Unlike its predecessor, Oblivion, the next game in the Elder Scrolls series will let you make friends. Some friends can become friends with benefits. And they can then become your spouse. Even if they're the same gender as you.
Given how many games either outlaw this or simply don't acknowledge it, it's nice to see this one take a page out of Lionhead and BioWare's (warning: Old Republic excepted) books. And remember, even if dude-on-dude or lady-on-lady relationships aren't your cup of tea, you can always marry someone from the opposite sex. Or just be friends!
Oblivion often felt very mechanical in the way you dealt with its inhabitants; you'd use them for a quest then they'd either disappear or you'd run out of things to say.
In Skyrim, those you befriend will be, well, friends! Get cozy and they might tag along and help you out in a fight. And if you get real cozy, if you buy a house, then they'll move in with you.
No word yet on how Skyrim handles the inevitable loveless decline and divorce once the kids leave home, but we've got a few months for that to be revealed in a no doubt mildly depressing developer diary.
Same sex marriage in Skyrim [Eurogamer]
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