While most of the traits you can pick for your character in Starfield don't stop you from choosing another, this is not the case with Raised Enlightened and Raised Universal. Both of these give your character a religious background as well as access to some helpful bonuses, but opting for one means that you won't be able to take the other. As a result, you'll be forced to make a choice between them.
If you're wondering about the differences between each trait and if one of them is better than the other, look no further than this guide. Below, you'll find an overview of all the benefits each trait gives you, including stat bonuses and extra items. I've also given my personal recommendation, though ultimately, you should go with the one that sounds like the best fit for you.
Raised Enlightened or Universal: Which should you choose?
While both Raised Enlightened and Raised Universal are excellent traits worth considering when you're making your Starfield character, you'll likely have a preference for one or the other depending on what type of playstyle you like and/or your fashion taste. This is because each of these traits gives you a unique stat bonus, and also provide access to a chest that contains an outfit and some other useful items.
First, let's go over the Raised Enlightened trait. Should you choose to take Raised Enlightened, you'll get a permanent extra 10 points of HP, which will make you a bit more durable in combat encounters. For those who plan to play more defensively and stick to cover often, this is a good way to bolster your survivability, especially during the early game.
You'll also get access to a special chest in the House of the Enlightened at New Atlantis, located in The Well. From it, you'll obtain the following items:
- Settler Poncho (see the above image)
- x5 Med Packs
- x2 Penicillin
- Water Drink Pack
- Charity in a Godless Universe, Part I
- Charity in a Godless Universe, Part II
- Charity in a Godless Universe, Part III
- Charity in a Godless Universe, Part IV
Opting for Raised Universal, meanwhile, will provide you with a permanent 5% increase to your O2 recovery. O2 is mainly used to sprint and to hold your breath while aiming with a scoped weapon, so this trait will be most beneficial to players looking to either play aggressively or take the long-ranged sharpshooter approach.
Like with Raised Enlightened, Raised Universal also lets you open a unique chest. It's located at the Sanctum Universal Embassy in New Atlantis' MAST District, and includes these items:
- Festive Neocity Poncho (see the image above)
- x5 Med Packs
- x2 Addichrone
- Boom Pop! Orange
- Sanctum Universum, Vol I
- Sanctum Universum, Vol II
- Sanctum Universum, Vol III
In my experience, playing very offensively works incredibly well in Starfield, which is why I would recommend choosing Raised Universal over Raised Enlightened for the extra O2 recovery. With that said, both traits are great, and regardless of which one you choose, you'll get a stylish early game outfit and some useful healing items, too.
Starfield is finally here, and it's undoubtedly one of the best Xbox games and best PC games for lovers of space exploration, deep RPG gameplay, and the sci-fi genre as a whole.
