**Baldur’s Gate 3: The Horny Companions Dilemma**
*Romance and Relationships in the Critically Acclaimed Dungeons & Dragons Game*
In a subreddit dedicated to Baldur’s Gate 3, a player recently raised a crucial question: “I know you probably heard this here more times than I can count but seriously, why is everyone so horny?” This query shed light on a major social aspect of the game – romancing party members. The game, developed by Larian Studios, boasts such rich character development that players have noticed some party members to be harder to discourage in the dating department. This led to a discussion amongst players, with some finding the aggressive flirting off-putting. Others found the especially amorous adventurers in their group to be difficult to pursue.
**Built-In Sexuality**
Sex and romance were always integrated into Baldur’s DNA, and Larian leaned into the game’s sexual nature early in the process. The team even went as far as using an intimacy coordinator during recording sessions. They did not shy away from incorporating intimate scenes and opportunities for romance, including a moment where you can have sex with a druid character while he’s in his bear form.
**The Speedrunning Community**
Interestingly, speedrunners embraced the game’s romantic aspect, creating a run category specifically for how fast a player could court a companion. The top runner, Mae, noted that it was initially a “joke run,” but the category garnered a following. Mae still holds the record with a time of one minute and 58 seconds. According to Mae, the game’s companions have more emotional depth than anything seen in video games previously.
**The Developers’ Perspective**
However, Larian Studios admitted that they may have leaned in a little too hard. Game director Swen Vincke confessed that the characters being overly motivated for relationships was actually a bug. “The approval thresholds were too low when we shipped,” Vincke said. “That’s why they were so horny in the beginning. It wasn’t supposed to be that way. We’ve fixed it since, at least for some of them. We’re still fixing a few.” The goal had been to create relationships that were more like those in real life.
In conclusion, Baldur’s Gate 3 continues to spark conversations around the portrayal of romantic relationships in video games, and it seems that Larian Studios is conscious of the fine balance between realism and exaggeration in its portrayal of sexuality within the game.
