Owlcat’s Hilarious Romance Dilemma: Cannibals in Love!
When it comes to crafting romance in games, different studios have their own styles. Take Obsidian, for example—they tend to steer clear of romance. On the flip side, we have BioWare and Larian, who dive in headfirst. Then there’s Owlcat, known for their engaging RPGs like Rogue Trader and Pathfinder, which feature romanceable companions. In a recent developer blog, the team opened up about their approach to romance and the unexpected quirks that come with it.
Owlcat admitted that while they want to avoid cookie-cutter characters, they sometimes veer into bizarre territory. A classic example? During the development of Wrath of the Righteous, they realized they had created three female characters for players to romance—and all of them happened to be cannibals! Yep, you heard that right.
This little revelation explains why Arueshalae, a redeeming succubus, has some rather peculiar dialogue about her distaste for human flesh, despite knowing exactly what it tastes like. Wenduag, the spider-legged mutant, stays true to her cannibalistic nature, catering to players who enjoy the freaky side of romance. As for the third character, let’s just say it’s a spoiler, but Owlcat did mention that thanks to some rewrites, Arueshalae shifted slightly toward the more “pleasant” type without losing her edge entirely.
Having experienced Arueshalae’s storyline myself, I found it a bit lacking in excitement. Perhaps keeping some of that dark twist would have made it more interesting? On my next run, I think I’ll give Daeran a shot instead. His romance arc seems loaded with effort, including a picturesque waterfall scene designed for an intimate moment.
Owlcat’s previous title, Kingmaker, also offered some intriguing romance options, featuring a polyamorous couple that players could either split up or join in on. I remember starting a romance with one character only for the other to show up and offer their blessing, turning the situation into a light-hearted affair.
However, if you’re hoping for more polyamory in Owlcat’s future titles, think again. The developers candidly mentioned that while they’d love to experiment with such dynamics, the complexity and development costs quickly escalate, making it a challenging endeavor.
In exciting news, Owlcat recently teased two new companion characters for their Warhammer 40,000 RPGs—one will be available as DLC for Rogue Trader, while the other is in alpha for Dark Heresy. The big question remains: will these new characters be romanceable? And will they share that unique cannibalistic twist? Only time will tell!