There was one night in camp during my second playthrough of Baldur's Gate 3 that basically turned the fantasy RPG into a soap opera. And it was all thanks to my rampant flirting. See, I'd played it relatively safe in the romance department during my first run, which felt very much like an experiment in discerning what actions would earn the approval of other party members. Now that I was armed with the knowledge of just how to win the affections of most of my companions, I was wracked with indecision. Larian's writers masterfully make you care about its characters, and over the course of the adventure, I'd fallen for so many of them.
So, how in all of Faerun was I supposed to decide who to romance now that I'd become so smitten with the whole ragtag bunch? Throwing caution to the wind, I thought that flirting with everyone would be the best solution. After all, doing so would keep all of my options open. At best, I figured I could see where my heart naturally led me to, and at worst I'd hoped the game would make sense of the mess I'd inevitably create for myself and make my choice for me.
By the time I'd reached Act 2, I had plenty of potential love interests, and I was keen to explore the romances of so many of the cast. But after sharing a dance and a kiss with Wyll, it all started to unravel. In three consecutive conversations, I had Gale telling me I had to decide between him or Wyll, only for Wyll to say he hopes I find happiness with Astarion immediately after. Then, Astarion asked if I've found a new lover, and hilariously declared that he couldn't possibly be in a love triangle with Gale. And all that comes after an earlier moment in Act 1 where I was repeatedly reloading saves to try and get cozy with just about everyone.
Love on the line
There are so many choices you can make in Baldur's Gate 3, but as someone who has always been motivated by the prospect of romance in games, there's no decision more difficult and important than picking a person to woo. Of course, when you're then thrown into a world full of interesting characters, it also gives me the perfect excuse to replay it over and over again so I can work my way to romancing everyone.
Sometimes, though, you just get a little indecisive, or you desire to test the waters to see what might happen, right? Throughout my first run, I could hardly wait to start all over again and planned my next playthroughs early on, but with so many possibilities and avenues to explore, I was getting just a little bit too impatient to experience all of the possible romances – hence the chaos that would evidently ensue.
Going to the circus in Baldur's Gate 3 reminded me of my favorite quest in Dragon Age Inquisition
In Act 1, once you've dealt with the goblin camp, you're presented with the opportunity to grow closer to someone to celebrate your victory with the Tieflings (if you chose to help them, of course). Since I'd gotten the lowdown on how to raise the approval of each party member, everyone was pretty fond of me at this point, so I had no shortage of options. The night before, I'd shared a tender moment with Karlach, and after missing out on her presence altogether the first time around, I immediately raced to her fiery side. Alas, for understandable reasons pertaining to her literal hotness, she tells you to have fun with someone else… And I certainly did just that.
From persuading my way to a kiss with Wyll and suggestively flirting with Halsin, I also agreed to a night with Lae'zel and Astarion respectively. To top it all off, I said I would share some wine with Shadowheart after flirting with Gale. When time came to head to my bedroll, I had no idea what to do. If only I could have left this up to a dice roll. While you can't just be with everyone in the same night, my curiosity got the better of me, and I found myself reloading the same save file to see each and every moment you can share with your companions in that one night. Eventually, I had to decide who to pick to see out the evening, which certainly wasn't easy, but thankfully it doesn't entirely lock off romancing someone else later on should you change your mind.
With Lae'zel declaring I drive her to madness and take a very direct approach, Gale getting flirty before putting it off on account of his unstable orb, and Wyll sweetly stating that I've made the evening a night to remember, each and every interaction offers more insight into the characters early on. I even spent some time making a decision and seeing how the others would react after propositioning me. I love the fact that, for example, Lae'zel laments how busy my bunk is already and that we're both missing out because of it.
I took much the same approach in any one of BioWare's line-up of RPGs. Whether it was flirting with both Liara and Kaiden in Mass Effect 1, or initiating something with Garrus and Thane before I ultimately committed to the calibrating sharp-shooter, my approach to love in Baldur's Gate 3 is certainly nothing new. I can vividly remember, for example, using the romance dialogue options with reckless abandon at the start of Dragon Age: Inquisition because everyone piqued my interest.
While my indecision can lead to some messy scenarios for those characters that want commitment, I also see it as a testament to just how fantastic the writing is in Baldur's Gate 3. Every single character has their own flaws, nuances, motivations, and backstories that make them feel so real. It's hard not to get attached and care, and it makes you want to get to know them better - romantically or not.
In my second bard run, I've turned Baldur's Gate 3 into a full-blown musical.
