My Starfield character doesn’t feel like an actual character

polygon.com:

The allure of an open-world RPG like Starfield is the promise of becoming someone else. On this earthly plane, I’m the humble Cass Marshall, but Starfield takes place among the stars. I rolled a scoundrel called Joyce Bishop, and chose a starting condition that put a bounty on my head. Joyce isn’t all bad; she has loving parents, and at least one (1) adoring fan. I set off on my adventure, eager to flesh out this rogue through the simple act of role-playing.

Unfortunately, I found that Starfield takes some time to ramp up on that front. The game begins with my character taking on a dangerous mining gig. That’s not a deal-breaker in and of itself, but it would have been nice to have a couple of conversation options that referenced my past. Maybe I’m lying low because of the aforementioned bounty, or maybe I’m broke after a failed heist. All of these options exist in my head, but I don’t have a way to express them in the game.

Before long, I’m off the mining station and chasing a galactic mystery alongside the organization Constellation. This is where Starfield becomes more of a sandbox, and there are plenty of action set-pieces and puzzling conundrums to discover. I chat with all the members of Constellation, and learn more about an enigmatic set of artifacts. I find an injured researcher on a desolate planet, the sole survivor of her post, being hunted by a fearsome alien. I have to route it through a gauntlet of automated guns in order to survive, and get a sample from the beast, which is thrilling. I go and visit my mom and pops, and make sure they’re doing OK. I spend a lot of time doing what you’re supposed to do with a game like Starfield: exploring.

But I never really feel as if Joyce Bishop, space scoundrel and