Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General A lengthy review after pondering about the game.

Ngl I think the sex in the game was handled very immaturely, the romances in general felt too much like a '' horny teenagers '' thing.
I get on some level it kinda has to happen very quickly and suddenly due to time constraints in the game but still, I tried to be friends with Gale and Wyll and they wouldn't stop trying to get inside my pants.
I did enjoy the Shadowheart romance tho it was a bit cheesy but it felt a lot more genuine and adult imo, while most of the others are just moreso straight up horny ( Karlach especially, I rly can't get over how '' tumblr '' she comes across... The romance with her just comes across like actual children I just find it weird ).

I think it's something RPG's in general struggle with where romance = sex, rather than actual intimacy and a real relationship.
I know these are very different games but Clive and Jill in FFXVI is probably one of the most adult and believable romance I've seen in a very long time in gaming, they're two adults who support and love each other it's not just about sex and kisses they're very clearly in love and in relationship with each other while in BG3 it feels like '' friends with benefits ''.
Again it's not unique to BG3 I think it's an issue in general with RPG's but it's a little disappointing I guess.

That's also why I did enjoy the Shadowheart romance because it did feel like you were there for her on an emotional and supportive level altho you don't really get much back from her in that regard and it's still just kinda okay.
It just feels like romance in RPG's is like pick the right dialogue options for a reward sex scene and little else.
The actual emotional and mental part of what it means to be in a relationship and devoted to someone is kinda missing and it's just all about physical contact, like people seem to think it's more important to get a hug option than better writing.

I know ppl get upset about Karlach criticism and all that but I rly do think she's one of the most frustrating ones with this and how people talk about her online, most conversation about her is basically more like fetishication of '' muscle mommy '' and memes and '' ha ha such quirky '' it feels like there's no adult substance to it.
And I also do think that shows in the marketing too I do think the marketing was kinda immature about it.
I am not saying that as a prude I actually really enjoy sexualized content if I had my way we'd have literal '' bikini armor '' in the game lmao this isn't about being a prude and anti-sex.
But sex and romance/ relationships are different and I think there's a bit of a childish hyperfocus of the former while conflating the two.

Edit: It's not even just your companions btw, it's also NPC's that are just bizarrely horny and very in your face about it.
That orc lady in act 2 just completely out of nowhere started talking about how she wanted to sleep with me lol, again I am a horny person and even I think it's too much and just weird.