"Good thing we have both." Meh. I'm not impressed thus far with the romances in BG3. As said before, they're just very abrupt. There's no lead-in or flirting or nothing. It's just BAM! "Wanna do it?" Shadowheart has a little, and I think they may have added a little more with a few others, but it's not much. Frankly, it just seems like ALL the companions are easy. But then, it's been awhile since I even tried.
Well, gaining their reputation is the lead up, and I can see it working better for someone else if one is consciously aiming to get together with a companion. So getting to know, and liking each other seems systemised, which I find awkward.
Romance scene being a set thing for ALL companions at the same time makes it very artificial and awkward on top of it.
And even a softer romance, like with Shadowheart, feels like a jarring shift with it being really first time we talk to each other. There is little show of sympathy or even interest, and then sudden romantic alone time. I don’t think the scene is bad in itself, it’s just all lead up are notifications about reputation gain.
Dragon Age: Origins had similar set up and aside from embarrassingly awkward cutscenes they worked well. Morrigan was quick to kiss and sex, but it made sense - both in the moment and in retrospect. Characters were aware of your affairs, but their responses felt authentic.
BG3 is just so very clunky in the character interactions. They don’t feel like people, and your conversation options don’t feel like conversations. Which I think at the core of my issues - romances don’t feel like interactions. It feels like a limited choice of romance/sex scenes depending on unrelated quest choices. You have done choices X, Y, Z so you get a romance scene with companion B.
I think it is backwards - you should get to know a companion, get attached to him and her, and then try to win them over, not get one “assigned” with a potential to get to know and like them later, if you try to make a move now.
