Romance has become a pretty popular narrative and gameplay mechanic to add to video games, especially role-playing games over the past 25-plus years. While romance isn’t strictly a WRPG thing considering the JRPG Thousand Arms had romance in it all the way back in 1999. It wouldn’t be unfair to say WRPG developers like Bioware and Black Isle/Obsidian have set a lot of the tone when it comes to romance in RPGs, especially same-sex romances too.
Romance in Dragon Age Two
Unlike Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age: Inquisition where some companions would prefer to be with their preferred species and sexuality, the companions in Dragon Age Two are pansexual. Except for Sebastian, who does have a preference but nobody likes Sebastian. No matter which gender your character is in Dragon Age Two, they are able to romance whichever character they’d like which gives the player a lot of freedom. While companions having preferences makes them feel more realistic it’s sometimes nice not to have to worry about which species/gender your character is.
Female Hawke has a choice between five companions to romance including Isabella, Merril, Anders, Fenris, and Sebastian(gross). Male Hawke on the other hand can choose between everyone but Sebastian. Each companion is written incredibly well, even Sebastian which makes romancing any of them feel pretty complete and fulfilling. While Bioware hasn’t really changed up their formula for how they do romances in their games, they’re one of the early developers that helped set the standards for romances in RPGs. Honestly, if it works it works, and Bioware’s romances pretty much always work in their RPGs.
Romance In Baldur’s Gate Three
Similar to Bioware’s Dragon Age Two, Baldur’s Gate Three also made the companions pansexual AKA player-sexual. Besides being known as 2023‘s Game Of The Year, Baldur’s Gate Three also became known for how thirsty each companion was for the player character. Known wizard and magical item devourer Gale could be romanced almost right off the bat whether the player meant to or not.
Even if Larian didn’t mean to make Gale so easy to romance, they did mean to make their RPG memorable when it came to romance. From hiring intimacy coordinators, and having the adult scenes in the game storyboarded, to having both realistic and rewarding romances. Larian set a pretty high bar for not just RPGs but romance in RPGs as well and It’s clear Larian spared no expense when it came to romance in Baldur’s Gate Three.
Romance In Mass Effect Two
Mass Effect Two is the sequel to Bioware’s 2007 space RPG Mass Effect and not only did it up the ante story-wise, but it also upped the amount of romances too. The first RPG in Bioware’s space opera, Mass Effect had just three romances. Kaidan was available to female Shepard, Ashley available to male Shepard, and Liara was dateable by both female and male Shepard. Mass Effect Two on the other hand doubled the number of companions that Shepard could date with six out of the 12 companions in the RPG being romanceable. Similar to Mass Effect though, they were gender locked to the Shepard you created.
Jacob, Garrus, and Thane could be dated by female Shepard while Jack, Miranda, and Tali could be dated by male Shepard. Players could also continue their romance with Liara from Mass Effect in the Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC. Something interesting though is that early on Jack was meant to be a pansexual love interest for both male and female Shepard. This is especially noticeable in the conversations your Shepard can have with her both before and after missions.
Unfortunately, due to Fox News being Fox News, they blew a gasket due to the love-making scene with Liara from the first Mass Effect. As a result, Jack went from being a pansexual companion which didn’t get a lot of representation back in 2010 to being a straight companion. Luckily, modders over on Nexusmods have been able to restore Jack to being pansexual along with allowing more same-sex romances in the Mass Effect RPG series.
For More Great Content
Are you desiring top-tier content that covers everything? From thrilling sports and intoxicating entertainment news to gaming tips and professional betting advice, Total Apex covers it all. Delve into our no-fluff articles to stay ahead of the game with the latest sports action, uncover the hottest trends in entertainment, and get the latest scoops in the gaming industry that will take your experiences to the next level.
Finally, our betting advice will give you a decisive edge over the competition and increase your odds of beating the books. Whether you’re looking to stay updated or gain a competitive edge, Total Apex is your one-stop shop for all things compelling and relevant. Don’t forget we cover Fantasy Sports, too! Check out all our sites: Total Apex Sports, Total Apex Fantasy Sports, Total Apex Entertainment, Total Apex Sports Bets, and Total Apex Gaming. Out of the ashes of obscurity will rise a beast. Always remember to Respect The Hustle! Follow us on Twitter/X @TotalApexSports to stay informed.
