Best (and Worst) Game Romances

[bean]

Best - Chell and Companion Cube
Runners-up: Mono and Wander (SotC), Shephard and Liari (Mass Effect), Max and Mona (Max Payne 2), Tidus and Yuna (FF X & X-2), Yuri and Karin (Shadow Hearts: Covenant), Alex and Gordon (Half-Life 2), Link and Zelda (various Zelda games).
Honorable mention for gayness: Sora and Riku (Kingdom Hearts)

Worst - Mario and Peach. . . I just never bought them as a couple. Lack of characterization and simplicity are a part of the series, and I think we are supposed to provide the details of their relationship ourselves. . . I always imagined a bit of an uptown girl thing with a lowly plumber bucking to win the heart of a princess by saving her from the evil Bowser, but those are childhood imaginings and not the story told in the various Mario games.

There are undoubtedly worse romances in games that are so forgettable that I predictably can't remember them. I'm much better at "best" lists than "worst" as I tend to forget the bad ones.

[Variable Gear]

Best:
Marcus and Dom, from Gears of War. This is self-explanatory and sexy.

Worst:
Frat Boys and Madden. This is self-explanatory and sad.

[violent]

There has never been an in-game romance where I've felt any kind of positive emotion. Games just haven't portrayed characters well enough for me to get emotionally attached. That being said, the only thing I can come up with that's remotely close is:

Kaim finding his long lost wife only to see her die minutes after.

[boratika]

Jim Raynor and Sarah Kerrigan. Let's hope they push it to the next level ;)

[H.Bogard]

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/5407/36mt9.jpg

[Variable Gear]

Sonic X Princess Elise (http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/5407/36mt9.jpg)
I'll see you that and I'll raise you a rose.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y33/Dillo64/Sonic/amy01_32.png

[tombofsoldier]

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/5407/36mt9.jpg

So much win.

[KamaItachi]

The protagonist and the cop with tits in farenheight/Indigo prophecy. For all the talk of trying to make narration in games mature, the main characters fell into bed pretty much for the sake of it.

[Atepsflame]

Best: The Prince and Farah in Sands of Time. Those two had some excellent chemistry. Too bad her character got lobotamized for Two Thrones

Worst: God, there are too many to count.

[pomeroy]

Fuck the stupid ass companion cube.

There, I said it. You fucking Portal nerds can eat a dick...the companion cube is stupid.

[violent]

Fuck the stupid ass companion cube.

There, I said it. You fucking Portal nerds can eat a dick...the companion cube is stupid.

Thank you sir. You give me faith in humanity.

[jacob.armitage]

Cloud & Sephiroth get my vote. come on, he didn't just want to be him, he wanted to be in him. why do you think he never payed any attention to the ladies? his heart was already spoken for. and the sexual tension between them, whew.

[boratika]

I'll see you that and I'll raise you a rose.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y33/Dillo64/Sonic/amy01_32.png

I see your sonic-rose romance and raise you...


...well...


http://www.teamartail.com/sonicx/11/images/008rouge.jpg

[ClannerDelta]

Geralt and all my trading card babes in The Witcher. I felt we had real connections.

And no, no game has ever made me care about a romance. At best, it does it well enough that I can tolerate it. Though the one game to really piss me off with its ludicrous attempts at romance. Rise of Legends. They got romance into my RTS.

[thomas]

Kaim finding his long lost wife only to see her die minutes after.

The girl who died was his daughter, Lirum. Sarah was his wife.

[Shadowstorm]

http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/8428/55731250lt7.png

[Hotcod]

kotor2 had some rather good romance options that where actually a little deep and took some work in terms of dialogue if you wanted to follow the story lines along... i think they where all far better than the ones in mass effect simply beacuse of the influence mechanic that kotor2 had

[DangerousDaze]

Best: Ico and Yorda.

Worst: Pretty much all the others :p

[Talanvor]

I don't really have a best romance, hard to think of any that didn't make me groan and look for a skip cutscene button. For worst though I would say the one in Bulletwitch. Alicia and that... guy, I can't even remember his name. Good god the writing for that sucked!

In fact, that entire game made me sad. The concept sounds awesome and I'm hoping it can be delivered in Bayonetta. But, yeah, total and utter fail.

[Lithium Flower]

Bioware romance options are usually not that bad. I really enjoyed the romance mechanic in Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the the Betrayer. Once you'd managed to get the character in love, you got stat bonuses when together.

[jpublic]

Larry and everyone.

[bean]

In fact, that entire game made me sad. The concept sounds awesome and I'm hoping it can be delivered in Bayonetta. But, yeah, total and utter fail.

Does Bayonetta look like Sarah Palin to any of you guys?

[Froghourt]

Bioware romance options are usually not that bad. I really enjoyed the romance mechanic in Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the the Betrayer. Once you'd managed to get the character in love, you got stat bonuses when together.

I agree and would like to add both KOTOR games. Mostly the second one because the love interest as a male character in the first game was kinda of a bitch. While the second game was undoubtedly inferior in most way, it did have some nice romantic moments.

Edit: Though I guess KOTOR 2 wasn't technically a Bioware game.

[Lance Uppercut]

Snake and Otacon.

[menage]

I get the feeling that some of these aren't even intended to be romantic. I mean. Alex and Gordon? Link and Zelda (she's way for 99% of the game and Link doesn't even know the damn broad most of the time). Tidus and Yuna (well ok, probably, but it must the most boring romance in the history of boring romances).

Best romance I can think of was in the Darkness, because they acted like they were in one. No droopy eyes and talk about blue skies and the essence of being.

[inmostlight]

Jackie and Jenny in The Darkness. It just felt so natural and subtle, like she was the one good and tender thing in his life. And then when Jackie's forced to watch her get killed....man, I really felt that one. One of the rare times a game's really involved an emotional response in me. Possibly because so often the point of a video game is to prevent something like that from happening.

As for the cutest: Raz and Lily in Psychonauts.

[jpublic]

Actually, having recently replayed Vampire: Bloodlines, I'd like to make a serious vote (this time) for Protagonist & Heather (your ghoul). I had actually grown fond of her by the end of the game, and the Sabbat killing her *really* pissed me off.

[President Fred]

I get the feeling that some of these aren't even intended to be romantic. I mean. Alex and Gordon? Link and Zelda (she's way for 99% of the game and Link doesn't even know the damn broad most of the time). Tidus and Yuna (well ok, probably, but it must the most boring romance in the history of boring romances).

Yeah a lot of these are either completely without dialogue, have very little dialogue or in some cases completely one sided dialogue. You could replace Gordon Freeman, Companion Cube, Link and Princess Yorda (I think that was her name) with Wilson from Cast Away and it wouldn't change anything. They are all great games and some of my favourites but that doesn't make the romantic element good. I can't think of a single believable or good romantic story line in any game, then again I haven't played The Darkness.

And another worst: Ryo and Nazumi in Shenmue 1. I love the game and maybe something is lost in translation or some cultural difference but I was bored senseless almost as much as by Tidus and Yuna but not quite.

[Alkanos]

I always liked Laharl and Flonne in Disgaea. Sure, it was played quite campy for most of the game, but at the end you really felt something for the two of them. At least I did anyway.

[Ink Asylum]

Best: The Nameless One and Annah from Planescape: Torment. It wasn't guaranteed, and was only barely realized even if you did everything right.

[violent]

thomas: That's what I meant. Kinda reinforces my initial statement I suppose.

[violent]

Actually, that scene between Meryl and Akiba shooting the soldiers? That was cool.

[Widgetcraft]

Worst: Tidus/Yuna (FFX) and Squall/Rinoa (FFVIII).

Best: Cloud/Tifa (FFVII), Lucca/Robo (Chrono Trigger; a man can dream), Guybrush/Elaine (Monkey Island franchise), Master Chief/Cortana (Halo; implied), James/Mary/Maria (Silent Hill 2), Locke/Celes (FFVI), Fei/Elli (Xenogears; probably misspelled her name)

Games shouldn't be made to be romantic. When they are, they fail completely (see: FFVIII and FFX).

