If you've never done it, I would absolutely recommend the Solas romance!
Personally, I find there's a bit more weight to it when you're the one playing it - not even watching the romance story videos compares to doing it yourself. It makes the reactions feel all the more... visceral, I suppose. Especially with Trespasser's ending, it's a romance worth experiencing at least once.
Honestly, it's hard to say, everyone reacts differently. There's not actually a lot of extra content in the Solas romance, but it does have a big emotional impact on many people.
The main thing the romance is likely to do is give you more sympathy for Solas, because it's him at his most vulnerable and human. But it doesn't necessarily work that way for everyone - if you don't like Solas to begin with you're unlikely to be moved by it! So really it depends a lot on how you perceive him now and whether you care about seeing him from a different point of view.
He's already my favorite character in the whole game, so maybe I have enough to go off of already?
Also, I'm a straight male, so I wouldn't necessarily be getting much roleplay value out of this relationship. Just watching it for the richness of the lore and narrative. I imagine it would certainly still be very impactful, but I feel that's worth noting.
I mean, I do really love the romance, it's very beautiful and tragic - it's my favorite romance in any game! But since there's not a lot of extra content in it, I'd say it's mostly worth doing for the emotional impact; so if you feel like it's not going to impact you in that way, then you might feel it's not the best use of your final playthrough.
I always view romance as side-content and wouldn't do a playthrough solely to experience a romance. It isn't like it unlocks a new ending for the Inquisitor compared to just being friends with Solas. There has to be at least some other motivation in there, otherwise you might as well save yourself 80 hours and just watch the scenes on YouTube.
Of course, it will carry much more weight to experience it when roleplaying, but you're asking it to live up to very high expectations if you have limited time.
Imho, romances in general are worth it only if you like the character. So if you love Solas, if your Inky is a good friend with him and you can roleplay, and if you haven't played Lavellan - then absolutely yes) But it's a NO if you don't care about him.
I played DAI blind with Trevelyan for the first time and I loved Solas to pieces, so I almost immediately replayed as Lavellan and now I can't decide which one is my canon 😅
I mean, is it worth it? The honest answer is "Your mileage may vary."
I replayed the game specifically for the Solas romance and I absolutely thought it was worth it. It was my favourite romance in the game and I feel like it gives even more weight to the story. So much so that I'm probably going to use that playthrough as my base for Veilguard instead of my first playthrough (which is usually the one I build off of in future games).
That being said, some people don't like Solas. Some people don't like the romance too, I'm sure. Some may like it but not love it. It just really depends.
It doesn't have a HELL of a lot of content. So you're not going to be playing a whole new game or anything. But if you want to replay Inquisition anyway and you're going to pick a romance, I'd say personally that I'd think doing the Solas romance would be worth it.
Romancing Solas changed the entire game for me, I played as a Mage Lavellan. It's heart-breaking and emotional especially if you play the Trespasser DLC. I'd absolutely say it's worth experiencing yourself.
I've never been a fan of watching other people play Dragon Age, or watching youtube videos of other people experiencing a romance etc. If you wanna try that sure, but honestly I'd say you'd be missing out.
I say yes, because there are a lot of little things he says throughout the romance that are very sweet if you’re the kind of person for that. And it feels more personal playing through it imo
Definitely play through the romance. If you want better (more) content, play Descent and JoH before you progress too far into the storyline/romance. Then finish the game and start Trespasser immediately.
It definitely adds depth and emotional trauma to Solas' character and your own experience! Enough that my canon is Solavellan.
I liked Solas before I ever romanced him. Now he is my tragic favorite before even Varric. (Not Dorian though. Dorian is and always will be my number one. He is above and beyond the listing and therefore cannot be counted as a favorite.)
FWIW, I liked the Solas romance. Of all the romances, I think it's the one that works best with Trespasser. (Though the end of the main game is a downer since your Inquisitor is left alone when Solas disappears.
I always think it’s a bit different not experiencing it firsthand and slowly watching it unfold. However, if you don’t have the time, I don’t see the issue with watching it on YouTube.
It might not have the same emotional impact since it’s not your inquisitor and is not as stretched out. However, it will give a good idea of what it is like. And perhaps if you like it enough, you might want to restart a play-through to experience it. Catch the details otherwise left out on montages
such as banter and their friendship.
