Western developers’ products are naturally higher-profile here in the North American market, and for that reason, they are much more likely to be the subject of controversy amongst our various watchdog groups. It’s also worth noting that video game romance is handled very differently depending on the title’s country of origin. Without playing a game, there just isn’t enough information to predict whether included romance options will match with individual interests. Depending on the extent of a game’s social system, it’s uncommon to find it detailed as a feature on the packaging or in its advertising, and most critical reviews glaze over these elements to concentrate on core gameplay mechanics. While this hybridization certainly gives players more options to satisfy their specific tastes, it also makes it harder to sift through the already obscured selection of games that offer romance options. But in the last couple console generations, we’ve seen an increasing amount of genre cross-over, where RPG elements are now integrated into action games, shooters, and even sports or racing games. Either way, NPC relationships can contribute to the immersion of the overall experience, adding one more layer of gameplay depth and helping the player connect to the story and its cast in a more satisfying way.įor obvious reasons, the role-playing genre is the most common place to find dating sim elements or other social systems.

Different games choose to focus on varying degrees of “romance”, whether it’s the exchange of meaningful dialogue to develop an identifiable connection to virtual companions or a constantly teased intimacy that makes pursuing a certain character part of the game’s challenge. On the other hand, what elevates video game sensuality above other mediums is its inherent interactivity, and not every gamer is in it for sexually explicit content anyway.

ESRB ratings limit how far developers can go with adult content, and making any significant progress in a virtual relationship usually requires dozens of hours of committed gameplay. Let’s face it, video games aren’t a terribly efficient source for sexual gratification, if that’s what you’re looking for. The truth is, there are a lot of video games out there that include NPC romance, but your enjoyment of each one will entirely depend on what you expect to get out of them.

But in most cases, those searches will lead you to outdated forum posts where the OP gets bashed for their taste in games or for being some kind of pervert, and the only legitimate replies often list the same well-known releases that practically everyone has played by now. If you’re the kind of player that values romantic relationships in your video games, you’ve probably tried searching the web for titles that include a social system or even marriage mechanics.

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