Romance, it seems, is not only in the air, but in the depths of space. Following in the tradition ofSkyrimandFallout 4, the upcoming star-spanning epic by Bethesda Softworks,Starfield, promises to give fans more than just the kind of “ships” that can jet around the galaxy.
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Todd Howard, the director at Bethesda made sure to include tidbits about romance in Starfield direct. Since then,in interviews across various publications, he and other members of staff at the studio have dropped hints at what love might be like among the stars. However, there are a number of important details that any budding zero-G relation-shippers should know about before getting their heads lost in rose petal nebulas or Cloud City 9.
8Quality Over Quantity
When asked by various outlets about the romance options,Starfielddirector Todd Howard divulged that Bethesda wanted to give romantic relationships in the game more depth than they had before. However, this means that there is only a small pool of four datable NPCs in the game at launch, all of which can be found in the Constellation faction.
This is comparatively low when stacked up against previous titles, in which players had a wide range of datable NPCs to choose from.Skyrimplayers had 36 romanceable husbandsand30 potential wivesscattered across Tamriel’s northern province.Fallout 4had twelve (considerably fewer than the Elder Scrolls V, but this makes sense considering that the game takes place after the end of the world).
7The Datable NPCs
Only two of the datable NPCs have been confirmed so far: Sam Coe, the sharpshootin' space cowboy with a knack for tearing up the sky in the pilot’s seat, and Sarah Morgan, an ambitious former soldier and space explorer with a taste for adventure. Both can be found in New Atlantis, home of the Constellation faction. Many fans will lament to hear that the iconic “adoring fan” character is not available as a potential partner.
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A quote fromStarfield’s lead artist, Istvan Pely, hints at being able to date VASCO, a robot: “Everyone on the team decided: ‘I want a relationship with Vasco. He’s so cool. He’s so much fun.'” Whether this means a friendly relationship or something more remains to be seen.Fallout 4’s offered Gilda Broscoe as a datable machine (technically a human brain in a robot body), and another, fully synthetic humanoid lover, so it wouldn’t be a first.
6Long-Term Commitment
According to Todd Howard, relationships inStarfieldhave more depth than in any previous Bethesda title. However, in the same interview, Howard cautioned against expecting the moon and stars when it came to dating, as it was never planned to be one of the main features of the game. That being said, he also promised that the player’s partner will do more than just “tell” the player they love them from time to time and will surprise the player withsomething more meaningful for their dedication.
A commitment between NPCs and player will have lasting impact and will be reflected in the rest of the game. This could come in the form of affinity perks (as withFallout 4) or in the form of additional story branches and the game plays out.
5Betrayal & Making Amends
Just like space travel inStarfield, relationships won’t always be smooth sailing as they might have been in previous Bethesda entries, especially since alldatable NPCs come as companions(and will get a chance to see what you get up to out there on unknown worlds). Certain choices that the player makes may upset or anger their NPC partner. However, commitments will work the same way they do in real life. A bump in the road (or an affinity hit) won’t mean they will just want to “break up.”
Instead, after feeling betrayed or crossed, the NPC’s affinity towards the player will remain static, but they will be angry at them for a short time. After a while, they will come around to the idea of granting the player forgiveness for their transgressions. It’s up to the player to decide whether to keep trying their luck again or change course before further damage incurs.
4Winning Them Over
Romance in Bethesda games has come a long way fromSkyrim’s simplistic mechanic of wearing an amulet and initiating marriage the next day. LikeFallout 4, NPCs will approve or disapprove of certain behaviors. But this time, each potential partner comes with their own special quests (some described as love stories) that increase affinity in a more organic way.
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Additionally, building affinity comes down to more than passing a one-off charisma skill check. While charisma will increase the chances of success, conversations have more of a long-term strategy to them. This goes for romance as well. NPCs will track how often you speak to them as well as the quality of the player’s dialogue choices.
3Provocative Pillow Talk
The ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) revealed (or spoiled) a few details about how much the player will be able to see in terms of “adult” content. While they tagged the game for a 17+ rating, they did so for the game’s depiction of substance use and not for any “risqué” or “provocative” imagery. The only mention is that the player character can “share a bed” with an NPC.
The player will be able to get a “well-rested bonus” (à laSkyrim), but this will be a “cut to black” transition followed by some cheesy, albeit evocative, pillow-talk dialogue options. For example “I’m all for getting a little wild, but next time let’s try it without the jetpacks.” No doubt there aremany “inspired” modders out therealready cranking out the code to turn this bizarre quip into a special scene of its own.
2Fielding The Friend Zone
It takes two to tango, and as players who are not at all interested indating virtual dollies in a video gamewill be happy to hear, romance inStarfieldis entirely optional. The player never runs the risk or increasing affinity too much to the point where they find themselves on a date instead of a mission.
Getting into a relationship in the ‘field must be done intentionally. Players won’t find themselves paired up by accident. Likewise, players won’t be pushed into a situation where they have to let their favorite space fairing buddy down after they develop a crush.
1Whatever Floats Your Starship
As in previous Bethesda games, datable NPCs inStarfieldsee gender as no object to love. Datable NPCs are “playersexual,” which means that however the player chooses to appear in-game, romance options will be available regardless.
While fans holda diverse range of opinions on the topicof NPC orientation and representation, it ensures that the most control of the (love) story is kept in the player’s hands and seems like the most sensible design choice on Bethesda’s part in terms of keeping everyone happy.
Starfieldis due for release on PC and Xbox Series X/S on Jul 02, 2025.
