Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General Was BG3 overly sexualized?

Strawman AND generalizing all US players. You're on a roll! I'm going to bow out here though, I'm sensing a "play nice" comment coming

No one said 'sex exists' was disturbing. You made that up. Fact of the matter is sex in games is like salt. Sure, it can spice things up. Used poorly, then at best it covers subpar cooking with salt or makes the entire dish unpalatable. You know how much sense it DOESN'T make to have to sleep with Astarion in order to tell him he needs friends? If you can't or won't understand the thread.

Show us on the doll where the US puritan touched you.

Or rather, "It's not OVERLY sexualized, if you aren't forced to engage with the sexual content"

Which is a thing. Yes, the game has sex in it. But is it "Overly sexualized" if the sex is a minor and optional piece of content?

Since being sexualized and being overly sexualized are different things. The former is just the presence of sexualization. The latter is having too much to the point of detriment.

I'm not sure we should be considering any sexualization to be overly sexualized.

No, correct reply.
No one finds the sex "disturbing" but unnecessary and superfluous which took up valuable resources.

I mean, I love the game and I like a lot about it, but I agree, that somehow all things sexual and romance related get a lot of attention in this community, while story stuff gets sidelined. Look at all the threads, when kisses were broken. I never even noticed the missing kisses, but I notice, that tadpoles have not the promised consequences or the ending doesn't make much sense as we have a npc, who could help out (don't want to spoil here).
I guess, a lot is about what the majority of the community wants, which is sadly more sex and romance.

I wonder if we're perhaps getting our cause and effect mixed up here. I don't think it's unfair to say that the companion writing in this game is the best, most compelling writing in the game by a wide margin, compared to the main story. What if what we're seeing isn't a result of the general public just being dumb and horny, but rather them... meeting the game were it is, so to speak. They play the game and see that the character stuff is the most interesting and engaging and they think that it's because that's the part of the game that's meant to be important, the part of the game they're supposed to get invested in, and so they do get invested, and spread the game out to other people who enjoy that sort of game. So they're not disappointed by the poor main plot because they're coming at the game form the perspective that the main plot isn't really what the game is ABOUT, similar to how in Mass Effect 2, the main plot is there, but it's a vehicle to drive you to experience the various companion missions.

It...doesn't matter if you are not sure if we should be considering any sexualization to be overly sexualized because no one is actually doing that.

Which is the same problem as the post referenced.

Take the OP's example. 'Sex exists' is not the problem with Minthara. In a vacuum. Since it is not in a vacuum you have the situation where Minthara is non-negotiable with losing a TON of actual game content and her own companion specific content was bugged to hell and back on release and still feels incomplete.

But her sex scene was not only intact from the beginning, but is the most explicit bar none and is only available if you actively help her raid the grove, instead of not interfering.

Which means that the issue is not 'sex exists.'

The issue becomes 'this...looks an AWFUL LOT like the developers decided that hot Drow sex is the 'reward' for an evil playthrough instead of quest content.'

This is one example, of many, that reveals where the priorities were to the active detriment of the game.

Argue THAT.

Not 'sex exists.'

I played EA for the main plot first and then the companions. In full release I find the main story so boring I wish we had an option to just... turn off those quests and just run around doing side quests and companion stuff.


Didn't they outright call Minthara a reward for raiding the grove? I keep seeing people mention that.

I apologize, but again this argument still doesn't work since you're basing it on 'being able to ignore it, thus its not a big deal'. Of course its optional, a lot of things within the game are optional but they are still there and the way they were included and the amount of it (that I personally don't consider minuscule) will influence how people see the whole game.

You mentioned detriment to the story/game. And yes I would say that BG3 has multiple scenarios where the inclusion of sex and the 'that's hot' mentality came as a detriment to characters and their writing. I might write a longer post later but for now I'll just quote Rahaya's.


As for the whole argument that the other poster brought up about people being prudes.