[Vyzov]

Best: The Prince and Farah in Sands of Time, You Character and his girl in Shadow Of The Colossus. That was his entire motivation, look what he went through for her.

[DylonCorp]

Great Romance

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ed/Bubble_bobble.jpg

[biosc1]

Best: Ico and Yorda.


100%!

That made me feel like I've rarely felt in a game before (no, I haven't finished Shadow of the Colossus yet)


Other than that, I did like the relationship between the girl in Beyond Good & Evil and her pig foster father. I was sad when he got caught and happy when he was saved.

[Mason]

Worst: Tidus/Yuna (FFX)
True. Especially since the FFX whistling scene retroactively ruined the FFT Ramza/Delita whistling scene. Now that was romance.
and Squall/Rinoa (FFVIII).
Well...

It actually is an okay romantic plot if you buy into the convoluted interpretation that the crazed sorceress at the end of time is Rinoa (originally left in stasis), who's breaking the universe to try and get back to Squall.

I think that's how it worked. Like I said, convoluted.

[Disgustipated]

All of the romances in Baldur's Gate 2. Good stuff in there.

[bean]

Worst: Tidus/Yuna (FFX)

What? I thought this one was extremely well done.

They come to know each other while Yuna is on a religious pilgrimage that will end in her self-sacrifice to give the world a few years of peace. Despite this, and perhaps because of what this reveals in each of their nature's, they choose to love instead of keeping each other at a distance. Eventually this love is what gives Yuna the courage to break free of the "destiny" she has been told she must have her entire life and face the great evil destroying their world.

The second game is about how Yuna deals with life after the war is won. Her supposed "destiny" of self-sacrifice was not necessary, but she found that Tidus, an esper faded along with the others that were fueling Sin after it's defeat. She discovers what is important to her and how to live on her own, but she crosses over to another plane while facing a new evil and is returned by her fragile connection to the real world, Tidus. This is where it gets a little metaphysical and stupid, but somehow he is brought back into the world and they are now spending their lives peacefully in love, making lots of babies.

I think that these nuances of the first game make the romance very interesting, and while the second game should have made their reuniting more understandable, the themes of self-discovery and deciding what is important (in this case true love among other virtues) are universal.

While I agree most of the time that narratives should be better in videogames, so often when talking about particular videogames I read people expressing opinions that are generalities and that do not seem to grasp the themes of the writing that I have to wonder if subtle themes are possible to deliver to video game audiences. Maybe we are asking for complicated, nuanced plots but when they are given to us half the audience doesn't understand so they have stopped attempting them. This stuff doesn't take close reading of the dialog to get. . . it's not like reading James Joyce.

[ClannerDelta]

Bean, I'm fairly certain the problem is that games are almost always trying to paint a romance novel story. Not a real romance. They are two entirely different things.

Shit just isn't that pretty.

[Karmakin]

Bean:One thing you're omitting from the Tidus/Yuna thing is that they basically got played. The whole thing was set up by Auron in order for him to atone for not realizing the truth before Jecht sacrificed himself for Yuna's father.

Personally I think that FFX doesn't get a fair shake sometimes. Yeah, the voice acting for flashback Tidus is horrible. However, I actually think that's way overcome by narration Tidus, who is much more mature and his stoic resigned reaction to the truth of everything works very well.

[JRR006]

Snake and Otacon.

I know you're kidding, but I cite them as one of the greatest videogame romances ever. Really well done, as Otacon moves from hardcore schoolgirl crushing in MGS to more of an equal in MGS2. And Snake... well, he's adorable too, the way he can't refuse Otacon anything, and relies on him for just about everything.

Male Shepherd and Liara from Mass Effect. That was the only Bioware-style RPG romance I've ever enjoyed enough to actually follow through to completion. The dialog was (I felt) not cheesy or rushed, and actually showed some depth, very unusual in videogaming. For some reason, the dialog fell flat when it was my female Shepherd and Liara, but that's another story.

Master Chief and Cortana. It's interesting, anyway. She clearly has affection for him beyond a working relationship, but in the books I think there's a part where (while dreaming) he sees her as part of his "mother" amalgamation along with his biological mother and Dr. Halsey. So that's not very sexy, but her devotion to him is still pretty good romance.

Worst:
Mario and Princess Peach has to be the oldest, suckiest videogame romance. Nothing there at all. Maybe it's meant to be ridiculous and farcical so it doesn't actually count.

I've also never felt anything in a Zelda game. Link has a closer relationship with his horse than Zelda.

I can't think of any others specifically, but virtually any game where you have a male main character and a flirtatious female sidekick makes me gag.

[crazyD]

Best - Manny and Meche from Grim Fandango.

[Hyperglide]

Best: Master Chief and Arbiter (for lack of anything less Uber)

Worst: Squall and Rinoa (man that was the most awkward annoying, stupid, relationship ever, oh and they sing in outerspace. The fuck..?)

[Superman's Dead]

I like the protagonists' relationships from both Chrono Games. They both get into a ton of SHIT over a girl.

Also, Jenny from The Darkness. Oooh boy. When Jackie got mad, people died.

[Shrinn]

I like the protagonists' relationships from both Chrono Games. They both get into a ton of SHIT over a girl.

Also, Jenny from The Darkness. Oooh boy. When Jackie got mad, people died.

I loved The Darkness in so many ways but the romance aspect was amazing. It's the only time I've actually felt exactly as the main character would have felt.

[Bingley Joe]

Best - Manny and Meche from Grim Fandango.

THIS goddamnit!

I'm glad I decided to read both pages of this thread before posting because I was really beginning to get pissed at you guys for having missed it for so long.

Best. Love story. Ever.
(well.. in gaming, anyway)

[Krispy]

I enjoyed the Max and Mona love story in Max Payne 2 a lot. As well, The Darkness did such an excellent job of making you feel Jackie's loss. The voice acting in that game was stellar.

[menage]

What? I thought this one was extremely well done.

They come to know each other while Yuna is on a religious pilgrimage that will end in her self-sacrifice to give the world a few years of peace. Despite this, and perhaps because of what this reveals in each of their nature's, they choose to love instead of keeping each other at a distance. Eventually this love is what gives Yuna the courage to break free of the "destiny" she has been told she must have her entire life and face the great evil destroying their world.


Sorry, it sounds better when you write it down like that, but the way it was presented just sucked all the emotion right out. It doesn't help that FFX probably has the most ridiculous storyline(s) in a game either, and the acting was very very bad (laughing scene anyone?). 80 Hours of that crap, no thanks. I wish I played the Japanese version, maybe it would have changed the whole thing.

Really, if I was Tidus, I would have nailed Lulu and never looked back:P

[muddi900]

Best - Manny and Meche from Grim Fandango.

All of you losers must be shot for not mentioning this!

[Gorvi]

Yuri and Alice (Shadow Hearts)

[Purple Santa]

Isaac and Nicole from Dead Space. A loving end that made me cry...sniff...

[DangerousDaze]

All of you losers must be shot for not mentioning this!

Don't you mean planted? :p

[NoName]

I'd have to saw Squall and Rinoa from FF XIII has been one of my favorites. Mostly because their growing relationship was a large part of the plot as opposed to just being tacked on so there was a romance.

Mostly I just like the Eyes on Me song from the game :).

[Xydarc]

Worst: Tidus/Yuna (FFX) and Squall/Rinoa (FFVIII).

You shut yer mouf. The Squall/Rinoa romance was one of the better Japanese romantic storylines: well-written and well-paced and central to the game's plot. And they didn't sing when they were in outer space.

After seeing Final Fantasy: Advent Children and playing FF: Crisis Core, I'd have to add Aerith/Zack as one of my fave romances.

