Starfield: Will it Feature Romance Options?
Following the release of the game's ESRB rating, many fans eagerly anticipated whether Bethesda's upcoming sci-fi game, Starfield, would include romance options. Todd Howard, the game's director, has finally provided an answer in a recent interview with Kinda Funny Games.
Howard confirms that Starfield will indeed have romance options, although the number of options will be smaller compared to previous Bethesda games like Fallout 4 and Skyrim. The emphasis will be on quality rather than quantity.
According to Howard, "There are a good number, but we're committed to quality over quantity. So there're a few really meaty ones. The ones we have are really good, but there're not a ton of them. And they're all different depending on which Constellation you're in. Oh, and they're all companions. So you can't be, like, 'I want a sex partner, so I'll pick this one,' no it's part of their background story."
This deliberate decision to limit the number of romance options suggests that Bethesda aims to prioritize meaningful storytelling in Starfield. The focus will be on a select few romances that play a significant role within the game, rather than merely providing opportunities for sexual content.
Will There Be Other Romance Opportunities?
Although the number of companion romances may be limited, it remains to be seen whether Starfield will offer other romance opportunities beyond this. In the past, Bethesda games, such as Fallout 4, provided a wide range of options for casual relationships. Even if players were not interested in romances, there was still potential for companionship. It is possible that Starfield may incorporate something similar.
While Starfield marks the first game in the series to launch with an official rating from the ESRB, the rating also mentions "sexual content." This suggests that the game may depict more than just a few lines of post-coital dialogue in its romance scenes. In Bethesda's previous games, such scenes were typically left to the imagination rather than shown.
Based on Howard's response, it appears that the romances in Starfield will offer more depth than a simple exchange of post-coital pleasantries. Hopefully, they will also feel more meaningful and substantial compared to the romances in Rage 2, another Bethesda game that faced criticism for its approach to sex and nudity.
As we eagerly await Starfield's release, be sure to stay informed by checking out everything we know about Starfield so far.
