Achievement Unlocked: Romance Completed

 So Dragon Age 2 is due out next week. I already have the feeling I'm going to enjoy the new characters. They always seem to be the strong suit of Bioware's games. You can check out the (as far as I know) full lineup at  http://dragonage.bioware.com/da2/world/characters/ or a slightly more detailed look at them at http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Dragon_Age_II. Personally, I find myself intrigued by Hawke's (the player) brother Carver and sister Bethany. I can't recall a previous game that gave the player such an in-depth family that stays with me through more than the first act. Isabella seems to be the romantic interest that Bioware is showing off, but I find her a bit too... "loose" for my tastes. Don't get me wrong, she's a site for sore eyes, but I'm fond of Merrill for whatever reason.
          
Which brings me to the title of this post. I've played through just about every one of Bioware's games since Knights of the Old Republic, and have followed the various romantic storylines to their conclusions. Bastila (KOTOR), Silk Fox (Jade Empire), Liara (Mass Effect), Leliana (Dragon Age), and Tali (Mass Effect 2) were all, for the most part, good characters. My problem is that each relationship ends with a (poorly acted and awkwardly animated, with the exception of Tali) love scene, you are awarded an achievement for your (I hate using this word but...) conquest, and the game becomes oblivious of the time you've shared. Didn't the game just spend the last however many hours trying to convince me that this was a person, an honest-to-goodness human being worthy of my adoration. I don't want to be "rewarded" with a scene of Commander Shepard and Liara clumsily rolling around on a bed like two Barbie dolls being smacked together. Then (if that wasn't bad enough) every time I want to have another conversation with her it's,"Oh, hey Shepard! The developers totally didn't have my voice actress record anymore lines so I'll just repeat this until you finish the game. Off you go." I thought what we had was special! All I'm saying is that it makes the girl look like just another damn piece of loot at the end of a quest after you spent the whole quest telling me how this ain't just another damn piece of loot at the end of a quest? I'm not saying that I truly love the girl and want to spend the rest of eternity with her. It just annoys me that the developers so easily break the illusion of reality and strong characterization that they worked so hard to build.

I never liked Barbie dolls anyway...