Romance games for PC. Love story

Love, like the battle of good against evil, is an eternal theme. From time immemorial it has been spoken about in poetry, cinema, literature and music. Video games have not been spared this topic either, and at the same time, tell me, what first comes to your mind when it comes to really interesting and compelling romances between characters? Something from the series Final Fantasy, right? In fact, truly bright and memorable stories about love, I mean at the level of such works as “Lights big city" or "Casablanca" are quite rare in games. If they were more common, take my word for it, my mother would have been playing them a long time ago. She watched Gone with the Wind a hundred times. My mom loves this movie with all her heart. Maybe that’s why people like her are indifferent to interactive entertainment, and she can be understood, don’t you agree?

However, just because games rarely show us romance in one form or another, and even more rarely do it right, doesn't mean there aren't touching love stories in games.

It's not a top list or anything like that. There are no better or worse people here. They are different, just like their heroes. I will give several examples, some of which will be roughly united by the way they talk about their lovers. In my blog I will list different love relationship between heroes in games. A love story like in fairy tale, confused, relaxed and sad to the point of tears. There will be no spoilers.

Love requires not only the ability to receive, but also to give. In the name of this sublime feeling Some game characters are willing to take tragic action such as self-sacrifice. For example, the stranger who gave his life to save a singer named Red in the video game Transistor. The consciousness of the mysterious lover was absorbed by the sword that killed him - the transistor. Red could hear the voice of the stranger imprisoned in the transistor. He began to accompany the girl to help her destroy the “Process” program and return the voice stolen from her.

Red is a very interesting heroine with an interesting fate. To begin with, we are given only brief information about it and then supplement it as we progress. We learn almost nothing about the stranger in love with the girl. However, the relationship and chemistry between them in the game is beautiful and very revealing. in an unusual way. There are terminals throughout the city, with the help of which Red communicates with his fan.

As you may have guessed, this is a sad love story, but very beautiful. The game takes place in a stylish setting in the cyberpunk city of Cloudbank. The music and visual diversity of these wonderful locations cannot disappoint. The gameplay, which revolves around fighting robots, is exciting and requires the player to think strategically. IN latest ed stranger helps by giving useful tips in the form of training and tips.

I will conditionally combine the next game with the one I wrote about above. This is Shadow Of The colossus. In this love story, a young man named Vander is also ready to sacrifice a lot for the sake of his beloved Mono. He makes a deal with a mysterious spirit named Dormin, who can resurrect his girlfriend if he kills sixteen giant creatures - colossi that live in the forbidden lands.

In fact, that's all the information. We won't know anything else about young man, nor about his fiancee. There are only two cutscenes: the opening and closing, and oddly enough, this is enough to make players feel sympathy for their lovers. Watching the opening cutscene, it is difficult to remain indifferent and not be imbued with the deep feelings of the main character. Like Transistor, this is a story about what people are willing to do in the name of love and what they are willing to sacrifice.

It also happens that love turns into hatred, and as you know, it’s only one step away. When James Sunderland made it, fate brought him to the fog-shrouded ghost town of Silent Hill. His personal demons were already waiting for James there. Those that had been accumulating in his unconscious for years and found their way out in this quiet corner of the world, taking on the most disgusting and frightening forms. But as it turned out, here he had a chance to atone for his sins and forgive himself for hating his loved one and himself.

Love and hate go hand in hand especially in a marriage between two people. IN real life love is not perfect and neither are people in love. When someone loves someone very much, they expect that person to justify the expectations placed on them. Having failed to justify them, a period of disappointment begins. Reproaches, quarrels, hatred of yourself and your loved one. A person becomes resentful for not being able to please his lover, which leaves behind the severe psychological consequences of a broken relationship. Having survived this trauma, James finds himself in Silent Hill, where he meets the same unfortunate people as he. They also hate themselves for something or those around them. They, just like James, mentally return to some unpleasant event in their lives, experiencing it again and again.

The main characters of this twisted love story in Silent Hill 2 are James Sunderland and a mysterious girl named Maria, who appears in the fog seemingly out of nowhere. The relationship between them is very complex, even tragic. He sees in her the ideal version of his deceased wife, who, after a serious illness, was unable to give him what he wanted from his loved one - love and sexual satisfaction. However, Maria constantly reminds James of his dark past and, without realizing it, makes him feel guilty.

James and Maria are a unique pair of lovers whose relationship is hard to compare to anyone else in video games. Unfortunately, their story from the very beginning has no hope of a happy ending.

In the adventure game To the Moon, players take on the roles of two eccentric doctors - Neil Watts and Eva Rosalyn. By virtue of their unusual profession, these two make the world a little better. Eve and Neil create artificial memories in the minds of patients who must pass into another world any minute, thereby making even their wildest dreams come true. Making a person happy at least for a moment before he goes to eternal rest is not an easy task, which is why our professionals take on this. Their new client is an elderly man named Johnny who would like to fulfill his desire to fly to the moon. A reasonable question arises: why exactly fly to the Moon? Where could this desire even come from? And why does he have so many paper platypuses in his basement?

As you might have guessed, I put this game next to Silent Hill 2, and there are reasons for that. Both talk about the difficulties of marriage and this is also a sad love story about the unusual and complicated relationship of lovers. IN in this case not so gloomy, rather quite the opposite - very inspiring.

The love story in To the Moon is the main storyline, although at first it seems that it is relegated to the background. As we begin to delve into the patient's past life, we learn of Johnny's difficult relationship with his wife River, who had died several years earlier. River had some kind of illness that prevented them from communicating normally. River often kept to herself, and Johnny looked for a way to change her and make her happier. And the more we learn about their relationship, the more we become drawn into what is truly a surprisingly beautiful story. The thing is, I have to say that I put off getting to know this game. My friend once called me and said that To the Moon was almost Best game, which he played. She touched him so much. Anyway, I put it off and put it off and put it off until I finally played it and was genuinely surprised by an incredibly sentimental love story. I even kicked myself a little for putting this game on the back burner. Why am I saying this? If you, like me, are now putting off getting to know her, then you are doing it in vain.

And here is an example of magical love in the manner of the tales of the Thousand and One Nights. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Acting heroes In this story there is a prince and a princess named Farah. One of the highlights of the game that came close to perfection was the chemistry between the nameless prince and Princess Farah. Their love story didn't start out easy. At first they were hostile to each other, but a sudden disaster in the kingdom forced them to get along. The nameless prince has transformed from an arrogant, pompous and immature youth into a courteous man. Farah's love changed him for the better and made him look at things in life differently. During dangerous adventures, their relationship strengthened, reaching highest point in the most tender and romantic moment in the game. Prince and Princess Farah have captured the hearts of people around the world. It’s a pity that the film of the same name failed to convey the chemistry between the characters.

