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It's no secret that video games, at times, struggle to portray believable and electric romances. This is due to the greatest selling point of the landscape. Unlike other mediums, the consumer of video games is an active player in the events of the media. Players can and will imprint themselves onto the characters they're playing as, making choices that align with their personalities.
This freedom runs the risks of dissonance, especially in regard to romance. The player-character may become romantically involved in someone that the player themselves doesn't view as a good fit. This can leave romances feeling hollow, sometimes ludicrous and altogether missable.
6 Heavy Rain
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Heavy Rain is a title that's synonymous with innovation. Its status as a successful interactive story-experience did untold amounts to propel the industry forwards, ensuring this art-form is taken seriously. Like a novel, it features characters making cumbersome decisions that weigh heavy. That being said, some story elements and sequences are far from perfect, based on the collateral of so many branching decisions.
The potential romance between player-characters Ethan and Madison absolutely suffers in this regard. Madison becomes a consoling presence in Ethan's life, however, the timing is all kinds of wrong. Depending on certain decisions, the opportunity to spark a romance between the two characters comes just after Ethan has potentially killed someone. Madison's profession also predicates that she became involved with Ethan in order to gain information. Ethan can become clued in to this, throwing a notebook at Madison's face in a fit of rage. Not exactly healthy, avoid that kiss.
5 GTA IV
GTA IV gives the player unparalleled freedom. Bowl with Roman? Fight bikers outside of Burger Shot? Ride the subway? That's down to the player. Its story does push the relationship aspect of the game onto a linear path, for a time, that sends Niko into the arms of Michelle.
Their relationship and conversations are stunted, at best. There are moments of candor, though this depends on player choice. Where should Niko take Michelle, and did he hit a pedestrian on the way? Did he dodge her phone-call as he was busy gunning down police officers? These actions, aligning with the ability for Niko to foster a relationship, suspend disbelief. Also, turns out Michelle is working for GTA's version of the FBI. She's assigned to survey Niko, not exactly viable.
4 Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Romance in Skyrim is akin to a stale sweet role. Inviting on the surface, but hardened and dead on the inside. All that's required to commit to a lifetime of love is an amulet of Mara and having previously interacted with the NPC. The Dragonborn might have retrieved a sword for them, or simply said hello to them at the market, that's now grounds enough to wed and adopt.
The stagnation doesn't stop there. After marriage, these once active NPCs will simply remain inside the player's home, like an inanimate object. There's a reason that there exists a plethora of relationship overhaul mods. It's understandable, though, as Skyrim is the epitome of an IP with branching decisions and repercussions, it's difficult to account for every possibility. This was a weak point in an otherwise titanic game.
3 LA Noire
Players of LA Noire know the name Cole Phelps. A small minority may remember the name of his wife, Marie. She's barely fleshed out beyond an appearance in the title sequence. The player gets minimal insight into the protagonist's home or emotional life, albeit that may be telling in itself, due to Cole juggling trauma from the Okinawa campaign.
However, this lack of emotional development minimizes the story's romantic elements. The pivotal moment, in which Cole cheats on his wife with Elsa, is confusing and lackluster in its execution. It occurs offscreen, so the intimacy of that moment is sacrificed for narrative surprise. We see the repercussions for Cole, as he's demoted when the scandal breaks. He's also kicked out of the house by Marie, but there's no sense of what is personally lost.
2 Cyberpunk 2077
Although time and an array of patches has done much to restore Cyberpunk's tarnished reputation, there are many elements of the game that would benefit from further development. Romance definitely suffers here. In this (sometimes) beautifully realized future, player-characters are left with one romance option, depending on V's gender and sexuality. That feels extremely limited.
The options aren't particularly balanced, either. For instance, Panam has a much more expansive quest-line and a dedicated ending, while V's potential relationship with Kerry feels barren. Outside the confines of scripted events, you cannot explore Night City with your potential partner in any meaningful way. This is endemic to the game's wider issues, though.
1 Assassin's Creed Odyssey
The flippant nature of Odyssey's 'romances' fit the time period. The Ancient Greeks were ahead of the curve, labels and boxes were irrelevant. Players, in their adventures with Alexios or Kassandra, can go down intriguing avenues with their potential romantic partners, adding some levity to the game.
That being said, Odyssey's flings get to the crux of the problematic portrayal of romance in gaming, it's so damn transactional. Give an NPC enough legendary animal pelts and sparks will fly, or collect some flowers for a Blacksmith and they'll dote over the player. It's not exactly Jane Eyre. Romance simply doesn't work this way in real-life. To gamify love runs the risk of reducing the intricacy of human relationships. That messiness is a difficult thing to portray, monitor, and account for; which is why so many great games fail to reconcile it.