Baldur's Gate 3 in Space? Starfinder: Afterlight Is Aiming for the Stars (With 80s Action Heroes, No Less!)
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Starfinder: Afterlight, a new CRPG from Epictellers Entertainment, is aiming to capture the magic of Baldur's Gate 3 with a Guardians of the Galaxy vibe, featuring a lovable misfit crew, 80s action hero homages, and clever TTRPG mechanic translations. This ambitious debut plans a 2027 launch and promises a unique space adventure, even if it won't quite reach BG3's colossal scope.
Alright, listen up, because I’ve been tinkering with this bit of news all morning, and bloody hell, it’s got me more excited than finding a forgotten stash of rare crafting materials. You know that feeling when Larian Studios just casually drops a reality-altering CRPG like *Baldur's Gate 3* and suddenly every other game in the genre has to walk in its colossal shadow? Yeah, that. Well, *Starfinder: Afterlight* is about to step into the cosmic arena, and it’s bringing a healthy dose of sci-fi sass, 80s action movie vibes, and a whole lot of ambition. Fair warning: this sounds like a familiar tune at first glance, but stick with me because it’s about to get interesting.
Originally reported by Polygon, *Starfinder: Afterlight* is the latest CRPG aiming to translate the rich, intricate rulesets of a beloved tabletop RPG into a digital adventure. Much like how *Baldur’s Gate 3* leveraged *Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition*, Epictellers Entertainment is taking on Paizo's *Starfinder* universe, specifically its new second edition. This isn't just about a simple port, though; the goal, according to Starfinder creative manager Jenny Jarzabski, is to create an accessible gateway for newcomers while still giving veteran players that satisfying crunch. Jarzabski’s direct call-out, "*Baldur’s Gate* fans, come on for a different type of ride into space, especially if you liked things like *Guardians of the Galaxy*," pretty much sets the tone. And honestly, who doesn't like a good space ride, especially if it involves a misfit crew and questionable life choices?
Speaking of misfit crews, that *Guardians of the Galaxy* comparison isn't just marketing fluff. *Afterlight* promises a band of unlikely heroes traversing the stars to, you guessed it, save the world. Polygon got an exclusive peek at two of these companions, and mate, they sound like they’ve stumbled out of a particularly chaotic interdimensional pub crawl. This isn't your average stoic fantasy ensemble; these are characters who feel like they've got stories etched into their very beings, probably involving at least one accidental black hole incident.
First up, there's **Tycho**, a Ysoki Operative with a mechanical arm and a seriously punk rock aesthetic. Voiced by Inel Tomlinson, Tycho sounds like the kind of genius inventor who's seen better days, probably because he blew up a few too many of them. Epictellers co-founder Ricard Pillosu describes him as the pragmatist, the one who’ll tell everyone to "stop hugging each other, come on, let’s get serious here." I reckon every adventuring party needs one of those, otherwise you're just endlessly debating the existential meaning of the last goblin you flattened. Tycho sounds like he's ready to cut through the sentiment and get straight to the loot... or, you know, saving the universe.
Then there's **Kole**, the Vesk Soldier, and oh boy, this guy sounds like a pure delight. Voiced by Fred Tatasciore (who you might know from *Hit-Monkey* or *The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes*) doing his best Arnold Schwarzenegger impression, Kole is decidedly *un*serious. His family wanted him on the front lines of the Veskarium’s war against the Azlanti Star Empire (deep lore, check!), but what he *really* wants is to be an action movie hero. His look is a glorious mash-up of John McClane’s tank top from *Die Hard* and Indiana Jones’ pants, and he sucks on lollipops as a tribute to Sylvester Stallone's unlit match in *Cobra*. Pillosu calls him "a small kid in the end, with big guns, a bit suicidal sometimes." Honestly, I'm already in love. Who needs brooding heroes when you can have a gun-toting, lollipop-chomping, 80s-inspired Vesk?
Your ship will serve as your basecamp, a home away from home where you can deepen relationships, even romantic ones, with your companions as you zip across the Pact Worlds solar system. Epictellers co-founder Albert Jane Goset mentioned they had to rethink exploration for a technologically advanced setting – you can call a taxi to anywhere, but you'll still need to put in the legwork to uncover points of interest. That's a clever twist, isn't it? It maintains the sense of discovery without making fast travel feel like cheating. It’s like casting a teleportation spell, but still having to roll a Perception check when you arrive to actually *see* the quest giver. What happens if you get lost in the digital space-taxi network? That's the kind of chaotic fun I'm hoping for!
Players will kick things off by creating a character based on the *Starfinder* rules, choosing from eight classes and seven ancestries initially, with plans to expand to all ten ancestries from the *Starfinder Player Core* if their upcoming Kickstarter campaign (slated for October) goes well. The main plot is a solid 40-hour journey focusing on an undead threat on the planet Eox, but completionists can easily double that playtime. You'll start at level 1 and wrap up around level 7 or 8, which feels like a tightly-scoped, focused adventure – a welcome change from some of the sprawling epics that sometimes lose their way.
Now, about that *Baldur's Gate 3* elephant in the room. Epictellers Entertainment, being first-time developers, are certainly feeling the pressure. Pillosu openly admits that BG3’s scope and masterful execution are "impossible to reach." And fair dinkum, that’s a realistic take. But crucially, he adds, "We feel that you do not need to do *Baldur’s Gate 3* in order to do a valuable CRPG and find an audience for it. We are aiming for a quality that is more like the *Divinity* games that Larian did before, which is a super high bar." That’s a cautiously optimistic target, if ever I heard one. Aiming for *Divinity: Original Sin 2* levels of quality? Count me in. It shows they're not just blindly chasing the dragon, but setting a challenging yet potentially achievable goal.
They're taking inspiration from Larian for mechanics too, translating complex TTRPG rules into player-friendly systems. More casual players, for instance, can opt for the game to automatically handle reactions like attacks of opportunity. Character skills and spells will be vital for puzzles and exploration, and dice rolls will be constantly chugging along in the background, subtly determining if your characters notice key details while you're just strolling about. That's the kind of technological magic that actually serves players, making the game feel responsive and alive without bogging you down in menus. It’s like a digital wizard reading digital tea leaves, ensuring you don’t miss that hidden clue just because your real-world perception stat is a bit low after a long day.
It’s interesting to note that Paizo, after two successful *Pathfinder* adaptations with Owlcat Games, is now turning to Epictellers for *Starfinder*. With Owlcat busy on *Warhammer 40,000* and *The Expanse* projects, it's a chance for a new studio to make its mark. The Kickstarter campaign for more voice acting and ancestries sounds like a smart move to get the community invested and beef up the launch content for their planned 2027 release. And with Paizo continuously pumping out new material for *Starfinder*, Epictellers sees "endless" potential for DLC and expansions. That's a promising outlook for a studio that seems genuinely excited to explore this corner of the gaming galaxy.
So, can *Starfinder: Afterlight* pull off its ambitious blend of *Baldur's Gate 3* inspiration and *Guardians of the Galaxy* charm? With a focus on character, smart TTRPG translations, and a refreshingly self-aware approach to its own scope, I reckon it stands a decent chance of being more than just another space opera. It could be the kind of chaotic, character-driven adventure that accidentally blows a hole through our expectations, and frankly, I'm here for it. Keep an eye on that Kickstarter, mate, because this one could be a wild ride. (Originally reported by Polygon)
Tags: CRPG, Starfinder, Tabletop RPG, Sci-Fi RPG, Indie Games
Original article: Polygon