Baldur’s Gate 3 took the world by storm when it landed in 2023, something that came as somewhat of a surprise. The CRPG genre is certainly one that’s always had a following, but I wouldn’t exactly describe it as a pillar of mainstream gaming. To call the genre niche prior to Baldur’s Gate 3’s arrival is perhaps too strong of a statement, but this Larian Studios title catapulted CRPGs to dizzying new heights.
It’s with this in mind that many of us assumed the market to become flooded with CRPGs following Baldur’s Gate 3’s launch, with studios trying to latch on to its success. The truth of the matter is, however, that that’s not been the case at all. Why? Well, according to new independent studio Epictellers Entertainment, CRPGs are notoriously difficult to make but it’s a challenge this ambitious team has decided to take on having recently announced Starfinder: Afterlight.
I recently had the opportunity to attend a virtual preview for Starfinder: Afterlight, an upcoming CRPG that cites Baldur’s Gate 3, Guardians of the Galaxy, Pathfinder, and Divinity Original Sin II as inspirations. Albert Jane and Ricard Pillosu, co-founders of the studio, spoke of the team’s deep appreciation for tabletop RPGs which is where they first encountered the Starfinder IP. If you’re not familiar, Starfinder is a sci-fi fantasy TRPG from Paizo that first surfaced in 2017. What players will get to experience in Starfinder: Afterlight is an adaptation of that tabletop experience, with the game set to feature a brand new original story written by Epictellers but in collaboration with Paizo.
Naturally, if you have played Starfinder, you’ll have some familiarity with this world but I was told experience is definitely not needed when it comes to this video game adaptation. In this branching narrative, the titular ‘afterlight’ is a key risk – an event which can shroud the galaxy in darkness. It’s up to you to hunt down the missing Captain Khali, voiced by Carolina Ravassa, who may hold the first clue to putting a stop to this dire eventuality.
As this is an independent venture, Starfinder: Afterlight has launched a Kickstarter campaign, so the title remains pretty early in development. I was shown a small slice of what players should expect though, with all of the key CRPG boxes having been ticked. As I said, this is a branching narrative, with the goal being for the final Starfinder: Afterlight experience to take players anywhere from 40 to 60 hours to complete. Along the way, you’ll pick up companions and partake in turn-based combat. I saw a very short snippet of both the combat and dialogue system in action and while it’s hard to provide an assessment on a couple of minutes worth of footage, it left me feeling both hopeful and satisfied. The UI looked informative and clean.
As is the case in Baldur’s Gate 3, it’s likely Starfinder: Afterlight’s companions that’ll truly help it shine – and the title has already built up an impressive voice cast. Fred Tatasciore is on board as Kole, with Inel Tomlinson as Tycho, Melissa Medina as Lu-323, and James Alexander as Sterling. And I should add that this is all under the direction of Baldur’s Gate 3 favourite Neil Newbon. While Newbon isn’t yet voicing a character (this could change and is being looked into), he is overseeing all voice recording sessions, helping to make sure that the cast are reaching their full potential. Albert and Ricard were full of praise for the actor who they say is incredibly passionate about the project.
Companions act as you might expect. You can romance them but so too can you upset them, and they will abandon you if they’re not enjoying your company. Starfinder: Afterlight has been built in a way that you can attempt the game alone if you don’t fancy recruiting some companions, although I’m guessing most of you won’t feel that way.
Beyond this, it’s pretty hard to provide a consensus on Starfinder: Afterlight. It’s a single-player experience only right now, and it’s being built in Godot Engine, targeting an early access release in 2026 with a full launch planned for 2027 but, of course, this is all subject to change. I’m always a tad nervous when games launch on Kickstarter; it can be difficult to be fed a vision you wholeheartedly attach to only to see it never come to light. I feel quite confident, however, that Starfinder: Afterlight has incredibly solid foundations.
In this instance, the Kickstarter process feels like a way of ensuring the community is at the heart of everything that Epictellers Entertainment does. Yes, additional funding will facilitate the game to have extra features, but this preview left me feeling satisfied that the bare bones alone of devs’ plans for Starfinder: Afterlight would make for a compelling CRPG. This is definitely a title to keep an eye on, or support that Kickstarter should you so wish.
Starfinder: Afterlight is targeting an early access PC launch in 2026.
