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Most romantic adventure game?

Total Posts: 42

Joined 2013-11-17

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Now the other category are games that actually give you some element of control over the romance. Now I agree that some of that can be creepy. Particularly games where you can pursue several romances that it feels like an easter egg hunt in order to get achievements. A lot people criticize these types of games as them feeling very calculating, since the ways to win somebody are usually:

- talk to them a lot/exhaust their dialog options and pick the right answers

- give them presents

- do quests for them

- spend time with them (particularly in time management style dating sims)

- occasionally leveling up the right stats

I’m of two minds on this. On one hand, I can see where people are coming from, on the other hand, particularly in Bioware type scenarios, where these characters are your party mates I think it makes some amount of sense that romance could bloom through you talking to them and listening to their problems and woes.

On the other hand, from a purely romance point of view, I feel for some people it probably feels a bit counter theme if you can sleep around with multiple people or leave one person for another and then just buy back their approval with presents. On the other hand, it seems kinda antithetical a lot of the time to restrict people from doing that, since usually games want to give players a sense of freedom and agency. If you present a player with a game system, whether one likes it or not, it’s gonna be a natural instinct of many players to want to game the system and see whether they can stretch it to its limits (can I sleep with all people in the same playthrough? Can I buy their approval back after insulting them?). I view those game more as the game offering you the option to have *relationships* rather than the game offering you really great romances. Similarly one could argue that the ability to stop and reload when you have messed up a dialog choice is also very counter-thematic to how romance usually works.

Then you have the genre of dating sims which have romance as the central element but imo run into the problem that they want the romance to appeal to the player rather than the player character and that different people can have vastly different tastes in what they consider sexually or romantically attractive. Blondes, brunettes, redheads? Meek? Assertive? Bubbly? Tragic? Disciplined? In that sense incidental romances have it easier. It doesn’t matter as much whether the player thinks Grace is appealing, it only matters whether the game makes a decent enough case for the idea that Gabriel thinks she’s appealing.

Anyway, because of different people having different tastes those games can often feel a bit shallow and maybe even immature, built around the a harem fantasy where the player can pick relationships from a pool of potential mates. Maybe the fact that the game feels pretty transparent about wanting to serve the player his or her perfect romance makes it feel less appealing? That doesn’t have to mean that those games are devoid of any appealing qualities. I’m guessing at best they are like a collection of separate romance themed short stories. And I have seen some let’s plays that at least offered some interesting situations. Such as for example a dialog choice where it was very oblique which choice would help you and which one would harm you.

Lastly, I think it’s very interesting that the theme least explored in games in this context are actually established relationships. I once read somebody asking for a game where a couple experiences strain and works on their problem and I couldn’t really think of any. If there is romance, it usually seems to be about the start of a romance or at most of a previously established couple working together on a case/puzzle. (though there have been some games recently which deal with the idea of balancing work versus family, such as the game The Novelist) I have no clear theory on why that is the case. Maybe because relationship troubles aren’t a very pleasant and appealing topic or because they think most of their target audience is younger and hence less likely to have a lot of experience with relationships.

On the other hand, it has to be said that in (romantic) movies and books the books the number of stories dealing with the beginning of a relationship probably outnumber the ones about established relationships. It’s really mostly tv shows that have to deal with this problem since everything in a tv show has to be stretched across a longer period of time.

     
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Not sure if it came across from my posts but I do enjoy the basic incidental romances like in GK for example. I also don’t really think it’s bad that those games that allow you to court several people are not the greatest love stories of all time. Basically in games I’d like to have more relationships of any kind. Sexuality is hardly ever explored (apart from the giggles in games like Larry) and honestly I wouldn’t mind if there were more games revolving around friendship or love between relatives and such but I think romantic and sexual feelings are still the most underused of these all.

Going back to the games where the mechanics allow you to court several people and how some people complain about this. I never personally got it. Especially if you are not forced to do it. Why not stay in your one monogamic relationship if you prefer it so? There was a debate about the sex scene in Heavy Rain too and I just can’t see it being problematic just because some people feel that it doesn’t fit. They can choose not to make an initiative, why deny it from others that feel like it’s something they would do or they feel the character in game would do?

People can critisize the scene though and that is probably one of the (main) reasons so many games steer away from romance and sex. How to implement it so that it’s not cheesy, embarrasing or perhaps even gross?

On the issue of established romances, they just are not considered to be as interesting. That’s why in romantic tv shows there’s rarely a couple that stays together for very long. It doesn’t mean that it couldn’t be interesting though, it just takes some extra effort. It’s much easier to just have the budding love triangle with the bad boy and the nice guy (swap sexes if you like) than to actually think about engaging issues to be solved in a stable relationship.