Another example that could not be ignored in this blog. To be honest, I'm not a fan of the Final Fantasy series. That's how it happened. But at the same time, some moments in these games, in my opinion, are simply magical. They are so well staged and directed that they evoke sentimental emotions and, as a result, a romantic mood, and therefore I cannot help but mention one of the games in this series. The lake scene in Final Fantasy X is one of these. She's wonderful. I bet that even those who are not interested in the JRPG genre know about it. If you are looking beautiful story love in Final Fantasy, then the seventh, eighth and tenth games in this series are waiting for you.

Elena and Nate are not as ordinary a couple of video game lovers as they might seem at first glance. It’s unlikely that anyone could have imagined in 2007 how far their love story would go. He's a treasure hunter, she's a journalist, and they both love adventure. The romantic relationship between them is similar to the real one and does not develop according to the canons of a myriad of fairy tales about love. They quarrel and even break up, but always return to each other. Elena complements Drake and makes him better, sometimes forcing him to give up treasures in order to save someone’s life. She is selfless, brave and very a kind person, which is shown to us more than once in the game. I would even go so far as to say that Elena Fisher could be described as a cross between Princess Leia and Marion Ravenwood. By the way, have you ever thought that if you combine the names of the two actresses who played the girlfriends of Harrison Ford’s famous heroes - Karen Allen and Carrie Fisher - you get... Elena Fisher! Write in the comments if you have ever thought about this.

In fact, throughout the first three parts of the series, the characters show their mutual sympathy quite modestly. However, thanks to beautifully handmade facial animation by Naughty Dog artists, we can see the sometimes subtle and fleeting glances of lovers, read the emotions of the characters on their faces and understand how sincerely they value each other.

Their love story perfectly balances between witty banter and subtle sentimentality, without slipping, as often happens, into Brazilian melodrama with drawn-out kisses and languid sighs. And this is also a very rare case when, instead of “and they lived happily ever after,” we are shown how the heroes overcome the hardships of family life together in Uncharted 4. Is there love after marriage? It's difficult, but possible. Our lovers can handle anything. That's why we loved them.

Essentially, all of the above video games exploit the passivity of the film or book to justify the linearity of the narrative. Even if the player is not involved in the romance, the characters will still act out their lines and actions while courting each other. But since each of us has an innate sense of voyeurism, we will watch what is happening with interest. On the other hand, the active nature of the game sometimes interferes with this, and being mere observers is no longer enough. Therefore, it is not surprising that the next step in the development of romantic relationships between the main characters in video games was the ability for the player to choose their specific actions.

A striking example of a game with nonlinear romantic relationships is Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and its love couple Geralt and Yennefer.

Geralt and Yennefer also complement each other perfectly. Yennefer is Strong woman with a fiery temperament. The girl is stately, independent and demands respect. They are just perfect for each other. You will not find such passion as between them anywhere else. Although someone might prefer a slightly different type of sorceress, Triss... But here, who likes which one better.

Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is certainly not the only game that offers players non-linear romantic relationships and different endings to the main storyline. For example, the Mass Effect series, Dragon Age, Heavy rain, Persona or the game Catherine, where the player chooses one of the girls who is in love with him as the main character. There, the choice of your lover affects which ending - good or bad - you will ultimately receive. Main character Catherine A 32-year-old man named Vincent is afraid of responsibility and rushes between two fires, two beauties named Catherine. The main place in the game for the main character will be nightmare levels, where he will have to climb blocks, solve difficult puzzles and avoid deadly traps.

Despite its goofy tone, the story in Catherine isn't all that goofy. In fact, parallels can even be drawn here with the romantic line from Silent Hill 2. Vincent, like James, also finds for himself the ideal version of his beloved in the person of his double. This girl is her opposite and has the qualities that his chosen one lacked. The man will pay for this bad deed. And so do the players, since the puzzles in the game are extremely complex.

As you can see, video games do not stand still and are developing in all directions. They began to pay more attention to love relationships: the number of lines in the script increased, the characters' characters became more complex, and thanks to the artists and advanced animation, it became possible to read their emotions on their faces. The day is not far off when our places on the sofa in front of the console or on the chair in front of the computer will be taken by our grandmothers and mothers. Girls and wives have already taken it, for some this day has already come, and it is wonderful to share a lonely sofa with your other half, playing your favorite game. This means that everything is still ahead, and someday in the near future our mothers will also want to join gaming.

Games conditionally linked in pairs on the blog: Transistor - Shadow Of The Colossus, Silent Hill 2 – To the Moon, Silent Hill 2 – Catherine, Uncharted – Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Catherine. Exceptions, Final Fantasy X and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time are mentioned separately.

Afterword

It's amazing how far video games have come in the last twenty years. If earlier a love story began with the words “Mario, the princess is in another castle” and ended with the criminally short “Congratulations, you have completed the game,” then today’s heroes in love in games manage to get married twice and separate three times, cheat on their girlfriend and even have a child by joining into family life. Of course, not all developers strive to create an exciting love story with interesting characters. After all, we are talking about games, and in them, as you yourself know, the main thing is gameplay. Therefore, sometimes instead of a touching dialogue like in the finale of “Casablanca” and deep emotions of the characters, we get a vulgar “Hot Coffee” with quick-time events and cheap “strawberries”. There are also cases when the writer does not understand how it should work.

Perhaps not everyone will agree with me, but I will still speak out on this matter. This is likely not a popular opinion. I don't like the way love relationships are shown in the video game Max Payne 2: The Fall Of Max Payne. A similar opinion was expressed by Ivan Loev in the history of the Rockstar series. And it's not that I don't understand why this connection was formed, I don't like the way it's told in the game. This is exactly the case when the screenwriter does not quite understand how it should work, how to correctly present this material in the story. For starters, the game immediately tries to create chemistry between the characters literally from scratch. Their very first meeting is accompanied by appropriate music in the background and unambiguous glances at each other. And then in the next level, Max Payne has an “erotic” nightmare. The heroes falling in love does not happen gradually, but in leaps and bounds from cutscene to cutscene. The screenwriter is in a hurry to quickly bring them closer, to show them in a tight hug and a kiss, forgetting about revealing their motives and the correct presentation of the development of this serious relationship in the plot.

But I don't want to criticize the game Max Payne 2: The Fall Of Max Payne too much. There are still some good moments there. The authors of some other games present romantic relationships between heroes even worse. Much worse. Of the latter, for example, Mass Effect: Andromeda. Playing this game, it feels as if the authors are telling their players (paraphrasing the words of one famous hero of the melodrama): Frankly, our gamers, we don't give a damn. Although in the case of this game, the authors did almost everything in the game with such an attitude.

