I romanced Merrill too, but it’s difficult for me not view Anders as the most narratively effective romance plot. Especially for a Hawke that kills him.
Also like Linzi, the person I was most personally interested in, Bethany, wasn’t a romance option. Of course unlike Linzi, a Bethany romance would have actually been problematic. That would have been a very different game.
I find “Toxic” relationships are interesting fodder for roleplaying games. Even if the writing wasn’t all there, Octavia and Regongar, were at least something I hadn’t really seen before. And I’m interested to see where they go with an Astarion romance, which looks like it might be similar to Anders, addiction and revenge.
Persona is interesting, I like the sort of light novel coming of age romances they have, but being constrained to little vignettes keeps it from both over taking the narrative and giving you as much as you might want. They’ve made spin-off fighting games and a brawler, I wonder if they’ve ever considered making spin-off dating sim before.
I think the kinda focus a smaller roster has is why I enjoyed Yukiko’s story in P4 more than most of ones in P5
Persona 4 also had Chekov’s ragamuffin which might just mean I’ve been too emotionally manipulated to feel differently. Oh no, P4 is my toxic relationship.
That said, I’m also in the camp where no romantic subplot in an rpg has really been exceptional.
In review the ones that were most effective, were stories where I knew my character was being taken in. I don’t need to like Yennefer for a romance with her to be effective because I can tell what’s going on with Geralt when they talk. I know Geralt has deep feelings for Triss because he gave her that rose, and Chose to save her over a number of probably ‘smarter’ choices. Conversely, it doesn’t matter to me the Bhaalspawn is a plank of wood with face painted on, because I can tell what’s going on between him and Viconia because of the writing and the voice acting on her side of it. As well the relationships the Nameless one has, the more-so because our incarnation is experiencing past romances the way a player normally does.
I don’t know where to fit Final Fantasy games into this matrix. The love triangle between Cloud Tifa and Aeris or the impending marriage with Lunafreya might veer so far into meladrama that they become effective again
There have to be better examples I’m not remembering. Where do Ico and Shadow of the Colossus fit in. Or the current generation of Zelda games I haven’t played
