After losing myself in some great Starfield side missions, I finally started my Starfield Ryujin Industries job. Early on, the game introduces a job opening for Ryujin, but I had no idea what was in store for me. Had I known what kinds of missions that questline offered, I would have started them much earlier. The corporate intrigue was unique compared to what I’ve done so far in Starfield.
My Ryujin Job Interview
After hearing the Ryujin kiosks advertising job openings over and over, I finally walked up to one and filled out a job application. It was a simple set of questions that I’m not sure really mattered, but I guess it adds a bit of immersion. The best part of the whole application is the invitation to the Cyberpunk style city of Neon.
I already visited Neon during Constellation missions, but joining Ryujin Industries is a great way for newer players to go there early. Even now, I’m still in awe of Neon. The Cyperpunk meets Blade Runner vibes check the boxes for me. Neon lights and the moody setting is exactly why I choose Neon Street Rat as my background. It’s a seedy city with a literal seedy underbelly where the fishers and poorest citizens call home.
My Ryujin Industries quest started out with a traditional job interview with receptionists and some weird questions. Getting the job even leads to the rewarding mission of getting coffee for the team. I wondered when the corporate spy stuff would start. Well after confrontation at the coffee shop with the guy I was replacing (I let him live), it was off to do some real work.
The way I handled that encounter upgraded my position to Operator. It was a much different type of mission meeting the department heads and hearing all about how any missteps by me could lead to a lot of extra work for them. Guess that’s the warning to choose stealth over getting my guns off.
Time to Get Sneaky for Ryujin Industries
It was around this point I decided to finally spend a skill point on stealth. Starfield allows different playstyles, so I could have easily chose to get by with stealth drugs and or suits. I really wanted the stealth meter that came with the skill, so I spent the point. Considering my character was a Neon Street Rat, made sense he’d be sneaky.
What followed was missions of corporate intrigue. I utilized my Security skill to hack my way into systems to either steal, sabotage systems, upload viruses or plant data at various competing companies. There were times I’d climb through ventilation systems and shutoff security systems. I’d often over hear SSNN reports discussing the consequences of my missions. Some led directly to other missions.
Espionage centered gameplay was a nice change from the discovery centered missions of Constellation. The sneaking can be very hard without a higher level or proper equipment. It’s frustrating at times and I remember getting caught then thrown into a jail cell.
Not sure what would happen from that jail cell, because I just chose to save scum to avoid frustration of constantly getting caught. I didn’t feel like they could see me through walls or anything. When I was caught, it was warranted. Either I was a bit too visible for too long or made to much noise.
My travels took me to several planets and locations, some I never visited up until that point. These faction missions are a great way for the game to introduce or reintroduce additional locations. The gift and the curse of that is it throws new missions at you that sometimes distract from what you were planning on doing.
From the Neon Slums to Ryujin Research Division
There were bits that took me through the seedier side of Neon via Ebbside. I made deals with Administrator Bayu and his Syndicate contacts to walk freely through their territory looking for traitor hiding from Ryujin Industries. It’s great to know I could have a choice to go in guns blazing, but my character is all about the cooler approach.
That whole encounter led to interesting twists and turns in corporate culture. Not long after my trip to the Neon slums, I found one of the great rewards of the questline. Ryujin Industries is most famous for Neuro Amps. Those chipsets on the head could enhance various skills. As an Operator for the company, I though it was only natural I purchase one for persuasion. It’s a nice bit of extra lore behind the company and useful in missions.
A later mission even put me through steps to gather material for and finalize an experimental, Internal Neuro Amp. I massacred some pirates at a mining facility before tracking the resource shipment to the Clinic, a space station turned medical research facility. I uncovered illegal human testing, stolen tech and more.
Jumping through hoops to get the Internal Neuro Amp working was worth the trouble. That whole ordeal granted me the Manipulation skill. I could attempt temporary control of other humans. If successful, I could order them to flee, pacify, fight or interact. Manipulating a guard to pickup a keycard and open a secure door for me was one of those “what is this game?” type moments.
Ryujin Industries Boardroom Battle
After more corporate intrigue and playing with my Internal Neuro Amp, I fought the ultimate corporate battle in the board room. It was up to me on whether to side with a Ryujin traitor or the current leaders of the company. My task was also to secure votes to acquire the competition’s company, or let them whither and die.
I chose to stay loyal to the company and expose the traitor. She was the rudest of all the board members, so it was an easy choice. As to the competition, I chose to acquire them. The leadership was corrupt, but no need for the employees to suffer. I even chose to convince most board members to stop research on the Internal Neuro Amp.
It’s too powerful for other people (especially Ryujin Industries) to have, so since I didn’t have to give up mine, that was an easy choice. I did use that Manipulation skill on one of the board members, so guess I’m a bit a of a hypocrite. It’s too much power for everyone else to have, but cool for me. My crew agreed with my choices, which was a nice pat on the back.
After all my corporate shenanigans, I received a promotion to Sr Operator and an office in Ryujin. If I choose to do more, there’s plenty of randomized missions on the board to carry out further corporate theft, sabotage and more. It’s a must play questline, though I suggest upgraded sneak skills to avoid frustration at parts.
For me, I think it’s time to work on more Constellation missions. I’m thinking of reaching the point of no return in the main mission. Once there, I can go off to complete the rest of the faction and side missions before I head to New Game Plus.