[Savok]

Worst - Mario and Peach. . . I just never bought them as a couple. Lack of characterization and simplicity are a part of the series, and I think we are supposed to provide the details of their relationship ourselves. . . I always imagined a bit of an uptown girl thing with a lowly plumber bucking to win the heart of a princess by saving her from the evil Bowser, but those are childhood imaginings and not the story told in the various Mario games.
What? Fuck you, in Super Mario Sunshine she lets Mario soak her creating WET T-SHIRT PEACH. That is love, sir. And I have gigabytes of Peach/Zelda pictures to prove she's ready for a threesome with a man once cosplayed by Ron Jeremy.

Others... yes Sands of Time, Grim Fandango, Monkey Island. I'll toss in Dead Space for just being so nicely understated, none of this "turn a corner, emo about Nicole some more for the 456th time" bullshit I was half expecting, it just... was.

KOTOR1 female main/Carth is one of my favorites. Yes I know everyone hates Carth, but that's what makes the romance so fun, you can basically torture him with constant mood swings and taking offense at the littlest things, the romance still goes on! It's awesome.

NWN, Original Campaign, male main/Linu. My god if women like Linu actually existed I'd go outside once in awhile. And your character could use these fantastic replies to her completely insane stories. Only reason I bothered with that shitheap as long as I did.

[Squidbot]

What? Fuck you, in Super Mario Sunshine she lets Mario soak her creating WET T-SHIRT PEACH. That is love, sir. And I have gigabytes of Peach/Zelda pictures to prove she's ready for a threesome with a man once cosplayed by Ron Jeremy.

Oh god, oh no. Fuck you, Savok. The goggles, they do nothing!

[KingGorilla]

The disembodied head of the Lincoln Memorial and Sybil Pandemik was an excellent one.

[Rakael]

I'd have to say the best was the relationship in The Darkness. That just felt real in so many ways, at least for a game.

[Kagger]

Bean:One thing you're omitting from the Tidus/Yuna thing is that they basically got played. The whole thing was set up by Auron in order for him to atone for not realizing the truth before Jecht sacrificed himself for Yuna's father.

Personally I think that FFX doesn't get a fair shake sometimes. Yeah, the voice acting for flashback Tidus is horrible. However, I actually think that's way overcome by narration Tidus, who is much more mature and his stoic resigned reaction to the truth of everything works very well.

I don't understand the idea of Auron playing them. Do tell. I think I know where you are going, but want to see what you have to say.

[Hyperglide]

Dom and Maria in Gears of War 2. *sniffles* (hold me)

[Variable Gear]

Another best: Zidane and Dagger from FFIX. It was overly dramatic, but I still found their relationship enjoyable.

[bean]

Another best: Zidane and Dagger from FFIX. It was overly dramatic, but I still found their relationship enjoyable.
. . .hmm. . . I probably should replay this at some point. I did not enjoy this game very much in large part because I only really liked Vivi. If this game had a romance in it, I don't remember it.

[Loki]

Best: Alyx and Gordon

Worst:
Cherry and Dukov of Fallout 3

[pomeroy]

Best: Alyx and Gordon

That's as much of a "relationship" as the fucking companion cube and the bitch in Portal.

[Ink Asylum]

That's as much of a "relationship" as the fucking companion cube and the bitch in Portal.

C'mon. What woman doesn't want a silent guy with a PhD and a crowbar?

[Virtual Machine]

Snake and Meryl in MGS.
Meryl and Johnny in MGS 3.

And Bigtime props for The Darkness - that Orphanage scene had me yelling at my television.

[Savok]

The Darkness was amazing in you could sit there and watch an entire movie with your girlfriend, it was sweet.

[Virtual Machine]

The Darkness was amazing in you could sit there and watch an entire movie with your girlfriend, it was sweet.

Damn good movie too.

[Esquilax1138]

No mention of Pac-man and Ms. Pac-Man yet? You all FAIL.

[ClannerDelta]

No mention of Pac-man and Ms. Pac-Man yet? You all FAIL.

The hell? How do a pair of shaved testicles have a romance?

[Hyperglide]

The hell? How do a pair of shaved testicles have a romance?

Over a nice cup of tea. Or ahem *bag* of tea. I win the thread. :D

[RandoM51]

How did Balthier and Fran end up companions?

[Kelegacy]

Best - Chell and Companion Cube

I don't understand this at all, and haven't since the launch of Portal. I must be missing something. The Companion cube is in ONE level, as far as I remember. You don't do anything but incinerate the cube. It's not like it's a companion throughout the game. It's a very brief appearance, so how the hell can someone be attached to this thing, since there was no bond formed in this very brief scene? I think it's an internet meme, just like the "cake is a lie" crap. We don't see any interaction between Chell (who is just a lifeless, mute you just happen to be controlling) and a cube. There are many many cubes/boxes in the game, but this one has a heart on it. That's the only difference.

I know the game was doing this as a sort of humor thingy, but I've read people getting upset or sad when they had to "kill" the cube. Why? It was there for what...5 minutes? I heard all about it even before I came upon the scene in the game, and when I finally got to that scene I was like, "WTF? Are people serious?"

I think I'm missing something. Portal was a great game, criminally brief though it may be, but unfortunately created some truly annoying internet topics.

[Kelegacy]

What? Fuck you, in Super Mario Sunshine she lets Mario soak her creating WET T-SHIRT PEACH. That is love, sir. And I have gigabytes of Peach/Zelda pictures to prove she's ready for a threesome with a man once cosplayed by Ron Jeremy.


YOU need to get laid.

I have to agree with The Darkness. Starbreeze did an excellent job forming the bond between Jenny and Jacky, especially in her apartment. I don't want to ruin what happens later for people who haven't played the game (YOU HAVE NO FUCKING EXCUSE!! IT'S CHEAP, GO BUY IT!!!) but it is rare that I have such a wide range of emotions in a damn videogame. VERY rare.

[ClannerDelta]

I think I'm missing something. Portal was a great game, criminally brief though it may be, but unfortunately created some truly annoying internet topics.

It's all up to the person and what they project onto the cube. I know it sounds stupid, but they tell you it's a companion. That's it. It's just the game telling you to form an attachment indirectly and you do it without thinking. The cube had no face, no voice, no thought. It had nothing to annoy you in any way. You had the Heart symbol for the iconography of love, you had the voice imply that it was indeed your friend (and at the time it would never ever leave you), the rest was up to the player. Some people project, others don't.

And you're hands down spoiled by doing it after hearing about the level. Sorry, but it's a subtle trick that would have been entirely destroyed by knowing ahead of time.

[Kelegacy]

It's all up to the person and what they project onto the cube. I know it sounds stupid, but they tell you it's a companion. That's it. It's just the game telling you to form an attachment indirectly and you do it without thinking. The cube had no face, no voice, no thought. It had nothing to annoy you in any way. You had the Heart symbol for the iconography of love, you had the voice imply that it was indeed your friend (and at the time it would never ever leave you), the rest was up to the player. Some people project, others don't.

And you're hands down spoiled by doing it after hearing about the level. Sorry, but it's a subtle trick that would have been entirely destroyed by knowing ahead of time.

I can't fathom how an ordinary cube with a heart painted on it creates projection The game tells you to form the attachment, and you do? Even if that's true, it's there for such a tiny amount of time that any sort of relationship is impossible. It's like meeting someone for two minutes, shaking their hand, and never seeing them again. I'm not going to be heartbroken because I didn't know this person.

When I first heard of the Companion Cube and all the internet turmoil, I thought it would be a companion throughout the game and then I could understand the commotion--because you'd have formed a bond with the thing, sort of how people felt when Aeris died in FFVII. She wasn't there for just one scene. The Companion Cube is there for what...3 minutes? I can't remember, but it's incredibly brief. I bought the Orange Box at launch and played through portal in one sitting, and the Companion Cube was just a tiny glimmer in the game. But the internet made a big deal of that glimmer. I never would have thought twice about it had it not been for all the write-up.

