An intrepid Starfield explorer has reported the discovery of a unique breed of alien predator that suffocates its prey by sucking oxygen from the local atmosphere.
In the wake of Starfield’s September launch, players have been busy exploring the myriad planets that make up the Settled Systems in search of beautiful vistas, weird aliens, and, of course, the mysteries and Easter eggs developer Bethesda habitually includes in its games.
Recently, Reddit user DiamondZoyd posted a video, spotted by VG247, that details the player's encounter with a new species of bug-like alien that has a somewhat unorthodox method of subduing its next meal.
The existence of the critter is first referenced in a conversation with the NPC Hadrian Sanon, who is introduced to players over the course of the United Colonies Vanguard storyline. While exploring dialogue options with Sanon, the player can ask the xenobiologist to describe the most insane creatures that they have ever seen, which includes an encounter with an insect-like lifeform on a remote planet in the Moloch system that had the ability to suffocate its prey.
Lo and behold, soon after travelling to the planet Moloch II, DiamondZoyd was quickly set upon by a group of ‘pack cockroaches’ whose attacks lowered the player’s oxygen gauge. DiamondZoyd noted that a lone bug doesn’t pose much of a threat, but when attacking in concert they had the ability to swiftly drain the O2 meter.
The Redditor also made sure to check that the oxygen bleed was coming from the space cockroach attacks, rather than a status effect that caused players to shed the precious gas upon taking damage. Of course no creature on Earth is capable of performing such a feat biologically, but the attack hardly feels out of place in Starfield’s sci-fi universe, wherein xenowarfare is an established historical reality.
DiamondZoyd believes they may have found another of Sanon’s alien monsters, this time in the form of a massive creature with ‘near impenetrable armour’, on the planet Archimedes III. With literally hundreds of worlds to explore, Starfield’s in-game universe is certain to play host to secrets and weird alien lifeforms that will keep dedicated digital explorers busy for years to come.
In IGN’s 7/10 review we said “Starfield has a lot of forces working against it, but eventually the allure of its expansive roleplaying quests and respectable combat make its gravitational pull difficult to resist”. Be sure to check out IGN’s extensive guides and interactive maps to ensure that you get the most out of your time exploring the Settled Systems.
Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer
