Starfinder: Afterlight Has All The Talent It Needs to Be…

Starfinder: Afterlight's developers did not set out to make "Baldur's Gate 3 in space," but they knew they wanted to imitate Larian Studios' successful RPG in one way: by hiring a cast of stellar actors to portray the game's recruitable companions. The crew of companions the player assembles may be a ragtag bunch, but they're also a unique and lovable group who truly grow to feel like a family as they search for the missing Captain Khali. Starfinder: Afterlight has already assembled a talented crew, and more will join in the future, as a Kickstarter milestone has been reached, unlocking full voice acting for the entire game.

Starfinder: Afterlight's cast of companions consists of Lu-323 (Melissa Medina), Sterling (James Alexander), Preach (Neil Newbon), Kole Stryker (Fred Tatasciore), and Tycho (Inel Tomlinson), all searching for the missing Captain Khali (Carolina Ravassa). Medina, Alexander, Ravassa, and Newbon — who also serves as the game's voice director — spoke to The Best War Games about developing their individual characters as well as the crew's dynamic. Although the group are still early in the recording process, they already feel that Starfinder: Afterlight's crew has become a family.

Starfinder: Afterlight's Companions Go From "Ragtag Crew" To "Spacefaring Family"

Recording for Starfinder: Afterlight's companions is still ongoing, and most of the cast have primarily done solo recording sessions so far. Still, each of them is aware every time they step into the booth that their characters exist both as individuals and part of a group. To Alexander, the opportunity to explore group dynamics is one of the best parts of the process. "No matter how much they like or dislike each other, it's entertaining either way," he explained. "And it's amazing to get to know why they're drawn to each other, what irritates them, and why, ultimately, they're all together in this little gang of rapscallions."

As Starfinder: Afterlight's voice director, Neil Newbon attends all recording sessions and is already thrilled with the work the cast has done. "I think it's going to be a very fascinating experience," he replied when asked about developing the characters' relationship as a group. "We're right at the beginning, which is the most exciting part in many ways - the discovery of it." He praised Alexander, Ravassa, and Medina's work, feeling that all three immediately had a strong feel for their characters personalities, goals, and journeys.

Each Companion Tells A Unique Story

At the head of the crew is the charismatic and daring Captain Khali, whose disappearance the players must investigate. Carolina Ravassa loved playing Khali because she felt that the captain was different from the standard "action movie female character." She appreciates that Khali is allowed to be humorous and offbeat and not simply suave and attractive, praising media like Guardians of the Galaxy for pioneering this shift.

"For so long, the women in action movies were just super suave. They knew what they were doing. They were like, 'My hair is perfect. I look amazing. I don't sweat.' I love that there are now female characters that get to be a mix of things, that can be a little crazy, a little zany."

Sterling Is The Internet's Favorite For Romance

James Alexander, on the other hand, loved how suave and romantic his character Sterling is. Alexander has enjoyed seeing the positive reaction to Sterling on social media, particularly the number of people who have expressed their desire to romance the attractive Borai. He hopes that Sterling will take the crown from another popular RPG romance option, threatening, "Watch out, Astarion."

A dangerous threat to make with Astarion himself in the room — Newbon immediately shot back with the vampire spawn's signature smug laugh, responding, "No, darling, no" and insisting that Astarion's superior intelligence meant he would remain the fans' favorite. He did, however, praise Alexander's work and feel that Sterling's gentlemanly nature meant that he would stand out from the darker and more morally ambiguous Astarion:

"There's a certain element of a gentleman [in Sterling]. A gentleman spy kind of thing. He'll be very careful. So, although there are obviously going to be comparisons in some respects, Sterling very much is his own character. It is quite distant from Astarion."

When developing Sterling's character, Alexander drew inspiration from a number of archetype "noble" characters and romantic heroes, with a few more roguish types thrown in as well. He cited "James Bond, Lestat from Interview with the Vampire — Sam Reed's version — and Gustave H, Ralph Fiennes' character from The Grand Budapest Hotel." Ultimately, Alexander feels that Sterling "may be suave," but is "by no means a man with a perfect track record [at] getting what he wants."

Characters Like Lu-323 Reflect The Game's Broader Themes

The actors also appreciated how developer Epictellers Entertainment had carefully thought through the core themes of each Starfinder: Afterlight companion's story. Lu-323, an android programmed to seduce targets and obtain information, struggles with her identity and the question of whether or not she is more than just her programming. Actor Melissa Medina felt that this gave her a solid grounding with which to approach her interpretation of Lu. She drew on her own life experience when developing Lu:

"I've actually done that my whole life. I've been in a military family, I've been in the corporate world, and I've left all of those places as someone who kind of challenges that. I relate to Lu in the sense that Lu is trying to find herself outside of all the voices that told her who to be and how to act."

More Characters And Voices Will Be Joining The Starfinder: Afterlight Cast

In addition to the previously revealed companions, Starfinder: Afterlight will be adding more actors to its cast in the near future. The game's Kickstarter, which concludes on November 6, reached a milestone unlocking full voice acting for every character in the game. As voice director, Newbon is excited about the ability to expand the game's cast:

"We're looking now to develop [the cast] into a wider net, which is exciting. And again, just to reiterate, we are heavily against the usage of AI performance. We're going to be looking at human beings to play nonhuman beings. We're looking for representation and diversity as well. We're all about positive support for actors around the globe."

Although he acknowledged that some of the comparisons are apt, Newborn emphasized that Starfinder: Afterlight is not trying to be "Baldur's Gate 3 in space." He feels that the two games are quite different in tone, with Starfinder: Afterlight focusing more on humor, action, and adventure. However, he shared that Epictellers Entertainment has been inspired by Larian Studios' attitude towards developing games: "making the game that is going to be the most fun for players with the resources that we have, in the time that we have."

He also praised Larian Studios for their treatment of actors and other employees, and stated that Epictellers were inspired by Larian in their actor-forward, player-forward approach:

"They look after their people, look after their actors, pay people well, and put players first over profit. That's very much the spirit in which this project has been undertaken. It's a massive inspiration for all of us, what Swen [Vincke] and everyone at Larian have done."

Starfinder: Afterlight may not be deliberately aiming to be 'the next Baldur's Gate 3,' but, like 2023's Game of the Year, they have an amazingly passionate pool of talent to bring the game's cast of companions - and soon, the rest of its NPCs, villains, and more - to life. Many more exciting casting announcements — such as the recent reveal of Roger Clark as the game's Narrator — are almost certainly coming in the future as the game's impressive cast list continues to grow.

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