RPG with a romantic line. Romantic Relationships in (Non-Romantic) Games: Linear Plots

We present to your attention a new issue of the monthly TOP-10 rating from the users of the site site. In February, we tried to compile the top ten most interesting and memorable love stories from games. Ten is ready, and now we are ready to present you the results. Start debriefing!

Prince and Princess Farah from the Prince of Persia series (315 votes)

In tenth place we have an unforgettable couple from the series about the Prince of Persia: in fact, the prince himself and the Indian princess Farah. These two heroes you should know for sure. As is usually the case, at first they did not trust each other at all. But then, when they went through a whole bunch of different troubles together, everything really started spinning. Their story was really beautiful, but, unfortunately, it took only tenth place in our voting. Apparently, the results were influenced by the fact that the games from the series came out relatively long ago.

Jackie and Jenny from The Darkness (330 votes)

In ninth place is a short but memorable love story of heroes from. The protagonist, the nephew of a mafia boss, was very fond of his girlfriend Jenny, whom they had known since childhood. But gangster life is not sugar at all. The hero's uncle suspected him of treason, and as a result, Jenny was shot right in front of the hero. Unable to bear it, he commits suicide. In other cases, everything would have ended here, but in The Darkness, this is just the beginning. The story of Jackie and Jenny, as we said, was short but strong. Even now it breaks through a tear!

Mario and Princess Peach from the Mario series (380 votes)

In eighth place - one of the oldest and longest love stories in games in principle. Everyone knows these heroes. Well, really, no one needs to be told about Mario and Princess Peach, right? The mustachioed plumber has been saving her for decades. It is generally accepted that he does this not just because he is very kind - in addition, Mario fell in love corny. Well, who doesn't! It is not known how long this couple will last, but we think that it will be quite a long time.

Max and Chloe from Life is Strange (449 votes)

Yes, yes, in seventh place we have two girls: Max and Chloe from the recent one. At first we doubted whether it was worth including them in this rating, but there were too many applicants. You can argue endlessly whether they love each other or is it just such a friendship, but in the game you can at least see a kiss. We are absolutely sure that all this is not without reason. In the end, the whole game revolves around the relationship between the heroines, and is remembered primarily for this. We will not spoil, but simply say that if you have not played Life is Strange yet, be sure to do it. A good thing, and a well-deserved seventh place!

Ezio and Christina from Assassin's Creed (549 votes)

Sixth place went to the long and complicated relationship between Ezio and Christina from Assassin's Creed. The heroes fell in love with each other in their youth, but they could not legally be together, so they simply hid. Of course, this could not last forever, and after the separation, Christina married a completely different person. However, this did not stop her from loving Ezio and, years later, from thinking that things could have been different. In short, a classic. This love line was superbly crafted: true romance! It is not surprising that she managed to get into our rating.

Gray Warden and Morrigan from Dragon Age (653 votes)

In fifth place we have the love story of the Gray Warden and the Morrigan. You know that no BioWare game is complete without romance. Morrigan is an impregnable and self-sufficient woman, but even to her heart you can pick up your key. Just be brave and determined, and don't forget to give her all sorts of tsatski. If everything goes well, you will even see the bed scene, for which we once received a fat strike on YouTube.

Jim Raynor and Sarah Kerrigan from StarCraft (858 votes)

In fourth place was the love story of Jim Raynor and Sarah Kerrigan from the StarCraft series. An excellent indicator, especially for a strategy. In this genre, priorities are usually given to completely different things. It's possible Raynor and Kerrigan would have been great in some other life, but that just doesn't happen in the StarCraft universe. Kerrigan turned into the queen of the zerg, but Raynor ... In general, his life is also not easy. Both heroes are real gaming icons, so it's not surprising that they are in our ranking.

Max Payne and Mona Sax from Max Payne 2 (918 votes)

The first three are opened by the story of Max Payne and Mona Sax. We, in truth, thought that according to the results of the vote, this couple would take first place. Probably everyone knows their sad story. Here you have noir, and constant rain, and unexpected plot twists - in general, everything is very cool. True, not for long. If you like gloomy plots, violin howls, harsh monologues and femme fatales, then you are just in. Everything's there. Very good third place.

Shepard and Liara from the Mass Effect series (1104 votes)

Shepard climbed into second place again! In the Mass Effect series, it was possible to romance everyone, but for some reason, Liara was the most voted romance. You probably remember her: this is a blue alien with a difficult fate, who appears in all parts of the series and plays an important role there. In principle, such a number of votes for Liara is quite understandable. In the end, this character in the series is worked out much better than others, which is why it is doubly interesting to twist tricks with her. Or even triple. But in the first place, Shepard and Liara somehow disliked.

