# Love Scenes in Video Games **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 25, 2005, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-scenes-in-video-games/301074 "2005-04-25T21:37:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-scenes-in-video-games/301074/1 "2005-04-25T21:37:52Z")
I believe I have only seen one game with a love scene in it. That’s “Mafia” that came out roughly one-two years ago. “Custer’s Revenge” and “GTA” with the car dates not withstanding. Any other video games actually feature love/sex scenes? ---
**Author:** ![Hamish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Hamish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamish)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-scenes-in-video-games/301074/2 "2005-04-25T22:13:18Z")
They’re a frequent feature in plot-driven RPGs. I like the dating options in **Final Fantasy VII** – you can date one of three girls or a guy – but then I’m a well-known fanatic for that game. Japanese video games often have a romantic subplot, and I’ve heard there are actual dating-simulators in Japan (I don’t think any have made it out here, yet). The \*\*Gabriel Knight \*\* games, especially the third, feature the increasingly tangled, increasingly romantic, relationship of Gabriel and his assistant Grace. And some other Sierra games involve love and/or marriage (a few of the **King’s Quests** , the last **Quest for Glory** , etc…) ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-scenes-in-video-games/301074/3 "2005-04-25T22:19:30Z")
> [@Push You Down](#): > > “Custer’s Revenge” and “GTA” with the car dates not withstanding. “Custer’s Revenge” doesn’t count?! What, just because it was an Atari 2600 game, with the kind of resolution you’d expect for an Atari 2600 game? They had to censor the 2-pixel-thick vaguely-penis-looking thing sticking out of Custer for the magazine ads, you know. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-scenes-in-video-games/301074/4 "2005-04-25T22:25:57Z")
These days, it’s refreshing to see a console RPG that _doesn’t_ have a love story as one of its major subplots. ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-scenes-in-video-games/301074/5 "2005-04-25T23:04:32Z")
> [@Push You Down](#): > > I believe I have only seen one game with a love scene in it. That’s “Mafia” that came out roughly one-two years ago. > > “Custer’s Revenge” and “GTA” with the car dates not withstanding. > > Any other video games actually feature love/sex scenes? Metel Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Two, actually. They tease you with it all the way through the game. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-scenes-in-video-games/301074/6 "2005-04-25T23:08:00Z")
Errr… Leisure Suit Larry? ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-scenes-in-video-games/301074/7 "2005-04-25T23:14:55Z")
Welllll…How about in “Donkey Kong” or “Super Mario Brothers” (1) after rescuing the Princess from Kong / the Dragon? A Heart appears between Mario & the Princess, and (IIRC) the words “My hero” appear onscreen. ---
**Author:** ![emekthian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecae2f/32.png) [@emekthian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emekthian)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-scenes-in-video-games/301074/8 "2005-04-26T00:06:11Z")
[QUOTE=Hamish] I like the dating options in **Final Fantasy VII** – you can date one of three girls or a guy – but then I’m a well-known fanatic for that game. Japanese video games often have a romantic subplot, and I’ve heard there are actual dating-simulators in Japan (I don’t think any have made it out here, yet). /QUOTE] Which guy? ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-scenes-in-video-games/301074/9 "2005-04-26T00:10:00Z")
Pretty much the entire Harvest Moon series. Heh. You play a farmer, and one of your goals (sometimes your major goal) is to seduce a woman from town, and in recent years, to have kids. I suppose The Sims (1 & 2) goes without saying. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-scenes-in-video-games/301074/10 "2005-04-26T00:11:24Z")
> [@emekthian](#): > > > [@Hamish](#): > > > > I like the dating options in **Final Fantasy VII** – you can date one of three girls or a guy – but then I’m a well-known fanatic for that game. Japanese video games often have a romantic subplot, and I’ve heard there are actual dating-simulators in Japan (I don’t think any have made it out here, yet). > > Which guy? Barret. The ‘date’ doesn’t go well, because he ends up accusing Cloud of having bad intentions concerning Marlene. To get that one, you need to be nice to Marlene and treat both Tifa and Aeris crappily. I’ve never actually managed to get the Yuffie date. I’m ticked about that. And since my ex has my copy, I can’t try again. Final Fantasy X has a really neat love scene between Yuna and Tidus. And, yes, there are dating sims in Japan. The only one I’ve seen officially translated is also a hentai game (True Love), although most are more innocent. You might score with the girl, but that won’t be shown on screen. ---