Wilson drifting away in Castaway with Tom Hanks was heartrending because you see the interaction between this lonely man and his only friend, an inanimate object, but the Companion Cube? Blah, it's pathetic and non-existant. The whole story of the cube is more fanfiction than anything.

[ClannerDelta]

Wilson drifting away in Castaway with Tom Hanks was heartrending because you see the interaction between this lonely man and his only friend, an inanimate object, but the Companion Cube? Blah, it's pathetic and non-existant. The whole story of the cube is more fanfiction than anything.

I played through portal without any pre-conceptions, I didn't even know what it really was beforehand and I still felt bad about tossing the Cube in the incinerator.

You're looking for some complex explanation where there isn't one. There was no deep bond. It's like being handed a puppy and then given a pistol to shoot it with.

It's not a romance like someone listed it. Not even close. It's still a good ploy towards initiating an emotional response. As it did for many people. Atm, it just seems like you're trying to play everyone else off as an internet retard following every meme for shits and giggles to explain away your own disappointment.

[Kelegacy]

I played through portal without any pre-conceptions, I didn't even know what it really was beforehand and I still felt bad about tossing the Cube in the incinerator.

You're looking for some complex explanation where there isn't one. There was no deep bond. It's like being handed a puppy and then given a pistol to shoot it with.

It's not a romance like someone listed it. Not even close. It's still a good ploy towards initiating an emotional response. As it did for many people. Atm, it just seems like you're trying to play everyone else off as an internet retard following every meme for shits and giggles to explain away your own disappointment.

I'm just trying to finally get to the bottom of the whole situation after hearing so much about it and not commenting since last fall--this confusion and my silence has built up to an alarming crescendo. :)

I'm far from heartless, and if the game gave me a puppy to kill or incinerate I wouldn't be asking these questions--I'd understand. But it's a BOX. With a heart painted on it's side--the only way to distinguish this box from the dozens of other ones in the game.

I don't know--I think I need to find other people who feel like me in this instance in order to feel that my anti-Companion Cube feelings aren't unique, otherwise I will feel like I've really missed something. I played the same game as everyone else, so I don't think I'm missing anything.

Ah well. Like the number of licks to the center of of a Tootsie-pop, I may never know. :)

[Savok]

The cube protects you from the energy balls, it will also never threaten to stab us. It is very much our friend. This is another thing that makes the ending as brilliant as it is in the way you finish the game. It's also why Valve's storytelling is oddly brilliant in that it uses the fact you're playing a game.

And yes you have missed something, let the insanity of the game wash over you as you play instead of looking at everything with vulcan logic.

[Ink Asylum]

If you didn't fall in love with the Companion Cube I agree it's pretty difficult to explain why so many did. It's the kind of thing that either happens or doesn't, and the more you hear about it beforehand the harder it is to be in the right emotional state during the game. It's no surprise that the most fanatical cube devotees, myself included, are the ones that pre-loaded The Orange Box and played Portal first on launch day, going in completely blind as Valve had kept such a tight lock on the game's story.

Numerous interviews with the Portal team discuss the Companion Cube level. I remember reading one that I now can't find about how when they were playtesting the level it just involved a regular cube and not much accompanying GLaDOS dialogue, and as a result people just left the cube behind or used it for one puzzle then forgot about it, and got frustrated with the rest of the puzzles. Since they needed people to bring the cube through the entire level they made it look different and had GLaDOS talk about it a lot more. Then the reverse happened, and playtesters clung to the cube constantly. So they decided to put in the incinerator, and eventually the whole process was woven into the main plot. It's an interesting intersection of writing and gameplay influencing each other.

As for the actual attachment people feel for the cube, Erik Wolpaw has mentioned using a government interrogation manual for inspiration, about how people in isolation become emotionally attached to inanimate objects. That's pretty much what Portal is. Chell, and the player as well, is completely alone for the entire game up to that point save for the taunting, disembodied voice of GLaDOS. That's a rarity in games like this, and I was constantly on the lookout and expecting some other character to appear, even just in the periphary, but even the observation rooms overlooking the test chambers were hauntingly empty, and the dingy hideaways of former test subjects were even worse.

So by the time I reached the cube level I was a bit paranoid and GLaDOS was clearly insane and subtly malicious. I became somewhat attached to the cube but the emotion became even more pronounced when I was forced to incinerate it to proceed.

I know I'm not explaining it all that well, but that's really because I'm convinced it either clicks or doesn't on the first playthrough. For me, it definitely did.

[Kelegacy]

If you didn't fall in love with the Companion Cube I agree it's pretty difficult to explain why so many did. It's the kind of thing that either happens or doesn't, and the more you hear about it beforehand the harder it is to be in the right emotional state during the game. It's no surprise that the most fanatical cube devotees, myself included, are the ones that pre-loaded The Orange Box and played Portal first on launch day, going in completely blind as Valve had kept such a tight lock on the game's story.

Numerous interviews with the Portal team discuss the Companion Cube level. I remember reading one that I now can't find about how when they were playtesting the level it just involved a regular cube and not much accompanying GLaDOS dialogue, and as a result people just left the cube behind or used it for one puzzle then forgot about it, and got frustrated with the rest of the puzzles. Since they needed people to bring the cube through the entire level they made it look different and had GLaDOS talk about it a lot more. Then the reverse happened, and playtesters clung to the cube constantly. So they decided to put in the incinerator, and eventually the whole process was woven into the main plot. It's an interesting intersection of writing and gameplay influencing each other.

As for the actual attachment people feel for the cube, Erik Wolpaw has mentioned using a government interrogation manual for inspiration, about how people in isolation become emotionally attached to inanimate objects. That's pretty much what Portal is. Chell, and the player as well, is completely alone for the entire game up to that point save for the taunting, disembodied voice of GLaDOS. That's a rarity in games like this, and I was constantly on the lookout and expecting some other character to appear, even just in the periphary, but even the observation rooms overlooking the test chambers were hauntingly empty, and the dingy hideaways of former test subjects were even worse.

So by the time I reached the cube level I was a bit paranoid and GLaDOS was clearly insane and subtly malicious. I became somewhat attached to the cube but the emotion became even more pronounced when I was forced to incinerate it to proceed.

I know I'm not explaining it all that well, but that's really because I'm convinced it either clicks or doesn't on the first playthrough. For me, it definitely did.

Well, I guess I just meant that the cube is such a brief part of the game that it isn't there long enough for me to grow attached to it. I had more of an attachment to the gnome in Episode 2 since I carried that little guy with me throughout.

I did unfortunately hear murmurings about the cube stuff before I got to that point, not spoilers, but comments, but I didn't know what it was about. So when I did stumble upon it and had to kill the thing, I was thinking, "this is it? THIS is it?!" It was sort of a let-down, yeah. But I think even if I didn't hear anything about it beforehand, my reaction would have been the same. In fact, I never would have thought twice about that moment if I didn't have access to the internet. It would have forever been forgotten in the annals of my videogaming play-history.

I'm not callous in any way. But yeah, I was unable to relate to that moment in videogaming even a smidgen. I used to think the people who DID were emotionally "unstable" (maybe their mothers didn't love them?), but I don't think that's completely fair. :)

Just kidding of course. :)

[ClannerDelta]

I'm not callous in any way. But yeah, I was unable to relate to that moment in videogaming even a smidgen. I used to think the people who DID were emotionally "unstable" (maybe their mothers didn't love them?), but I don't think that's completely fair. :)

My mother's a fine woman you son of a bitch!

That said, I think another thing that made it hurt for me was I had to put down my dog that I was given when I was 4 after 11 years. So that also brought back some not so subtle emotions just having to kill off a "companion".

I'm curious if that might be something that added to the impact for people. Whether or not they had a pet that they lost.

