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The season of love is approaching. What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with a look at some of video gaming’s classic love interests?
Love interests in video games take many forms. Some involve heart-aching love triangles (Cloud and Geralt, looking at you). Some games give you plenty of options, whether in a potential harem situation (ahem, Persona boys), or by giving you a diverse range of love interests to choose from as you get to know them, like in Mass Effect 2 or Starfield. And, of course, some use the narrative to take your character through a twisting tale that sees you saving the world—and your special person along the way. Mario, Link, and Sora are staples of this trope.
If you want to feel loved up, in game or AFK, read all about our favourite love interests in video games. You’re bound to get tied up in a titillating pixelated romance, no matter your pick.
Chloe Price – Life Is Strange – Lauren Skinner
On the surface, Life is Strange is about superpowers. It’s about manipulating time to fix your mistakes and the impending danger of the butterfly effect. It’s about the end of the world.
These themes actually serve as a supernatural, larger-than-life backdrop to the core of the story: the relationship between Max and Chloe.
When I first played Life is Strange, this relationship was formative. There’s clearly fantastic chemistry between the two girls, who have a deep history despite not speaking for the last few years.
It’s not easy: Chloe is a tornado, ready to go out in a blaze of self-proclaimed glory and take others down with her. Will you, Max, take the blame for Chloe to protect her? Will you be peer-pressured into skipping class and helping Chloe when she refuses to help herself? Will you help her find out what happened to Rachel Amber…even if you’re jealous of their relationship?
Chloe’s not just an often selfish and brash delinquent on the brink of falling apart. She’s fiercely loyal, refusing to give up on either Max or Rachel Amber even when they abandon her when she needs them most. She loves incredibly deeply—she’s only acting out due to the death of her beloved father, and now her best friend (and likely girlfriend) Rachel is missing. She will stand up for what she believes in, and is Max’s ride or die until the very end. If you were trying to solve any kind of problem, from car troubles to solving a mystery or anything in between, you’d want Chloe on your team.
Both Max and Chloe are flawed. But Life is Strange is a powerful tale of two best friends growing up and learning that the world isn’t fair, until all they truly have is each other. Can you blame Max for sacrificing everything so she and Chloe can live happily ever after?
Shadowheart – Baldur’s Gate 3 – Sophie Jones
Baldur’s Gate 3 took everyone by storm. It’s one of the best roleplaying games I have ever played. It’s fun, inventive and has some of the best love interests around.
On my first playthrough, I only had eyes for the mysterious, moody cleric, Shadowheart. As soon as you meet her, she is sassy, aloof and to be honest not that nice. But as you go through the campaign you suddenly realise that Shadowheart is a huge softy. I also enjoyed her flirtatious banter as she played hard to get.
Due to her Cleric class, I brought Shadowheart on every quest. She was a key player in keeping everyone alive. Because of this, I learnt more about her, and I enjoyed her quips as she reacted to my character’s actions. Whenever, I left her at camp I missed her attitude and her spell, Guidance. By the end of our adventure, Shadowheart had completely opened up. Her abrupt attitude was gone and instead she was sweet, honest and herself. It was an extremely rewarding romance as all the conversations felt meaningful and evolved the relationship.
As a roleplaying game, Baldur’s Gate has a lot of choices. This means that Shadowheart’s romance can play out in several ways. If you play lawfully, the romance has a huge impact on how she changes in each act. This made her romance more than a fun dalliance and instead integral to your character’s development and narrative. It felt woven into the main plot.
Overall, this romance was fantastic. The impact of each conversation not only altered Shadowheart’s outlook, but you saw it change the main story. With over 51% of players romancing Shadowheart on their first playthrough, I am definitely not alone in the opinion, that her romance is one of the best. It also helps that she is easy on the eye and has a sultry voice.
