Dragon age the veilguard gay romance

A similar argument emerged in online circles regarding Baldur's Gate 3 and racism against Tieflings, and whether it was 'too much'. It almost feels like these romances aren't quite genuine. I especially enjoy it when the characters incorporate their pansexuality into their personality and experiences.

The romance in Dragon Age Inquisition is locked behind the sexual preferences of its companions and feels more authentic as a result. I'll preface this by saying that representation is vital, and a reduction in the sexual diversity of Dragon Age characters is not what I'm advocating for at all.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard, out October 31 from developer BioWare and publisher Electronic Arts, continues that trend, making the companion characters and their romances an integral part of the gameplay and structure. It's a series that tackles complex topics but gives everyone someone to root for.

Romance in Dragon Age: The Veilguard is more straightforward than other RPGs with a romantic element. Sign in now. Summary Embracing defined character sexualities in Dragon Age adds authenticity and depth to romances. It's refreshing and not something you see a lot of in RPGs that either have every character open to the player or don't let you broach the topic at all if you're not sexually aligned with that companion.

There are sections of the community who will disagree with me, and that's ok. Emmrich is the oldest romanceable companion in the Dragon Age series. Jervon Perkins enjoys the constant intimacy of Baldur's Gate 3 and would like to see more of this in Veilguard, I've written on how fewer, more developed romances are often a good thing , and I'm going to echo some of the arguments that Matthew Schomer has already made regarding companion sexuality here.

I've seen comments expressing annoyance that female Inquisitors can't seduce Cassandra because they want a butch lesbian romance, or that you can't be gay with Alistair in Origins. All seven companions are romanceable, regardless of Rook's lineage, faction, class.

Now, you can obviously have pansexual romance options, too. The relationship between Dorian and a male inquisitor is beautiful partially because Dorian has struggled with the social implications of his sexuality, making the connection between the two more rewarding. I love the accessibility of BG3's relationship system, but what does it really say about consent?

It's fantastic that a range of sexualities are present in these games, but how authentic is this representation if these characters are moulded to the preferences of the player? But, for people who have experienced discrimination associated with their sexuality, I think that kind of real representation is very valuable and should be encouraged.

I'm simply in favour of Dragon Age continuing its historical approach to companion romance, i. In a similar vein, if you try and flirt with Sera as a male Inquisitor then she'll quickly cut you off, telling you that she's lesbian, she only likes girls and that's that. That's completely valid.

Of course, you need to have sexual variety among companions to ensure representation. There are two bisexual romances, a male-only gay romance, a female-only gay romance and four heterosexual romances. Having characters that represent these subsets of the community is crucial.

It makes these characters feel like real people and not just extensions of the player's fantasies. I love Baldur's Gate 3 but oftentimes the romance comes across as very fan service-y as every companion constantly throws themselves at the player. While past Dragon Age companion romances were restricted based on the gender or race of the player character, all seven companions in Dragon Age: The Veilguard can be romanced regardless of sex and/or race.

In my opinion, having a strong woman or a soft-hearted man be heterosexual is completely fine, and it speaks to the authenticity of sexual representation in Dragon Age. The approach taken by Baldur's Gate 3 is certainly valid and it makes sense in the Forgotten Realms setting where the default setting for everyone appears to be pansexual, but I love that Dragon Age can be representative while also being analogous to the real world.

I hope BioWare doesn't resort to simple fan service in their upcoming game. If you want to play a male Rook and have a straight romance, there's Bellara, Neve, and Harding. I think Inquisition did a fantastic job in varying the sexuality of its characters, and I'd love to see BioWare include another transgender character like Krem in Veilguard maybe even as a full companion?

These are fantasy games, and it's certainly a valid approach to player fulfilment, but I think Dragon Age is more nuanced in this regard. It's a more light-hearted, sexually charged approach to romance but one that lacks that genuine feeling of connection. It's also, in some ways, a more authentic representation.

If you want to play a female Rook and do the same, there's Lucanis, Davrin, and Emerich. I actually think Dragon Age: Origins did quite a good job with Leliana and Zevran, two characters that were thoroughly pansexual, and said as much to the Warden.