Some Starfield relationships will be "more complex" than in other Bethesda games

Some of Starfield's relationships will be "more complex" than they have been in previous Bethesda games, says Todd Howard.

Speaking in a recent podcast recording, Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard gave more insight into the studio's upcoming game Starfield, and in particular, the kind of relationships players will be able to pursue in the game.

"We have a number of companions but, for them, we go - I won't say super-complex romantic, but - more complex relationships than we've had," Howard said on the podcast. Instead of NPCs either liking you or not liking you, Howard explains that in Starfield, characters "can be in love with you, and dislike something you did, and be pissed at you temporarily, and then come back to loving you." 

Comparing Starfield to Bethesda's previous games, Howard explained that players would usually work their way up in a relationship with NPCs, adding that once your character is in a relationship you can very easily drift out of it. However in Starfield, "we wanted one where 'we can be in a relationship, we're committed to each other in some way, but I just did something that made you angry'," the Bethesda boss explains. 

"Those moments that lead to romance in a game, to myself and others, those moments are really impactful and special to them because they did put in the time," he adds.  

In the same recording, Todd Howard also spoke about Starfield's star systems, explaining that they're grouped by level so players know where to go during their playthrough. He also even touched on The Elder Scrolls 6, telling fans  "I wish it was soon, I wish [games] didn't take as long as they did, but they do."

Wondering what else we have to look forward to? Take a look at our upcoming Bethesda games list.