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Baldur's Gate 3 is one of the biggest releases of this year, without a doubt. This upcoming DnD RPG from Larian Studios has been turning heads thanks to its ambitious scope. However, it has caught people's attention for something far more peculiar than that. The latest Panel From Hell showcase highlighted many new details planned for launch. One of these is the romance between various eccentric party members.
More specifically, one between the game's vampire and druid characters. This is topped off by the fact that the latter can transform into a bear during the scene. The end result is that more than a few pairs of eyes have been bulging out of their sockets.
The Astarion/Halsin bear romance in Baldur's Gate 3 has seen mixed reactions from netizens
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The livestream featured the vampire spawn Astarion in a romance scene with the recruitable companion Halsing, a Druid. Anyone familiar with RPGs should know that Druids are one with nature. As such, they can shapeshift into animals at will. Unfortunately for Halsin, his powers temporarily spiral out of control in the heat of the moment, transforming him into a grizzly bear.
Assuming Astarion would take it the wrong way, Halsin profusely apologizes to the handsome undead man for this mistake. In typical RPG fashion, however, players can pick the next course of action. In fact, the audience among both the chat and live attendees helped come to this decision in Baldur's Gate 3 via dialogue choices.
There are clearly consequences for actions, something the studio head Swen Vincke warned viewers about. In other words, players can choose to convince Halsin to transform for a few passionate moments of lovemaking. That has not stopped users from expressing surprise at the scene.
As such, nearly equal amounts of shock and hilarity have been targeted in the scene between the two characters. Many users on social media feel uncomfortable, citing this is promoting zoophilia - which is the sexual attraction to animals. Others think this is an overreaction.
From Larian Studios' point of view, this is supposed to be a lighthearted jab at the bizarre possibilities real-life DnD roleplaying sessions offer players. This punchline is further accentuated by a nearby squirrel's acorn-dropping reaction during the cutscene.
As mentioned before, many users, including reactionaries, did not have a good opinion of the scene or the developer:
On the other hand, many social media users find it funny. They think the outcry is unwarranted for a goof scene in Baldur's Gate 3:
The scene was a bit too much for TikTok's guidelines, where the showcase was being live-streamed. This ended up banning Larian Studios' account on the popular video platform. Regardless of how people feel about it, this does highlight the extent to which Baldur's Gate 3 goes with its roleplaying choices.
Players who missed out on the latest and final Panel From Hell livestream should check out our highlights to know about key stuff to expect.
Baldur's Gate 3 is currently out via early access on PC via Steam. The final release is coming on August 3, 2023. The PlayStation 5 version is slated for September 6, 2023.