[Ink Asylum]

Well, I guess I just meant that the cube is such a brief part of the game that it isn't there long enough for me to grow attached to it. I had more of an attachment to the gnome in Episode 2 since I carried that little guy with me throughout.

I did unfortunately hear murmurings about the cube stuff before I got to that point, not spoilers, but comments, but I didn't know what it was about. So when I did stumble upon it and had to kill the thing, I was thinking, "this is it? THIS is it?!" It was sort of a let-down, yeah. But I think even if I didn't hear anything about it beforehand, my reaction would have been the same. In fact, I never would have thought twice about that moment if I didn't have access to the internet. It would have forever been forgotten in the annals of my videogaming play-history.

I'm not callous in any way. But yeah, I was unable to relate to that moment in videogaming even a smidgen. I used to think the people who DID were emotionally "unstable" (maybe their mothers didn't love them?), but I don't think that's completely fair. :)

Just kidding of course. :)

It was only a short period with the cube, though that depends on how long it took you to solve those puzzles. For a game I beat in three hours first playthrough I imagine I spent a good ten minutes or more in the cube level. That was long enough to get attached so that I felt like a heel having to incinerate it.

Then that is reinforced in the next level if you find the cube love-den where a previous test subject pens poems about the cube and posts pictures of it. Later on GLaDOS mocks your murder of the cube and finally you take revenge upon her using the same method you were forced to use on the cube.

Kinda talking in circles here, but looked upon strictly as a story, Portal in my mind has three characters, and the cube is one of them, if only in a passive role.

The cube is similar in purpose to Yorda from ICO in some ways, but on a smaller scale. ICO is another three-character game with a trapped hero, an effectively silent companion that helps you through puzzles, and a villain who steals the companion away.

[crazyD]

Kel, ignore these people. The companion cube thing was just a big joke. GLaDOS commented on how attached you should be feeling to the cube, and the game made a joke about how you should be sad to put it down. I agree that people take this joke a little too far, but I thought it was enjoyable in the game.

[President Fred]

Kel, ignore these people. The companion cube thing was just a big joke. GLaDOS commented on how attached you should be feeling to the cube, and the game made a joke about how you should be sad to put it down. I agree that people take this joke a little too far, but I thought it was enjoyable in the game.
Pretty much, I thought it was a joke. I mean it's a box that you spend 5 minutes with. I can think hundreds of boxes I have been more attached to. Great game though.

[Ink Asylum]

Kel, ignore these people. The companion cube thing was just a big joke. GLaDOS commented on how attached you should be feeling to the cube, and the game made a joke about how you should be sad to put it down. I agree that people take this joke a little too far, but I thought it was enjoyable in the game.

Just because you didn't get attached to it during the story doesn't mean those of us who did are just taking a joke too far.

[ClannerDelta]

Kel, ignore these people. The companion cube thing was just a big joke. GLaDOS commented on how attached you should be feeling to the cube, and the game made a joke about how you should be sad to put it down. I agree that people take this joke a little too far, but I thought it was enjoyable in the game.

Yeah, Kel. Be one of the hip and cool kids, write off the experience of others as a simple delusion because we just aren't as awesome as CrazyD. :cool:

[violent]

I believe the love of the Companion Cube is purely manufactured. That game managed to get quite a few silly things and instill importance in them. While I can care less for the Cube and the whole "cake" thing, they certainly got a lot of people to take the bait. Seriously, it's a box.

[ClannerDelta]

I believe the love of the Companion Cube is purely manufactured. That game managed to get quite a few silly things and instill importance in them. While I can care less for the Cube and the whole "cake" thing, they certainly got a lot of people to take the bait. Seriously, it's a box.

Which is why it will never stab me.

[crazyD]

Just because you didn't get attached to it during the story doesn't mean those of us who did are just taking a joke too far.

There was no experience. The only experience is the one GLaDOS told you you were having. It was a joke, and possibly a parody of shallow character relationships in other games.

[Karmakin]

I don't understand the idea of Auron playing them. Do tell. I think I know where you are going, but want to see what you have to say.

*ahem*

Auron was killed by Yunalesca after finding out that Sin was a cycle, with the Final Aeon becoming Sin, and that the traditional sacrifice is basically pointless (at least to him). The pilgrimage was set up in such a way as to create the bond necessary between summoner and guardian to fuel the Final Aeon.

Auron pulled Tidus out of the dreams of the Fayth with the express purpose of Yuna falling in love with him, to the point where while she would gladly sacrifice herself, she would not sacrifice Tidus. In that way, he instructs Tidus to get near Yuna, to deepen their relationship in the hope that in the crucial moment, Yuna would reject the tradition and break the loop, which she does.

[violent]

Which is why it will never stab me.

I really don't have a problem with people digging on the cube thing but I do find it impressive how Valve made something out of nothing and the people ate it up. The cake thing though, that was horrible.

[Ink Asylum]

I believe the love of the Companion Cube is purely manufactured. That game managed to get quite a few silly things and instill importance in them. While I can care less for the Cube and the whole "cake" thing, they certainly got a lot of people to take the bait. Seriously, it's a box.

What do you consider "taking the bait"? How were people who genuinely were emotionally invested in the story of Portal and through that felt an attachment to the Companion Cube tricked? If they were tricked wouldn't that mean Valve actually succeeded at writing the story?

[Ink Asylum]

I really don't have a problem with people digging on the cube thing but I do find it impressive how Valve made something out of nothing and the people ate it up. The cake thing though, that was horrible.

Isn't that what all fiction does? No one is really in love with the Companion Cube, but people did experience an emotional attachment to it similar to the ones people form with other fictional characters in books, movies, etc.

[violent]

What do you consider "taking the bait"? How were people who genuinely were emotionally invested in the story of Portal and through that felt an attachment to the Companion Cube tricked?

Because it's a box. You are told to care for the box and because you were, you do. Just ask yourself this:

1. If Glados didn't instill the connection between you and that box, would you still care that you destroyed it?
2. In all the games you've played, have you cared at all about a particular box, crate or pot?

The Companion Cube is important because people were told it was important. It wasn't a natural connection. It was manufactured and people ate it up. Like fish. And bait.

Again, I don't have problems that people dug the connection but to defend an actual connection is stretching it in my book.

[ClannerDelta]

Again, I don't have problems that people dug the connection but to defend an actual connection is stretching it in my book.

The emotional response and connection are different. The connection is shallow like every connection inspired by movies/games. The part that I've been trying to explain is the simple emotional response. You can call it a simple box, but people personify inanimate objects all the time. Inside and outside of media.

I also don't have a problem with people finding it to be silly or lame. It is. That's just something that's entirely up to the person, and I feel you missed out on some of the fun of portal if you didn't feel like you had gotten a bit of delicious revenge when you incinerated Glados.

[crazyD]

Never underestimate the Internet's ability to take something simple and funny, and run it into the ground.

[violent]

I also don't have a problem with people finding it to be silly or lame. It is. That's just something that's entirely up to the person, and I feel you missed out on some of the fun of portal if you didn't feel like you had gotten a bit of delicious revenge when you incinerated Glados.

I don't think I missed out on anything in Portal. I loved the game. It was a thinking game to me though. I knew what I had to do and I did it. There was plenty of gratification in fulfilling that. The box/cake things though were so one-dimensional to me in comparison to what the game was about that they never warranted a second thought to me. Destroying Glados though was directly related to my motivation thus it was a more important factor in the entire experience for me.

[Ink Asylum]

Because it's a box. You are told to care for the box and because you were, you do. Just ask yourself this:

1. If Glados didn't instill the connection between you and that box, would you still care that you destroyed it?
2. In all the games you've played, have you cared at all about a particular box, crate or pot?

The Companion Cube is important because people were told it was important. It wasn't a natural connection. It was manufactured and people ate it up. Like fish. And bait.

Again, I don't have problems that people dug the connection but to defend an actual connection is stretching it in my book.

