Best and worst portrayal of romance you have seen in a game

[infohippie]

Worst = Elika and the prince

I have to disagree here. Did you keep playing after the credits rolled as you began to exit the temple carrying Elika's body? The final bit of gameplay when the prince undoes all the work he and Elika had done throughout the game just to bring her back really showed how much she had begun to mean to him.

My idea of the best romance in a game, though, is between the Warden and Leliana in Dragon Age.

 

[Arcane Azmadi]

Best? Uh, tough call. The Prince and Farah in PoP: Sands of Time was great (sadly not recaptured in Two Thrones) and I'm a big fan of Gwendolyn and Oswald from Odin Sphere. I also think Yuri and Alice from Shadow Hearts were awesome.

As for the worst... well, there are so many ham-fisted, badly written "romances" in gaming that it's hardly worth mentioning them.

 

[moretimethansense]

Best - Dragon age and Baldur's Gate
Worst - Qute a few but Fable probably clinches it.

EDIT

Best? Uh, tough call. The Prince and Farah in PoP: Sands of Time was great (sadly not recaptured in Two Thrones) and I'm a big fan of Gwendolyn and Oswald from Odin Sphere. I also think Yuri and Alice from Shadow Hearts were awesome.

As for the worst... well, there are so many ham-fisted, badly written "romances" in gaming that it's hardly worth mentioning them.

Ah, how did I forget about PoP?
Another suprisingly good one.

 

[Nexus4]

Any type of romance in any form of media makes me really angry for some reason. I don't know why.

Because it's either so immaculately perfect or horrendously dysfunctional you have no idea why anyone in their right mind would put them in a relationship?

 

[2xDouble]

For srs. Only a romantically impaired blockhead like Sora would go and defeat not one, but TWO universe-threatening forces to reunite with his love interest, and, when finally together again, think "for this, I shall shake your hand".

I know, right?
I mean, I get that it's Disney but... can they no longer even have kissing in their films or games anymore? >>

Spoiler: Sure they can:

As far as a "best" romance? Final Fantasy VI (many good ones in that game), and Cecil/Rosa from FFIV.

 

[Kingsnake661]

IMO, the Lunar games, both 1 and 2, had the best ones.

Esspecaially 2, it cracks me up to think about what poor Hiro goes through to try and impress his girl...

I liked KoToR 1 too, that was pretty good, and the stuff going on in FF3/FF6 was well done too.

 

[Wondermint13]

Best portrayed Romance for me was Yuna and Tidus from FFX. That scene when they were standing together in the pool will always soften me up ^^

Worst would have to be the Cao Cao, Lui Bei & Diao Chan love triangle from Kessen 2. It really didnt grip like the whole Epic War and Love tale is supposed to.

 

[Scarim Coral]

The only one I can think of are

Best
Eliwood and Ninian from Fire Emblem
Guybrush and Elaine

Worst
Merril and Ursula (It is only because they never admit their feelings for each other and for that I had no sympathy for them when I killed them. They were my enimes.)

And yes I haven't known that many games with romance and I haven't play the games mention above.

 

[ManaAdvent]

Best: I probably say Tidus and Yuna and maybe Lloyd and Collette from ToS

Worst: Hm... would Princess Elise and Sonic from 06 count?

 

[TheLazyKnight]

The best romance in any game would have to be that of Wanderer and his dead lady.
I'm being completely serious. He sacrifices himself completely to give her life.
Tears were shed my friends.

 

[zenoaugustus]

There are plenty of bad romances, but if you are saying that romance doesn't fit the genre then you are sadly mistaken. Prince of Persia: The Sands Of Time. Play it. You'll understand afterwards why romance can be a necessary bit added to a game.

 

[Telekinesis]

Worst:
JRPGs, JRPGs everywhere.

Best:
I guess Persona 3 has some solid ones that hit home hard in The Answer. Same for Persona 4.
Shadow of the Colossus gets a nod for not having a single line of dialogue between the lovers, but the extreme to which he goes to resurrect her is pretty moving. Ico also has this cute charm to it, if they are lovers that is.
And speaking of puppy love, Kingdom Hearts 1 had a very sweet relationship in SoraXKairi [and triangle with Riku I guess] and it was fucking rewarding to see Kairi reciprocate his feelings in the ending. Of course it's gone to shit in any titles past the first.

 

[northeast rower]

Best? There are a few, but they belong to the weirdest goddamn games. The Darkness had an absolutely incredible romance subplot, Dead Space 2 had two really believable romances (Isaac and Ellie, and Isaac and Nicole, if that counts), and Drake and Chloe from Uncharted 2.

Worst? Fallout New Vegas, no doubt. Nothing can happen and it makes you feel like an asshole.

 

[Xooiid]

The best romance, I'd have to say, had to be 'hard to get' Chell and GlaDOS and their strange relationship. Honestly, GlaDOS could kill Chell whenever she wanted to. The fact she let her live to escape is a sign of deep affection.

If you want traditional romance, try Ico and Yorda. Not a word between them, yet you can feel the tense times, the good times and bad...

For Bad relationships? Kratos and Athena has to be the worst 'Lifetime Movie' relationship i've ever seen. Trite, unimaginable, and Athena never gets the backbone to slap the lug around when he really needs it. Then again, there are so many bad ones out there it's hard to judge.

 

[Azex]

Best: FFVIII Squall and Rinoa + Half-Life 2 Gordon and Alex

Worst: Pretty much everything else

 

[Mehtevas]

Lili and Raz from Psychonauts.

 

[imnot]

Can I say "in before Dom and his wife"? Please?

Oh god, when she

Spoiler

died

I was like thank fucking god, he might shut up about the stupid ***** now!
How wrong I was.

 

[BreakfastMan]

Best Romances in games: Dragon Age: Orgins, Persona 4. Both featured very good romantic side plots that felt natural, not forced.

Worst: Halo. Why cannot Master Chief and Cortana just acknowledge that they love each other and get on with their lives?

EDIT: Oh, worst could also go to Peach & Mario, or Zelda and Link. Those work too.

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

Best: Nathan Drake and Elena Fisher.

Yeah, I'm a sucker for the whole Uncharted thing, and while it's all very predictable, I enjoyed that part of the game greatly.

Worst: The marriage in Fable games.

Yes, really obvious answer, but... how could you choose anything else?