Bioware is often lauded as a game developer who understands exactly what fans want. Second only to their narratives, romances are a core component of any of BioWare’s games. And the Dragon Age franchise is no exception. With every iteration of the series, romancing your companions has been a quintessential part of the primary story; adding a much-needed nuance to each companion, that drives players to learn more and do more within the story’s narrative; and gives a feeling of genuine stakes with every choice player’s make.
Romances
And, in no game, is it truer than in Dragon Age 2 (DA2.) The variety of romance options; alone; runs the gambit of personalities, story arcs, dynamics, and consequential decisions. From turning a companion away from their path of self-destruction to saving another companion from the horrors of their past haunting their every step, and everything in between, the romances in DA2 offer up a proverbial buffet of choices that can make or break the tenuous relationship the player character must maintain to win their hearts (and the day.)
Fenris
Lovingly dubbed “Broody” by the game’s resident storyteller, Varric Tethras, Fenris has arguably one of the most compelling romances in the Dragon Age franchise. Born a slave in Tevinter, and bound in servitude to a cruel Magister, named Danarius, Fenris was raised in an environment of torment, torture, and complete oppression -wherein he had not a sliver of autonomy or even a desire for anything less than the status quo. That is, until a new path -and freedom- presented itself in the unlikeliest of ways.
This is where the player Hawk meets Fenris, now suddenly on the run from his former master and actively being hunted by the Magister’s agents. The first encounter with the Little Wolf is tenuous at best, even more so should the player be playing a Mage Hawk, but should the player treat him with a modicum of respect, Fenris willingly joins the party as a two-handed DPS warrior and offers the player a chance to get to know the mysterious Lyrium-painted Elf better.
The romance for Fenris brings to the fore a choice of whether or not he will remain free. During the player’s interactions with the fugitive elf, they learn a bit of his history, what happened leading up to his escape, and many other details justifying his hatred for mages. The romance culminates with the confrontation between Fenris and his former master, wherein the player Hawk chooses how it will end. Either by picking the bad ending; giving Fenris back to his master and returning him to a life of slavery; or by defending him and killing the Magister once and for all (the good ending.)
Merrill
Known for being the not-so-clever but utterly adorable one, Merrill is a Mage character that can polarize the fan base at any given moment. While her story is compelling; drawing on the duality of wanting to do the right thing but doing the wrong thing to succeed; and her romance arc is endearing, the controversy lies with her personality. At the first meeting, the players are quickly made aware that the former would-be Dalish Keeper is in trouble with her clan -as she has somehow managed to garner the ire of her fellow people and is being shunned for unknown reasons. And it’s up to the player to find out why.
Throughout the first encounter, while completing the Long Way Home quest line, Merrill’s personality is on full display: reflecting both the erratically charming nuances of her anxious personality and the curiosity and innocence of a person who’s lived a sheltered life. However, for some players, the mix of these character traits can often be completely grating and annoying, specifically because of how flighty she can be and how her actions and reactions seem far less logical than they should be. However, her romance arc is just as interesting and heartwarming as you would expect from Bioware, should the player put aside any reservations about her personality and take that chance.
Merril is kind by nature, and her story revolves solely around her desire to preserve what history remains of the Elven people. When that commitment becomes compromised because of what she’s trying to do; and the decisions she’s naively made before she meets the player; it will be up to Hawk to steer her in the right direction. Will you allow her to repair the corrupted Eluvian and sacrifice her clan, or will you talk her down and stop her from losing all she was trying to protect in the first place?
Isabela
The quintessential bad girl of Dragon Age 2, Isabela is one of those characters that players just thoroughly enjoy. A vixen and viper, a thief and a liar, and an overall troublemaker in her own right, she brings to the game a nuanced version of the carefree and no-nonsense swashbuckler rogue stereotype that fans know and love. Between Isabela’s playful; and often salacious; banter and her importance in the game’s overall narrative, it’s no wonder why players usually choose her over any other female Bioware companion to romance.
Player Hawk first meets Isabela in the local tavern, the Hanged Man, and from their initial interaction players are shown just the kind of woman she is -and how she handles anyone who dares to cross the line with her for even a second. Bold and confident, she tells the player what’s what, while being a playful and manipulative little vixen with questionable motives and motivations. Bringing to the game, a character that fully embraces the dichotomy of being true to her pirate shenanigans and moral compass or embracing the more righteous path -in a bid to fix her (possibly) perceived flaws.
It is this choice that players eventually face, both in her storyline and her romance arc: whether to allow her to suffer from the choices she’s made and pay for the dangerous state of Kirkwall or convince her to make amends and settle the violent rage brewing because of her very own actions. The final decision will be a consequential one; ultimately deciding the fate of the player’s relationship with her and her very own life.
Anders
The most influential romance in Dragon Age 2, falling for Anders will make or break the player’s faith in humanity -juxtaposed against their own morals. A former fugitive apostate mage turned Grey Warden; Anders’s history is quite tumultuous before player Hawk ever meets him. Currently, on the run from his former order, our morally ambiguous Mage placates his need to do good by helping the impoverished in Kirkwall -all while fighting the good fight for the freedom of the oppressed mages of Thedas.
But Anders isn’t the same Anders players got to know and love in Dragon Age: Awakening. No more is the sassy, devil-may-care, fun, and endearingly rebellious young man eager to cause some good trouble. Now, he’s radicalized. Thanks to a life-changing choice regarding his spirit friend, Anders has become an abomination ruled by a sense of justice that is borderline on the most extreme. With a cut-and-dry philosophy, that leaves no room for nuance or, in some cases, patience, Anders’ decisions become the crux of the story’s final act.
Players who romance Anders: often find themselves sitting on the fence, when it comes to his motivations and actions; yet continuously find themselves sympathetic to his version of events, intentions, and overall reasoning behind everything he does. Love makes you do crazy things, as they say, and no truer statement can be made when talking about his arc. As the narrative culminates in an impossible choice: to choose their lover over justice or be that agent of Justice and make him pay for what he’s done, Player Hawk will have to live with the consequences no matter what.
Sebastian
The only add-on romance included with the base game; the romance of Sebastian Vale is arguably the most despised in the Dragon Age franchise. While the arguments against romancing him are varied, the most popular explanation is his uninteresting story arc and personality -or the lack thereof. Dubbed “the most boring romance in Dragon Age” by many, his interactions with Hawk are often described as dry and so “one note” that it is simply boring. But, why?
Many cite the fact that Sebastian’s story arc feels incomplete. Mainly focusing on his issues with what happened to his family, he flip-flops back and forth between committing to his religious beliefs or disavowing his commitments to the Chantry to reclaim his title as the Prince of Starkhaven. Add this to the fact that Player Hawk doesn’t even meet him until ACT II, and it’s not much of a stretch to understand why fans of Dragon Age find him unappealing. There is just not enough there for players to really feel a connection; to even care let alone want to romance him. His romance ostensibly goes nowhere and has no real effect on the story.
For most players, however, the biggest problem with Sebastian’s romance is Sebastian himself; and the required mechanics surrounding how to trigger the romance in the game. Firstly, the players cannot flirt with (or sleep with) any other companion during Act 1. Doing so will disallow the romances to trigger properly and leave the player unable to complete that part of his arc. Secondly, when Hawk finally manages to get the romance started: the players come face-to-face with a character so ridiculously pious that one of the endings is Hawk becoming a cloistered sister alongside him.
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