Summary
RPGs often offer diverse experiences for players, and it’s agenre that is quite versatile, and capable of blending with others to create unique experiences. Many RPGs even provide players with the option to develop a romance between characters, allowing the story to gain new depth.
While many RPGs offer traditional relationship options, limiting available characters to humans, some games in the genre go further, leveraging the setting and atmosphere to create something unique. This approach allows players to form romantic bonds with characters of different races or even magical creatures, enriching the narrative and expanding the possibilities for immersion in the game.
Baldur’s Gate 3, despite having a great story and giving players a lot of freedom, doesn’t offer much variety in the races chosen for each companion. However, Larian found space to offer some more peculiar romances. In addition to Lae’Zel, who is considered an ‘alien’ in theDungeons & Dragonsuniverse, players can also romance Halsin.
Despite his appearance as a buff elf, Halsin offers a unique romance interaction. His character gives players the opportunity to see him use hisdruid powers during certain moments, leading to one of the most talked-about scenes in the entire game.
Despite the similarity of names,Star Wars The Old Republicis an MMORPGthat allows players to develop romances while exploring the game’s rich story. Set in a distant galaxy, the game offers various romance options with characters of different races and classes, providing an engaging and personalized experience.
With a wide variety of romantic options,Star Wars The Old Republicstands out in the MMORPG genre by allowing interspecies relationships. This diversity not only enriches the narrative but also allows players to customize their journeys according to their preferences, making romances an integral and captivating part of the gaming experience.
Despite not being a unanimous choice among fans,Fallout 4shines in the universe of post-apocalyptic RPGs. Set in a world devastated by nuclear war, the game introduces various races beyond humans, such as ghouls, synths, and robots, each with their own unique stories and characteristics.
Beyondtraditional romance options,Fallout 4allows players to develop relationships with non-human characters. John Hancock, for example, is a ghoul character whom players can have as a companion and also romance. There’s also Curie, who starts the game as a Miss Nanny robot but can become a synth capable of feelings as the game progresses.
InSkyrim, players have the opportunity to formromances with characters of various races, including the intriguing Argonians, who even have a peculiar book about them within the game. Although the romantic options are not as deep as in other RPGs, the inclusion of relationships adds new mechanics that players can explore.
While the romances inSkyrimdo not offer an extremely complex narrative, it is possible to marry these characters and enjoy some benefits, such as earning a bit of gold and food that temporarily improves stats. This flexibility allows players to customize their journey as they wish, enriching the immersion in the vast world of Tamriel.
Despite not having the same popularity asBaldur’s Gate 3,Divinity: Original Sin 2is another masterpiece produced by Larian, considered one of the best isometric RPGs ever made. The freedom given to players, along with complex combat, makes the game a great option for all fans of the genre.
Unfortunately, the game doesn’t feature very complex romances, and few scenes throughout the story are truly romantic. However, Larian didn’t set restrictions on which companions could be romance options. Thus, the romances in this RPG can vary from elves to Red Prince or Fane, who are a lizard and a skeleton, respectively.
InDragon Age: Inquisition, players have the opportunity to develop deep romances with a variety of characters from different races, such as elves, dwarves, and Qunari. This diversity in romantic relationships enriches the RPG experience, providing more complex and engaging narratives for players.
Moreover, despite some romance choices being quite standard for the franchise, BioWare dared to innovate inDragon Age: Inquisitionby creating Iron Bull. The character offers a unique dynamic, allowing players to explore new aspects of the universe’s lore and highlighting romances in RPGs, which is a specialty of the developer.
TheMass Effectfranchise is known for allowing players to form romantic relationships with a variety of alien species. Throughout the series, it’s possible to develop bonds with characters like Liara T’Soni, an asari, or Garrus Vakarian, a turian,adding emotional depth to the epic space journey.
These interspecies romances not only enrich the narrative but also explore themes of diversity and cultural understanding, allowing Shepard to learn more about each character’s heritage. Additionally, the player’s romantic choices can make the adventure even more immersive, making personal relationships an integral part of the plot. This highlights the complexity and richness of theMass Effectuniverse.
BioWare was one of the companies that helped popularize romance in RPG games, making it an important mechanic in many of the titles produced by the developer.Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, for example, also allowed players to have relationships outside the conventional.
Juhani, a Cathar Jedi who joins the group during the story, was a romance option in the RPG who, besides being an alien,was also LGBTQ+, available only for those who played as a female Revan. Even with the limited technology of the time, BioWare managed to incorporate these romances into the game naturally, bringing depth through how they relate to the main plot.
Among Eastern RPG franchises, perhapsPersonais the most unique, providing players with time management mechanics where they need to divide their time between relating to characters and completing various missions to save the world. InPersona 3 Reload, for example, players can have various relationships.
One of these romance options in the RPG is Aigis. While part of her appearance is quite humanized, it’s worth remembering that she is essentially a robot. This adds an intriguing layer to the narrative, exploring themes of identity and emotion in artificial beings.
ThePathfindergame series is Paizo’s venture into bringing their own tabletop RPG system to video games, delivering some incredible CRPGs based on the adventure paths they’ve published. Although the first game,Kingmaker, offered some more standard romance options, with a more varied secret relationship, the second game was more peculiar.
InPathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, the RPG’s romances allow players to explore some new and non-human options. Besides Arueshalae, who has entire development centered around her being a succubus, it’s also possible to pursue a romance with Wenduag and Lann, two mongrels, people who have monstrous appearances.
