You're a few hours into Starfield. You've shot some space pirates, mined some iron, and maybe wondered if the whole "NASA-punk" thing is just a fancy way of saying everything looks a bit dusty. Then you hit Starfield Into the Unknown. Honestly, this is the moment the game actually starts. Before this quest, you’re just a glorified delivery driver with a jetpack. After it? Well, things get weird. In a good way.
Most people treat this mission as just another checkbox on the Constellation to-do list. That’s a mistake. It's the pivot point. It’s where Bethesda stops holding your hand and throws you into the deep end of the "multiverse" pool, whether you’re ready or not. If you’ve been struggling to find Vladimir Sall or you're stuck staring at a scanner that won't stop glitching, you aren’t alone. This quest is notorious for being both the most exciting and the most buggy part of the early game.
Finding Andreja and the Procyon III Headache
First things first: you have to find the artifacts. Vladimir sends you to two different locations, and one of them involves meeting Andreja. She’s... intense. Unlike the somewhat "boy scout" energy of Sarah Morgan, Andreja is pragmatic, secretive, and really good at sneaking up on people. You'll usually find her in a dark cave on Niira, standing over a dead body. It’s a great introduction.
But the real meat of Starfield Into the Unknown happens on Procyon III. This is where the game introduces the "Anomalies."
When you land on Procyon III, your HUD doesn’t give you a nice little waypoint. Instead, you have to bring up your scanner (LB on controller or F on PC) and look at the outer ring. If you see it flickering or "glitching" with static, you’re heading the right way. It’s a bit lo-fi, honestly. You’ll walk toward a massive, brutalist structure known as Temple Alpha. It looks like someone dropped a giant, spinning piece of jewelry into a snowy wasteland.
The Temple Alpha Puzzle (Or Lack Thereof)
Once you get inside the Temple, the gravity goes away. It’s cool the first time. You’re floating in this pitch-black room with spinning rings in the center. The "puzzle" isn't really a puzzle; it's a chase. You need to fly through the clusters of sparkling light that appear around the room.
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Pro tip: Use your boost pack. If you’re too slow, the lights disappear and you have to start the sequence over. After you hit enough of them (usually five or six), the rings in the center stop spinning and form a portal. This is the moment you get your first Power.
The Power of the Starborn
The first power you get is Anti-Gravity Field. It’s basically a "Force Lift" from Star Wars. You cast it, and every enemy in the vicinity starts floating helplessly in the air. It’s incredibly satisfying to watch a high-level Spacer drift toward the ceiling while you finish them off with an old-fashioned shotgun.
This is the "aha!" moment. This is when you realize Starfield isn't just Skyrim in space—it’s Skyrim in space where you are effectively a space wizard. The lore calls you Starborn, though you don't fully understand what that means yet. The artifacts aren't just rocks; they're keys.
Common Glitches and How to Fix Them
We have to talk about the bugs. Bethesda games are famous for them, and Starfield Into the Unknown is a magnet for progression blockers.
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- The Missing Temple: Sometimes the quest marker for Procyon III just... disappears. Or the scanner doesn't glitch. If this happens, try landing at a different spot on the planet or jumping to a different star system and coming back.
- Vladimir Won't Talk: Occasionally, Vladimir stays stuck in his dialogue loop at The Eye. Usually, sleeping for 24 hours (in-game time) on your ship fixes his internal clock.
- The Lights Don't Trigger: If you’re flying through the sparkles in the temple and nothing happens, make sure you’re hitting the center of the cluster. The hitbox is surprisingly small.
Why This Quest Matters for the Long Game
If you rush through the main story, you might miss the weight of what's happening here. This mission introduces the concept of the Unity and the Starborn. It shifts the game from a grounded sci-fi exploration sim into a high-concept metaphysical drama.
Think about the character of Matteo. He’s the one who keeps pushing the spiritual angle. Most players ignore him because he’s a bit of a nerd, but after Temple Alpha, his theories start making way more sense. You aren't just finding pieces of a map; you’re uncovering a cosmic cycle that has been repeating for who-knows-how-long.
The artifacts are pieces of the Armillary. Once you finish this quest, you can start building it on your ship or at an outpost. This is a massive decision. If you build it on your ship, you’re going to get jumped by Starborn ships every time you jump to a new system. They want those artifacts back. If you aren't confident in your ship's dogfighting capabilities, maybe keep the artifacts in your pockets for a while.
Maximizing Your Build Early
Since this quest unlocks Powers, you need to start thinking about your Essence. Every time you kill a "Guardian" outside a temple (which starts happening after this mission), you get Quantum Essence. Don't hoard these. Use them. They speed up your power regeneration.
If you’re going for a "Space Mage" build, focus on the Science and Social skill trees. Combat is great, but having the energy to cast Anti-Gravity Field three times in a row is a literal game-changer. It turns impossible boss fights into "shooting fish in a barrel" scenarios.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Playthrough
Don't just stand there staring at the rings. Once you finish Starfield Into the Unknown, the galaxy opens up in a way it hadn't before. Here is exactly what you should do next to make the most of your new status:
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- Visit Vladimir Regularly: He will start giving you "Power from Beyond" quests. These are how you find the rest of the 24 powers. Do not ignore these; some of them, like Personal Atmosphere (unlimited oxygen), are essential for exploration.
- Upgrade Your Boost Pack: To navigate temples faster, you need the "Boost Pack Training" skill at rank 2 or 3. It makes hitting those light clusters significantly less frustrating.
- Talk to Andreja: Now that she’s a permanent companion, her personal questline is one of the best in the game. It adds a ton of context to the Great Serpent and House Va'ruun.
- Prepare Your Ship: Now that you're a target for the Starborn, invest in better shields. The UC Vanguard questline (starting in New Atlantis) gives you access to some of the best shields and weapons early on.
- Check Your Scanner Constantly: Get used to the glitching effect. You’ll be seeing it a lot as you hunt down the remaining temples across the Settled Systems.
The mystery of the artifacts only gets deeper from here. You've stopped being a spectator and started being a participant in something much larger than the United Colonies or Freestar Collective. Go find the rest of those temples.