Not all developers are ready to pay as much attention to developing their loved ones as, for example, CD Project Red did in their The Witcher. But I am sure that people will always value real feelings, chemistry between characters and well-written dialogues for them the most. However, I don’t mind if it’s both. The main thing is not to forget about the first one.

And that is all. Thank you for giving me your attention. What love relationships between characters in video games have touched your heart or just pleased you? And don't be afraid to admit your feelings.

Romantic positive person

How did romantic relationships begin and how did they change? role playing games Oh.

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In March, Andromeda, a new part of the cult Mass Effect series, was released. Although the plot of this game is not related to the previous ones, you can easily find many familiar features in it, including the ability to enter into romantic relationships with members of your team. DTF takes a look at where the concept came from in RPGs in the first place, and how it became almost a must-have for the genre.

First steps

RPGs are one of the oldest video game genres. They go straight back to tabletop role-playing games, like the famous Dungeons and Dragons played by the Stranger Things characters, which predate, strictly speaking, the modern video game industry, although it predates the concept of virtual entertainment itself.

The popularity of Dungeons and Dragons among techies in the United States is due to the fact that its virtual counterparts, such as the text-based game simple name Dungeon began to appear already in the 70s. Already there one could find many elements of the RPG genre that are familiar to us now: non-linear exploration of the world and completing side quests, character development in one of many directions thanks to the experience gained through battles, and so on.

However, at least for some time modern look RPGs came much later, at the turn of the 80s and 90s. This happened thanks to the development of popular series like Wizardry and Might and Magic (not to be confused with Heroes of Might and Magic), as well as the release of numerous games in the Dungeons and Dragons universes, such as Dark Sun: Wake of the Ravager (Strategic Simulations, Inc. , 1994) and Menzoberranzan (DreamForge Intertainment, 1994). The latter, by the way, is the first time the famous good dark elf Drizzt/Drizzt Do'Urden appears in virtual space.

It is curious that, apart from the graphics that are wild by modern standards and the sometimes slightly naive plot based on the canons of “high fantasy,” these games can easily stand comparison with modern RPGs. They contain enough open world with a large number of tasks that allow you to really change the environment by supporting or destroying one or another faction. Also worth noting a large number of interesting mechanics with which the developers sought to diversify the players’ experience, for example, in the Might and Magic series, in addition to your own party, you sometimes had to lead an entire army.

Wizardry VI: Bane of the Cosmic Forge

The only thing these RPGs lacked was any dynamic between the characters themselves. No matter what happened around, no matter what worldview you chose for your characters, they still stubbornly acted together, and only death could separate them.

Already in 1994, this became the subject of criticism, in which Western RPGs were compared worse with Final Fantasy 4, where even then there were relationships between individual team members.

The lack of something like this was especially offensive for players against the background of the most interesting mechanics that determined the character of the main character in RPGs without a party, like Ultima. There the character could make many different choices, gradually acquiring and developing in himself one or another quality from a sufficiently long list positive and negative traits like “Conscientious”, “Noble”, “Proud” and so on. A similar mechanic was introduced in a simplified form in the recent game Torment: Tides of Numenera. And in the 90s, everyone wanted to see something equally interesting in the relationships between the characters in the player’s squad.

And in 1998, the requests of the players were heard - the BioWare studio released a game that changed the face of the RPG genre: Baldur’s Gate. It had many fundamentally new solutions, one of which was the creation of only one main character, the main character, who gradually assembles his squad from already registered NPCs that he meets along the way.

While games have introduced companions before, joining the characters as the story progresses, Baldur's Gate is the first time that the focus has been on the only hero. This decision, which now seems traditional, allowed the game authors to finally introduce at least some complex connections within the party.

Since the hero's companions were no longer created by the player, the developers could introduce a variety of dialogues, side quests and interactions with them. And finally, this made it possible to introduce into the game relationships between the companions themselves, which had nothing to do with the main character: one of the first party members in Baldur’s Gate were spouses: the half-elves Jaheira and Kalid.

First meeting with Jaheira and Kalid in Baldure's Gate

What's ironic is that these two NPCs are actually the first example of intra-party romance in an RPG. Although the game's protagonist could talk to his companions and interfere with their communication with each other, the game did not leave room for anything more.

It became possible for the first time to enter into a romantic relationship with one of your comrades only a year later in the game from Black Isle - Planescape: Torment, which also takes place in the world of Dungeons and Dragons. Although Planescape is now associated primarily with a strange universe and huge “canvases” of text that the player had to study, at the time of its release the game was completely different. Instead of focusing on saving the world, the kingdom, or even just one city, Planescape told a deeply personal, almost intimate story relationship between a person and his own death.

Silhouette of Deionarra behind the Nameless One

The main character, Nameless, acted as the central figure for the story, whose decisions, feelings and relationships played a key role. Because of this, it is not surprising that his romantic relationships occupied a large place in the game.

One of the first characters you meet in the game (after the talking skull Morte) was a ghost ex-lover Nameless, Deionarra. The ritual that gave the hero immortality was carried out by a night witch in love with him named Raven Puzzle.

And, most importantly, the game included the opportunity to start a new relationship with one of the companions. At the same time, even then the developers introduced an element of choice into the game: the player could develop a romance with either the tiefling thief Anna or the aristocratic succubus Fall-from-grace.

Soundtrack cover for Planescape:Tornament featuring portraits of Anna and Fallen Grace

It was then that the developers created the familiar formula of periodically starting dialogues in which you need to choose the right answers and completing small side quests to reflect the emergence and development of romantic feelings between the heroes.

The element of choice was also important. The developers deliberately made the two potential lovers of the protagonist completely different, contrasting the sharp, spontaneous and aggressive Anna, who grew up on the street, and the calm, rational Fallen Grace, with whom the Nameless One did not even have the opportunity to kiss.

This contrast gave the player an additional opportunity to emphasize what kind of image of the Nameless One he wanted to create. All subsequent romantic stories in RPGs continue the tradition that the BlackIsle studio began. This, however, does not negate the value of the experiments that followed already in as soon as possible after the release of the Planescpe: Torment games.

The ending of Baldur's Gate 2: Throne of Baal when dating Viconia

Romantic line in every game

The first of these was the sequel to Baldur's Gate - Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn (2000). If in the game from BlackIsle the romantic lines took their first steps and were, according to the developers themselves, not finalized, then BioWare were able to bring this motif to its logical development. A male hero could have an affair with one of three companions: the stern Jaheira, who lost her husband in between, the vulnerable elf Aeri, and the cruel drow Viconia de Vir. This was not easy to do - the player had to, firstly, very accurately answer all dialogues with his chosen one, almost always have her in the party, and also meet certain requirements for race and worldview.

