+1.
If I buy a BioWare game, it’s for the romance. I didn’t buy Anthem, because it had no romance. I can’t believe this is the same series as Inquisition, that had some of the most heartwarming interactions WITH (not BETWEEN) companions I’ve ever experienced. I trusted them and preordered, but 100% guaranteed if I had known this game only had twenty minutes of romance content per companion, with most of it not even being cutscenes with branching choices (why would I replay Lucanis’ commitment scene? There’s no variety!), I wouldn’t have bought it at all.
I didn’t want to dislike this game. I am not one of those review-bombing dorks. I am a regular dork that likes the romance aspect of the games BioWare built their name on. This is so disappointing. There’s like six scenes of build up in Inquisition with near break-ups and heavy relationship development, with the eventual payoff being a relationship that felt in line with the kind of Inquisitor you were playing. There’s none of that here.
I completely agree with you! And, I'm also not a review-bomber, more so I try to help with positive reviews... But, if being honest in a review and letting others know it isn't what they are expecting, it might save them 60 bucks!
I forgot to mention.. with the lack of substance in these "romantic conversations," the gift giving is even worse. You give a gift and they say, "oh." That is ridiculous.
Did you all write this game for a sixth grader, or for adults?
Yeah, I’ve talked about it elsewhere, but the romances this time are devoid of any conflict at all. At first, I was one of those people that couldn’t believe people were saying the game was too light and wasn’t dark enough. “There’s dead bodies everywhere! The monsters are grotesque!”
But the companions are basically Care Bears and the romances are completely toothless. I can only speak to Lucanis’ fully, but I’ve heard the others don’t differ much. Blackwall was in chains and had to be forgiven for war crimes before I could lock in his romance. Cullen needed to address lyrium addiction. Solas took Lavellan’s vallaslin. The conversation with Dorian’s father and whether or not to forgive him was heart wrenching.
I don’t even get to talk to Lucanis about Spite and what it means to be with him before I lock the romance, not truly. Spite is basically a non-issue that everyone treats like a mischievous pet, despite being a literal demon that expresses a sort of obsession with Rook. Wasted plot device. Lucanis’ career as an Antivan Crow doesn’t play a part at all either, though they are historically morally sketchy. There’s no friction or adult relationship building, no communication at all. It’s just checking boxes.
Well, that is saddening to read! I wanted to continue a playthrough romancing Lucanis, but I think all of them are basically not worth the effort, it seems.
I also expected some discussion would take place between Rook and Lucanis about Spite, as they started to heat up the romance. I mean, like you, that is a topic that I would need to cover before I jumped into anything with someone possessed by a demon.
After 10 years ... and, you know it's not like they can't review mods to see what else people want to see in their games ... and, then there's other games, like BG3, that they should have gotten some ideas from, especially with its success.
At least in Inquisition, you could go back and talk to your love interest when you wanted to and also even get a kiss when you wanted to.
Just too disappointed.