Geralt and Triss from The Witcher series (2694 votes)

The eternal dispute about who is cooler: Triss or Yeniffer, was decided in our rating. As a result, it was officially recognized by a majority of votes that the red-haired sorceress suits Geralt much better. Together they took first place, moreover, by a huge margin. Well, the new time has new heroes! In fairness, it should be noted that in games about the witcher, the love story of Geralt and Triss is really beaten just fine. These are real, living characters who behave like normal people. We don’t even know what else to add - this whole topic has already been covered up and down. If you played the third one, admit who you chose there in the comments.

The topic of the next ranking is "Games you replay most often." Our forum is already open, in which anyone can offer their options for subsequent voting. Come and take part in the formation of the rating!

Here is a translation of Alexander Frid's article "Writing Romance in (non-Romance) Games: Linear Romances" (the first of two). The author is a game designer, writes novels and comics. By the way, he is currently working on the Rogue One novelization, and his track record includes the position of lead screenwriter at BioWare (projects Star Wars: The Old Republic And Shadow Realms).

Few notes:

• The lack of a unified terminology in game design is in some way a fact, therefore, where it seemed necessary to me, links to the sources of words are indicated. Separately, in terms of narrative design terms, there is a good translation of an article by Thomas Grip.
• Links to other articles from Frid's blog have been saved.
• The choice of pictures is on the conscience of the author of the article; I just put on them links to the games themselves for the curious.
• The article itself is somewhat chaotic, but I think it will be useful for those interested in game scripting.

Oh, this romance!

Love lines have always been difficult to describe. In terms of their relevance to linear media, just think how many otherwise great films and novels have suffered from a weak, weak, or even over-the-top romantic element? Throw in the difficulty of implementing an interactive narrative, and it's no surprise that romance is constantly in trouble.

But all this is no reason to abandon romantic storylines in general, and it is obvious that a real gold mine is hidden here. So what should we, as game writers, think about when we introduce an element of romance into projects? What pitfalls await us, and what specific problems of games will have to be solved?

I'm going to split this into at least two parts: first I'll analyze games with a non-branching plot, and in the next article I'll focus on the love line in a branching narrative (maybe I'll dwell on some more points in between). However, before we get into all that, let's clarify the context a bit...

I didn't notice the elephant

Namely, we are interested in games, focusing on non-romance. Many of the tips below don't apply if you're writing an adventure game with a story about the development of a specific romantic relationship, a party planner sim where pairing is the main mechanic, a dating sim, or any other game where removing the love line will take away a significant part of the rest of the plot and leave you almost no gameplay. True, many tips can still be useful in such cases - just make sure you consider everything in the right context.

I also assume that you want to see romance as a meaningful and well-crafted part of the narrative (and if your intended love line is tantamount to the relationship between Mario and Princess Peach, my advice is unlikely to be useful to you). And you also need to be able to describe something romantic in more traditional formats. If you still don't know how to solve basic problems - how to set the pace for a relationship, how to endow a romantic interest with an attractive and compelling character, how to create a romantic dialogue, how to avoid gender stereotypes, and so on - then this article will not help you. We will only consider romantic relationships between the player character and NPCs. If you're thinking about how to vividly show romantic relationships between NPCs, then it's a worthy task, but its solution is different from finding ways to make the player empathize any the relationship of two NPCs - because the player looks at all romantic relationships with his own eyes. The main thing is how these relationships relate to the protagonist. Perhaps this is worthy of a separate article.

We will not go into detail about the audio, visual or technical aspects of the realization of romantic relationships in the narrative, although we will touch on all this in several places. This is also an interesting topic to discuss (you could easily write an article or two about character design as romantic objects - both for the players and their characters, and so on), but not today.

We won't talk specifically about sex. Since we're not interested in games focused on delivering love lines, and since you're supposed to be good at writing and have good taste, delivering sex scenes should be the easiest part compared to everything else.

We we will talk about romantic storylines of all stripes - not just "fantasy" love. Delicate, complex, and even hurtful relationships are all great additions to good storytelling, and we'll highlight a few issues that are common in unhealthy or just not super positive love relationships.

The main idea, to which we will return again and again, is - use romance as you would any other important topic within a larger narrative. The difference between incorporating romance elements and incorporating horror elements into your military shooter isn't all that significant. Yet players expect a lot from romantic relationships, and react strongly to them, which raises the stakes - and the likelihood of derailing the entire narrative.