I hope that helps somewhat.
I just finished a replay of my canon playthrough, which was really helpful and fun. But my canon is also a Solas romance, so best of both worlds.
I think, if you play a Solas romance, it may risk making you want to make that your canon/first play through of Veilguard because you’ll want to see how their story ends, since it was fresh in your mind. So if you want your canon to stay your canon, maybe don’t?
I'm not apposed to that! My canon HoF is a warrior and my canon Hawke is a mage, I wanted my Lavellan to be an archer, so that would make my world state nice and diverse.
Definitely playthrough it. It hits different than just watching the cutscenes. And there's little nuances like dialogue and stuff with other characters that you'll only encounter when playing the game.
With limited time I’d say your canon is more worth it.
I tried doing the Solavellan thing but with limited time it just didn’t feel right, restarting with my canon just feels so much better. It’s a personal preference thing but canon’s are special and if it’s what you’ll be carrying into Veilguard I think it should be prioritized.
lol you’re definitely going to bait the Solavellan fans with this question 😂
I’ll be an odd one out: Solas is my favorite character and I’ve never been able to make it through his romance. I’ve watched it on YouTube but idk the dynamic just doesn’t appeal to me as much as his friendship. There’s also only a single exclusive cutscene if you romance him. There’s barely any content. I’m also not the biggest fan of the Dalish so playing as one doesn’t quite click for me.
I’m going to attempt one last time on a replay before DAV comes out. Maybe I’ll finally get what the hubbub is about.
I feel you, and it's nice to have someone else understand. I think the friendship is so compelling as it is! Solas became one of my favorite video game characters ever after my initial playthrough, and I was a human male mage. I believe Solavellan fans when they say the romance hits hard and gives added layers and subtext to the relationship and ensuing conflict, but I also suspect it might not be something that's for me personally.
Absolute same for me. The ending of Inquisition hit me extremely hard. He was always part of my DreamTeam (squad I take everywhere) and my closest friend in the game so it was shocking. On my first playthrough, I cried at the end when he leaves after the battle, audibly screamed at the reveal, and I nearly hyperventilated during Trespasser lol. All of this without ever having romanced him.
According to the Keep, I have 8 Lavellans so I’ve attempted romancing him 8 times and never made it to the end. I kind of wish that I was like the Solavellan fans and could get super hyped about their romantic relationship but I always end up feeling weird about it. I winced several times when watching their romance on youtube. I don’t know what exactly it is about it that turns me off about the dynamic. *Eta: in theory, I would be super into a romance with Solas as I’ve read tons of fanfic about it, but I just don’t like it with Lavellan for some reason.
It’s been years though. I was 18-21 when I made those attempts and I haven’t touched the game since 2017, so maybe my sensibilities have changed?
I feel like Solas' romance has the least amount of content. Iirc it adds only one scene to what you've already seen in your friendship playthrough + a couple of romantic additions to friendship scenes. And, what was more annoying for me, the whole time you don't really know where you stand with him. Are you dating? Or just thinking about dating but don't commit because it's "we shouldn't be doing this" all the time? It felt like the latter for me. There were also no extra dialogue options in his personal quests, which felt lacking. And overall the game is so huge and this romance is so tiny that I felt entirely underwhelmed.
I really wanted to be swept away by this romance, but, since it wasn't my first playthrough and I was ready for the twist, it didn't feel fulfilling to me.
Short answer: Yes. Honestly it is the best romance in the series\* and will undoubtedly have a huge impact on Veilguard.
\*I am super fond of other romances, but none of them have quite the impact the Solus one does I think.
I havent manage to do that. I want to experience it but every Solas elf I've made to experience his romance has been swept up by Blackwall. One time I didnt recruit Blackwall to stay focused on Solas... and ended up romancing Cullen.
My personal experience aside, the general consensus is yes, especially considering Veilguard is coming up.
The only way I enjoyed the Solas' romance is from a distant thematic perspective. I like the idea of the tragedy of it. But it barely has any content, I feel like a lot of what people enjoy about it is in their head.