And Wilson in Castaway is just a volleyball. Erik Wolpaw, one of the writers for Portal, specifically mentioned old government interrogation manuals when describing how people in isolation form emotional attachments to inanimate objects, and this is exactly what they planned for the Companion Cube.

Your character, and by extension you playing that character, have just experienced a couple hours of isolation from anyone except her seemingly artificial voice. GLaDOS's statements about the box were specifically written to help spark a similar connection that someone in prolonged isolation would develop for an object. Just because you're nudged towards it by dialogue doesn't make it any less significant.

I don't know about you, but Portal was a very emotional game for me, as much as any work of fiction can be. You may not have had the same trip I did, but it doesn't mean I was "tricked" any more than anyone who has ever been scared/elated/saddened by a movie.

[violent]

Never underestimate the Internet's ability to take something simple and funny, and run it into the ground.

While it's not fair to the game, this truth does nothing less than leave a sour taste in regards to Portal.

[crazyD]

And Wilson in Castaway is just a volleyball. Erik Wolpaw, one of the writers for Portal, specifically mentioned old government interrogation manuals when describing how people in isolation form emotional attachments to inanimate objects, and this is exactly what they planned for the Companion Cube.

Wilson was only personified after spending a long time alone on an island with it. You spent maybe 20 minutes with the cube. I guarantee you there wouldn't be nearly this kind of reaction if GLaDOS hadn't explained how you were supposed to feel about it.

In any case, this is a thread about game romances, which did not occur.

[ClannerDelta]

I guarantee you there wouldn't be nearly this kind of reaction if GLaDOS hadn't explained how you were supposed to feel about it.

That's... the point. It was specifically made to cause that kind of reaction. You're not amazing because you resisted the game's intention. You just missed out on some of the fun.

[violent]

And Wilson in Castaway is just a volleyball. Erik Wolpaw, one of the writers for Portal, specifically mentioned old government interrogation manuals when describing how people in isolation form emotional attachments to inanimate objects, and this is exactly what they planned for the Companion Cube.

Your character, and by extension you playing that character, have just experienced a couple hours of isolation from anyone except her seemingly artificial voice. GLaDOS's statements about the box were specifically written to help spark a similar connection that someone in prolonged isolation would develop for an object. Just because you're nudged towards it by dialogue doesn't make it any less significant.

I don't know about you, but Portal was a very emotional game for me, as much as any work of fiction can be. You may not have had the same trip I did, but it doesn't mean I was "tricked" any more than anyone who has ever been scared/elated/saddened by a movie.

Listen, I respect that you enjoyed it and you were emotionally attached to it. The only thing I'm saying is that a box in a puzzle game that makes an appearance in a single level does not strike emotional attachment to me. I'm sorry but it doesn't. Maybe it simply takes more than that to sell me. The only thing that I could fathom would create that connection to a box is actually being told that I should. Which I still didn't. I don't think you're silly or wrong for feeling the contrary, I simply think that Valve made a mountain our of virtually nothing with this one.

[violent]

That's... the point. It was specifically made to cause that kind of reaction. You're not amazing because you resisted the game's intention. You just missed out on some of the fun.

You have to realize the other side of the argument. You only cared because you were told to.

[Ink Asylum]

I don't think I missed out on anything in Portal. I loved the game. It was a thinking game to me though. I knew what I had to do and I did it. There was plenty of gratification in fulfilling that. The box/cake things though were so one-dimensional to me in comparison to what the game was about that they never warranted a second thought to me. Destroying Glados though was directly related to my motivation thus it was a more important factor in the entire experience for me.

You might not have missed out on something in your mind but you definitely experienced the game in an entirely different way than I did. That game was as much an emotional roller coaster as any movie or game I've experienced in recent years. The final twenty minutes leading up to and including the fight with GLaDOS were particularly intense.

[violent]

You might not have missed out on something in your mind but you definitely experienced the game in an entirely different way than I did. That game was as much an emotional roller coaster as any movie or game I've experienced in recent years. The final twenty minutes leading up to and including the fight with GLaDOS were particularly intense.

Different experiences I certainly agree. The game for me though was damned near perfect for reasons other than emotional attachment (seeing as I had none).

[ClannerDelta]

You have to realize the other side of the argument. You only cared because you were told to.

That's just what I said. :p You seem to be confused. I have no problem with YOUR interpretation or approach. Only the utter and complete dismissal of my enjoyment of the game by CrazyD specifically.

[crazyD]

That's... the point. It was specifically made to cause that kind of reaction. You're not amazing because you resisted the game's intention. You just missed out on some of the fun.

No, it was specifically made to be a joke. You are not amazing because you took it way too seriously.

[violent]

That's just what I said. :p You seem to be confused. I have no problem with YOUR interpretation or approach. Only the utter and complete dismissal of my enjoyment of the game by CrazyD specifically.

Ah, I see. I think the line then is pretty evident. Those that play to reach their goal and those that play emotionally. I think this one might be impossible to sway the other one on.

[Ink Asylum]

You have to realize the other side of the argument. You only cared because you were told to.

No, we cared in part because we were told to. It's possible that if GLaDOS's proddings were removed that the unique look of the box and the necessity of carrying it around through the entire level and using it to both protect yourself and solve puzzles, as well as the forced incineration, would have been enough to make plenty of people feel attached and guilty. Though clearly you're not one of those people.

Besides, GLaDOS and what she tells the player are the whole point of the game. You're a test subject being toyed with by a seemingly omniscient figure. Saying you only experienced an emotion in the game because someone controlling your fate manipulated you into it fits perfectly into the game's theme.

[Ink Asylum]

Different experiences I certainly agree. The game for me though was damned near perfect for reasons other than emotional attachment (seeing as I had none).

And the game was perfect for me because I did. I'm not going to tell you that you really were emotionally involved, you just didn't notice it, so I don't see why you and others feel it so vital to tell those of us who were involved that we weren't.

Are you routinely emotionally involved in books, movies, games, etc?

[violent]

No, we cared in part because we were told to. It's possible that if GLaDOS's proddings were removed that the unique look of the box and the necessity of carrying it around through the entire level and using it to both protect yourself and solve puzzles, as well as the forced incineration, would have been enough to make plenty of people feel attached and guilty. Though clearly you're not one of those people.

Besides, GLaDOS and what she tells the player are the whole point of the game. You're a test subject being toyed with by a seemingly omniscient figure. Saying you only experienced an emotion in the game because someone controlling your fate manipulated you into it fits perfectly into the game's theme.

I was referring to something specifically that was being said. And honestly, everything you're mentioning I played through. I know what happened but it simply wasn't fleshed out enough to care about. Therefore I didn't. I cared more about making it out of the facility than I did about Glados, cakes, boxes, whatever. None of that mattered to me. Only thing I cared about was getting out.

[Ink Asylum]

No, it was specifically made to be a joke. You are not amazing because you took it way too seriously.

Nor are you amazing because you're just so clever that you saw through the game's emotional trickery.

[ClannerDelta]

Ah, I see. I think the line then is pretty evident. Those that play to reach their goal and those that play emotionally. I think this one might be impossible to sway the other one on.
Agreed, I was only replying because Kelegacy wanted to know why.

[violent]

And the game was perfect for me because I did. I'm not going to tell you that you really were emotionally involved, you just didn't notice it, so I don't see why you and others feel it so vital to tell those of us who were involved that we weren't.

Are you routinely emotionally involved in books, movies, games, etc?

I'm not saying you're not emotionally involved. I'm saying you are. I'm also saying you are based on very little. Again, nothing wrong with that. My only difference is that I simply didn't care because it was very one dimensional to me. I have the right to feel that just like you do. The one-dimensional thing is not the case in books. Give me an actual novel of things going on in the Portal universe and I might start caring. The game though simply lacked the material for me.