Non-branching games

Note that I use the word "non-branching" instead of "linear" to include, for example, open-world games that do not have branching storylines. It can be argued whether Assassin's Creed or Grand Theft Auto games with a linear story, but if they do not have many different storylines, they are games with a non-branching story.

In the world of AAA games, non-branching plots have a very bad reputation for portraying romance. Too often, the entire love line is reduced to "you killed my dog" or a hackneyed "must-have romantic Hollywood plot", and none of this adds realism to what is happening or depth to the character of the characters. These are not approaches that are easy to get rid of with just a mental effort, but let's assume that you still have ambitions and you tried to avoid all this.

But let's get down to business.

Make Sure It's a Good Idea

It's one thing to make me (as a player) decide whether I like or hate an NPC, but it's quite another (and much harder) to make me feel the attraction to someone (assuming I'm generally attracted to people of the same gender as this NPC). My ability to empathize with the protagonist's relationship, and my ability to enjoy the presentation of a relationship from an exciting drama (for example, when reading a book or watching a movie) is less important in the game than my ability to inhabit the character's head.

Failing to adequately include a romantic line in the plot - and you risk that the player will be disappointed and distance himself from his character. “Why is this,” our hypothetical player asks, “ my does the character spend that much time chasing this guy who is definitely terrible (or just not my type)? I do not want to do this. I want to shoot aliens again."

If you think adding a relationship element to your story is worth the risk, there are ways to avoid or at least mitigate such issues. However, you do not need to use All the tools below. Most likely you don't want to. But each separately is a way to smooth out such situations.

Create a strong personality for the player character

And make sure the player character's personality doesn't just look good on paper, try to make the details as clear as possible! That is, players will be less resistant to a love interest for a player character like Nathan Drake (a person with a well-defined character) than for a character like Gordon Freeman (silent and self-projected by the player). However, the truly vague or passive protagonists will be discussed in the "Follow the One-Way Road Principle" section below.

The more authorities the player feels about his character (and, by extension, about his romantic relationship), the more likely he will be unhappy at those moments when the romantic relationship develops without his control (“He doesn’t even tell me like Why are we kissing? Of course, there is a downside to reducing this power. Authority is a powerful and valuable tool for enhancing player engagement. When changing something, make sure that the game is worth the candle.

Create a Strong Personality for Your Romantic Interest

You may not be able to create an emotional connection between the player and their character, but at least you can hook the player on an intellectual level (which in turn can lead to audience liking for the protagonist - something that can be found in traditional art forms). This works well for difficult or doomed relationships as well - if the attraction is obvious and convincing, the player will be more likely to agree with the plot than to be disappointed in it.

How to arrange all this in practice? Great dialogue will help. If good-natured jokes look funny and easy to read when the conversation is between the player character and their romantic interest rather than between someone else, or if the player character and their crush share special interests that no one else has, that's a good place to start. Don't rely on looks, or some vaguely charismatic "feel" or mystique - unless you can look at the dialogue and end up saying, "Yeah, I personally don't like that choice, but it definitely suits the hero! You haven't tried hard enough.

Make the love line part of the background of the story

It is worth noting that this is not a reason not to do the preparatory work. You still need to convince the player that these characters really are perfect for each other. This method just makes the process of persuasion a little easier.

Make the love line attractive and enjoyable

This is where many games have failed, presenting would-be lovers as tragically separated, or making relationships extremely difficult, and even under stressful, tense conditions. This will not make the player feel positive about the love line as it is - at best, he will only want to ease the pain of the character. If your goal is to make me want romance, make it something worth wanting.

There is talk of "bad" romantic relationships, this method has its limitations. When a relationship has major flaws and is doomed from the start, you can't make it for real desired. But it can play an important role in highlighting the positive side of the situation. A bad relationship without any compensatory features is not very believable or interesting.

Make your romantic interest someone you can't help but love

The problem with this approach is that you end up with a character that isn't particularly interesting, and you've unwittingly given up on much of the potential to create great emotional drama. You're giving the player cotton candy, which is rarely good for a story that makes sense.

I won't lie: people love sweets. But you are better than that, right?

Don't make the love line an obstacle

Anxiety, no matter how significant it is outside the game, is another obstacle. Also, it's hard to deliver it properly - and it's extremely hard to get the player and character to pine for NPCs or suffer the loss of loved ones together. And it's not easy to give the player the opportunity do a lot in such cases. Games are an active experience, and as long as the emotionally distressed player characters are generally okay, you can easily find something to keep the player busy, show them which direction to go.

I don't want to say that you never you will not be able to present a love line as an obstacle. But it works best when the player is already bought into the idea. If I have to go out of my way to save my romantic interest, it's worth making sure I'm really interested in this character. And it's not so much about the player's character, but about the player himself.