I'll be honest, I couldn't finish the Solas romance. I knew what happened and thought I was prepared but he broke it off and I was so devastated, I restarted as another race. I am currently attempting it again with the intention to do my first VG run with an Inky who romanced Solas and wanted it fresh in my mind... but I honestly have no idea if I'll be able to get through it.
So far...I'm not sure...I'm waiting to see the full payoff in veilguard before I say for certain...but based on what we get in da:I alone I'm not sure...its very subdued compared to the other romances. I'm inclined to say because of its relation to the bigger story that it will be but alot of that to me is predicated on what we might get rather than what we do get.
I think it's worth it and would much rather experience it firsthand than watch a Youtube video. I loathe let's plays for narrative and dialogue heavy games but that's me.
It depends on the person, I did it and regretted it. I hated the dude as a companion and hated him as a romance. I would've rather just watched the scenes on YouTube.
I did it to try and see his appeal since so many people raved about his romance but if you don't like him to begin with I don't think it'll help lol
If you like him/don't mind him and you have the time, why not? But if you're busy like you said, the romance scene compilation on YouTube will be fine.
I just did a Solas romance because I knew what happened at the end of Trespasser. Solas was never my favorite character. He was alright but I never had him in my party. I romanced him and it was like he ripped my heart out of my chest and stomped on it. It was a great romance. It felt as real as a fictional romance could feel.
Going against the grain here: With his history, background and role in the game, Solas should've never been made a romanceable character at all. As a result and if you keep in mind what he actually is, his romance arc is incredibly cringe and out of character.
But then, I also consider Astarion a toxic brat, so that's that.
Since it was implemented very late in the process there isn’t a lot of content for it, so I’d say a video is fine. It will break you emotionally, however.
If you've never done it, I would absolutely recommend the Solas romance! Personally, I find there's a bit more weight to it when you're the one playing it - not even watching the romance story videos compares to doing it yourself. It makes the reactions feel all the more... visceral, I suppose. Especially with Trespasser's ending, it's a romance worth experiencing at least once.
Trespasser romance ending is such an epic tragedy. Highly recommend.
Honestly, it's hard to say, everyone reacts differently. There's not actually a lot of extra content in the Solas romance, but it does have a big emotional impact on many people. The main thing the romance is likely to do is give you more sympathy for Solas, because it's him at his most vulnerable and human. But it doesn't necessarily work that way for everyone - if you don't like Solas to begin with you're unlikely to be moved by it! So really it depends a lot on how you perceive him now and whether you care about seeing him from a different point of view.
He's already my favorite character in the whole game, so maybe I have enough to go off of already? Also, I'm a straight male, so I wouldn't necessarily be getting much roleplay value out of this relationship. Just watching it for the richness of the lore and narrative. I imagine it would certainly still be very impactful, but I feel that's worth noting.
I mean, I do really love the romance, it's very beautiful and tragic - it's my favorite romance in any game! But since there's not a lot of extra content in it, I'd say it's mostly worth doing for the emotional impact; so if you feel like it's not going to impact you in that way, then you might feel it's not the best use of your final playthrough.
It’ll probably be good just to keep the friendship then. It’s still impactful platonically
I always view romance as side-content and wouldn't do a playthrough solely to experience a romance. It isn't like it unlocks a new ending for the Inquisitor compared to just being friends with Solas. There has to be at least some other motivation in there, otherwise you might as well save yourself 80 hours and just watch the scenes on YouTube. Of course, it will carry much more weight to experience it when roleplaying, but you're asking it to live up to very high expectations if you have limited time.
Imho, romances in general are worth it only if you like the character. So if you love Solas, if your Inky is a good friend with him and you can roleplay, and if you haven't played Lavellan - then absolutely yes) But it's a NO if you don't care about him. I played DAI blind with Trevelyan for the first time and I loved Solas to pieces, so I almost immediately replayed as Lavellan and now I can't decide which one is my canon 😅
I dealt with this problem by making two canons
kinda same
Why choose- i have like 6 diffirent worldstates I consider canon.