So, Viconia did not begin romances with elves and good characters, and none of the trio was ready to connect their lives with a dwarf. By the way, things were similar in the game Arcanum: Steamwork and Magic Obscura from Troika Games, released in 2001. Although most of“romantic” remarks in dialogue with the character’s only potential partner, the elf Raven, were available to any hero; declaring his love to her was extremely difficult. The character had to meet certain requirements for intelligence and appearance, be kind, and, most importantly, be an elf, despite the fact that at the time of the character's creation, one could choose from eight different races.

Arcanum: Steamwork and Magic Obscura

However, despite these difficulties, and perhaps precisely because of them, novels with these heroines became important milestone for RPG. They are still actively discussed on forums, their capabilities are expanded in the corresponding mods, and many people are willing to replay not only the very diverse Arcanum, but also the almost linear Baldur’s Gate solely for the sake of winning the heart of a new companion.

At the same time, in their project BioWare made a decision that neither they nor any other major studio later decided to repeat - they made romantic relationships within the party conflicting. Individual dialogues between many companions in Baldur’s Gate 2 generally gradually developed into integral stories: Viconia flirts with the magician Edwin, Jaheira and the barbarian Minsk recall adventures from the first part, and so on.

But the most notable is the branch that opens if the hero takes the bard Haer’Dalis and Aeri into the party. Relationships will begin to develop between these two heroes, which will not be limited only to lines of dialogue - if the main character himself also claims the favor of the elf, then Haer'Dalis will repeatedly express her dissatisfaction with him and, in the end, challenge him to a duel, which will end in the death of one of characters. It’s easy to understand why such a radical situation was not repeated in subsequent games, although it is undoubtedly a shame that the developers sacrificed the drama of the plot for the sake of the players’ comfort.

Haer'Dalis confesses his love to Aeri

Thus, within the framework of Baldur’s Gate 2, the Bioware studio, in fact, finally approved the “canon” of building romantic relationships between the hero and his companions. They must involve choice, be based on certain requirements for the behavior of the character as a whole, and be resolved through individual dialogues and quests. However, some of their decisions in this area, primarily the emergence of a parallel romantic line between individual companions, were never repeated in any later game.

Subsequently, changes occurred more qualitatively than quantitatively - it is easy to see that Baldur’s Gate 2 adhered to fairly strict restrictions for the male character. For a female character, they were even stricter - the only potential partner was the rather unpopular young paladin Anomen.

There was also no possibility for same-sex relationships in the game, except for experiments with the famous Gender Change Belt: romances that the main character began, turning from a woman to a man or vice versa, continued even after the spell was lifted. This, however, is more of a Baldur's Gate bug than a deliberate feature.

Kart Anasi from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Steps towards greater equality in romance were made in 2003 with two RPGs. Knights of the old Republic, developed by the same BioWare, turned out to be the first game in which a male and female character had an equal number of potential partners - one each.

A male hero could confess his love to Jedi Bastilla, and a woman could begin a relationship with a veteran of the Mandalorian War and Han Solo’s “clone” Carth Onasi. An interesting element of the game in its own way was that many of the dialogues with these characters remained the same regardless of the gender of the hero, but created the feeling different stories in the presence or absence of a relationship. However, despite the commercial success of the game, its romantic component remained rather inconspicuous.

Meeting Bertram at Temple of Elemental Evil

And the first conscious step towards including LGBT relationships in RPGs was made in the same 2003 in the game Temple of Elemental Evil (Troika Games). This RPG is notable in itself for the fact that its mechanics are almost an exact copy of the rules of the Dungeons and Dragons board game, without any major modifications. Moreover, the plot of the game, in turn, copies a previously written “module” with the same name, which is now considered a classic among fans of tabletop role-playing games and migrates from one edition of the rules to another.

But from a romance perspective, Temple of Elemental Evil is interesting for other things. Firstly, one of the main characters of the game could get married. Curiously, this option is virtually absent in other RPGs, not counting the comical marriage at gunpoint in the second Fallout (BlacIsle).

Even if the hero builds a relationship with someone like the same Aerie from Baldur's Gate, who would be logical to want to somehow formalize the relationship, or, as in the case of Dragon Age 2 (BioWare), the game covers enough for a long time, the question of marriage still does not come up. But Temple of Elemental Evil is even more notable for the fact that it was the first RPG in which the authors consciously introduced the opportunity to enter into homosexual relationships and, strictly speaking, even enter into same-sex marriage. The object of passion in this case was a pirate named Bertram, still one of the top 20 greatest gay characters according to GayGamer.net.

And although now this kind of decision can only impress a very conservative part of the gaming community, at the time of the game’s release in 2003, Bertram’s romantic line became a reason for quite harsh criticism of the entire project.

However, for most players, the appearance of homosexual relationships in games is associated with another game, also made by BioWare - Jade Empire. As with the very idea of romantic relationships, the studio turned out to be not so much the pioneers in this case, but those who were able to bring the idea to mind and make it sufficiently complex and interesting.

In their game, where the action takes place in mythical China and is built around martial arts, the main character could begin a romance with one of three party members: the warrior Dawnstar, Princess Silk Fox and the wanderer Sky. At the same time, romances with the Sky and the Fox were available to characters of any gender, and with the Star - only male ones.

In addition, a hero who began a relationship with Silk Fox and Dawnstar at the same time could potentially not choose between them, as other games forced him to do, but try to persuade them into a threesome relationship. Although the game itself and its characters eventually faded into the background, losing in popularity to more traditional fantasy, the fact that BioWare's attempts to push the boundaries of what was acceptable in the game were received rather favorably paved the way for further development of the theme of romantic relationships.

Kiss of the main character with the sky

While this kind of experimentation was still rare, RPG romances essentially became commonplace throughout the 2000s. They all followed a similar pattern of dialogue, side quests, and sometimes finding specific items as gifts. In addition, they consistently preferred male protagonists, who almost always had a large selection of potential partners.

Failures and searching for something new

An exception to this principle was the game Neverwinter Nights 2 from Obsidian Entertainment, which, however, went down in the history of romantic relationships in RPGs for a different reason. Despite the fact that the game as a whole received high reviews, collected a good box office and even got a couple of big additions, it is also remembered by the gaming community as an example of the most unsuccessful love lines in the game.