Integrate the love line into the gameplay

However, "integration" and "impact" can mean many things. Is the player character's romantic interest a helpful helper whose presence is pleasant and logical throughout the game? Is the character's passion a voice giving advice or instructions? A funny opponent to fight? Do the various levels of gameplay show aspects of the romantic interest's soul? The "relationship mechanic" is built into the gameplay, and the more certain actions the player does (protecting his assistant who is also the object of romantic interest, picking flowers, etc.), the stronger the relationship becomes and the more bonuses the player character receives?

Be very careful when using romance as a contrast to the game's main story, and end up treating romance as a passive game experience that the player accesses between "real" parts of the game. Try not to make a speed bump out of romance. If you want my hard nut player to return to his spouse between missions, don't make it a passive cutscene - find a way to engage the player and make the experience consistent with the rest of the game.

Follow the principle of a one-way road

Of course, you will need to explain why the player character does not respond to these feelings (does not accept or reject them). Silent protagonists in subtle relationships are fine, but for more active characters you may need to put up a real barrier to communication (the relationship is literally one-way, and the romantic interest can talk to the player character, but not vice versa).

As mentioned, you need to be really careful to avoid feeling creepy when using this method. For this reason, I strongly advise against trying to reverse the situation - an adoring player character and a passive/silent/dead romantic interest will most likely lead to feelings of painful dominance.

Make you feel the absence of a romantic interest

Assuming that romantic relationships are presented in a positive way, then emphasize the positive aspects when the object of romantic interest is present, and the negative ones when it is absent. For example, if I have a companion who is a romantic interest and the relationship is one of excitement and competition, make sure the missions I complete with that companion feel incredibly exciting and generally better, and those without him somehow dull, the character feels lonely or forced to act cautiously. Make sure that many of the best moments (however you define the word “best”) happened with the object of romantic interest, so that I will always want to return to him or her. You don't want the player character to mope alone - if the rest of the time the joy of being in an active relationship is strong enough, then the player will figure it out for himself.

If the relationship is extremely painful, go in the opposite direction: no matter how good life becomes in the presence of a romantic interest, I should feel better when this character is not around.

Relationships are what you show

Remember that plausibility is not a panacea

If you are trying to create a "bad" relationship, be careful not to reduce everything to irritation. You probably want the player to suffer, not being sure if he wants to be in this relationship to the end. In this case, you will most likely still need to emphasize the positive aspects of the situation so that they prevail over the negative ones (both in the relationship in general and in the object of romantic interest) - because, unlike in real life, relationships in the game “turn sour” quickly . Player invested there is not much in their development - why cling to something bad?

Remember what your game is really about (not relationships)

Therefore, make sure that bringing romance into your game fits well - and is a supporting element - to the main themes. The “power of love conquers all” idea at the end of your shooter is likely not going to take off. After all, you just created 10 hours of gameplay about the power of shooting people conquering everything, and then added a side romantic plot - and you expect me as a player to be excited about this?

For whatever reason you don't include romantic relationships in your game, you need to put them in the right place in your narrative. Do not put more into this idea than it can give, and remember that the "exhaust" is determined mainly by the integration of the idea into the gameplay (as mentioned above).

Use vagueness and archetypes

The article devotes a lot of time to considering examples of a traditional love line in games with a familiar narrative flow. But there are probably many more unimagined ways of presenting the plot - maybe it’s worth trying to create something new in your project?

Finally, add a choice

After International Women's Day, it is worth remembering some very important heroes of the games.

Emily Kaldwin once hit me in the face and my orientation - it was amazing.

Since March 8! Today is the day when women are praised everywhere, even if they deserve to be praised every day. However, International Women's Day is especially important to me, and here's why:

It's been a few years since my coming out, but I will always remember this day. It puts a smile on my face to know how much I've accomplished, and it's largely thanks to video games and the ongoing development of diversity within them. We still have a long way to go, but as I wrote this, I realized that I felt happy finding myself in characters that I thought I could never find myself in. For me, playing a character that I can identify with is simply the best thing. Some may not feel this way, but I know that many people feel the same way as I do.

And that's okay. Because video games are cool and we love it when we immerse ourselves in them, so why can't we associate ourselves with something that is part of us?

So my bisexuals and lesbians, this list is for you. Here are 10 video games where you can play as gay female characters.

Well, you should have foreseen this.

Whether you enjoy playing as Guardian, Hawke, Inquisitor, or all three, every game in the Dragon Age RPG franchise allows you to portray your sexuality with proper respect. In fact, when discussing aspects such as sexual orientation or gender in video games, it's absolutely impossible not to think of this much-loved Bioware franchise.

