The Absence of Romance in Avowed: Insights from Obsidian
“Engaging in romance and executing it skillfully are two distinctly different challenges.”
Romance has increasingly gained popularity in goal-driven video games over recent years, playing pivotal roles in Baldur’s Gate 3, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and Cyberpunk 2077, to name just a few recent examples. However, it was notably missing from Obsidian’s latest RPG, Avowed, and I’m certainly not the only one pondering why.
I had the opportunity to ask game director Carrie Patel why this was the case during a post-launch discussion about Avowed, and it turns out Patel had a lot to say on the topic. “Engaging in romance and executing it skillfully are two distinctly different challenges,” she stated.
To begin with, it’s essential that non-playable characters maintain their identity in a game simply because you have expressed romantic interest in them. “Part of executing romance effectively means providing not only an engaging romantic storyline but also one that remains true to the character being pursued,” she mentioned.
“It’s always disheartening when you encounter a character who possesses distinct personality traits, goals, and interests, only to see them transform into a player’s compliant companion; they agree with anything you desire and lose their individuality.”
Secondly, romance shouldn’t be the sole approach you might take to become closer and establish a deeper connection with someone. A relationship should not solely rely on – or be restricted by – romantic feelings. “You need an equally compelling platonic option,” Patel stated, “because it’s unfortunate if romance is the only way to truly achieve that deeper understanding with a character.”
Lastly – and Patel noted she notices this frequently as both a developer and a player – if romance is utilized merely as a game mechanic, it can be treated as such, potentially undermining its purpose in the first place. “The more you frame romance as a mechanic, and the more you create systems around it, along with measurements and methods for players to enhance and quantify their connection and affection for other characters, the more it evolves into something players interact with as a system rather than as a relationship,” she commented.
Contrary to popular belief, Avowed does feature a type of companion relationship, but it is not highlighted throughout the game, nor hinted at or incentivized. You might discover it if you engage regularly with the companion in question – I don’t wish to spoil who it is – but the aim was for it to unfold organically rather than being something you actively pursue.
“There’s nothing that indicates ‘hey, this is something that can occur’ – there’s no system that tracks your progress with them – but if you’re taking actions that you would undertake if you were truly interested in this character, you’re likely to come across the opportunity by the conclusion of the game,” Patel stated. “And it should feel natural, organic, and surprising.”
This reminds her of a character from The Outer Worlds – Obsidian’s sci-fi RPG for which a sequel is currently in development – named Parvati Holcomb, who we commended on Eurogamer in an article about asexual representation in video games.
“What makes the Parvati bar scene in The Outer Worlds so effective is that it feels authentic and relatable, because who hasn’t gone out for drinks with a friend and discussed their challenges?”