Bioware has birthed two of the best RPG game series to date with theDragon AgeandMass Effectfranchises. Both game series feature similar gameplay, with one opting for a fantasy setting and the other taking to the skies with a sci-fi/space setting. One of the fan-favorite elements of the games is being able to romance your companions, with Alistair being one ofDragon Age’s best options andLiara T’Soni representingMass Effect.
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Noticeably, the two characters are quite similar in that they are inexperienced romantically, awkward in social situations, and both have mysteries surrounding their parentages. So which of these two lovebirds takes the crown for the developer’s best romantic choice?
10Alistair: Endearing Awkwardness
While both Alistair and Liara are both endearing personalities due to their sexual inexperience and lack of social skills and etiquette, Alistair certainly wins the prize for being the most endearing out of the two. His fumbling awkwardness and innocent dialogue responses lead to some rather sweet as well as absolutely hilarious moments within the game, making him a truly memorable romantic partner.
Alistair’s innocent puppy-style personality will often cause him to be mocked by other characters, however, his adorable disposition is definitely still an asset for our favorite Templar-turned-Grey Warden.
9Liara: Romanced by Either Gender
One of the benefits of a romance with Liara that Alistair, unfortunately, doesn’t have to offer is that a player of either gender can romance her. This means you can start a relationship with our beautiful blue girl without having to change your personal character preference.
Alistair, on the other hand, is only interested in women; meaning that you either play as a female Warden, play a second play-through as a female, or miss out on his romantic personal side quest plotlines entirely. Fortunately, Alistair isn’t worried about race, so if you want to be human, dwarf, or elvish, he doesn’t mind as long as you’re female.
8Alistair: Character Growth
Alistair’s character growth within the franchise is something that definitely makes him more appealing as a romantic interest than others. Though he starts off as a shy, awkward type that hopelessly follows the Warden around like a little lost puppy, with the right decisions made by the player, Alistair can go on to eventually become King.
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Even withinDragon Age: Originswe see a change in his personality, but these consequences affect the following games also where you can see how you shaped Alistair’s character. For example, inDragon Age: InquisitionAlistair will give the rebel mages refuge. What a great King.
7Liara: Character Growth
Much like Alistair, Liara undergoes her own development and growth, which really fleshes out her character and personality and makes her a more interesting companion to romance as a result. Though she may be the shy and innocent type inMass Effect, she begins to go down a darker path inMass Effect 2, becoming much more ruthless, and ultimately ending up becoming the Shadow Broker.
Liara matures into a much different woman from the one you initially free inMass Effectand although some of her actions can be questioned, she still has Shepherd’s best interests at heart. It’s hard to stay innocent when you’re expecting impending death after all.
6Alistair: The Conversations
Regardless of whether you romance Alistair or not, his haphazard conversational skills make him an amusing and fun companion to have in your party. However, romancing the awkward Grey Warden opens up even more of his hilarious dialogues options and leads to more humorous conversations and scenes that you wouldn’t want to miss.
Another great thing is that the other companions ofDragon Age: Originsget drawn into these conversations with Alistair as well, leading to other humorous moments and witty banter between your party members, which is highly entertaining for the player.
5Liara: In Three Games With Shepherd
The first three installments to theMass Effectfranchise share the same protagonist, Commander Shepherd, and feature Liara as a romance option, allowing players to continue their romantic relationship with her as long as they choose the correct options throughout their playthrough.
This is agreat feature that theMass Effect franchiseholds over theDragon Ageseries, which has three different protagonists over all three of its games. It allows for a greater romance to grow between player and companion, with more in-depth development for both of the characters and their relationship.
4Alistair: Romance Has Consequences for Following Games
While a romance with Alistair inDragon Age: Originsdoesn’t continue to be explored by the player in later titles, it is still referenced in bothDragon Age 2andDragon Age: Inquisition.
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Depending on the status of your romantic relationship, whether the Warden survived and what became of Alistair will affect the role in which Alistair appears in the following games, and what he says about his love for the Warden. If Alistair remained a Grey Warden, he can actually die inDragon Age: Inquisitiondepending on player choice.
3Liara: She is the Reason Shepherd is Resurrected
InMass Effect 2,Commander Shepherd is resurrected from the dead with the help of the Lazarus Project, a Cerberus run initiative. Cerberus became interested in Shepherd when he defeated Sovereign; so when the Commander dies aboard the SSV Normandy SR-1, the Illusive Man implements the Lazarus Project run by Miranda Lawson.
The player discovers inMass Effect 2that it was Liara who handed Shepherd’s body over to Cerberus and she admits knowing that they would use him for their own selfish ends, but that she couldn’t face letting him go.
2Alistair: A Good Man
Alistair is a good man through-and-through, to a fault in fact. Unless his personality is hardened as a result of specific player decisions duringDragon Age: Origins, Alistair will end his romantic relationship with the Warden if he is convinced to take his rightful role as King, instead he accepted his duty to marry Queen Anora.
The player can avoid this result, but either way, it doesn’t change the fact that Alistair is such a good person that he would forsake his true love, the Warden, in order to be the King that Thedas needs him to be.
1Liara: Joint Consciousness
A unique feature that is only available for players who romance Liara, is that the player is able to “join consciousness” with her in an Asari practice that allows two beings to share memories and is usually reserved for bondmates and close friends.
This option is only available inMass Effect 3, shortly before the final battle in London, where the player also sees Liara and Shepherd share a sweet moment where they discuss their “little blue children”. This interaction cannot be had with any other Bioware romance option as it is a touching scenario only available to the Asari race.