And yes, while it's far from perfect, it's undeniable that Bioware has taken important, positive steps in ensuring representation in top-notch games. In the first game, the female Guardian doesn't have a particular orientation, and sometimes (if you can't say no to Alistair's or Leliana's puppy eyes), you could even find yourself in a love triangle between a male and female character. The ability to play as a lesbian or bisexual appears in Dragon Age 2: there you can have a romance with Isabela, Merrill, Anders and Fenris. This ability is retained in Inquisition. Throughout the franchise, this relationship hasn't been ridiculed or felt crippled, and it's a fantastic feeling—especially if you're struggling with your sexuality.

Regardless of how you feel about these games, the Dragon Age franchise continues to be great and tolerant even outside of video games (just read their comics, you'll see what I mean) and (for me personally) has helped many to better understand the issues of sexual orientation and gender.

Rest in peace, my heart.

When Riley Abel and Ellie kissed in The Last of Us' Left Behind add-on, a whole Pandora's box opened up. For some reason, many felt betrayed, others felt that Naughty Dog was trying to "please the liberal hippies", in short: it was a complete mess. Even during all these fights, I couldn't help but think that everyone just didn't get the point, even though it was right in front of their eyes.

The people were happy. The confused girls were tweeting how happy they were to see something they could relate to and it was so great to hear. Even though I didn't play The Last Of Us then, this game still influenced me in its own way. My best friend texted me at who knows what time: "Ellie kissed a girl, oh my god, Ellie kissed a girl!"

That cannot be. Well, how is it?

Amazing.

Seeing happy people you love is just some kind of euphoria that you can't get rid of. I'm so grateful that Naughty Dog created such a great character and I can't wait for Ellie's next appearance in The Last of Us 2 sequel.

Do you want to have a girl who eats rocks? Then Stardew Valley is for you.

Chucklefish were really confident in the success of this ConcernedApe farm simulator. While Stardew Valley doesn't shove the romantic aspect in your face, it's a brilliant feature that allows you to recreate yourself (or your original character, to each his own) exactly the way you imagine yourself.

Of course, you spend most of your time farming and digging in caves, but that doesn't stop you from falling in love with one of the residents living in the area. No matter what your character's orientation is, you can romance anyone and they are all touching in their own way. Abigail was my favorite.

Moreover, Stardew Valley treats these relationships with the same respect as heterosexual ones. But even if you don't fall in love with these lovely characters, the game itself is sure to win you over. Rate her!

"Gay life" as the fans would say.

Since Life is Strange came out in 2015, she has amassed a phenomenal female fanbase. I don't think there's a similar fan base (with the exception of Bioware) that's character-obsessed as much. And having played both of those games (as well as the fan-made visual novel Love is Strange), it's easy to see why.

In the original Life is Strange, you follow the life of Max Caulfield, a girl who has finally returned home to Arcadia Bay, where she discovers she has a superpower: time travel. While this is just one of the fascinating aspects of Life is Strange, the reason this game is on the list is because of Max's relationship with her best friend, Chloe Price. The opportunity to kiss Chloe appears in the second episode, where Max can also hint at her feelings for Chloe - this then continues to develop in diary entries and romantic interactions. While the ending left a bitter aftertaste, all I have to say is "bae > bay".

As for Life is Strange: Before The Storm, you play as Chloe Price, who is incredibly different from Max in many ways. What remains unchanged is that you, too, can open up to the stunning beautiful girl, Rachel Amber. Rachel reciprocates these feelings, and many other characters involved in the story mention your relationship with Rachel.

This is an incredible game. Just remember to keep a handkerchief handy.

Dishonored 2 doesn't shy away from sexual diversity.

When the Dishonored 2 trailer came out, I was pretty sure that at least 10% of the women in the world felt slightly less straight. This is great, because the main character of Dishonored 2, Emily Kaldwin, is bisexual, according to one of the game's creators, Harvey Smith. Given Emily's love letters to Wyman, a character whose gender has been purposefully left unspecified, I would argue that Emily's inclusion on this list wouldn't be too far-fetched.

But if you're nitpicking, remember this: Megan Foster, aka Billy Lurk. As you progress through the game, you will learn more and more about Billy and her mistress. Although this story has a tragic end, Billy recently appeared as the main character in the game Dishonored: Death of the Outsider.

And while Delilah isn't a playable character like Emily or Billy/Megan, we can't forget the coven of lesbian witches she has at her disposal. What a strong move.

