Baldur's Gate 3 Romance And Companion Video Dives Deep Into In-Game Relationships

Earlier today, Larian Studios confirmed that there was a small one week delay with the Baldur's Gate 3 Early Access. The company softened the not so devastating blow by promising news about romances and companions. Well buckle up, friends, because we're talking warlock booty. 

The team took to the game's Steam blog to deliver the very important companion news, because it's 2020 and we are going to take any shred of happiness we can get. In the latest blog post, Larian talks about the companionship that will be found in the upcoming game, a gameplay feature that is very common in RPG adventures. 

Just like many other games of the same caliber, Baldur's Gate 3 will have companions that will like some of the things you do, disagree with others, and some will just really seem to dog on everything you do. Still, we do what we can for that digital tush, so the latest video about "love in the forgotten realms" digs a little deeper into building those meaningful in-game relationships: 

Baldur's Gate 3 lead writer Sarah Baylus mentions in the above video, "At the end of the day this remains a D&D game and the most important character in a game of D&D is you." Just like in real life, in-game players will be able to forge friendship, earn enemies, and romance the heck out of some pretty spiffy hotties. 

Each companion is wildly different from one another, and each companion requires something unique in order to woo them like none other. With Baldur's Gate 3's reactive system, players can choose certain choices and dialogue options that will craft those relationships, for good or for ill. 

Like other similar games, including Dragon Age from BioWare and Larian's other major franchise with Divinity Original Sin, your character's choices will impact options, including how companions interact with you. The example the studio gives is that if a player chooses to play as a Drow Wizard, then they will have different dialogue options with other characters than that of a Githyanki Warlock. Those differences are seen everywhere in the game, including when talking to your potential love interest (LI). 

"Just as in real life, the sum of character is determined by many factors, and continues to be shaped by your actions and reactions to the world, and the party you journey with," reads the blog post. "Frictions may test the party’s resolve, and romances might test the party dynamic. Not only will characters have opinions about you, but also about each other, and other factions in the game. Will you pursue love with one companion to the detriment of another? Or will you side with a faction a companion detests, putting feelings to the side to achieve your strategic goals? As with life, many decisions will have to be made, not all of them easy, and not every outcome obvious."

The team also talks about the in-game campfires. Dragon Age Origins players will remember this fondly: characters can rest by the campfire at night, but this is also where the party is most vulnerable. Disarmed, weary, and reliant on those around you, this is where a lot of the magic happens when furthering those relationships. 

Through creative writing, players can get a feel for their companions by talking to them while resting at their camprfires. The choices you've made thus far into the game will impact how closely you can get acquainted with the various party members. This is also a good time to remind readers that this is very much an M-rated game for mature, so just brace for those bow chica wow-wow's. 

Want to get jiggy with it? The Baldur's Gate 3 Early Access period kicks off on October 6. Personally, I can't wait, even if my earlier hands-on time with the game caused the dev playing with me to kill my wife. No forgiveness...

[Source: Steam]