Some choose to spend the day showing their love for other people by, for example, buying those cheap chocolates you find next to the till in every shop two weeks before the holiday, whereas others quite simply choose to treat it as any other day of the week.
Whether you choose to acknowledge Valentine’s Day as a holiday or not, there is no denying that there are many people out there who do tend to associate the day with love and romance.
Valentine’s Day and the ideas associated with it kind of had me thinking about the idea of love within video games. It was for this reason that I decided to list my #topfivefavourite #romances within modern #videogames.
Arno Dorian and Elise de la Serre (Assassin’s Creed: Unity)
I know I’m going to get a lot of criticism for including, probably what is the worst #AssassinsCreed game on this list, but it is the only true title within the series that is based more on love for another person as opposed to anything else, such as vengeance (Assassin’s Creed II), legacy (Brotherhood), independence (Assassin’s Creed III), greed (Black Flag) and personal growth (Syndicate).
Throughout the story, Arno and Elise struggle to hold on to their relationship due to the fact that they come from two fighting parties (re: Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story, etc.) Arno is born an Assassin, whereas Elise has been raised as a Templar.
There is no denying that the story within Assassin’s Creed Unity is, arguably, somewhat lackluster (as is the problem when you release games yearly), but it was definitely one of the first title’s in the series to show players the cost of being aligned to a particular cause.
Player and several Dragon Age Characters (Dragon Age series)
If there is something to be said about Bioware games, it is that there is no lack of available romance options for the player. In both #MassEffect and #DragonAge, the player has the ability to romance several of the party members within their group.
Throughout the Dragon Age series, I have previously romanced Leilana, Morrigan, Isabela, Anders, and Blackwall. Regardless of the romance capabilities of characters, I have, quite simply, had a lot of fun playing the game and seeing how my decisions affect my general relationships with the rest of the people in my party.
Bioware often receives great praise for the depth of the narrative aspects in each of their titles as well as the extent to which the player is able to personalise this narrative through their choices and their interactions and relationships with other characters in the game.
Geralt and Yennefer (The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt)
In the #TheWitcher3, the player is given the opportunity to pursue a romantic relationship with either #Triss or #Yennefer, or perhaps even both women if it takes your fancy. This option has resulted in a clear division between fans with regards to who #Geralt should really be with.
In relation to this argument, all I have to say is #TeamYennefer.
Throughout the book series, Geralt spends most of his time in a somewhat tumultuous, on-again, off-again relationship with Yennefer that is filled with various funny, interesting and touching moments that are definitely somewhat memorable. We’ll all remember that unicorn.
It is for this reason that Yennefer’s character seems all the more fascinating when compared to that of Triss in the book series (as Yennefer had a much larger role); a fact that remained true in the video game series too.
Nathan Drake and Elena Fisher (Uncharted series)
Throughout the #Uncharted series, the player gets to experience the development of #NathanDrake and Elena Fisher’s relationship. The two start as complete strangers and eventually develop into a mature married couple.
The overall story of the Uncharted series really is as much about the relationship between Nathan and Elena as it is about Nathan Drake and his companions hunting down some prized lost historical artefact in the middle of some distant land. If Elena is removed from the story, it seems that Nathan is essentially, in some sense, left without a guiding moral compass.
In many games, one is often rather uninterested about the romantic relationships between characters, but throughout the Uncharted series one doesn’t really feel that way.
Mario and Peach (Mario series)
I don’t think any list of top video game romances would be complete if it didn’t include #Mario and #PrincessPeach. With the relationship going over 30 years strong, it would be difficult not to look at them as the quintessential couple in gaming.
To think that it all started with Mario going to save Peach after she had been kidnapped by Bowser in #SuperMarioBros. Since then, she has been kidnapped several more times and has appeared in various different Mario games.
Still holding out for Nintendo to release Mario and Peach’s Healthy Relationship Simulator. Perhaps, a new exclusive for the #NintendoSwitch?
Well, this is my list. What are your favourite video game romances? Please share in the comments down below.