Pyre

Pyre gives you the opportunity to date a bisexual ghost. In what other game can you find this?

If there is a game to be commended for its look at love and sexuality, it's Pyre.

Supergiant's slash RPG is a storytelling masterpiece, especially when it comes to characters you'll all love. These characters create relationships with each other, either friendly or romantic, and you can help them through certain choices you make throughout the game.

But don't worry, you don't have to be the Guru of Love for everyone else, you can help yourself in this matter too. Your character can flirt with other women in the van, such as the harpy Pamita and the demoness Jodariel. Unfortunately, this does not lead to anything, since Pamita does not take your feelings seriously, and Jodariel simply does not see herself as your companion. Sad, isn't it?

But wait, there is hope for Blind Sandra! Sandra is a ghost trapped in the Ultimate Crystal and has been around for nearly a thousand years, but she and you (the Reader) may grow closer, up to the point where Sandra confesses her fears and feelings about you leaving her. . It's heartbreaking, but the ending where you stay together more than makes up for it.

Prey

Playing as the female version of Morgan Yu, you can learn a little more about the protagonist.

One of the main concerns is the lack of diversity when it comes to people of color in video games, especially women of other races who are also part of the LGBT community. So you can imagine my surprise and glee when I found out that Morgan Yu was in a relationship with another woman. Of course, Prey isn't exactly about love and rainbows and kisses, so Morgan's relationship with chief engineer Mikhail Ilyushina isn't going well...

But even something so small can mean a lot to the right people. And it certainly meant a lot to me. So even if you're not impressed with how little LGBT content this game has, support Prey because this game deserves it.

Ciri and her bisexuality are mostly only seen in the books, but Wild Hunt also has a mention.

Ciri is a time traveler who captivated us when she first appeared in the world of The Witcher in the final game, Wild Hunt.

Since Ciri is too busy running from the Wild Hunt that is chasing her, the question of her orientation is not often raised. But if you read The Witcher's Saga by Andrzej Sapkowski, you'll find that Ciri is not indifferent to both women and men, fortunately for them. She even has a red rose tattoo just like her girlfriend Mistle. Who said romance is dead?

Although not fully mentioned in the game, there is a scene in the bathhouse where the women ask Ciri about the men. In this scene, you can say "actually, I prefer women", which will lead to interesting reactions - and they are all good. If you look closely, you can also see the rose tattoo on Ciri's thighs, showing that Mistle still means a lot to her.

I know it was too easy a choice. But would this list be complete without Overwatch?

Tracer's epic coming out in "Reflections" caused as much bullshit from fans as Ellie's kiss. But then again, who cares?

Overwatch is a shooter that is enjoyed by many gamers around the world and has a dedicated fanbase and niche in esports. With such a diverse fanbase, it would be foolish of Blizzard not to include characters that the LGBT community could bond with: that's how Tracer was born. She is the first officially announced LGBT character, but Blizzard assured that she will certainly not be the last.

Here's what I'll say: let it be Sombra.

Anyway.

Whatever you think of Andromeda, there were some great girl romances.

I still haven't quite forgiven Bioware that my Shepard wasn't allowed to have an affair with Miranda or Jack, but oh well. Probably going to have to build a relationship with Liara… Again. Unlike Dragon Age, Bioware's sci-fi drama wasn't the best when it came to lesbian/bisexual women, often laying out facts about their backgrounds (look up Azari's story and you'll understand) and then changing them up.

But, even if the original Mass Effect trilogy wasn't perfect when it came to providing options other than Liara, the Andromeda novels made up for it. The romance of Vetra Nyx, a turian mercenary, with Ryder's sister was one of my favorites - and he was without a single ! But even if you didn't really love Vetra, there were still options with asari Peebee (despite that love scene) and the weirdest girl, Suvi Anwar.

While Andromeda may have failed in many other ways, there is one romantic aspect that endures the entire 50-hour campaign, so you should definitely play this game!

As the general public probably already knows, Roskomnadzor can check for homosexual propaganda - and all because of rainbow T-shirts. Simply put, the most popular football simulator is threatened with a blow from the most powerful banhammer, which even rock-hard Pornhub could not resist. We decided to compile our own rating of games (and even franchises, so that it would be more convenient for the regulator to ban - wholesale, so to speak), which the relevant authorities should pay close attention to. And you never know what, because they promote some kind of indecency, in fact!

10 Fallout

In Fallout 2, you could sleep with the daughter of a mafia boss (both with and without protective equipment), after which half the city attacked you - bandits with Thompsons, some homeless people with clubs, dogs ... In general, everything , who is not lazy. But this is the good old heterosexual intercourse, and the ultra-violence that follows it: in other words, key elements of the gaming industry that cannot be banned. But few people know that Fallout 2 (1998 - prehistoric times!) Was almost the first game to allow same-sex marriages. Achtung!