     

Currently Playing: Dragon Age Origins: Awakening
Recently Played: Red Embrace: Hollywood, Dorfromantik, Heirs & Graces, AI: The Somnium Files, PRICE, Frostpunk, The Shapeshifting Detective (CPT), Disco Elysium, Dream Daddy, Four Last Things, Jenny LeClue - Detectivu, The Signifier

Total Posts: 42

Joined 2013-11-17

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millenia - 17 March 2014 02:28 PM

Basically in games I’d like to have more relationships of any kind. Sexuality is hardly ever explored (apart from the giggles in games like Larry) and honestly I wouldn’t mind if there were more games revolving around friendship or love between relatives and such but I think romantic and sexual feelings are still the most underused of these all.

I feel the same way.

As for games with a courting mechanic. I find those absolutely ok. Take something like Skyrim. The “romances” there you can enter in are completely shallow. Nobody would ever accuse them of being very romantic at all. But to me it still makes sense for them to be there. Skyrim is to some extent a “life simulator” where you can run around, have a lot of freedom in what guild you want to join, etc. Relationships are a part of life so it makes sense to me that games that try to offer a relatively complete depiction of life would feature this aspect, even if it varies greatly on how much depth these mechanics have. To me they still serve in making the experience slightly more complete, they offer additional options.

But I would say just because relationships are featured doesn’t necessarily make the game or the siutations very romantic. Like in the case of Skyrim or Fable where the interactions you can have with the chosen spouse are very limited. Or take The Sims, you can undoubtedly tell great soap operas with The Sims, but does that mean that the game is very romantic?

As for mechanics making games unromantic. I guess I do feel that way, even if those mechanics are optional. Take Dragon Age for example you can romance Alistair and Lilliana at the same time. The game put in some contingencies such as that if you flirt with both eventually they will talk to you and demand you make a choice. You can also start a relationship with one, then change your mind and pursue the other person and as a result the first person will be hurt and have a more negative opinion on you. But their opinion/favor can be bought back quickly through presents. This to me feels very fake and kinda makes them a lot less believable as characters and hence makes the romances a lot less believable to me. (yes even if I could choose to always just pursue one person, it’s still a “man behind the curtain” situation, where you can see the strings behind the characters)

On the other hand, because this is part of gameplay, and because they attached things like concrete values to these things (you have to reach 80% of fondness and then the character will sleep with you and consider the two of you to be in a relationship) and because even gameplay benefits are attached to these things you almost have to give the player a way to gamble the system so the players who don’t really care about the romances emotionally are covered as well.

On the issue of established romances, they just are not considered to be as interesting. That’s why in romantic tv shows there’s rarely a couple that stays together for very long. It doesn’t mean that it couldn’t be interesting though, it just takes some extra effort. It’s much easier to just have the budding love triangle with the bad boy and the nice guy (swap sexes if you like) than to actually think about engaging issues to be solved in a stable relationship.

It’s something that popped into my mind because on one hand you have a lot more games trying to explore various emotional states and on the other hand I wonder if something like a relationship crisis wouldn’t actually make for interesting game mechanics. Kind of like there’s the expression that when things are bad it’s like walking through a minefield etc.

     

Total Posts: 42

Joined 2013-11-17

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BTW, here are two articles that I found interesting about female developers struggling with the idea of making romantic and/or sexy games and how to “gamify” sex and relationships:

http://gamesauce.org/news/2013/12/16/everlove-rose-a-formula-for-romance/

http://www.dealspwn.com/seduce-me-interview-125959

(the first game is a mobile title that apparently went with a system where you spend time with characters and pick dialog choices that will raise your stats with them, the other tried to combine card games as a way to level up the relationships in order to eventually receive sexy pictures)

But like I said, I don’t think that you have to gamify relationships, I think incidental romances/romances that take place between supporting characters/romances that are part of the plot and the characters without the player being asked for permission are completely fine as well.

     
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Joined 2004-01-18

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Seduce Me doesn’t sound any worse than the Larry games, but it depoends how explicit they get, however it’s certainly not a romance game.

     

An adventure game is nothing more than a good story set with engaging puzzles that fit seamlessly in with the story and the characters, and looks and sounds beautiful.
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Total Posts: 42

Joined 2013-11-17

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I don’t think it’s romantic either, but it was still interesting to read that apparently the creator put a surprising amount of thought into what mechanics to go with to simulate seduction (probably more than necessary since I don’t think that it paid off at all). I don’t think that it’s that far away thematically, if you consider things like God of War supposedly having a quick time focused sex scene. (sounds pretty cringeworthy if you ask me)

@millenia: I’d be curious to hear your take on how Casual games do romance if you ever find the time to look at one (most are extremely easy where the puzzles are concerned and can be knocked out in 2-3 hours).

     

Total Posts: 4

Joined 2010-08-09

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You people are all crazy.

Clearly the MOST ROMANTIC GAME OF ALL TIME is ... Gone Home!!!

I know this to be true because The New York Times says so.

It’s also the greatest game of all time, and the greatest non-game of all time, and the greatest story of all time, and the greatest ... well, just the greatest.

     
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Total Posts: 3933

Joined 2011-03-14

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thalolli - 17 March 2014 04:12 PM

It’s something that popped into my mind because on one hand you have a lot more games trying to explore various emotional states and on the other hand I wonder if something like a relationship crisis wouldn’t actually make for interesting game mechanics. Kind of like there’s the expression that when things are bad it’s like walking through a minefield etc.