Everyone was disappointed that against the backdrop of a diverse world, interesting quests and many bright companions whose lives the player could really influence, only, to put it mildly, the straightforward paladin Kasavir and the druid Elani were open to relationships. Moreover, in fact, the whole unique love line, different from the usual construction good relations with a companion, was reduced to a single dialogue before the decisive battle.

A separate object of criticism was the fact that Elani, according to the plot of the game, has been watching the protagonist’s village for decades and literally knows him from the cradle. Many players perceived their relationship in this light as quasi-incestuous.

Elani from Neverwinter Nights 2

What is especially offensive is that “happiness was so possible.” If you look at the original idea, traces of which still remain in some of the dialogues, you can see that Obsidian intended to introduce a fairly complex and varied scheme of love lines into the game, capable of surpassing even Baldur’s Gate 2.

The number of potential partners should have been larger, and included the cute thief Nishka or the evil ranger Bishop. Moreover, their relationship should have been much more complex - for example, Bishop and Casavir could be jealous of the female heroine towards each other, to the point of betraying the party precisely because of a broken heart. Even in the released game, the second chapter turns out to be built around the relationship between the main character and a girl named Shandra Jarro, which, if desired, could look like a very touching love story - but, unfortunately, with invariably tragic end, which the player has no control over.

Unfortunately, time constraints and the need to fit many other storylines into the game forced the developers to abandon these ambitious plans. As a result, Obsidian developed a reputation for not being able to do romance, which led them to abandon this element in their games altogether. latest games– Pillars of Eternity and Tyranny.

Bishop from Neverwinter Nights 2

However, another reason for this decision was that a significant part of the community was already a little tired of romantic lines in games and reacted positively to their absence. And this is due to the wide popularity of the corresponding plots in the two latest and largest projects of the Bioware studio - the Dragon Age and Mass Effect trilogies.

There are quite a lot of parallels between these games, and the sphere of romantic relationships between the main characters and their companions was no exception. In both cases, the first parts of the trilogies, released in 2007 and 2009 respectively, proved to be pioneers in terms of complete gender symmetry.

In Dragon Age: Origins, the player had access to two characters of each gender, one of whom was bisexual. In Mass Effect, there is one potential partner for Sheppard, male and female (Ashley Williams and Kayden Alenko), and a representative of the asari race, Liara T'Soni, who does not pay attention to such details.

Ashley Williams from Mass Effect

In subsequent games, the system of relationships was no longer so harmonious; in addition to romances with companions, side relationships with passing characters could arise there, for example, but the general course towards maximum inclusivity was maintained.

Both Mass Effect and Dragon Age feature potential partners of different genders and orientations, relationships with whom in Dragon Age, as in older games, are heavily determined by race. At the same time, BioWare was forced to constantly balance between the desire to include as many options in the game as possible, and maintaining its traditional manner of introducing some “prohibitions” on romance between individual companions and the main character of “inappropriate” origin.

This is most noticeable in the third part of Dragon Age - Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014), in which out of 12 companions (including three advisers), the novel could start with 8, although in each specific playthrough, choosing a race and gender, the player already cut off for himself about half the options. It is curious that the third Dragon Age was the first game where it was not a human, but an elf, who found himself in the most “privileged” position from the point of view of relationships.

main character Dragon Age: Inquisition declares his love for the mage Solas

Many players were excited about all these possibilities. But at the same time, they have also become the object of fairly consistent criticism. Apart from the rather predictable homophobic grumbling, RPG fans accused BioWare of profanation of the genre.

Interestingly, in doing so, they often appealed to the “old games”, although actual romantic relationships have been an inevitable part of the genre since 1998, which for many critics was the year it was born. It was this dissatisfaction that Obsidian Entertainment and inXile Entertainment (Torment: Tides of Numenera) were able to capitalize on by removing any hints of romance from their games in an attempt to make them seem more "old fashioned".

The real reason for the dissatisfaction was the changes to the games themselves. Dragon Age and especially Mass Effect relied heavily on the canons of cinema rather than fantasy literature and tabletop games. This manifested itself both in changes in the camera and direct gaming experience, and in an attempt to move towards more “Hollywood” plots.

One of components this became a de facto “mandatory” romantic line - many players encountered the fact that the corresponding dialogues began almost spontaneously when they were simply trying to establish normal relationships with their companions.

The problem is that the variability of the game, the ability to start romances with one or another character, prevented BioWare from weaving each specific love line deeply into the plot. The player could start a relationship with one or another hero, but this practically did not affect the remarks of the other characters, did not prevent him from making certain choices, for example, when in the second part of Mass Effect it was necessary to send one “volunteer” from the team to dangerous task. And if a character moved from game to game, like Garrus Vakarian, his heart had to be won over again.

All this led to the fact that most of these relationships evoked the feeling of “fan fiction”, some kind of additional content that actually existed “separately” from the main game. And although the player’s sincere sympathy for this or that character could compensate for this feeling, allowing him to make his own decisions based on the pure desire to follow the role, the game itself did not force this in any way.

Shepard caught Garrus and Tali

The most a shining example This is Mass Effect 3, where BioWare introduces a relationship between two companions for the first time since Baldur's Gate 2: Garrus and Tali'Zorah. Their dialogues themselves can be very sweet, touching, and allow you to feel exceptional sympathy for the characters.

But at the same time, if the player himself begins an affair with one of this couple, then he not only does not provoke a conflict - the relationship between his companions simply does not begin. This priority given to the player at the expense of the depth of the world creates the feeling that all romantic relationships in general are something “frivolous.” But the large amount of time that developers devote to them, as well as the relatively explicit scenes, which arose over the course of the novels, contribute to the perception of the entire mechanic as a kind of “fan service”.

Divinity: Original Sin

In parallel with the development of these series, in 2014 the RPG Divinity: Original Sin was released, another part of the Divinity series, the first part of which was released back in 2002. Original Sin offered a slightly different look at love relationships, in some ways coming closest to what players dreamed of back in the mid-90s.

Unlike many modern RPGs, in Divinity you create not just one hero, but two, who can then be joined by companions. Moreover, dialogues arise between these two heroes throughout the game, allowing them to show certain traits of their own character, almost the same way as they did back in Ultima.

There is no suggestion of any romantic relationships with the companions, but after completing the game, depending on how exactly the main characters communicated with each other, the ending may imply that they separated and never met again, that they became friends, or hint at something more.

And although the direct implementation of this idea in Divinity looks unobvious on the first playthrough and, on the contrary, too straightforward on the second playthrough, the attempt at experimenting with the depiction of a love line is undoubtedly worthy of attention.

It reminds us that there is still room for development, improvement and creativity in this important area of RPGs, and gives hope that studios, in an attempt to please their audiences, will not only cut out entire romance lines, but also try to demonstrate them in some new dramatic way.