Andrea Rhodea – Final Fantasy VII Remake – Dan Hilton
I know, this is a curveball choice! If you are familiar with FFVII Remake, then you will be aware of just how much all the women of the game swoon over Cloud. Tifa, Jessie, and Aerith are all well-known characters and all vie for Cloud’s attention in different ways. However, none of them seem to truly vibe with Cloud on his end. But there is one character that really seemed to break down Cloud’s steel demeanour. And that is Andrea.
Andrea only has a brief part in the game, but he undoubtedly has the biggest effect on Cloud. Andrea manages to not only get Cloud out of his shell by forcing him into a spontaneous dance routine, but also got Cloud feminised and into a dress. Cloud would never, ever allow anyone else to do this to him. And yet he let this complete stranger do it to him.
Andrea is so confident in himself that he manages to have an effect on people. An effect that makes them comfortable to just be themselves. And I feel like this is the kind of environment that Cloud needs after a hard life being the ‘big masculine soldier man’. He needs someone like Andrea to keep him on his toes and seems to really understands him.
Dina – The Last Of Us 2 – Andre Stern
A game about a zombie apocalypse may not be people’s first thought when they’re thinking about romance in video games, but hear me out.
Ellie and Dina have a remarkable and adult partnership. Living in an impossible circumstance, with ever increasing dangers and threats, both in the form of undead goons and of their own inner demons, this is a still rare portrayal of a relationship where there is no dichotomy between the one in distress and the one who saves them. Ellie has stuff she feels she needs to get done and Dina grabs a shotgun and decides to back her up.
Mind you, it’s not a no questions asked sort of blind following either. Dina does challenge Ellie, does point out that her motivations and decisions are reckless, but with an endgame of giving Ellie closure so that they can go back to their lives and build their family, she decides to help out.
Various complications are thrown along the way and of course we want to give as little away as possible, but The Last of Us Part II is at its core a story about how much one is willing to sacrifice for the sake of revenge. This is seen in Ellie, Abby, Tommy. Dina is the grounded character who is able to look at her life and what she has accomplished despite the hell the world has become and ask ‘why can’t this be enough?’.
There are so many moments in this franchise when something horrible could have been avoided if only one crucial moment went slightly different, if only one character didn’t make a bad decision. These two could really have navigated the end of the world together if only Ellie could see that choosing happiness does not mean abandoning purpose.
Rin – Catherine: Full Body – Lauren Skinner
What could be better than a love triangle? How about a love square?
Catherine: Full Body follows flawed protagonist, Vincent, who is at a crossroads. Does he marry his girlfriend of 5 years, Katherine? Or does he give into temptation and distract himself by sleeping with a mysterious young woman—also named Catherine?
Of course, he spends the night with Catherine. This propels him into a week’s worth of gruelling, demonic nightmares designed to punish, and eventually kill, unfaithful men.
Catherine: Full Body is a remake of an old classic where the choice was once only between Katherine or Catherine. The thing is, you never really feel either is a good fit for Vincent. His girlfriend is overbearing, domineering and often unaffectionate, refusing to listen to what Vincent wants and insisting on taking control. She represents boring stability. Catherine, on the other hand, is a (spoiler alert) supernatural succubus who is little more than a personification of temptation.
Enter Rin. Vincent saves them from an unknown assailant at the beginning of the game, and the fact that Rin saves him right back every night in his doom dreams is indicative of the relationship that will soon blossom. Despite having amnesia, Rin provides Vincent with support, care, and no judgment.
The thing is, Rin’s hiding a secret. Vincent does have to get past his own prejudice to open himself up properly to Rin, but if you help Vincent make the right choices, there’s no better partner for him. It’s the most fulfilling route because they both love each other for who they are, no matter what. Rin’s addition means that Vincent learns to live for himself, and to take freedom and joy in both life and love. He is accepted and loved for who he is, not what he is expected to be. Rin saves him, both physically and metaphorically.
Unlike in the original game, he learns what he wants in a relationship, instead of what someone else wants for him. And that’s what we should all strive to have.
Yuna – Final Fantasy X – Benjamin Titmus
Tidus and Yuna's love story blends into the fabric of Final Fantasy X’s narrative. The foundation of their connection lies in the midst of a world threatened by an apocalyptic force, creating a poignant backdrop for their evolving relationship.