A game about an established relationship in a crisis - Walking through a minefield?
That kind of reminds me of the game Serena.

     

You have to play the game, to find out why you are playing the game! - eXistenZ

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Total Posts: 1555

Joined 2005-12-06

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Bumping the great thread with the link Shnubble posted on the Gabriel Knight remake thread: WRITING HOT MEN FOR GAMES? Yes, please.

Jensen points out many good things about making a sexy and/or romantic relationship exciting in a game (or in another media too).

She points out a few things that are commonly used in romantic entertainment:
- The guy without a family
- The damaged hero
- Boy-gets-girl-boy-loses-girl-boy-gets-girl
- The big misunderstanding
- Enemies forced together

I personally love the two last choices, even if they are just cheap tricks, I just completely fall for them every time. I’m often fond of the damaged hero too, all those silly gothic tales are just for me.

She also talks about unreleased sexual tension that merits an acronym on its own. So UST is one of the things that make a romantic relationship really interesting, and that is one of the reasons why X-Files, Moonlighting and Gabriel Knight work so well. But like Jensen said, the fans will eventually murder you if you never make it happen.

I’d love to see more games that have these elements, especially the UST. I really, really enjoyed the wonderful romantic stories in Chains of Satinav or To the Moon, but there is no real tension there, they are just beautiful tales.

I recently replayed Broken Sword and it also tries to have some tension between George and Nicole, but honestly George admitting to the near end of the game that he loves Nico, it kinda came out of nowhere. I remember feeling that the first time I played the game and I also felt it now. They really don’t do a lot together to merit “love”.

I think on Wolf Among Us there definitely is UST between Bigby and Snow, and Bigby is such a dreamy male protagonist in every way. (I might have to add that irl I don’t find werewolves or fistfights sexy.)

Always open to suggestions with games that have UST, my new favourite acronym.

     

Currently Playing: Dragon Age Origins: Awakening
Recently Played: Red Embrace: Hollywood, Dorfromantik, Heirs & Graces, AI: The Somnium Files, PRICE, Frostpunk, The Shapeshifting Detective (CPT), Disco Elysium, Dream Daddy, Four Last Things, Jenny LeClue - Detectivu, The Signifier

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Total Posts: 131

Joined 2014-04-11

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Monkey Island’s love story affected me.

     
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Total Posts: 1555

Joined 2005-12-06

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That’s true. Should make a real replay of them too. I haven’t even played Tales or the remastered versions. No idea why. Good thing you reminded me, I’ll start with a huge MI marathon once I’m done with BS.

I was thinking about trying Always Remember Me now, which is basically a visual novel/dating sim Grin.

     

Currently Playing: Dragon Age Origins: Awakening
Recently Played: Red Embrace: Hollywood, Dorfromantik, Heirs & Graces, AI: The Somnium Files, PRICE, Frostpunk, The Shapeshifting Detective (CPT), Disco Elysium, Dream Daddy, Four Last Things, Jenny LeClue - Detectivu, The Signifier

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Joined 2011-10-21

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millenia - 18 April 2014 10:53 PM

But like Jensen said, the fans will eventually murder you if you never make it happen.

They’ll probably murder you if you DO make it happen, too, though. Wink

     

The truth can’t hurt you, it’s just like the dark: it scares you witless but in time you see things clear and stark. - Elvis Costello
Maybe this time I can be strong, but since I know who I am, I’m probably wrong. Maybe this time I can go far, but thinking about where I’ve been ain’t helping me start. - Michael Kiwanuka

Total Posts: 127

Joined 2012-02-10

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The most romantic game, of course, is Hatoful Boyfriend.

But if we eliminate bizarre pigeon dating sims and stick to adventures, I’d have to say…

Pytho’s Mask, by Emily Short. Romance and intrigue and spies at a masked ball.

Necrotic Drift, by Robb Sherwin. It’s romantic in its own dark way, I think - a romance between very flawed people.

Both of these are text or text + graphic adventures. I haven’t seen a graphic adventure really handle knock this out of the park yet, though the Monkey Island games were pretty charming about it.

     
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Total Posts: 1555

Joined 2005-12-06

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Yeah I don’t mind a dating sim either but it should be good too. Always Remember Me was kinda light on story and romance, okay though. And then I’ve played some hentai games too but I’d rather not play someone that pokes everyone, their daughter and their pet dog. Something in between would be the best. Not this very distant, girlish love where you kiss once when you’re married, and not the really dirty stuff either.

     

Currently Playing: Dragon Age Origins: Awakening
Recently Played: Red Embrace: Hollywood, Dorfromantik, Heirs & Graces, AI: The Somnium Files, PRICE, Frostpunk, The Shapeshifting Detective (CPT), Disco Elysium, Dream Daddy, Four Last Things, Jenny LeClue - Detectivu, The Signifier

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Joined 2009-08-06

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Wouldn’t Grim Fandango be a contender?

     

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