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One of the kindest, most pleasant and, often, the most anticipated world holidays - Valentine's Day - is approaching the doors of our homes. On this day, you can confess your love to someone you care about, give your other half gifts and just spend time together. But the heroes of the games also know how to love, and they also have a holiday on Sunday! That's why I would like to tell you about the best gaming love stories on the eve of the holiday. And it’s not that these games are about love, it is in them and is not the last place!

Wander and Mono (Shadow of the Colossus)

Often love makes us do very stupid things. Wander is one of those characters who is ready to do anything for the sake of his love, really... Yes, Mono really died or is in a coma, and in order for her to return to normal life again, Wander decided to set foot on the forbidden lands and make an agreement with a formless personality who forced him to destroy 16 colossi living on these very lands. Like, once they're dead, Mono will be reborn. As it turned out later, it wasn't worth it.

Beware of spoilers.

Each killed ear brought Wander closer to his goal, but at the same time changed him. In the end, Mono did come to life, but the boy became possessed and died in terrible agony. And this is after his good friend Agro (his horse) also died during the journey. And even though this love story is very cruel, it has its place.

Nathan Drake and Elena Fisher (Uncharted series)

Nathan Drake often reminds us of Indiana Jones and James Bond: he's tough, he's always on the go, and he's just an unflappable killing machine. That is why the question of Nathan Drake’s personal life was not raised at all during the release of the first part of the series. Actually, in In Uncharted, he flirted with journalist Elena Fisher, and many thought that this would all end there. At first In Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Drake even meets his "love of the past" Chloe Fraser, which clearly told us: "No, Drake will never love one girl." And suddenly…

Elena Fisher returned to us literally in the middle of the second part of the game, reminding the audience and Nathan that she had not gone away. Elena is very unselfish and she is very concerned about the situation in outside world, which further inspires Drake to his exploits. Actually, by the end of the second part, our hero was not worried about the mountains of gold that life promised him: he liked saving people. And it's all thanks to Elena. In the third part, these two got married and proved to the players that they had, have and will have love.

Eddie and Ophelia (Brutal Legend)

These two, having met in a relatively strange situation, decided to travel together, like many other couples, began to slowly get used to each other. Eddie begins to take care of Ophelia, practically does not leave her side... To be more precise, this is very similar to some kind of student novel, but there is also a place for conflict in their story.

After Lars' death, the main character began to doubt Ophelia. She, as very often happens in real life, begins to be offended that she is not trusted, after which a break occurs. Ophelia jumps into the Sea of Dark Tears and...

She is replaced by Drowned Ophelia, who tries to stop Eddie from his mission. Of course, initially Eddie thought that this was his beloved, who had recently freaked out and disappeared, but later it turned out that the dark entity only copied Ophelia’s body, and the real one still lies in that same sea. Later Eddie will save her and everything will be fine. Despite the rather familiar cliché regarding a happy ending to many (When everyone saves each other in turn and in general everyone is alive/well), this love story is good enough to remind you of it.

Yuna and Tidus (Final Fantasy 10)

Honestly, the Final Fantasy series is simply filled with love stories that began immediately after the appearance of the heroes in the series (In the first part, for example, there were just soulless soldiers), but the best of them belongs to two teenagers in love - Yuna and Tidus. Many fans note that their love is very similar to ideal.

Yuna and Tidus are close throughout the game, and before the relationship began, they were just good friends. The scene where they go to " new level" is one of the most touching scenes not only of the game, but of the entire series. Their love seems natural even after the absurd twists of the story, which I won’t talk about. At the end Final Fantasy 10 Tidus disappears, thanks to which he appeared Final Fantasy 10-2, in which we play as Yuna: very rarely we are allowed to see the development of a love relationship from the girl’s point of view, but it is in the sequel that you will see all this. If, of course, you want to pass.

Johnny and River (To the Moon)

Somewhere at the very beginning of the game, you will meet Anju and find out that Kafei has disappeared somewhere for a long time, despite the fact that he is getting married soon. Anju will ask the protagonist to find him and, of course, this will happen later: Kafei will tell that he was cursed and locked in the body of a child, and also lost the mask that he must wear to wedding ceremony. And everything will be fine for them. Moreover, on the day when, supposedly, the “end of the world” was supposed to happen, and all the inhabitants of the city would scatter in the hope of being saved, Kafei and Anju would remain in the city, ready to die in each other’s arms. Tough, but tasteful.

Monkey and Trip (Enslaved: Odyssey to the West)

The story of these two Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is primarily unusual, since at the very beginning Monkey was Trip's slave. She put a bandage on him and made him her slave, because she needed someone who would not let her die on the journey. And despite the fact that before she simply used him, after some time a spark passes between them.

Trip no longer gives him orders, and no longer uses him. They are partners and, best of all, they are already more than friends. Monkey saves Trip not because he doesn’t want to die, but because he wants to save her. In short, these guys also make a wonderful loving couple. And the game is great too.

Herschel and Claire (Professor Layton and the Unwound Future)

I would like to finish with a game Professor Layton and the Unwound Future, where a lot of time is devoted to the love between the protagonist and Claire. It all starts with how 10 years ago Hershel Layton meets the scientist Claire, who is working on a time machine with the main antagonist (she, however, does not know about it). Things work out well for them, and it even turns out that Layton's themed hat was also thanks to Claire. But she dies while testing the time machine with Dimitri. Dies..?

Spoilers?

But in fact it turns out that she flew 10 years into the future in this time machine. After 10 years, he meets her by chance and everything seems to be fine, but in the end it turns out that she can only be in the future for a certain amount of time, and this very time has already come to an end. Despite the fact that he simply could not say goodbye again and let Claire go, their love found its end. And this moment is so sad that a meager tear itself asks to “get away from your eyes.”

Friends! Confess your love, love each other and let your love be the strongest and purest. It's time for me to relax and give my weekend to my loved one.

How did romantic relationships in role-playing games begin and how they changed?

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First steps

The popularity of Dungeons and Dragons among techies in the United States was due to the fact that its virtual counterparts, such as the text-based game simply called Dungeon, began to appear as early as the 70s. Already there one could find many elements of the RPG genre that are familiar to us now: non-linear exploration of the world and completing side quests, character development in one of many directions thanks to the experience gained through battles, and so on.

However, RPGs came to a somewhat modern form much later, at the turn of the 80s and 90s. This happened thanks to the development of popular series like Wizardry and Might and Magic (not to be confused with Heroes of Might and Magic), as well as the release of numerous games in the Dungeons and Dragons universes, such as Dark Sun: Wake of the Ravager (Strategic Simulations, Inc. , 1994) and Menzoberranzan (DreamForge Intertainment, 1994). The latter, by the way, is the first time the famous good dark elf Drizzt/Drizzt Do'Urden appears in virtual space.