9. Fable

Be patient: the phrase “same-sex marriage” will often appear in this rating. In the same Fable, this is a standard social activity - you can bake a bun or help a blacksmith, you can buy a mansion, and immediately after that marry a person of the same sex. Oddly enough, the feudal kingdom, instead of lifting you on a pitchfork, will only be happy. In addition, Fable has a very colorful character: Reaver. A rich industrialist, sophisticated steampunk and - judging by the wildest flirting with everything that moves - a restless bisexual.

8. The Last of Us

In the award-winning mushroom evolution simulator, there is a minor character - Bill. And there is clearly something wrong with him. As they say in the rotten west, “It’s a trap!”, and we are not talking about traps placed on the approach to the hermit’s lair. Then it turns out what exactly: Ellie finds a gay porn magazine in Bill's hiding place. By the way, about Ellie herself - for some reason she is suspected of lesbian inclinations, although the author, who has passed TLoU, still cannot understand why. UPDATE: colleagues suggested that all the sedition in the Left Behind DLC. In general, in TLoU 2 “the girl will mature”, and even more than mature - she will reach the age of 19 years. It's not just about kissing. It is better to ban in advance.

7. Skyrim

You always thought Skyrim was a gritty Nordic adventure with no place for all sorts of stuff. Say, winter, cold, lonely seas, everything seems to be made of ice, well, and further down the list. But no! And here, in the far northern province of Tamriel, the accursed liberal mores with their same-sex marriages penetrated. There are even fairly popular Skyrim message board threads on the internet, titled “how to find a male NPC to marry?”. And it is mainly NOT women who are interested in this.

6. Metal Gear Solid

It's no coincidence that we placed MGS next to Skyrim. In a spy epic dedicated to the dangers of nuclear weapons and other military experiments, it seems that there should be no place for sexual issues. However, do not forget that in Sons of Liberty and Snake Eater (2nd and 3rd parts, respectively) there were already 3 bisexuals: Vamp, Volgin and Major Raikov. Well, in MGS V, the legendary scene in the rain was not remade into anything: instead of a sexy sniper girl, both Snake and Ocelot and Kojima and Norman Reedus have already managed to visit under the jets of water. It's time to stop this nonsense.

5 Saints Row

To be honest, it's not even clear what to say here. Many played, almost everyone saw videos from this franchise. BDSM parties, kidnapping pimps, beating moths, treating a woman as an object, and a whole sea of ​​homo- and bisexual topics, obvious hints, facts and dirty jokes. It is not clear how Saints Row was published even in the thoroughly rotten, morally-lost west. Compared to Saints Row, the GTA universe is like a stern monastery, looming with mute reproach over a nearby tent of bawdy jesters and buffoons. And if GTA, on which all mortal sins are hung, can serve as an example of exemplary behavior for someone, it's time to sound the alarm.

4. The Sims

In this true life simulator (work - home, work - home, work - home ...), of course, there are same-sex relationships. And marriages. Just start them in manual mode: take one sim, take the second sim, and send them to mating. After that, the city automatically receives the status of "friendly to gays" and the NPCs themselves, without your participation, indulge in all serious. But Western critics and this is not enough! They would like same-sex relationships in The Sims to begin as naturally as heterosexual relationships, that is, without any trigger from the player.

3.Final Fantasy

Faris is a girlfriend in Final Fantasy V. Raised by pirates, she was able to rise to the rank of captain without any connections. Faris considers himself a man. The MMO Final Fantasy (part 14, A Realm Reborn) did not initially have homosexual relationships. But this was “fixed” with a special patch, and now there is same-sex marriage in this multiplayer game. And, of course, FFXV - the local too strong bromance clearly arouses suspicion. Well, we control Noctis, Ignis cooks healthy food and drives a Rolls-Royce, Gladiolus is an unsurpassed tanker. But the stupid Prompto, who can only do Instagram photos (and die first in every serious skirmish) should be thrown out, and the queen of the gas station - Cindy - should be taken in his place! But the four "friends" are strangely little interested in girls...

