Romance existed in the since the dawn of BG1, and the cringe some of you talk of been part of these games for as long as they existed, be it in the story, writing, or even pixely bar wenches that "cringely" wiggly their tushies... iwe been watvhing Cohhcarnage replay BG1 and BG2, and while it was simpler back then, as the grafics evolve it will evolve across the board... The bar wench or courtesan will still be in the games, and why you ask, well its part of the make belief, the story, any book, and movie have abit of romance in it...
And Larian sets a stage, then its up to you or me, wha we do with that stage, ifyou dont like romance, then dont do it, if you like me, dont like evil, then dont persue the darker paths... take game of thrones, it has all sides of a world, it has the gore, and it has the nudity, it has villians and heroes, romance just like any alive universe or world, just like a game should be, its a story a ficional non real imagination... do you think people watch these shows to get entertained or for some porn experience ?...
So my question to you, so you have issues with romance, id say alot more people have issues with other social issues of life, but that is life, and any good story need elements of everything, it needs villians, it needs heros, it needs the dark and shady, and it needs heroism and it needs Romance, why ?, couse its life...
If i wanted to a shooter game, id go play that, when i play a Larian game, i want a world to emerse myself into, and to my knowledge that includes romance... so my tip to you, when you get asked to share a bottle, an your not into that kind of things, its kinda obvious where the story is taking you, dont like that, well, dont do it... your story, your choise !
PS lean back and go back the years, and remember those boob armours, or female armours that more or less were less covering then my minimal summer bikinis... so, yea, there was a time when you had to wear those things, i thought those were cringe, couse to me they were not a armour, but more a cringely aspect that more or less made no sense... it was even more hillarious, that the same plate +3, had diffrent look if it were a female or male that wore it ;P... it was kinda anoying, but hey people cosplay, people dress up, i prefer a real looking armour, but that dosent make me want to remove "romance"... these things has allways existed in this genere, as it has in any movie or book...
