‘Starfield’ gameplay: Bethesda unveils first robot companion in a new developer update video

Any space-themed adventure would not be complete without an adorable robot companion. And Bethesda just unveiled a friendly robot seemingly eager to help players when they dive into the world of “Starfield.”

Bethesda released a new developer update video on Wednesday, giving fans insight into how the developers approached the creation of “Starfield.” In the new video, leading developers discussed several things, including character creation, the factions, and companions that players will interact with in the game.

Just like Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard told fans in a Reddit AMA last November, the game will feature a robot companion. The video released this week gives “Starfield” fans a few seconds of footage of one of the robot companions in the game. It would greet the players with a cheerful, “Hello, Captain. How may I be of assistance?” But the developers suggest the robot would be doing more than just being a nifty assistant.

Howard said Bethesda also gave importance to how other characters in “Starfield” would perceive the player’s character. “That’s probably my favorite part. Like when you’re exploring and then your companion makes some comment off the cuff about something that you’re checking out or something that just happened,” “Starfield” lead artist Istvan Pely said. “That just feels so perfect for immersion. It’s just so believable, you think it’s a real person.”

In other parts of the video, the developers also revealed more details about the factions that players can join in “Starfield,” including the United Colonies, Freestar Collective, Ryujin Industries, and Crimson Fleet. Lead quest designer Will Shen commented that he believes Ryujin Industries offers “one of the best starts” in the game, where players get hired as an employee of a megacorporation and live up to the expectations in corporate life.

“Starfield” design director Emil Pagliarulo discussed how the Crimson Fleet, a faction of pirate raiders, could still be an enjoyable group to join for players who want to establish a good-natured character. He said players can side with the pirates or report their activities to their superiors so their character would act as an undercover space cop.

Bethesda has yet to release a full-fledged gameplay trailer of “Starfield,” so fans will have to rely on these developer diary videos for now. But the studio might release more teasers soon as the game is slated to launch on Nov. 11 on Xbox Series X/S and PC.