[Ink Asylum]

I was referring to something specifically that was being said. And honestly, everything you're mentioning I played through. I know what happened but it simply wasn't fleshed out enough to care about. Therefore I didn't. I cared more about making it out of the facility than I did about Glados, cakes, boxes, whatever. None of that mattered to me. Only thing I cared about was getting out.

So whatever emotional hooks and triggers Valve worked into the game for that purpose didn't work on you. That happens. Not everyone is effected the same way by a particular work of fiction.

[violent]

So whatever emotional hooks and triggers Valve worked into the game for that purpose didn't work on you. That happens. Not everyone is effected the same way by a particular work of fiction.

This is precisely what I've been attempting to explain to you but somehow you make it seems as if I simply don't get it.

[Ink Asylum]

I'm not saying you're not emotionally involved. I'm saying you are. I'm also saying you are based on very little. Again, nothing wrong with that. My only difference is that I simply didn't care because it was very one dimensional to me. I have the right to feel that just like you do. The one-dimensional thing is not the case in books. Give me an actual novel of things going on in the Portal universe and I might start caring. The game though simply lacked the material for me.

As a game it was longer than most movies. They got a lot of traction out of very little, but that's something Valve does very well. Have I ever said you were wrong for not feeling emotionally invested in Portal? Not at all. Experiencing fiction is subjective. I've been explaining why I did feel attached only to have that rejected by you and CrazyD.

[violent]

As a game it was longer than most movies. They got a lot of traction out of very little, but that's something Valve does very well. Have I ever said you were wrong for not feeling emotionally invested in Portal? Not at all. Experiencing fiction is subjective. I've been explaining why I did feel attached only to have that rejected by you and CrazyD.

I should mention I beat the game in less than 3 hours. Maybe that should be indicative of something. Also, I would suggest that you reread my posts and notice I never rejected your experiences.

[crazyD]

Nor are you amazing because you're just so clever that you saw through the game's emotional trickery.

That's the thing. There was no emotional trickery. They did nothing to make you feel attached except tell you that you should, and in a very direct and un-subtle way. It was a joke, and a really funny one that I enjoyed, but I cannot see how anyone could feel legitimately attached. I feel like you guys are the ones missing out on the game.

[Ink Asylum]

That's the thing. There was no emotional trickery. They did nothing to make you feel attached except tell you that you should, and in a very direct and un-subtle way. It was a joke, and a really funny one that I enjoyed, but I cannot see how anyone could feel legitimately attached. I feel like you guys are the ones missing out on the game.

They made the cube distinct and cuter than the others, designed a level where you were absolutely required to carry it around and use it to solve puzzles, set up a final situation where you had to needlessly incinerate it, and designed the game to have absolutely no support characters. Just because you don't recognize the blend of gameplay and writing cues that helped forge that emotional connection for a large chunk of the game's players doesn't mean it wasn't there.

[crazyD]

They made the cube distinct and cuter than the others, designed a level where you were absolutely required to carry it around and use it to solve puzzles, set up a final situation where you had to needlessly incinerate it, and designed the game to have absolutely no support characters. Just because you don't recognize the blend of gameplay and writing cues that helped forge that emotional connection for a large chunk of the game's players doesn't mean it wasn't there.

Half-Life had me go through pretty much the entire game with the crowbar, and it was necessary in combat and solving puzzles. I also never gained an emotional attachment to it, and I don't see anyone listing Gordon and his crowbar as being the Best Game Romance.

This is an absurd conversation, and I am done participating.

[Ink Asylum]

You haven't seen what Gordon does with his crowbar after dark.

[squirrelTactics]

Re-railing this thread, I think that Louis and Zoey get my vote for best romance.

[pomeroy]

Fucking Portal. The longer I'm on the internet, the more I hate that damn game. All it's been reduced to are stupid catchphrases ("the cake is a lie", "the companion cube will never stab me", etc) and while the writing was somewhat funny...it was gameplay that made that game work.

And it weirds me out when people say they were attached to the companion cube. Do you get attached to things you use in your everyday life? Do you have a relationship with your toothbrush?

[Kelegacy]

Do you get attached to things you use in your everyday life? Do you have a relationship with your toothbrush?

Apparently lonely people do, according to Eric Wolpaw. :)

[Ink Asylum]

Fucking Portal. The longer I'm on the internet, the more I hate that damn game. All it's been reduced to are stupid catchphrases ("the cake is a lie", "the companion cube will never stab me", etc) and while the writing was somewhat funny...it was gameplay that made that game work.

Portal is awesome because it blends story and gameplay better than most other games do. Valve really does that best. Most games have very distinct gameplay and story. Do this thing to get to this cutscene or text block or dialogue. While the puzzles in Portal are often distinct from the story, they also work into the overall plot, unlike the puzzles in most games. You're a test subject, of course you're jumping through hoops.

And it weirds me out when people say they were attached to the companion cube. Do you get attached to things you use in your everyday life? Do you have a relationship with your toothbrush?

Yeah, because no one ever becomes emotionally attached to objects. Do you only have things in your house which serve just their specific purpose? If your home burned down with everything in it would you not miss anything you lost?

[pomeroy]

Yeah, because no one ever becomes emotionally attached to objects. Do you only have things in your house which serve just their specific purpose? If your home burned down with everything in it would you not miss anything you lost?

The only things that I would actually miss would be photos and handmade objects from my family. Because they were from my family and have an ACTUAL emotional attachment. I might be pissed about losing my other shit (especially high-end electronics), but that's more of an inconvenience/financial irritation.

I wouldn't, however, miss the packing crate that I'd had for ten minutes. And I wouldn't talk about it for months on end and how great it was since "it wouldn't stab me."

[Ink Asylum]

So you would miss stuff from your family. Now imagine you're Chell. You don't have a family, you have no idea who you are or how you got into this test facility. You're pushed through life-threatening situations by an omnipresent computer voice that appears to have control over the facility you're in. It tricks you and taunts you for a couple hours while you don't see another single person nor have any reassurance that you ever will, then it drops a box with hearts on it in front of you and asks you to take care of it.

Sure, all that technically happens to Chell, not the player, but the same can be said of any work of fiction. In order to feel the emotions of the characters you have to put yourself in their shoes, something video games do literally (though with Chell you're putting yourself in her heelsprings). Someone in Chell's position would be very likely to develop an emotional attachment to the Companion Cube. As Chell's player, the game tries to extend that experience to you, although it will naturally be to a lesser degree. Just because it didn't succeed for you doesn't make it impossible.

[pomeroy]

Haha, ok. You got attached to the cube. You honestly don't see how weird that is?

[Ink Asylum]

Haha, ok. You got attached to the cube. You honestly don't see how weird that is?

It is weird. It's a cube with hearts on it! I'd walk right past one if I'd seen it in my everyday life. The fact that it happens anyway in the game to me and a whole lot of people just goes to show how skilled Valve are as game designers and storytellers.

You know what else is weird? Being freaked out by digital zombies! They're in the television. Why would I jump when they lunge through a wall at me? I know I'm not going to get my face chewed off.

[TheFlyingOrc]

So you would miss stuff from your family. Now imagine you're Chell. You don't have a family, you have no idea who you are or how you got into this test facility. You're pushed through life-threatening situations by an omnipresent computer voice that appears to have control over the facility you're in. It tricks you and taunts you for a couple hours while you don't see another single person nor have any reassurance that you ever will, then it drops a box with hearts on it in front of you and asks you to take care of it.

Well, if you want to actually pretend that you were the character, that makes sense. However, playing make believe in the fashion you just described doesn't make you an adult dabbling in escapism, it makes you a child.

The only reason you think of anything is because the computer reassures you that it is morally right to incinerate the cube, so your reaction is "wait a minute...why did she have to reassure me?" Nobody playing the game would have thought of anything about the cube had they not told you it was special.

