Summary
- Romance in video games has evolved, but some are awkward due to lack of character development, hamfisted intimacy, and forced relationships.
- Examples of awkward romances include the Prince & Kaileena, Ethan & Madison, Snow & Serah, and Markus & North.
- Romances like Noctis & Lunafreya or Sonic & Elise lack development and fail to evoke emotional responses in players due to unearned moments.
Romance in video games has evolved by leaps and bounds. While the idea of being a heroic savior that everyone will fall head over heels for may not be the best way to depict romantic relationships in video games, it makes for an easy way to grab a player's attention as they fall in love with one of several potential companions.
However, some video game romances are so awkward that some players may find the amorousness hard to digest. This can stem from a lack of character development, hamfisted intimacy, or numerous other things that make these romances feel jarring and stilted.
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The Prince & Kaileena (Prince of Persia: Warrior Within)
A Far Cry From The Well-Written Romance In The Sands Of Time
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
- Released
- November 30, 2004
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
In no way was the relationship between the Prince and Kaileena shown to develop into anything other than mutual respect. Romance isn't really a part of it throughout the game. However, if players get the good ending and head back to Persia with Kaileena, they're treated to one of the most unnecessary scenes in gaming history.
Right before reaching the burning city, the Prince and Kaileena engage in a passionate moment that comes out of nowhere. The weird visuals do nothing to stem the awkwardness of this moment, and it feels more like a token romance scene than anything else.
Ethan Mars & Madison Paige (Heavy Rain)
The Least Awkward David Cage Romance... Which Is Still Pretty Awkward
Heavy Rain
- Released
- February 23, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
David Cage is one of the most divisive figures in video game history. While his narrative adventures do a great job of rewarding players for the choices they make, the writing itself can be all over the place, and the way this series depicts women is quite problematic.
That's why the romances in these video games can feel so jarring. This applies to the romance between Ethan and Madison in Heavy Rain, which isn't too egregious but can still cringe some people out, especially since Madison often feels tailored for the male gaze. It doesn't help that they cement their romance when Ethan is covered in wounds, making people wonder how steamy this session could have been when Ethan should have been wincing with every movement.
Snow Villiers & Serah Farron (Final Fantasy 13)
Poor Character Writing Ensures Makes This Romance Forgettable
Final Fantasy 13
- Released
- March 9, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
The eternal problem of having a romance with no on-screen presence dominating the narrative is something that has plagued many Final Fantasy games. Final Fantasy 13 is no exception, with Snow becoming one of the more annoying characters in the game because of his vapid motivations.
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Not a lot is known about Serah, and the game barely takes any time to expand their relationship via a flashback or two before players are thrust into the current timeline yet again. This makes the romance between Snow and Serah fall flat and turn into yet another thing that fans deride in Final Fantasy 13.
Gwendolyn & Oswald (Odin Sphere)
One Of Gaming's Most Forced Romances
Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir
- Released
- June 7, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Use of Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Odin Sphere is a beautiful game, and the Leifthrasir release lets players enjoy the most definitive version of the game. When Oswald and Gwendolyn's romantic feelings play a central role in the narrative, most people write off the awkwardness as a by-product of the game's non-linear narrative.
However, as players are made aware of the sequential events in the story, it becomes harder to justify this romance. Oswald saw Gwendolyn sleeping and fell in love with her beauty, and Gwendolyn is smitten by how much the mysterious Shadow Knight dotes over her. Even with the game's fairytale inspirations, this romance is bare bones and hard to get invested in, especially with so many other subplots running in the background.
Lucas Kane & Carla Valenti (Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy)
Wooden Animations Make It Unintentionally Hilarious
Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered
- Released
- January 28, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M // Violence, Blood, Sexual Content, Nudity, Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
Indigo Prophecy is what put David Cage's narrative offerings on the map, with players loving this supernatural murder mystery that's as intense as they come. Players control three characters, two of whom can engage in romantic relations, if they wish.
However, not only does this feel completely forced, but the dated character models make their romance even harder to digest. Instead of being professional about this investigation, Carla's character becomes a victim of the token forced romance by David Cage, which doesn't do a lot to add to the allure of an admittedly entertaining story-heavy adventure game.
Noctis Lucis Caelum & Lunafreya Nox Fleuret (Final Fantasy 15)
The Characters Barely Interact Before Their Love Story Is Cut Off
Final Fantasy 15
- Released
- November 9, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Language, Mild Blood, Partial Nudity, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
It speaks volumes that Final Fantasy 15's bromance is way more emotional compared to the "romance" between Noctis and Lunafreya, if one can even call it that. The two were betrothed as children and spent the majority of their game communicating via letters in a game with cell phones, which struck most fans as asinine.
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The nail in this ham-fisted romance's coffin comes when Noctis and Luna meet face-to-face for the first time in ages, only for Ardyn to send a dagger through the heart of the protagonist's betrothed. It's an unearned Aerith moment that fails to elicit an emotional response from players. However, the friendship between the main cast more than makes up for it as players shed a tear at the end when this bromance is sacrificed for the greater good.
Markus & North (Detroit: Become Human)
An Android Romance Ruined By North's Murderous Nature
Detroit: Become Human
- Released
- May 25, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
Detroit: Become Human takes the cake for featuring one of the most awkward David Cage romances of all time, which says a lot given this director's infamously shoddy writing when it comes to romances. Markus is the leader of the android revolution, who can form a relationship with North that's pretty awkward in its own right.
However, it turns out that North wants the uprising to get violent and gets angry at Markus regularly for being peaceful with his rebellion. This eventually turns North into an unlikable character, and players cringe every time they kiss and hold hands, especially since Markus should ideally have no feelings for a person who goes against his ideals for a non-violent revolution.
Sonic & Princess Elise (Sonic '06)
Their Kiss Will Never Not Be Cringe-Inducing
Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
- Released
- November 14, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Platformer
The poster child of awkward romances in video games, the relationship between Sonic and Princess Elise is a major reason why players make fun of Sonic '06 over and over again. This is a huge achievement, given how the game's buggy presentation and jilted gameplay is what pops out the very moment players check this game out.
Players will always internally cringe when Elise kisses Sonic in this game, serving as the cherry on top of the most awkward gaming romance of all time. It's a moment that Sonic fans would prefer to forget, especially with the blue hedgehog's trajectory slowly rising in the modern era of gaming.
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