, approach, interact, and steal, all the while the character is fully active, with the potential to move away or notice you the longer you hang around.
Whether it’s a medieval fantasy or a sci-fi future, stealing remains an effective way to make a lot of money in video games. While pickpocketing will definitely be an option in Starfield, time won’t freeze during it, so you’ll need to be faster and sharper.
