Highlights
- Baldur's Gate 3 exceeds expectations as a groundbreaking CRPG, with attention to detail and well-developed companions satisfying both old and new fans.
- Romances with companions add another level of choice to the game, with all story arcs being rewarding, but one romance stands out for its emotional complexity.
- Astarion's character, a vampire with a troubled past, surprises players with deeper layers and offers the choice of redemption or perpetuating a cycle of abuse, making his romance arc a powerful showcase of the game's emotional core.
SPOILER WARNING FOR BALDUR'S GATE 3 AHEAD
Baldur's Gate 3 is surpassing all expectations it had, proving to be a groundbreaking modern CRPG that pleases old and new fans alike. Set in Faerun of Dungeons and Dragons' Forgotten Realms universe, the attention to detail through every part of the world and its many inhabitants has been a major part of the game's positive reception. Following in the footsteps of its predecessors, Baldur's Gate 3 features several well-developed companions that can make up the player's party, but another one of the game's points of emphasis is an unprecedented success.
The game's party members are at the core of the experience in terms of narrative and gameplay, but Larian Studios has also gone the BioWare route by including the option to pursue romances with companions. From the intensity of a relationship with Lae'zel to the slow burn dynamic with Shadowheart, Baldur's Gate 3 offers another level of choice through the decisions related to the player's love life. All the romance story arcs are rewarding in their own ways, but one in particular has stood out before and after the game's release.
One of Baldur's Gate 3's Best Romances and the Bear Scene
The infamous scene that depicts the Halsin the Druid having an intimate moment in bear form has drawn an unprecedented level of attention to the series, reaching many players who may not even be familiar with the CRPG genre. This romance scene makes use of Baldur's Gate 3's Origin Characters mechanic that allows the use of companions as protagonists of their own journey, with the white-haired High-Elf being the party member Astarion. Having quickly cemented himself as one of the game's most memorable characters since, there's far more to him than the bear scene.
Found near the crash site early in Baldur's Gate 3's story, the player can begin to develop a bond with Astarion from the start. His snarky personality and habit of making clever biting remarks aren't for everyone, but those who enjoy more puckish personalities are sure to find a lot of fun with him even early on. Despite the shallow nature of his light-heartedness, however, there is also a deeper side to him that is uncovered as the game and his romance arc progress into the later stages.
Astarion Turns Out to Be More Than Meets the Eye
Kept secret initially, Astarion's status as a vampire lies at the root of his character. Able to feed from and even kill the player at the camp, his flirting can grow to have a darker connotation before the player truly decides to trust him as more than just a party member. The relationship begin as casually as Astarion's attitude, but it will end up deepening into a surprisingly emotionally compex dynamic with a man that has become unfamiliar with genuine intimacy after hundreds of years as an immortal creature of the night.
Stuck in a cycle of abuse ever since being turned by the vampire lord Cazador, players have the choice to encourage Astarion to complete his old master's ritual sacrifice and become a vampire lord himself or not. With the different outcomes of this choice having such an impact on the end of his romance, it's clear he becomes much happier if he redeems himself instead of coming to see the player as a possession of his own and effectively continuing the cycle.
The choice to let him fall is there, but it only makes seeing a vampire overcome his desires through the power of love more powerful. In a brutal world where the peace of a simple hug and touch of the hand can seem so uncommon, Astarion's arc showcases the more wholesome emotional core that can drive one of Baldur's Gate 3's strongest features.
