Differences Between Companions and Crewmembers in Starfield

Starfield doesn’t just let you fly your own ship, you also get to form a crew with NPCs of your choice.  But if you’ve been delving into this aspect of the game you might be wondering, just what are the differences between companions and crewmembers in Starfield?

Here’s How Crew Members Differ From Companions in Starfield

Crew members and companions can mostly fulfill the same role. There’s the odd scenario-specific exception — for example, there are missions where specific NPCs insist on tagging along. But a companion and a crew member are both able to, say, man an outpost. How good they are at doing that will depend on their respective skills, but they can do the same job.

The difference is that crew members are far less fleshed out than companions. They don’t even have names, as if they’ve been grown in a tank for that specific purpose. They’re just labelled “Energy Weapons Specialist” and so on. The only way to recruit them is to pay them a lump sum salary. And while some companions are romanceable, none of the crew members can be romanced.

On the other hand, companions have names and backstory. Not all companions have a personal side-quest, but there’s at least some personality there. Some of them need paying but others, such as Sam Coe and Sarah Morgan, will join you without you needing to fork out any cash.

Where Can You Find Crew Members in Starfield?

You can find companions in multiple locations, typically bars or other places where weary space travellers would go to unwind. If you land somewhere and it has a drinking hole, check it out. I wandered into Neon’s Astral Lounge and discovered three. Two were dancing together and one was just staring at a wall, which was slightly off-putting.

That’s what you need to know about the difference between Starfield’s crew members and companions. For more on the game, check out one of its most useful history lessons that you definitely shouldn’t skip.