Buckle up! Starfield has confirmed that there will be 20 companions for us to get to know on our travels, as we embark on a new chapter in humans expanding beyond the stars.
Bethesda games typically have a companion system in place, wherein you find new people out in the middle of nowhere, normally in distress, and by helping them you get the reward of them joining your crew. It’s the staple of any RPG, to be fair. Consequently, nobody is amazed by the news that companions are coming along for the ride with us. What did surprise them, though, is just how many companions we're getting.
Space is calling in Starfield's gameplay trailer
During a Starfield Q&A on Discord which revealed details about the housing system in place, the devs also confirmed that “over 20 named characters” are scattered throughout the universe. Furthermore, only four of these companions are from The Constellation.
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Lead designer, Emil Pagliarulo, explained: “When we first began Starfield pre-production, we looked back at our previous games and realised how popular and effective the companions were. So they were a big priority for us, and we really wanted to tie them directly to the main quest.”
With a bustling crew following us around and able to carry all the burdens we’d prefer not to, fans are already sharing what they look for in the ideal space-age companion. Chiefly, that any obsessions with building settlements is strictly a negative.
“Please God don't let there be one who's obsessed with helping settlements,” said Warribo on Reddit. To rub further salt in the wounds, a user responded with this classic reply: “Settlements? Who ever heard of such a thing… Another colony needs your help! Here, let me mark it on your starmap”. Memories of ignoring Shaun while we gallivanted around in Fallout 4 have come back with vengeance.
Another issue players would like ironing out is the familiar tones of the same voice actor attempting to voice several different characters. “I’m sure they’ll all be well written and definitely not voiced by the same 6 voice actors who work for Bethesda,” joked one user, which once again, triggered flashbacks to multiple Fallout games.
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However, the most crucial question for a lot of people is how sexy these companions will be – we’re paraphrasing, because their choice of wording was more colourful. Romance is incredibly important to many fans, especially after seeing just how much fun Baldur’s Gate 3 players have had embarking on sex speedruns. Still, how attractive a companion is is a matter of opinion, and so will be hotly contested and debated by gamers once the game launches.
Starfield has gone gold, and will be available from 6 September on Xbox and PC.