Video game stories are as ubiquitous as game characters, spanning from epic adventures to mundane everyday goings-on (if you’re Goldeneye or Final Fantasy). But what makes a great video game story? How can a video game be more than just shooting, jumping, racing, or building? What makes a video game more than a game?
What Are Video Games?
Video games are electronic games involving interaction with the games’ user interface in generating visual feedback using video devices such as a computer monitor or a TV screen. The interaction can involve a game controller, joystick, mouse, or keyboard. The term can refer to either the video game software or the video game hardware, and often the two terms are used colloquially as synonyms.
Video games and romance are a match made in nerd heaven. There’s just something so enjoyable about a game that allows you to imagine yourself in a fantasy world where you can romance your favourite characters, go on adventure after adventure, and explore a city filled with unique characters and environments.
Here Are the Video Games with Love Stories
Tidus & Yuna, Final Fantasy X
Tidus and Yuna are fictional characters in the Final Fantasy video game series. Tidus, the Prince of Darkness, and Yuna, the Snow Princess, are brother and sister who have grown up in the Kingdom of Hylia. Tidus fights alongside Yuna and their kingdom’s army against a mysterious force. Together, they save their country from destruction.
Ellie & Riley, The Last of Us
The Last of Us: Left Behind was one of my favourite video games of 2018, and while I wasn’t expecting a love story between the title characters, what I got was so much more. The Last of Us: Left Behind is the only DLC released for The Last of Us, and it takes place after the main game. The epilogue focuses on Ellie and Riley, and like most great romances, this one takes time to develop.
Layton & Clair, Professor Layton, and the Unwound Future.
The Professor Layton series has always been special, but the newest version, Professor Layton and the Unwound Future takes it to the next level. Its story revolves around an enigmatic character known as Clair, who travels back in time to help Professor Layton solve puzzles and dispel myths. The puzzles themselves get more complex, and the story gets more engaging as characters from previous game series show up in Professor Layton and the Unwound Future. And for fans of the series, there’s no shortage of throwbacks to older games. Every world you visit has references to previous games, and the characters you meet have cameos from previous games.
Hero & Bianca, Dragon Quest V
The relationship between Hero and Bianca in the Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride story is even better than usual. At the same time, their personalities couldn’t be more different. They have developed such a deep love over the course of their adventure that it’s heartbreaking to see how they part ways in the end. When Hero and Bianca finally wed, you can almost feel the happiness radiating from the edges of their screen.
Jimmy Hopkins & Duncan, Bully
Jimmy Hopkins, also known as Jimmy the Kid, and Duncan, also known as Pumpkin Seed, are two video game characters who have endured abuse and neglect from their respective parents. They live in the outside world, but, for the most part, they lead happy lives. While their lives may seem simple, they are far from that. Some gamers sacrifice their personal comfort to play their favourite games, even ones they may dislike. They do it for the characters they love.
Prince & Elika, The Prince of Persia
Prince and Elika are a rare breed of video game lovers. Much like the Zelda series or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, video games with fantastic stories where good triumphs over evil are as enjoyable to today’s generation of gamers as they were to the previous generation. And nothing is more romantic than an epic love story.
Fei & Elly, Xenogears
Fei and Elly (also known as Fei Fei and Elly) are ace pilots and a mechanic duo from the 1997 RPG Xenogears. They must save the world from the long-dead (and resurrected) goddess, Niflheim, and her army of monsters. Fei, Elly, and company travel across the world by airship to attend Niflheim’s wedding, where they meet Fei’s sister, Anu. Their journey is fraught with danger, but Fei and Elly stay together through thick and thin. As they make their way to Niflheim’s wedding, Fei and Elly fall in love and must deal with their feelings for each other.