It is curious that, apart from the graphics that are wild by modern standards and the sometimes slightly naive plot based on the canons of “high fantasy,” these games can easily stand comparison with modern RPGs. They have a fairly open world with a large number of tasks that allow you to really change the environment by supporting or destroying one or another faction. It is also worth noting a large number of interesting mechanics, with the help of which the developers sought to diversify the players’ experience; for example, in the Might and Magic series, in addition to your own party, you sometimes had to lead an entire army.

Wizardry VI: Bane of the Cosmic Forge

Already in 1994, this became the subject of criticism, in which Western RPGs were compared worse with Final Fantasy 4, where even then there were relationships between individual team members.

The lack of something like this was especially offensive for players against the background of the most interesting mechanics that determined the character of the main character in RPGs without a party, like Ultima. There, the character could make many different choices, gradually acquiring and developing one or another quality from a fairly long list of positive and negative traits like “Conscientious”, “Noble”, “Proud” and so on. A similar mechanic was introduced in a simplified form in the recent game Torment: Tides of Numenera. And in the 90s, everyone wanted to see something equally interesting in the relationships between the characters in the player’s squad.

While games have introduced companions in the past to join the heroes as the story progresses, Baldur's Gate marks the first time that the focus has been on a single hero. This decision, which now seems traditional, allowed the game's authors to finally introduce at least somewhat complex connections within the party.

First meeting with Jaheira and Kalid in Baldure's Gate

Silhouette of Deionarra behind the Nameless One

One of the first characters you meet in the game (after the talking skull Morte) is the ghost of the Nameless One's former lover, Deionarra. The ritual that gave the hero immortality was carried out by a night witch in love with him named Raven Puzzle.

Soundtrack cover for Planescape:Tornament featuring portraits of Anna and Fallen Grace

This contrast gave the player an additional opportunity to emphasize what kind of image of the Nameless One he wanted to create. All subsequent romantic stories in RPGs continue the tradition that the BlackIsle studio began. This, however, does not negate the value of the experiments that followed as soon as possible after the release of the Planescpe: Torment games.

The ending of Baldur's Gate 2: Throne of Baal when dating Viconia

Romantic line in every game

So, Viconia did not begin romances with elves and good characters, and none of the trio was ready to connect their lives with a dwarf. By the way, things were similar in the game Arcanum: Steamwork and Magic Obscura from Troika Games, released in 2001. Although most of the “romantic” lines in the dialogue with the character’s only potential partner, the elf Raven, were available to any hero, declaring his love to her was extremely difficult. The character had to meet certain requirements for intelligence and appearance, be kind, and, most importantly, be an elf, despite the fact that at the time of the character's creation, one could choose from eight different races.

Arcanum: Steamwork and Magic Obscura

However, despite these difficulties, or perhaps because of them, the romances with these heroines became an important milestone for RPGs. They are still actively discussed on forums, their capabilities are expanded in the corresponding mods, and many people are willing to replay not only the very diverse Arcanum, but also the almost linear Baldur’s Gate solely for the sake of winning the heart of a new companion.

Haer'Dalis confesses his love to Aeri

Carth Anasi from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

A male hero could confess his love to Jedi Bastilla, and a woman could begin a relationship with a veteran of the Mandalorian War and Han Solo’s “clone” Carth Onasi. An interesting element of the game in its own way was that many of the dialogues with these characters remained the same regardless of the hero's gender, but created the feeling of different stories with or without a relationship. However, despite the commercial success of the game, its romantic component remained rather inconspicuous.

Meeting Bertram at Temple of Elemental Evil

Even if the hero builds a relationship with someone like Aerie from Baldur's Gate, who would logically want to somehow formalize the relationship, or, as in the case of Dragon Age 2 (BioWare), the game spans quite a long time, the question of marriage is still not pops up. But Temple of Elemental Evil is even more notable for the fact that it was the first RPG in which the authors consciously introduced the opportunity to enter into homosexual relationships and, strictly speaking, even enter into same-sex marriage. The object of passion in this case was a pirate named Bertram, still one of the top 20 greatest gay characters according to GayGamer.net.

In their game, set in mythical China and centered around martial arts, the protagonist could romance one of three party members: warrior Dawnstar, Princess Silk Fox, and wanderer Sky. At the same time, romances with the Sky and the Fox were available to characters of any gender, and with the Star - only male ones.

Kiss of the main character with the sky

Failures and searching for something new

Everyone was disappointed that against the backdrop of a diverse world, interesting quests and many bright companions whose lives the player could really influence, only, to put it mildly, the straightforward paladin Kasavir and the druid Elani were open to relationships. Moreover, in fact, the entire unique love line, which differs from the usual building of a good relationship with a companion, was reduced to a single dialogue before the decisive battle.

Elani from Neverwinter Nights 2

The number of potential partners should have been larger, and included the cute thief Nishka or the evil ranger Bishop. Moreover, their relationship should have been much more complex - for example, Bishop and Casavir could be jealous of the female heroine towards each other, to the point of betraying the party precisely because of a broken heart. Even in the released game, the second chapter turns out to be built around the relationship between the main character and a girl named Shandra Jarro, which, if desired, can look like a very touching love story - but, unfortunately, with an invariably tragic ending, which the player has no control over influence.

Unfortunately, time constraints and the need to fit many other storylines into the game forced the developers to abandon these ambitious plans. As a result, Obsidian developed a reputation for not being good at romance, leading them to abandon the element altogether in their latest games, Pillars of Eternity and Tyranny.

Bishop from Neverwinter Nights 2

Ashley Williams from Mass Effect

The main character of Dragon Age: Inquisition declares her love for the magician Solas

The real reason for the dissatisfaction was the changes to the games themselves. Dragon Age and especially Mass Effect relied heavily on the canons of cinema rather than fantasy literature and tabletop games. This manifested itself both in changes to the camera and the direct gaming experience, and in an attempt to move towards more “Hollywood” plots.

One of the components of this was the actually “mandatory” romantic line - many players encountered the fact that the corresponding dialogues began almost spontaneously when they were simply trying to establish normal relationships with their companions.

Shepard caught Garrus and Tali

The most notable example of this is Mass Effect 3, where BioWare introduced a relationship between two companions for the first time since Baldur's Gate 2: Garrus and Tali'Zorah. Their dialogues themselves can be very sweet, touching, and allow you to feel exceptional sympathy for the characters.

