Since the early days of Mario rescuing Princess Peach to modern day dating simulations, romance has been a part of video games. It’s no mystery why that is. Relationships are the foundation of every person’s life, and our connections with others are one of the many ways we define ourselves, be that through family ties, strong friendships, bitter rivalries, or a budding romance. We see these kinds of relationships repeated time and time again across the video game genres, though role-playing games are where they are at their strongest. There is something very heartwarming about watching your character fall in love while trying to save the world from certain doom.

When one thinks about romance in video games, their first thoughts are usually about a BioWare title, from as early as Baldur’s Gate II in 2000. While the early games certainly had romances, their friendships and rivalries often had more depth. The romantic scenes were few and far between, snippets of conversation followed up by a love confession, and not at all complex. The most memorable romances started with Kaidan and Ashley Mass Effect in 2007 and characters like Alistair and Morrigan in Dragon Age: Origins in 2009. They were characters with circumstances of their own, reasons for being with the main character other than the classic “because you’re the hero”. Because these characters were fully voiced, they had a clear advantage over their predecessors when it comes to having life breathed into them, but good voice acting can never compensate for bad writing. Watching as this beautifully written story moves the characters from (sometimes hostile) strangers toward friendship and into love while trying to overcome the great odds stacked against them was wonderfully authentic and meaningful.

One of the elements that made these romances compelling was the way BioWare did not shy away from sex. Instead of relying merely on implication with a kiss and fade-to-black, they chose to show the characters take the plunge. It wasn’t necessarily about the sex as much as it was about two people connecting with one another and expressing their feelings in a natural and honest way, though it’s arguable that the act itself was just as important as what it represented. Physical relationships are a natural step in any romantic relationship, but also a basic human urge.

The bookstore calls it the Romance section, but we all know that’s being polite. It is filled erotic fiction, and there are quadrillions of words of fanfiction dedicated to romantic pairings, imagined and canon, across all manner of media, most of which have a mature rating. Some of it is straight-up word porn, but most of it is as much about the relationships as it is about the sex.

Though not everyone is keen on witnessing any spicy bedroom action, the perception that sex and romance are somehow separate is dated, and many developers have taken the road to provide this kind of connection with their characters, be it romantic or purely sexual. The Skyrim modding community is rife with mods that seek to enhance the bleak and underdeveloped romances of the vanilla game, be it improving the default marriage system or providing new companions.

One of the most satisfying examples of these mods is Skyrim Romance. Romance is right there in the title so the player knows what they are getting into and, with a dependency called SexLabs, they know sex is going to be on table. However, the biggest draw of Skyrim Romance is the promise of a fully-fleshed out relationship. Not just a love confession, not just a sweet kiss followed by the tell-tale fade-to-black, but the genuine development of two strangers into lovers.

Bishop checks all the boxes when it comes to the necessities of a compelling character. He has a past that influences his present, a personality that is his and not shaped by the Dragonborn’s preferences, goals that have nothing to do with her goals, and reasons for committing to her. Yes, one of those reasons is because he wants her with an almost primal desire, but he is a sexy, gravelly-voiced lone wolf, and that combo checks a box, too. He follows a believable arc between “I want to have sex with you because you’re attractive” to “I want to have sex with you because I can’t live without you and this is a way for me to express that.”

As he travels with the Dragonborn, there are plenty of those get-to-know-one-another conversations that bridge the gap between strangers and various encounters that offer the necessary push toward confronting his budding feelings. The sex is part of that development. The physicality can start early or the Dragonborn can make him wait, but the choice to say yes often enhances the gravity of certain moments, from cuddling in a tent for warmth while a snowstorm rages outside to confessing their love to the desperate hour before a final battle. Sex in Skyrim Romance is a show of attraction and an expression of feelings that feels true to life.

The romance culminates in a very tender, long-time-coming confession of love, resulting in a rather beautiful wedding. Thankfully, the pages keep turning, and our happily ever after does not end at the altar. Bishop builds the Dragonborn a home and eventually they can have a son together, who grows into the most adorable child ever portrayed in a video game. His desire for the Dragonborn never fades, and they can continue to express this as the player’s legacy develops further. From the sex and romance to the wedding and pregnancy, it is a complete experience that is utterly satisfying.

This treatment of the romantic experience promises the upcoming mod Forbidden Love will be just as satisfying as Skyrim Romance. Players know that they can expect the complete package, that the SRM developers won’t shy away from any element.

Hopefully, we will see this attention to detail spread to other mods and gaming studios as romance in games continues to develop.

Blogger: Red
Editor: [RG] Ashe
Graphics Designer: D.D