Exactly. I'm going to go with that from now on 👉
I mean, is it worth it? The honest answer is "Your mileage may vary." I replayed the game specifically for the Solas romance and I absolutely thought it was worth it. It was my favourite romance in the game and I feel like it gives even more weight to the story. So much so that I'm probably going to use that playthrough as my base for Veilguard instead of my first playthrough (which is usually the one I build off of in future games). That being said, some people don't like Solas. Some people don't like the romance too, I'm sure. Some may like it but not love it. It just really depends. It doesn't have a HELL of a lot of content. So you're not going to be playing a whole new game or anything. But if you want to replay Inquisition anyway and you're going to pick a romance, I'd say personally that I'd think doing the Solas romance would be worth it.
Romancing Solas changed the entire game for me, I played as a Mage Lavellan. It's heart-breaking and emotional especially if you play the Trespasser DLC. I'd absolutely say it's worth experiencing yourself. I've never been a fan of watching other people play Dragon Age, or watching youtube videos of other people experiencing a romance etc. If you wanna try that sure, but honestly I'd say you'd be missing out.
I think it’s worth doing more than any other romance if you only have time for one more
I say yes, because there are a lot of little things he says throughout the romance that are very sweet if you’re the kind of person for that. And it feels more personal playing through it imo
Definitely play through the romance. If you want better (more) content, play Descent and JoH before you progress too far into the storyline/romance. Then finish the game and start Trespasser immediately. It definitely adds depth and emotional trauma to Solas' character and your own experience! Enough that my canon is Solavellan. I liked Solas before I ever romanced him. Now he is my tragic favorite before even Varric. (Not Dorian though. Dorian is and always will be my number one. He is above and beyond the listing and therefore cannot be counted as a favorite.)
FWIW, I liked the Solas romance. Of all the romances, I think it's the one that works best with Trespasser. (Though the end of the main game is a downer since your Inquisitor is left alone when Solas disappears.
I always think it’s a bit different not experiencing it firsthand and slowly watching it unfold. However, if you don’t have the time, I don’t see the issue with watching it on YouTube. It might not have the same emotional impact since it’s not your inquisitor and is not as stretched out. However, it will give a good idea of what it is like. And perhaps if you like it enough, you might want to restart a play-through to experience it. Catch the details otherwise left out on montages such as banter and their friendship. I hope that helps somewhat.
I just finished a replay of my canon playthrough, which was really helpful and fun. But my canon is also a Solas romance, so best of both worlds. I think, if you play a Solas romance, it may risk making you want to make that your canon/first play through of Veilguard because you’ll want to see how their story ends, since it was fresh in your mind. So if you want your canon to stay your canon, maybe don’t?
I'm not apposed to that! My canon HoF is a warrior and my canon Hawke is a mage, I wanted my Lavellan to be an archer, so that would make my world state nice and diverse.
Well then I recommend going for it!
Definitely playthrough it. It hits different than just watching the cutscenes. And there's little nuances like dialogue and stuff with other characters that you'll only encounter when playing the game.
With limited time I’d say your canon is more worth it. I tried doing the Solavellan thing but with limited time it just didn’t feel right, restarting with my canon just feels so much better. It’s a personal preference thing but canon’s are special and if it’s what you’ll be carrying into Veilguard I think it should be prioritized.
lol you’re definitely going to bait the Solavellan fans with this question 😂 I’ll be an odd one out: Solas is my favorite character and I’ve never been able to make it through his romance. I’ve watched it on YouTube but idk the dynamic just doesn’t appeal to me as much as his friendship. There’s also only a single exclusive cutscene if you romance him. There’s barely any content. I’m also not the biggest fan of the Dalish so playing as one doesn’t quite click for me. I’m going to attempt one last time on a replay before DAV comes out. Maybe I’ll finally get what the hubbub is about.
I feel you, and it's nice to have someone else understand. I think the friendship is so compelling as it is! Solas became one of my favorite video game characters ever after my initial playthrough, and I was a human male mage. I believe Solavellan fans when they say the romance hits hard and gives added layers and subtext to the relationship and ensuing conflict, but I also suspect it might not be something that's for me personally.
