The Starfield Entangled choice and which universe to save

Starfield Entangled Nishina choice
(Image credit: Bethesda)

For the Starfield Entangled choice, you've got to decide between two realities to save - one with the intact Nishina base or one with the overrun base with Rafael inside. It's your classic trolley problem in this Starfield mission, where destroying one reality preserves the other. In fact, you needn't pick either, as there's a secret third option that allows you to save both realities and all within in a single stroke. I've explained the outcomes of all three decisions below, including how you can get the best option for this choice to save everyone in the Starfield Entangled mission (except the scorpion monsters).

Who should you choose to save in the Starfield mission Entangled?

Starfield Entangled Nishina choice

(Image credit: Bethesda)

The Starfield Entangled choice is set up pretty clearly: there are currently two realities at Nishina base clashing with each other; one where everybody was killed in an accident except for poor Rafael, and one where everybody but Rafael is fine. You have to choose which of the two realities to save, though there are actually three choices, as mentioned earlier.

  • Save Rafael's universe by collapsing Director Patel and the Nishina base's universe
  • Save Director Patel and the Nishina base's universe by collapsing Rafael's universe
  • (Secret method/best choice) Save both universes by calibrating the probe correctly

To get either of the first two results is fairly simple, as the Entangled mission tells you how it's done: jump to whichever of the two realities you want to save by using the Distortions, then walk up to all the marked switches and "Disengage the Power Interlocks" (fighting off either Cataxi aliens or robots along the way). 

Afterwards, head to the marked Emergency Shutdown Control and trigger it to save that reality and doom the other (actually, it's left unclear if the other universe/reality is actually doomed or if it just becomes its own universe, but for all intents and purposes you won't be able to see it again).

The rewards for each universe vary, and we've laid them out below:

  • Saving Rafael
    • Indicite Wafer
    • Comm Relay (2)
    • Vytinium (4)
    • Tasine (5)
    • Credits (varies)
    • Rafael will later be hireable as Starfield crew from New Atlantis
  • Saving Director Patel and Nishina base
    • Experimental Nishina Spacesuit (legendary)
    • Experimental Nishina Helmet (legendary)
    • Credits (varies)
  • Save everybody in both realities
    • Experimental Nishina Spacesuit (legendary)
    • Experimental Nishina Helmet (legendary)
    • Credits (varies, but usually higher than other results)
    • Rafael will later be hireable as crew from New Atlantis

Unless you have a particular hankering for highly specific crafting materials, it's pretty clear that both narratively and financially, saving both realities is the way to go. But… how do you actually do that?

How to save everyone in Entangled

Starfield entangled

(Image credit: Bethesda)

In the 'main' unruined world you'll be able to find Rafael's body in the lower level left-hand corner, below the lab above. On his body you'll find the Calibration Protocol data slate which will tell you how to save everyone by running a calibration test on both universes.

Starfield entangled

(Image credit: Bethesda)

To run this test you will need to 'degauss' switches in both universes. To do that go to the lab, via the stairs near Rafael's body, and on the computer you'll find a range of options. The degaussing option will list power interlock switches that need degaussing. To do that you need to turn each of the listed switches off and on again in both universes - there will be a different set of switches for each. 

Once you've degaussed all the switches in both universes you'll be able to activate the Frequency Calibration option. This will require you to pick a frequency in both universes to create a 'stable' intake waveform. 

For me the correct Entangled Frequency Calibration were: 

  • Ruined universe - 40Hz
  • 'Main'  universe - 24Hz

When you set both the frequencies correctly you'll need to activate a Primary Calibration Control in both universes, each of which are to the left of the Artifact. You don't have to choose an option here as this will incorporate both universes into a single reality. 

Starfield entangled

(Image credit: Bethesda)

As mentioned before, you and a living Rafael will wake up in a world where nobody died with the following rewards: 

  • 23000 credits
  • Incendiary Advanced Experimental Spacesuit
  • Reactive Advanced Experimental Helmet

Starfield entangled

(Image credit: Bethesda)

Rafael will also eventually become recruitable as an engineer on your crew after some time to contemplate his place as a collapsible probability in the wrong universe. You'll be able to find him later at Viewport in New Atlantis on Jemison. Now that you've completed this mission, you're nearing the end of the Starfield Constellation questline and will have to make even more choices.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission

Joel Franey
Guides Writer

Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and raconteur with a Masters from Sussex University, none of which has actually equipped him for anything in real life. As a result he chooses to spend most of his time playing video games, reading old books and ingesting chemically-risky levels of caffeine. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at USgamer, Gfinity, Eurogamer and more besides.

With contributions from