**Author:** ![Sweetums](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Sweetums](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweetums)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-scenes-in-video-games/301074/11 "2005-04-26T00:16:31Z")
I kind of like the romance subplots in _Baldar’s Gate, Shadows of Ahm._ The fact that the possable romance characters were so different, as well as the plots and quests attached to each, increased the replayablility of the game for me. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-scenes-in-video-games/301074/12 "2005-04-26T00:57:44Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > Barret. > > The ‘date’ doesn’t go well, because he ends up accusing Cloud of having bad intentions concerning Marlene. To get that one, you need to be nice to Marlene and treat both Tifa and Aeris crappily. > > I’ve never actually managed to get the Yuffie date. I’m ticked about that. And since my ex has my copy, I can’t try again. > > Final Fantasy X has a really neat love scene between Yuna and Tidus. > > And, yes, there are dating sims in Japan. The only one I’ve seen officially translated is also a hentai game (True Love), although most are more innocent. You might score with the girl, but that won’t be shown on screen. I’ve never managed to get the Yuffie or the Barret date. The FFX love scene is about the best I’ve ever seen. Even the horrid voice acting didn’t get in the way, for once. All the FFs from IVj on have love scenes in them, with the possible exception of FFIX. I never played that game very much, couldn’t stand it, so all I know is that the hero brushed the princess’s butt with his hand and noted that it was soft. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-scenes-in-video-games/301074/13 "2005-04-26T01:01:53Z")
Do you mean “love scene” as in “your character has sex” or as in “you **see** your character have sex?” In Baldur’s Gate 2, your loved one will ask you to sleep with him/her, then it fades to black and the usual “sleep time” screen. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-scenes-in-video-games/301074/14 "2005-04-26T01:03:17Z")
> [@Ferret Herder](#): > > Do you mean “love scene” as in “your character has sex” or as in “you **see** your character have sex?” > > In Baldur’s Gate 2, your loved one will ask you to sleep with him/her, then it fades to black and the usual “sleep time” screen. D’oh, I missed **Sweetums** ’ post on the topic. The expansion, Throne of Bhaal, extends the romances as well. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-scenes-in-video-games/301074/15 "2005-04-26T01:14:52Z")
> [@Lynn Bodoni](#): > > I’ve never managed to get the Yuffie or the Barret date. I had to use a dating walkthrough to get Barret. It’s worth the effort to do it. I never managed to get Yuffie on time when I wasn’t angling for one of the other dates, unfortunately. Zidane and Garnet’s relationship seems more-or-less innocent. The few times they have any time alone, they just talk and there’s no particular indication they did anything more when the scene cut. Although Freja and Ratley got some on-screen snuggle time, and Steiner and Beatrix almost definitely had some fun off screen. And, yeah, the one in X is absolutely gorgeous. ---
**Author:** ![pasunejen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@pasunejen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pasunejen)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-scenes-in-video-games/301074/16 "2005-04-26T02:18:39Z")
Speaking of Final Fantasy love scenes–there was one between Squall and Rinoa in FF VIII that was all kinds of painful to sit through. After the whole deal in space. Ugh. (At least, I seem to remember there was. It’s been a long time.) ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-scenes-in-video-games/301074/17 "2005-04-26T04:29:29Z")
In \*\* Golgo 13 \*\* for the NES, you get it on, James Bond style, with the female agents in the cities you visit. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-scenes-in-video-games/301074/18 "2005-04-26T04:41:03Z")
What are we considering a “love scene”? By the loosest definitions, there are a great many video games with love scenes. Does it count if we see folks kissing on screen? How about when the princess runs to the hero, a heart appears, and the curtains go down? What if there’s a wedding, or if sex or love or marriage is implied but never stated? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-scenes-in-video-games/301074/19 "2005-04-26T04:53:10Z")
> [@Ferret Herder](#): > > Do you mean “love scene” as in “your character has sex” or as in “you **see** your character have sex?” > > In Baldur’s Gate 2, your loved one will ask you to sleep with him/her, then it fades to black and the usual “sleep time” screen. There’s a similar fade-out in _Neverwinter Nights_ if you pay for one of the girls at the Moonstone Mask. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-scenes-in-video-games/301074/20 "2005-04-26T05:27:17Z")
Fallout 2 has a bit of sex in it, and you can even be married(as in the shotgun kind). There’s also a cute ending if you knock up the wife of a crime boss, it’ll mention that his “son” spends much of his time exploring the wilderness, just like that mysterious stranger who came to town the year he was born. Adventure games often have love scenes in them. The Last Express is a great example. The Later space quest games also had romatic subplots, partially because of a temporal incursion in SQ4. The Wing Commader games had romantic subplots. In Wing Commander 3, you spent much of the game flirting with two different women, and at one point near the the end, they both get into the elevator with you. THe one you talk to determines the one you choose, and of course, the other one will hate you. What really sucks is that one is a wingman and the other is your mechanic. So the one you snub threatens to not watch your back or not take as much care of your plane. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/love-scenes-in-video-games/301074.md?page=2)