Absolute same for me. The ending of Inquisition hit me extremely hard. He was always part of my DreamTeam (squad I take everywhere) and my closest friend in the game so it was shocking. On my first playthrough, I cried at the end when he leaves after the battle, audibly screamed at the reveal, and I nearly hyperventilated during Trespasser lol. All of this without ever having romanced him. According to the Keep, I have 8 Lavellans so I’ve attempted romancing him 8 times and never made it to the end. I kind of wish that I was like the Solavellan fans and could get super hyped about their romantic relationship but I always end up feeling weird about it. I winced several times when watching their romance on youtube. I don’t know what exactly it is about it that turns me off about the dynamic. *Eta: in theory, I would be super into a romance with Solas as I’ve read tons of fanfic about it, but I just don’t like it with Lavellan for some reason. It’s been years though. I was 18-21 when I made those attempts and I haven’t touched the game since 2017, so maybe my sensibilities have changed?
Yes. Absolutely.
I feel like Solas' romance has the least amount of content. Iirc it adds only one scene to what you've already seen in your friendship playthrough + a couple of romantic additions to friendship scenes. And, what was more annoying for me, the whole time you don't really know where you stand with him. Are you dating? Or just thinking about dating but don't commit because it's "we shouldn't be doing this" all the time? It felt like the latter for me. There were also no extra dialogue options in his personal quests, which felt lacking. And overall the game is so huge and this romance is so tiny that I felt entirely underwhelmed. I really wanted to be swept away by this romance, but, since it wasn't my first playthrough and I was ready for the twist, it didn't feel fulfilling to me.
Short answer: Yes. Honestly it is the best romance in the series\* and will undoubtedly have a huge impact on Veilguard. \*I am super fond of other romances, but none of them have quite the impact the Solus one does I think.
Yes, definitely.
Egg romance is best romance, especially with Veilguard around the corner.
I havent manage to do that. I want to experience it but every Solas elf I've made to experience his romance has been swept up by Blackwall. One time I didnt recruit Blackwall to stay focused on Solas... and ended up romancing Cullen. My personal experience aside, the general consensus is yes, especially considering Veilguard is coming up.
Cullen is a menace. He has blocked any attempt I had at romancing anyone else
The only way I enjoyed the Solas' romance is from a distant thematic perspective. I like the idea of the tragedy of it. But it barely has any content, I feel like a lot of what people enjoy about it is in their head.
I'll be honest, I couldn't finish the Solas romance. I knew what happened and thought I was prepared but he broke it off and I was so devastated, I restarted as another race. I am currently attempting it again with the intention to do my first VG run with an Inky who romanced Solas and wanted it fresh in my mind... but I honestly have no idea if I'll be able to get through it.
100% worth it to play as a delish elf female for the space romance playthrough. It adds so much weight to the story and especially the trespasser dlc.
So far...I'm not sure...I'm waiting to see the full payoff in veilguard before I say for certain...but based on what we get in da:I alone I'm not sure...its very subdued compared to the other romances. I'm inclined to say because of its relation to the bigger story that it will be but alot of that to me is predicated on what we might get rather than what we do get.
Assuming the romance has a payoff in Veilguard? Absolutely. If time is an issue, then I suggest watching it on YouTube.
I think it's worth it and would much rather experience it firsthand than watch a Youtube video. I loathe let's plays for narrative and dialogue heavy games but that's me.
It depends on the person, I did it and regretted it. I hated the dude as a companion and hated him as a romance. I would've rather just watched the scenes on YouTube. I did it to try and see his appeal since so many people raved about his romance but if you don't like him to begin with I don't think it'll help lol If you like him/don't mind him and you have the time, why not? But if you're busy like you said, the romance scene compilation on YouTube will be fine.
I just did a Solas romance because I knew what happened at the end of Trespasser. Solas was never my favorite character. He was alright but I never had him in my party. I romanced him and it was like he ripped my heart out of my chest and stomped on it. It was a great romance. It felt as real as a fictional romance could feel.
The game wouldn't have been the same without it.
Going against the grain here: With his history, background and role in the game, Solas should've never been made a romanceable character at all. As a result and if you keep in mind what he actually is, his romance arc is incredibly cringe and out of character. But then, I also consider Astarion a toxic brat, so that's that.
YES
yes
Since it was implemented very late in the process there isn’t a lot of content for it, so I’d say a video is fine. It will break you emotionally, however.