Tidus finds himself transported to the mysterious land of Spira, where he encounters the gentle and determined summoner, Yuna. As the story unfolds, their bond goes beyond mere romance; it becomes a symbol of hope amidst despair. Yuna's duty as a summoner is to confront the colossal threat known as Sin, a task that demands a sacrifice. A sacrifice that for a large portion of the game, Tidus is unaware of. This lack of knowledge only makes their relationship sweeter. Tidus, initially unfamiliar with the world, eventually becomes Yuna's companion, providing support and encouragement.
Their love evolves against the backdrop of adversity, which reinforces the game's theme of resilience and the strength of friendship in the face of impending doom. Tidus' light-hearted demeanour complements Yuna's stoicism and creates a balance that is drawn upon as a symbol throughout the narrative.
The key moment at the spring in Macalania Woods, where Tidus and Yuna share an intimate moment, highlights the tenderness of their connection. The haunting music and the snowy landscape enhance its impact, and emphasises the similarity of their love and the chaos surrounding them.
Ultimately, Tidus and Yuna's love stands as a testament to the transformative power of companionship. It elevates Final Fantasy X beyond a mere role-playing game, making it an exploration of love, sacrifice, and the idea of facing destiny together. As far as video game romances go, Tidus and Yuna's story stands out for its ability to mesh with the themes of the game, leaving a lasting impression on players long after the game is completed.
Tae Takemi – Persona 5 – Dan Hilton
One of my entries on this Valentine’s collab was an easy pick. How can Persona 5 not be on a list all about choosing our favourable sweethearts?
If you are unfamiliar with the game, it goes a step further than most others and actually gives you the chance to romance 9 different characters (10 including Royal), where most others give you but a few to choose from. Each of these characters are incredibly well written, unique and offer their own side quests all with individually charming personalities. Take to any Persona forum or subreddit and you will quickly find people arguing over who the ‘best girl’ is. These people fail to realise that because each option is so vastly different that they each appeal to the audience in different ways.
For me, the character that always takes my interest the most is Tae Takemi. Whilst most people squabble over the romanceable team members, they often overlook the more interesting side characters (in my opinion, of course). Takemi is definitely a more, well, domme-inating personality, shall we say. If you catch my drift. Which definitely isn’t the type that catches my eye. But the more you get to know her and the more you learn about her tragic back story, the more you start seeing the cracks in her persona (!) and her cold demeaner starts to melt. You learn that she is actually one of the most loving and caring characters in the game.
And therein lays the true appeal of Takemi. The more a character gives to look after people, the more you see how much they need someone to be there for them in turn. Takami not only has one of the most aesthetically pleasing visual designs, but she also exhibits some of the most attractive personality traits in the game.
My interpretation is that the romanceable teammates offer the standard romanceable tropes that people love to see: the strong shy girl, the friendly popular girl, etc. All the adult romanceable characters represent real-life adult struggles that we can relate more easily to: depression leading to alcohol dependency, blackmail and coercion, debt and workaholism etc. There is no wrong choice in Persona 5 (besides romancing more than one character—don’t go the harem route!) but for me, Takemi steals the show every time.
Panam Palmer – Cyberpunk 2077 – Lauren Skinner
Night City is full of anything you could possibly want. Whether you want to grow your killer car collection, hang out with Joytoys, or hunt down Cyberpsychos, the “City of Dreams” will let you live out your wildest fantasies.
But take a rumbling ride out of the city and see the roads shift to dirt tracks. The Badlands are where you’ll find the Aldecaldos tribe—and Panam Palmer: sexy, independent nomad who values loyalty and ambition above all else. She’s a bit of a loose cannon and incredibly defensive, at least at first, but her initial reservations and subsequent character development makes her all the more exciting.
