Look, the reasons to like Baldur’s Gate 3 are so numerous that it’s hard to confine them into one article, we know that. However, for MANY people, the main reason that they were so interested in the title was because of all the romance options and scenes that one could have. Every main character in the player’s party was romanceable, and that meant you had plenty of options to choose from. You could be with Shadowheart on her journey to rediscover who she is, or you could be with Karlach and help her finally get to touch someone whilst not burning, or you could’ve been with Astarion…because you wanted to be with the vampire. Just saying.
However, one of the “odder” romance options was that of Halsin. The shape-shifting druid is one of the most peaceful and kind characters you’ll meet in the game, so many are drawn to him. The twist is that the romance scene features him transforming into a bear and getting intimate with your character that way. You could even bring in another person to the mix, should you want.
During a special panel, senior narrative designer Baudelaire Welch revealed that Halsin almost didn’t make it into the game, but noted that it was because of the desire to please every aspect of the community that led to him being put in.
“Take the bear scene in Baldur’s Gate 3. Why did it make such an impact on people? This is what it meant to me when I was involved in Baldur’s Gate 3. This scene feels like a watershed moment in game history, where the fanfiction community feels like they’re not a subculture, but are the majority audience being catered to in a scene and in the game as a whole.”
Oh, but it goes deeper than that. Welch also noted that in the Early Access version of the game, Halsin wasn’t immediately romanceable, but that players started asking for the “Daddy Druid” to be that way, as MANY of them were interested in him. Thus, Larian Studios gave the people what they wanted, and the rest is history.
What’s ironic about all of this is that all RPGs that have romance options are being held to the standards that Larian has set for not only options but types of people you can get with. Not everyone will indeed match what they did, nor will everyone WANT to do all of these options, but the bar has been set! Bear-ly.
