Romantic Entanglements--Dragon Age II Style

Dragon Age II made some of my romantic choices slightly simpler.  Hawke, the main character, can only be human.  Yes, you can opt to romance elven party members but I felt more comfortable making many of my decisions in the shoes of Hawke the human.  Since a major focal point in this game is the ongoing conflict between mages and templars, I tend to focus many of my choices on who would best support my Hawke's pro or anti-magic beliefs.

One very odd choice for romance in this game was the decision to make all the romanceable characters open to relationships with either the female or male character (with the exception of Sebastian Vael who is only available through DLC).  Maybe people in Kirkwall are just more open-minded about their relationships?  It just seems odd and nonsensical to me but probably was a way to cut down on production costs.

Without the addition of "The Exiled Prince" Hawke can choose to pursue romantic relationships with four different party members--Anders, Isabela, Fenris, or Merrill.  My Hawkes have romanced all but Isabela.  Now that I'm thinking of this it seems really weird.  Why not Isabela?  Well, she's a liar and a traitor for one.  She does end up leaving the party.  She could be an interesting romantic choice...maybe next playthrough.

If my Hawke is of a more pro-magic persuasion I will opt for relationships with either Anders or Merrill.  Romancing Anders is a little weird because of the whole spirit/demon possession part.  He is a character that I like and his jokes and sarcasm make me laugh.  Merrill is also a bit of a weird choice.  She is supportive of magic, but also of the very controversial blood magic.  A large part of her story revolves around her obsession with recreating the eluvian despite the fact that there is the possibility of demon activity.  I always had a hard time initiating a relationship with Merrill.  There's just so much I disagree with regarding her story.

Fenris.  So angry, but so hot.

My more anti-magic Hawke will typically lean toward Fenris.  Fenris, like Merrill, can also be a difficult character to initiate a relationship with.  You really have to make sure that you oppose any decisions related to magic.  I think Fenris is also the hottest character.  There's just something about this brooding, tattooed elf that works.  Sure, he's kind of cranky.  Isabela is also an option but I've never chosen her.  You could also argue that she's more of a "hot" character but I find her personality off-putting.  She seems very self-centered and very much to have her own agenda.  Maybe I'm judging her too much based on her actions toward the end of the game.  I do enjoy the whole pirate queen aspect.

It's always been kind of a disappointment that you can't romance Aveline or Varric.  Varric is one of my favorite characters in the series and I've always found his voice to be attractive.  Aveline's story revolves around her attraction to one of the guards in her command so I understand why she's not a choice.  But why not Varric?

Only a few more days until Valentine's Day.  I'm hoping to keep writing about romantic options in video games till then.  It's my own weird way of celebrating...well, that and eating a bunch of candy.