Well that's another funny thing, isn't it. 'A person who is or claims to be easily shocked by matters relating to sex or nudity.' one of the explanations as to what a prude is, but for some reason a subsect of Larians fanbase has flipped it around and started attaching it to anyone that criticizes or doesn't like the poorly written erotica mixed with bestiality cuck porn. (I adore you Red Queen, my fave mod. I know you'll probably read this and cringe at the word but its true, that shit is in the game.) It's becoming absurd to be honest.

I think the majority of people on these forums are fine with sex and the exploration of sexuality but the issue arises like I mentioned as to how it was handled and to a degree how far certain devs/writers took it.

I fucking hope not, but I would also not be surprised.

Either way, the actual reward for raiding the grove turned out to be not having to deal with Halsin.

I don't think those people are dumb, but I've met the same crowds in the BioWare forums for the DA and ME romances, in the SWTOR subreddit a lot of posts are also about the romances. It seems to be one of the most popular features in crpgs and the devs cater to that. I personally don't care much - I'm not offended by sex, but I don't need it in my games. But I would like, if there would be a bit more balance between fixes for story issues and fixes for companion issues. So far it looks, like companion issues are the main priority - at least in my humble opinion.
As I said, I love the game, but I think, it would be nice, if they stop catering to every romance whim and start looking into the story stuff.
And yes, most companions are written very well, they have good storylines and you can luckily see them even without romancing them.

I am unapologetically one of those types that love having some romance in rpgs. pathfinder:wotr, swtor, bioware games, I love it. But what those games do not have as you've correctly identified, is an overwhelming focus on titillation and meme worthy focus on sex at the expense of a coherent main story. Arue's romance in WotR wasn't the main story. You could ignore it completely and get a very good main story experience. Having that added connection to the characters and world however enhanced the main story even more, as you started to think about things like "wait, if I go true Aeon, that means I have to..", etc, and that MEANS something. SWTOR always had great stories, and the romances didn't really have a large part in the story, they were definitely more side content, but they still enhanced the connection to the characters imo.

BG3, while it does enhance the connection to the characters, in my opinion, it does so in a very immature manner for the most part, and the huge focus on companions massive harmed the main story, and I won't even say 'imo' because I think it's clear that they simply stopped caring about the main story in Act 3. Instead of rewriting some things to make Act 3 better, we had bear sex memes, and fanservice rewrites.

I mean, the fact that Icelyn of all people is saying she's disappointed in Halsin's "romance" says a LOT. (no offence to you intended Icelyn :D)

(off topic, did you change your profile pic Fylimar? Or am I going crazy and you're someone else lol)

Oh God! Fylimar I enjoyed reading your posts but you mentioning the whole DA/ME romance forums reminded me of something.

This is why I'm apprehensive when it comes to romances and joining forums that discuss them. Its so easy for all of it go off the rails and having the game entirely (or for the most part) revolve around them is why my stance on romances started changing.


Maybe the old BSN dying wasn't such a bad thing.


Pretty much what I would like to see, a bigger focus on fixing and adding to the main story.

Rotsen: sorry to have triggered bad memories - and I'm sorry, I clicked on that link, I might need a shrink now


Boblahwah: Yes, I had a tiefling pic, but I changed it to this cute bunny. And yeah, it is too much romance content - I say imo, because I'm ok, if other people see it different. I don't care about Haarlep trying to sleep with us or the drow twins - but if fans more looking for every move Astarion mkaes, that a kiss with (I think) every companion is broken, want hugs and stuff, then I think, it is too much in the focus. If you look at the feedback section on the Larian Discord, you have demands for especially Halsin, SHadowheart and Astarion romance content every day - mostly more than one thread. I actively ignore them and upvote every suggestion making the story better or post story suggestions there too, but the romance content gets the most upvotes, so I guess, we are a minority.

A short edit: When I see, how PS5 player obviously can't really play the game right now, judging by all the threads about that in the Technical forum, maybe that would be much more important, than fixing a kiss, that does not break the game.

