March 16 (UPI) — Starfield‘s first companion character, a robot named VASCO, was revealed Wednesday during a new developer video.
In the nearly six-minute-long video, Bethesda Game Studios head Todd Howard said, “No matter what story we write, the one the players tell themselves is the one they think about and love the most — and the companions.”
Viewers were then introduced to VASCO, a loader droid who greets players by saying, “Hello, captain. How may I be of assistance?”
VASCO’s name appears to be a nod to Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, given that Bethesda is aiming for “grounded exploration” in a more realistic universe. The studio previously described Starfield‘s overall aesthetic as “NASA-Punk.”
The developers also explained how companions have been improved in the highly anticipated role-playing game. Howard said a major focus was on “how those other characters felt about you.”
“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,” lead artist Istvan Pely responded. “That just feels so perfect for immersion. It’s just so unbelievable, you think it’s a real person.”
In addition to companions and other non-playable characters, the latest “Into the Starfield” episode introduced some of the game’s factions and lots of concept art. The developers also discussed how they’re repurposing a dialogue system used in The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion.
The hugely anticipated RPG is set to arrive November 11 on Xbox Series X and S consoles and Microsoft Windows, and it will be Bethesda’s first new intellectual property in more than two decades.
