The Best Love Stories in Games

Valentine’s Day is official upon us again and, remarkably, the world spent the day going to see Deadpool.  Somehow, all is right with the world this year.  We spent the holiday enjoying playing Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime with our significant others.  While that game does seem romantically inclined in its title, it doesn’t do much else to honor this romantic holiday which got us thinking about favorite love stories in games.

In honor of this mushy holiday, here now the best love stories in games.

Not sure if we’re romantically inclined here but sure good at blowing stuff up!

Nathan and Elena Fisher – Uncharted (series)

Sony’s banner action-platformer franchise, Uncharted, features some of the most impressive set pieces we’ve ever seen in games.  Uncharted 2 still stands as one of the best gaming experiences we’ve ever had starting with the tremendous cliff-hanger (literally) opening through jeep fights in Nepal to, well, it’s serviceable last boss fight.  Naughty Dog knows how to tell a story but much of that comes from the witty dialogue and characters they create each game.  Nathan’s on-again, off-again love interest, Marianne Ravenwood Elena Fisher is, as series creator Amy Hennig says, the “female version of Drake,” intelligent, resourceful, cavalier towards opposition, and always pushing Nate forward.  The games always feature incredible moments, but the story of their relationship is also thankfully strong too making this franchise one of Sony’s best.  Let’s hope Uncharted 4 doesn’t disappoint in April!

Series exhaustion already? Let’s hope they’ve got enough story to tell for Uncharted 4.

Ellie & Riley in The Last of Us: Left Behind

Another strong entry to the Playstation lineup, Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us told the harrowing story of a father without much to lose protecting a surrogate daughter, Ellie, from a world ravaged by a rage virus and those left standing who have become monsters themselves to stay alive.  The episodic story-telling, shifting the narrative between protagonists when necessary, and the final chapter (including those giraffes) were pitch perfect.  It was hard for the subsequent DLC campaign, Left Behind, to measure up.  Still, that chapter showed us the tragic backstory of Ellie and her briefly mentioned friend, Riley.  You knew from the start where that experience was going but after spending time enjoying the little moments together in the mall, you tried like hell to fight inevitably in that final chase.  Filled with heartbreak and Naughty Dog’s patented well-rounded characters, The Last of Us: Left Behind is not to be missed.

Yeah, we even reloaded and tried to run even harder to avoid this.

Johnny and River – To the Moon

Freebird Games’ indie adventure title aims straight for the feels in the same way Up’s opening montage sucker punches you out of the gate.  The story stars two employees of the Sigmund Corp. which specializes in creating false memories for those living with regret. You’re visiting a dying patient, Johnny Wyles, who requests to believe he made a trip to the moon but can’t explain why that is so important to him.  By deconstructing his memories by way of mashing up methods from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Inception, you slowly piece together a complicated and tragic love story between Mr. Wyles and his deceased wife and childhood sweetheart, River.  It’s disarming, bittersweet, and will last with you for long time.

Aw geez, not the feels again.

Red and her companion – Transistor

We’re huge fans of Supergiant Games’ two titles so far.  Bastion was a surprisingly well designed isometric shooter with the clever hook of the dynamic and baritone-voiced narrator was well done.  However we believe Transistor is a significant step forward for them as developers.  The game features one of the best musical scores we’ve heard in any game, impressive real-time combat combined with plug-and-play weaponry to create a remarkable amount of variety to your attacks, and a powerful story of a wounded jazz singer fighting against an oppressive force that is taking over her world.  The titular Transistor is a mysterious talking weapon and your only companion for the entire game but it isn’t until the final moments of the game that you realize why Red has kept the sword so close and what motivated her to fight so hard.

Pro tip: Hurling a giant sword isn’t the most efficient way to dispatch of your target

John and Abigail Marston – Red Dead Redemption

We can’t tell if the redemption in the title of the sequel in the Red Dead franchise is meant to describe the game’s protagonist, John Marsten, as he does everything in his to power to fight his outlaw history and protect his family or if it’s meant to describe how Rockstar redeemed this franchise from oblivion as RDR is truly one of the best experiences of last generation and still in high demand for backwards compatibility today – either context works.  John’s wife, Abigail, takes a backseat to much of the game though and only really appears towards the end when you’re finally reunited with your family after having cleared out most of your old gang.  The subsequent quests for her are incredible mundane.  You’re not fighting a small army in a bar; instead you’re clearing crows from a barn or teaching your son how to hunt.  In very cleverly written mission, Abigail joins you to see who this Bonnie is who has telegrammed for your help.  John has fought for days, killed hundreds of men, for this.  The routine chores at home with his wife are his reward for staying alive.  The best love stories don’t need to be forged from the ashes of saving the world.  Even Speed knew that.

Relationship troubles due to friends of the opposite sex? Now this is a love story!

Did we miss one of your favorites?  Let us know in the comments below!