Well Maybe yu Guys did not Notice.. But for all of yu that Just Want A Normal Experience.. Without the Sexual Stuff..
Yu Can Turn it Off in the Menu ok..

I never Bother that Much.. like i Told in my Last Post..
i Never Liked the Way all the Other Companions react with this Stuff in the Game..
the only two i actually felt was a Normal way of doing Things was Lazel and Shadow..
Shadow becouse she was the only one from the start that i Need to Show her that i want Something for her to Start Change/Open a Little Bit with Me..
and Lazel get my Respect as companion becouse she was the One and Only in alll my runs that always ASk me what i Wanted from Her..
and when i say that i did not want that from her.. she Kept Cool with It.. even went on with astarion in the Party.. i kind liked a Lot the way she reacted.. like a Normal person would do yu know..
(ok yu dont want me.. i will find another that want..)

But all the Others get Jealous when i did not even Show that i want Something Romantic with then.. thats Bad really Bad bro.
i just Wish i could Have More Brotherly interactions with then not just to Bang then all.
Like put on the Table Simple and Clear like i did with Laezel..
yu are my Bro.. i dont want anything from yu..

and In my Opinion the Worst in this Reggards is Halsin and Gale..
(in All Runs i Made they both Always Kept insisting till the end of the Game i just Start to Avoid then when they Had a Exclamation in their Had becouse of that.. becouse i already New that Again.. they would Try Again.. and Again.. never Stops.. jesus.)

You can turn it off, but it still means that a lot of development time was wasted on it and other, more important, parts of the game suffer for it.

There's been some great commentary in this thread, so I'll simply tack on a couple observations from my comparatively limited experience --

My character has been romancing Karlach, because I think she's terrific and luckily for my guy, she returns the interest. However, as Niara and others have pointed out, the "relationship" developed remarkably quickly because...that's how it was written. I didn't realize it at first since her voicing and mannerisms were so engaging, but we seemed to go from travelling companions to dedicated love interests in the span of a few evening conversations. Is this oversexualization? I don't feel like it is, as even though things escalated quickly, there was at least some ongoing dialog that had laid narrative tracks in that direction.

Now, when the game makes multiple obvious attempts to set the stage for a hookup with Gale simply because I made small talk with him one time? For me, that's when it begins to feel a bit overeager.

On a related note, even on my comparatively tame monogamous playthrough, there was a moment that did strike me as perhaps an indicator of oversexualization:


Now, maybe I'm more prudish than I realize, but this sequence just seemed jarring -- like they had recorded a graphic scene intended for different gender models, but placed it there anyway. If that was the case - that Larian just threw that together for sake of having something, anything graphic appear on screen - then I could consider that oversexualized.

In all, though, the story has jarring tonal shifts all over the place; we go from epic to dramatic to absurd to grimdark and more. Perhaps we're to understand that one of those tones is very intentionally hypersexual.

True, but that goes for so many other things. There's the whole Dark Urge branch. If you don't want to play a murdereous maniac,isn't it also wasted ? All the dialogues with citizens for which they needed voice actors just to say stuff like 'this is a private conversation, please go away" is also effort which could be used otherwise.
Also, given how bad the lewd scenes are (at least the ones I saw : Shadowheart -Minthara and Mizora ) It doesn't strike me as having been very labour intensive.

Well i Always Felt Like Romance in RPG and Games like These are A Flavor..
Only Increase the Stake for your own Tale..
(fell in Love for a Character its not something Weird for me.. sometimes they are better then the Real Life People no Joke..)
But Like i Said.. i wish they Made Better in the Other Companions or at Least..
i could do Like i Did with Laezel.. Ask me what my True feelings for then are..
so i put on the Table and Make Clear that i Just want to Be with Shadow or However i Want..
without then Getting Jealous or treating me Bad becouse i dont want to bang then..
thats the kind of Person in Real Life i would Hate and avoid.. no Joke..
(like im the Wrong becouse i dont want that ?! ok game ok.. thats really Bad.)