It’s not just the excitement of romancing an outsider that makes Panam a compelling love interest. It’s so tough to ignore her charms in the face of exciting side quests. You not only help her recover the cargo she lost in her last job, but she asks for your help in taking out the guy that betrayed her. How can a fast friendship not form after that?
Helping her reunite and reconnect with the Aldecaldos is one of the most fulfilling aspects of Cyberpunk 2077. Through Panam, you learn about the importance of found family and in getting away from the craziness of futuristic Night City and find the beauty in simplicity once again. One of my favourite parts of the whole game was sitting around a campfire with Panam and the nomads, gazing up at the stars and learning more about their hard lives. If you see everything through, you effectively become one of the gang. It didn’t matter that I started out as a corpo on my playthrough; essentially the opposite of a nomad. Through the Aldecaldos and Panam, I learned that family shows up, no matter what.
Panam is funny, loyal, and the embodiment of ride-or-die. Her quests give a fantastic respite from the tech-driven cacophony of Night City, making her feel more down to earth and real than plenty of the other larger-than-life characters you meet in the game. As long as you’re a male-presenting V, she’s one of the best parts of the game (though Judy is still a great choice if you’re female-presenting).
If only you could romance Keanu, though. That could have shaken up an already explosive roster.
Liara T’soni – Mass Effect Trilogy – Sophie Jones
The Mass Effect series is one of my favourite games. Not only for the gameplay, setting and amazing story, but because Liara T’soni is in it. Liara is the first character I ever romanced in a video game and for that fact alone I think she will always be one of my favourites.
Over the course of all 3 games, Shepard can romance several crewmates. However, there is only one person who you can romance in all 3. Liara T’soni. Because of this, Liara’s romance always felt more developed and meaningful. In the beginning, she is clumsy, shy and not sure how to ask for what she wants. By the end she is strong, independent and won’t beat around the bush. Watching her grow and change throughout the series was great but even more so if you romanced her.
The only issue with Liara’s romance is her need to define it in every game. In each instalment, there is always a conversation where she drops the ‘friend’ word. Even after 2 years of dating, Liara still doesn’t know if she’s in a relationship! Apart from these minor moments, her romance is rewarding and a constant in this chaotic universe.
For me, Liara’s was one of the best romances as it spanned 3 games and you watched it evolve with time. She was also one of the few characters who would do anything for Shepard. This for me, always made her love seem more poignant as she didn’t just say affirmations but acted on them. Liara’s story was also the most fleshed out as she had a whole DLC dedicated to her. A DLC which had some great cutscenes and moments for those who pursued a romance. Finally, how can you resist her cute nerdy aesthetic and those Asari assets?
9S – Nier Automata – Dan Hilton
I best make this choice a little shorter to make up for my super long entry for Tae Takami. It is also worth noting that this will contain MAJOR spoilers for Nier Automata. You have been warned.
The story of 9S (or nines as he likes his friends to call him) and 2B is nothing short of tragic. Yoko Taro has this amazing way of weaving true melancholy into his stories. We meet 9S at the start of the game, and over the course of the game we grow close to him as he starts to break down 2B’s cool exterior. You see her start to really care for 9S and we slowly learn that 2B actually has a loving side to her that she fights hard to contain.
Then, 9S discovers some information that he isn’t allowed to know, and 2B gets the order to kill him. For the 49th time. She is ordered to kill the man she has grown to love over and over again. And we learn that this is why she bottles her emotions and stays distant.
As they are androids, whenever he dies, he is reset and has his memory wiped. And yet, they always end up finding a way back to each other. It is a classic story through and through of ‘love always finds a way’.
However, this is written by Yoko Taro, and so, love will never truly find a way. 2B ultimately comes to an untimely end instead of 9S. But YorHa is no more, so there are no restarts for her. Nier Automata breaks my heart in so, so many ways. 9S is such a loving, happy guy who never fails to bring a smile to our faces. I like to think there is an alternative world out there were love did find a way. And that these two characters eventually found a way to have a happily ever after together.
Whatever your preference, we Zatu video gamers hope your virtual romances play out exactly how you want this Valentine’s Day.