2Dragon Age

The Dragon Age franchise is famous for creating one of the most charismatic homosexual characters - the magician Dorian, the owner of the unique tickling mustache of an Austrian brigadier general. The world of Inquisition is not a fairy tale a la Fable for you: as soon as the adept of the mystical arts “came out of the closet”, the furious father abandoned him and threw him out of the family. Well, in vain, because Dorian could be a valuable asset (appreciate the pun) in the enemy camp, and instead the prodigal son is now fighting on the side of the righteous Inquisition. The image is developed in detail: up to the jokes of comrades-in-arms about "polishing a magic wand". The beautiful Leliana completes the picture of moral decay: she seems to be a follower of a religious cult, but at the same time bisexual. Or bisexual? How right? You are completely lost in these norms of political correctness.

1. Mass Effect

Seriously, what else did you expect to see at the top of this rating Olympus? Well, okay, even Dragon Age - it, perhaps, fits into some conditional limits of decency. Homosexuals, lesbians, bisexuals - eka unseen. This is no surprise to anyone these days. Here Mass Effect - quite another matter. Here the possibilities are much richer. Purple aliens in gas masks, blue aliens with mini-tentacle combs, traditional homo sapiens - in general, the selection of a partner or partner for every taste. It's even weird that you can't sleep with a krogan. Well, nothing, in Mass Effect: Andromeda they will definitely make same-sex novels with large-sized alien creatures, symbolizing, apparently, some analogue of the space orcs. In general, the proletarians of all planets, unite in a love impulse, regardless of the difference in anatomy! Unless, of course, the vigilant Roskomnadzor prohibits this intergalactic orgy.

One of the kindest, most pleasant and, often, the most anticipated world holidays - St. Valentine's Day - is approaching the doors of our homes. On this day, you can confess your love to one or another to whom you are not indifferent, give gifts to your halves 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 is 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 takes 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 forbidden lands and conclude an agreement with a formless person who made him destroy 16 colossi living on these very lands. Like, once they're dead, Mono will respawn. As it turned out later, it was not worth it.

Avoid spoilers.

Each ear killed brought Wonder closer to the goal, but at the same time changed him. In the end, Mono really came 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 although this love story is very cruel, it has a place to be.

Nathan Drake and Elena Fisher (Uncharted series)

Nathan Drake very often reminds us of Indiana Jones and James Bond: he is just as badass, constantly traveling and 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 Uncharted, he flirted with journalist Elena Fisher, and it seemed to many that it would all end there. At first Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Drake even meets his "past love" 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 anywhere. Elena is very selfless and very concerned about the situation in the outside world, which further inspires Drake to exploits. Actually, by the end of the second part of our hero, it was not the golden mountains that life promised him that worried 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, are and will love.

Eddie and Ophelia (Brutal Legend)

These two, having met in a relatively strange setting, 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 ... To be more precise, it is very similar to some kind of student romance, but there is also a place for conflict in their story.

After the death of Lars, the protagonist began to doubt Ophelia. She, as very often happens in real life, begins to take offense at the fact 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 thwart Eddie's mission. Of course, initially Eddie thought that this was his beloved, who had recently gone crazy and disappeared, but later it turned out that the dark entity only copied Ophelia's body, and the real one still lies in that very sea. Later, Eddie will save her and everything will be fine. Despite the rather familiar cliché about the happy ending (When everyone takes turns saving each other and generally everyone is alive / well), this love story is good enough to remind you of it.

Yuna and Tidus (Final Fantasy 10)

To be honest, the Final Fantasy series is chock-full of love stories that started right after the heroes appeared in the series (the first part, for example, 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 the ideal.

Yuna and Tidus are close throughout the game, and before the beginning of the relationship, they were just good friends. The scene in which they go to the "new level" is one of the most touching scenes not only in the game, but in the entire series. Their love seems natural even after the ridiculous twists in the story, which I won't go into. At the end Final Fantasy 10 Tidus vanishes, making her appear Final Fantasy 10-2, in which we play as Yuna: very rarely we are allowed to see the development of love relationships from the point of view of a girl, but it is in the sequel that you will see all this. Unless, of course, you want to go.

Johnny & 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 has a wedding 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 at the wedding ceremony. And they will all be fine. Moreover, on the day when, they say, 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.

Munky and Trip (Enslaved: Odyssey to the West)

The history of these two Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is unusual in the first place, as Munky was Trip's slave at the very beginning. 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 just used it, 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, 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.

Hershel and Claire (Professor Layton and the Unwound Future)

I would like to finish the 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 Herschel Layton meets the scientist Claire, who is working on a time machine with the main antagonist (she, however, does not know about it). They're doing well, and it even turns out that Layton's themed hat is 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 by this time machine 10 years ahead. After 10 years, he accidentally meets her 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 time has already come to an end. Even though he just couldn't say goodbye again and let Claire go, their love found its end. And this moment is so sad that a stingy tear itself asks to “get off the eye”.

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.