At the recent Game Developers Conference (GDC), gaming outlet PC Gamer interviewed Josh Sawyer, the game director behind "Fallout: New Vegas," about his views on romance options in RPGs.
Sawyer has historically been vocal in his criticism of games that, in his view, reduce romance to "shallow, self-gratifying fantasy fulfillment." His issue isn't with the presence of romantic elements in games, but rather with the "quest log" approach many RPGs take, which he feels makes character relationships feel formulaic and lacking emotional depth. He has consistently emphasized that the romance story itself isn't the problem; it's the design and pacing.
However, during the PC Gamer interview, when asked if any game's romance design stood out positively, Sawyer unhesitatingly pointed to CD Projekt RED's "Cyberpunk 2077." He stated that the game's success in its romantic storylines lies in them not occurring within a typical "adventure party mode," but rather presenting character relationships in a more independent and realistic manner.
"Whether you like those characters or not, I think that's secondary. From a design perspective, it did one thing right: romance doesn't happen within the party system," Sawyer elaborated. "Having six characters walking around together, and then two of them start getting romantic on the side, that just feels super weird."
Sawyer even drew a comparison to BioWare's "Dragon Age: Origins," describing it as akin to "weird anime club couples making out in the school cafeteria," an atmosphere that simply makes one think, "Wait, is that allowed?"
In contrast, Sawyer believes that the romantic partners in "Cyberpunk 2077" possess a unique independence and natural pacing, rather than constantly clinging to the protagonist until the main story progresses. He explained, "When you finish Judy's quest, she'll talk to you for a bit, then say, 'I have things to do, bye!' and then she actually leaves. You won't see her again until some time has passed and you're ready to advance the main story."
"This kind of pacing allows relationships to develop naturally, because those quests are designed specifically for you and Judy. It's entirely a story for these two people; River isn't suddenly going to pop in and interrupt," Sawyer noted. He believes this approach makes characters feel more like individuals with their own lives, rather than just NPCs revolving around the protagonist.
Furthermore, Sawyer lauded "Cyberpunk 2077"'s first-person perspective and high-quality animations for delivering a stronger emotional immersion during romantic scenes. He cited Panam's storyline as an example, specifically a moment where protagonist V is with her on a couch, and she rests her leg on V. The first-person perspective, he noted, creates a more intimate feeling for the player.
Of course, this doesn't mean "Cyberpunk 2077"'s romance design is flawless, but its overall pacing and character independence have earned his strong admiration. Consequently, he stated, "If I were to do a romance arc in the future, I would probably design it that way."