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Video games that offer players the freedom to make their own choices have become very prominent. Titles that allow them to choose how their character looks and progress is one thing, but some even allow them to have a say on how the story develops. Even in mostly linear, non-RPG titles, players are sometimes allowed to influence the direction of a narrative.
One of the things that they are allowed to choose is whether their player character will pursue a romantic partner or not. In most cases, a video game will even give several options for romantic partners. Choosing who to have a relationship with has become one of the most important decisions in gaming.
Take Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Baldur's Gate 3 as an example. tHOSE who have played these games treat choosing a romantic partner as important as the plot itself, and it becomes really hard to choose one with several great options. On the other hand, there are a few games wherein the options for romantic partners are not quite as good.
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Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's views.
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5 video games with the most disappointing romance options
Some of these romantic options are simply not compelling enough or it could be said that the video game did not really provide better options. On the other hand, some of these NPCs perform actions that are so despicable that you won't be able to believe you were forced into a relationship with them.
Regardless of the reason, here are the games with the worst romance options.
1) Far Cry 3
The first two Far Cry games were decent, but weren't great. When Far Cry 3 came along, it transformed the series. You play as Jason Brody, a young man who gets captured by pirates on vacation along with his friends and his girlfriend, Lisa. You'll of course get to escape and will be able to rescue everyone later on.
As Jason goes through this journey, he meets allies who help him; one of these is Citra, the leader of the rebel group that has resisted the pirates. The game will take a very dramatic turn at the end when you learn that Citra has captured your friends to try to get you to stay on the island.
If you choose to stay, Jason will brutally kill Lisa and presumably their other friends. Then Citra kills you after a very explicit cutscene. The ending of Far Cry 3 offers two very unequal choices. It suddenly becomes clear that choosing your friends is the correct answer, if it wasn't already apparent.
However, choosing to leave with Lisa and the others also does not feel compelling enough. Far Cry 3 is a video game that may have great gameplay and a solid antagonist in Vaas, but the endings and the choices leading up to it are some of the worst.
2) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is one of the best video games of all time. It provides plenty of interesting side quests that can cause the player to stray away from the main storyline and even forget about it completely.
This game provides hours upon hours of entertainment and one of the best parts is you get to have a say in a lot of the events that happen in Skyrim. It is one of the video games where you get to feel like you are one with your character.
Unfortunately, there is one aspect of the game that falls short and that is the romance part. Choosing a romantic partner is one of the most boring things you can do, and even after you've chosen one, the rewards or the benefits that it provides are negligible.
Sure, several of the romanceable characters are quite interesting and they can be fun to have as companions. However, the romantic side of things just feels so rushed and poorly executed.
Thankfully, this is one of those video games that are improved by adding mods. If you feel like the romance is awful, simply download one of the many mods that can improve it.
3) Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto is at the pinnacle of open-world crime series. Many video games have tried to copy what GTA does, but it appears that none can compete with it.
The main missions and side activities are extremely satisfying. The different characters that you encounter have some of the best backstories. The occasional tonal shift from hilarious to tragic is so well executed. Basically, it has all the makings to consistently be on the list of the greatest video game franchises of all time.
One of the best entries in the series is GTA San Andreas. This installment, which came out in 2004, added plenty of the elements that we know and love today. The character customization options, car customization, skill progression, and even Los Santos itself.
However, there is one aspect of GTA San Andreas that does not feel quite as developed or well thought of as the other areas, and that is romance. San Andreas introduced the option to date various characters in the game but none of the options are really compelling and it feels like such a useless aspect that does not add to the game in any way.
4) Assassin's Creed Odyssey
The Assassin's Creed series of video games has certainly gone through plenty of changes. The franchise started out as a linear stealth-based offering, one that prioritized ship combat and exploration. It then made the jump to becoming a full-fledged RPG before returning to its linear origins with the latest installment, Assassin's Creed Mirage.
One of the games in the series that tried to cram as many things into it as possible is Assassin's Creed Odyssey. It had ship combat and exploration, provided a sprawling world to discover, added more RPG elements, and gave one of the best protagonists in Kassandra.
It is arguably one of the best games in the series. However, the romance system that was tacked onto it was one of the worst in video game history. The options and the actual romance can be cringey or boring.
Going through one is not really rewarding and one can do without it throughout their Assassin's Creed Odyssey run.
5) Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 was one of the most hyped up and anticipated games of the modern era. Plenty of things were promised to gamers and almost everybody could not wait to play it. Unfortunately, when it was initially released, it was a massive technical mess that was nowhere near what was advertised.
Thankfully, CDPR remained faithful to its title and consistently worked on it. While it took years and several patches, we are finally at the stage where we can call Cyberpunk one of the best games ever.
Sadly, there is still one aspect of the game that feels lacking and it is unclear if it will ever be addressed and that is the romance. The system feels decent as V is given the opportunity to really get to know someone, and the things you choose to say can have significant effects on a romantic relationship.
Where it does fall short on are the available romantic partners. Judy and Panam are great, but outside of the two of them, the options start to go downhill. Aside from the lack of options, fans have also expressed disappointment at the fact that certain gender preferences can lock you out of being able to pursue a romance with other characters.
These are the video games with disappointing or even downright terrible options. If you want to check out other gaming lists, feel free to look at this list of the five RPGs that failed to deliver.
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