Sure, all that technically happens to Chell, not the player, but the same can be said of any work of fiction. In order to feel the emotions of the characters you have to put yourself in their shoes, something video games do literally (though with Chell you're putting yourself in her heelsprings). Someone in Chell's position would be very likely to develop an emotional attachment to the Companion Cube. As Chell's player, the game tries to extend that experience to you, although it will naturally be to a lesser degree. Just because it didn't succeed for you doesn't make it impossible.
You don't have to make EFFORT to feel empathy, which you clearly went out of your way to do in Portal. This is not laudable behavior.

[TheFlyingOrc]

You know what else is weird? Being freaked out by digital zombies! They're in the television. Why would I jump when they lunge through a wall at me? I know I'm not going to get my face chewed off.
Because your subconscious doesn't know that. Bringing it into your consciousness makes you an insufferable nerd.

[Ink Asylum]

Well, if you want to actually pretend that you were the character, that makes sense. However, playing make believe in the fashion you just described doesn't make you an adult dabbling in escapism, it makes you a child.

The only reason you think of anything is because the computer reassures you that it is morally right to incinerate the cube, so your reaction is "wait a minute...why did she have to reassure me?" Nobody playing the game would have thought of anything about the cube had they not told you it was special.

You don't have to make EFFORT to feel empathy, which you clearly went out of your way to do in Portal. This is not laudable behavior.

Oh please. Try to be a little more condescending. Oh noes! I'm an adult who enjoys getting immersed in well-written fiction! How horrible and shameful!

[violent]

3.....2.....1.....

[Ink Asylum]

Contact?

tooshort

[TheFlyingOrc]

Oh please. Try to be a little more condescending. Oh noes! I'm an adult who enjoys getting immersed in well-written fiction! How horrible and shameful!

Yeah, pretty much.

I'm overstating because this is the internet, but seriously? The depth of Portal is in its comedy, not its feeling of isolation

[Ink Asylum]

And you can say this definitively because...?

Yes, humor is a big component of the game, but there are a lot of other elements as well. Isolationism, decision-making, revenge. Listen to the developer commentaries in the game, they weren't just writing a comedy. There's some dark stuff in there.

[Kelegacy]

I'm just glad I wasn't the only one who felt nothing for the cube. Makes me feel less...alienated.

As for other videogame relationships, besides Jenny and Jacky from the Darkness, I guess Mona and Max from Max Payne would be worth a mention. I think love stories in most games aren't don't very well, which is why there aren't many great examples to mention. Squall and Rhinoa had some great cutscenes, especially that one in space, but most JRPGs really fall flat on their faces in the romance category. The whole situation is treated with widespread immaturity that any boy loves girl scenario feels tremendously juvenille.

I think games overlook the love aspect in games, though I think the medium can benefit from some great gaming romances. I think many games are created by nerds, or cater to nerds, and thus the huge tits and improbable proportions of other body parts. Women are created too much like sex symbols instead of romantic interests. Alyx from HL2 is a great example of a well-designed female.

I think this is one area that would greatly benefit gaming, at least for mature gamers. Not sex, but love or something similar.

[Ink Asylum]

Romance feels tacky and ineffective in games because most of them are developed only during cutscenes and dialogue during which the user has little to no input, involvement, or choice. Most of them don't take advantage of the medium. The romantic plot is so detached from the times when the player has control that it's like switching back and forth between a video game and a romance movie.

It's another reason Alyx works well as a character. She interacts with Gordon all the time and even during scripted scenes the player doesn't lose control.

[Nikjitsu]

Fuck the stupid ass companion cube.

There, I said it. You fucking Portal nerds can eat a dick...the companion cube is stupid.

Fucking Cake-Hater

[KingGorilla]

Originally Posted by pomeroy
Fuck the stupid ass companion cube.

There, I said it. You fucking Portal nerds can eat a dick...the companion cube is stupid.
http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2006/20060410.jpg
Sometimes you must speak through the words of another.

[Loki]

http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2006/20060410.jpg
Sometimes you must speak through the words of another.

Nice idea, but bad context. 7 out of 10

[pomeroy]

Nice idea, but bad context. 7 out of 10

I like how that strip is supposed to make me shut up about the fact that the FUCKING COMPANION CUBE IS DUMB AS HELL.

[violent]

I like how that strip is supposed to make me shut up about the fact that the FUCKING COMPANION CUBE IS DUMB AS HELL.

I thought it worked better at describing idiotic fanaticism. The problem is still present though seeing as Warhammer does indeed rock.

[pomeroy]

I thought it worked better at describing idiotic fanaticism. The problem is still present though seeing as Warhammer does indeed rock.

Hmm...if that's what he's getting at, then alright.

I'm really tired, so I'm not really picking up context at this point at all.

[violent]

Hmm...if that's what he's getting at, then alright.

I'm really tired, so I'm not really picking up context at this point at all.

Just a guess though. I'm here only for the few minutes between Gears sessions. Game can be so fucking cheap sometimes.

[Variable Gear]

The companion cube argument is ridiculous, because it wasn't meant to be romantic. It was meant to be darkly humorous, and Valve succeeded in creating that kind of emotion.

[BLeeP]

I only read a few pages, and I'm lazy, but I'm going to go ahead and vote for Squall and Rinoa with runner-up going to the love story in Super Paper Mario.

I feel that FFVIII has the best story in a JRPG that I have ever played, and the fact that it is a love story probably plays a large part in my opinion. And Super Paper Mario just has one of the greatest stories/narrative in any recent game that I have played.

I can't really think of a horrible video game romance that actually took place in a game I've played. I hate Tidus because he's a douche, but I didn't pay enough attention to know if his love story was actually bad. If I think of something I will post it.

[Vyzov]

Hmm, I want to throw a few more random things that popped into my head up for discussion.

Rolf and Nei? Well, it wasn't so much a romance I'm pretty sure that was more of a brother/sister thing. Chaz and Rika? What about the romances in Phantasy Star III? Did anyone ever really play through it? Maxim and Tia in Lufia II?

I know I mentioned Mono and the player character in Shadow Of The Colossus.

What about Master Chief and Cortana? Is there anything there?

This is one I didn't see, but you could sorta tell that there was something there.
Sarah Kerrigan and Jim Raynor.

Finally I think I'll toss down... Leon Kennedy and Ada Wong.

(Can we leave the companion cube alone? I always thought of it as more of a friendship then a romance.... No, must resist talking about portal.)

[JRR006]

What about Master Chief and Cortana? Is there anything there?


From the books, I got the sense that it is pretty much one-sided. Cortana obviously cares for Master Chief and is in a position to act as his protector. In The Fall of Reach, I think, she consciously decides that that will be one of her roles, kind of parallel with how Dr. Halsey feels about the SPARTANS as a whole. Admittedly, Cortana as the white knight is a strange inversion of the classic chivalric tale when we're putting Master Chief in the role of 'fair maiden', but I like the idea that her god-like (digital) abilities are often put toward supporting him and keeping him safe. Call me a hopeless romantic! In a more obvious or base scene (forget which book) Cortana and Dr. Halsey agree that Master Chief is physically attractive, so... there's that.

How Master Chief feels about her isn't as clear to me. There is a scene (The Flood?) where he dreams and smells the soap his biological mother used, but he sees an amalgamation of Cortana and Dr. Halsey, so unless Master Chief has a bit of an Oedipus complex... and yet, there's the scene in Halo 3 where he rescues her from the Gravemind. He sounds very affectionate... He's so stoic, it's hard to tell what he's thinking. For me, anyway. Perhaps others have a better understanding of him.

To me, the ending of Halo 3 made it pretty clear that he's aware that she has feelings for him. I can't tell if he reciprocates beyond the normal bond one has with a comrade-in-arms?

For extra credit, ruminate on the fact that they occasionally literally become "one flesh" by virtue of her inhabiting his armor.

[Karak]

Advent Rising hands down.
But I can't tell what it is because people are playing through it.
"What choice do you make when all choices hurt?" As the old saying goes.