But at the same time, if the player himself begins an affair with one of this couple, then he not only does not provoke a conflict - the relationship between his companions simply does not begin. This priority given to the player at the expense of the depth of the world creates the feeling that all romantic relationships in general are something “frivolous.” But the large amount of time that the developers devote to them, as well as the relatively explicit scenes that arose during the novels, contribute to the perception of all mechanics as a kind of “fan service”.

Divinity: Original Sin

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It is generally accepted that computer games are alien to love, and even more so to sexual themes. This view is usually characteristic of those who have a rather narrow priority in terms of genres - indeed, it’s not easy to cram a love story into a shooter or MMORPG (not to mention a MOBA). And no one will do this, especially to the detriment of the expectations of the target audience.

And, considering that in modern times, fans of “shooting games”, raids and “pulling the Ministry of Foreign Affairs” make up up to 60% of consumers of computer entertainment, such a statement seems fair. But only at first glance. In fact, the themes of love (and sex) in computer games are constantly touched upon, moreover, there are entire genres dedicated exclusively to gender relations or the user’s sexual fantasies (and these are not pornographic products, but quite worthy representatives of multimedia entertainment). On the eve of Valentine's Day, it is worth talking about this difficult topic for the average gamer - it is quite possible that one of the readers of the article will discover a lot of new things.

And we'll start, perhaps, with Japan. The Japanese have always had a rather peculiar view of the world, including computer games. It is not surprising that this is where such a non-standard genre as a dating simulator originated. You will be surprised, but games in this direction have more than rich history, their own canons, cliches and familiar techniques, including an established permanent audience, which reaches quite respectable values, providing developers of such content with excellent annual profits. The game format was established in 1992 and has remained virtually unchanged since then. Project Dokyusei(Japanese 同級生?, “Odnoklassniki”) laid down the main points of the genre - as a rule, the user is asked to play as a man surrounded female characters. It is necessary to choose a suitable girl (in other cases, the task is to develop romantic relationships with all female characters) and achieve her favor. The game mechanics are based on dialogues, the search for an approach to a romantic object and its “weak” sides, which can give trump cards in the next conversation. As a rule, a dating simulator is limited in time during which it is necessary to achieve the desired result. IN modern games In this genre, the standard is sex with a chosen girl (or girls), which is often demonstrated in colorful animated videos. The most prominent representatives genre can be considered: True Love, Dokyusei, Uta no Prince-sama, Kyokyusei, Tokimeki memorial. These games essentially established the canon, grew into solid franchises, and became the basis for film adaptations in the form of anime series. An interesting fact is that most of the audience plays daysims not so much for sexual fantasies or videos - a very large number of fans of these games “live” relationships with drawn girls, react sharply to bad endings and, in general, are more concentrated on the emotional component of these games. Of course, in the genre there is a wide division into subgenres - here everyone can find content to their liking - from light erotica and romance, to the most unbridled hentai.

If we touch on the topic of love and sex in computer games, then it will be impossible to do without the second popular in Japan (and in Lately and all over the world) genre – visual novels. Games of this type are an interactive narrative, with a large amount of illustrations and animation inserts. The best representatives can boast of the format of a real anime series, within which the user will have to act. So, the romantic direction of visual novels is perhaps one of the most promising and popular today. Any fan of games of this type will be able to offer dozens of stories to the inexperienced neophyte. From a banal but touching and romantic story School Days HQ(which can become the most natural drama or crime thriller) to the point of vulgarity Feeders for the Demon, reminiscent of the sweet dreams of a teenager. There are also unique things that chill the blood and arouse a strange, slightly unhealthy interest - Song of Saya full of mental abnormalities, scenes full of blood, violence and cruelty, but at the same time it talks about strange, “not like that” love.

The category of rapist simulators from the same restless Japanese stands apart. These games offer their users the role of a hunter tracking down his prey. The best representatives of the genre combine action, stealth and puzzles, along with explicit content. Game series BIKO, and especially - BIKO 3, this is a real Klondike for those who do not dare to express some of their fantasies out loud. In addition to the “explicit content,” the game boasts a great atmosphere and the opportunity to feel like a cinematographer from an XXX movie.

If we shift our gaze to the other side of the Earth, and more specifically, to the more familiar world of the Western gaming industry, then here things are somewhat more modest. If we omit the completely overt prono-crafts and parodies like Leisure Suit Larry, then a player looking for romance in computer projects will be able to satisfy his desire within a rather limited framework. It’s worth starting with BioWare - almost from its first major project, Baldur’s Gate, the studio began to implement the concept of relationships within the game world. To be specific, in almost every game of the company the user can build romantic relationships with his teammates. Baldur's Gate,Neverwinter Nights 1-2, Jade Empire, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and, as the pinnacle of possibilities for a romance with your comrades (of both sexes), the Mass Effect and Dragon Age series. The latter, by the way, have come under attack from moral advocates in the United States - the games boast excellent videos that unvarnishedly demonstrate the development and logical conclusion of romances between people, elves, dwarves, horned Qunari, blue-skinned aliens, insect-like aliens, and robots. Also, games do not shy away from same-sex relationships and erotica.

After the games from BioWare, it’s worth taking a closer look at the Witcher series. The main character, the wandering monster slayer Geralt, does not deprive female persons of his attention. Despite everything, he loves his only woman, but he doesn’t mind having an affair to relax with almost every girl he meets. Triss Merigold, as part of a PR campaign for the second part of The Witcher, even appeared on the cover of Playboy, which caused unprecedented excitement and attention to her person. Objectively speaking, the Western gaming industry is more focused on the sexual side of love relationships. In addition to the series and games already listed, explicit scenes are present, for example in Farenheit, Far Cry 3, Heavy Rain and Fear Effect II. Moreover, in this article we are talking exclusively about games in which the relationships between the characters, both emotional and sexual, are only part of the storyline. If you look more broadly, the number of pronographic and erotic games of various kinds is simply incalculable.

If we talk about any conclusions, we can clearly distinguish two directions – eastern and western. The Eastern gaming industry devotes a huge amount of time and money to depicting sex in its projects, but, as a rule, it does so in a balanced and comprehensive manner. Along with explicit pornography, there are visual novels and daysims that can well be considered masterpieces of fine art. Western developers here, alas, are lagging behind. The Western gaming industry is not yet able to offer its consumers such an integrated approach and is trying to take advantage of entertainment, scale and quantity. Sex and love relationships that would work for the value of the game as an object of modern art, unfortunately, remain a rarity for the Western gaming industry. But recent market trends suggest hope for an improvement in this situation in the near future. On the eve of Valentine's Day, I would like to speak out in only one sense - do not forget that love and sex should be in a state of harmony and then you will certainly be able to build an ideal relationship!