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Games that make you feel like you have a relationship with the characters?
- Thread starter Fou-Lu
- Start date
This, especially the last missions.
The endgame, after the credits, I was starting to cry from joy 
Song of Fire
Member
I have no idea if it's a common sentiment, but my first thought on reading the thread title was Fire Emblem (7/The Blazing Blade). It does help greatly that the characters speak to you directly, which I don't think an avatar character like Robin can quite replicate.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find an image of
insisting that you missed her after
that I really trusted.
I really do need to get around to Persona, though; it always sounds really good.
Pre-post Edit: I see the Fire Emblem group is joining arms.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find an image of
Serra
everyone parts for a whole year
I really do need to get around to Persona, though; it always sounds really good.
Pre-post Edit: I see the Fire Emblem group is joining arms.
zelhawks37
Member
Trails in the Sky
Tales of Symphonia
Persona 3, 4, and 5
The House in Fata Morgana
Mother 2 and 3
Xenoblade
Danganronpa 1 and 2
Super Mario Galaxy (Rosalina in particular)
Final Fantasy 9
Breath of Fire 3
Chrono Cross
Tales of Symphonia
Persona 3, 4, and 5
The House in Fata Morgana
Mother 2 and 3
Xenoblade
Danganronpa 1 and 2
Super Mario Galaxy (Rosalina in particular)
Final Fantasy 9
Breath of Fire 3
Chrono Cross
Mr. Phellps
Member
Anything from BioWare Edmonton (Mass Effect, Dragon Age, KotOR, etc.)
This is the first thing I thought about. Such a lovely game!
Spring-Loaded
Member
Deus Ex: Human Revolution has Faridah Malik, and the relationship between her and the player character is one the player actually has some agency in. You get to frequently choose dialogue that elicits specific responses, complete a side quest for her that has a few different outcomes and then get to help after
. She's a cool character too, one I felt like I cared for, and I attribute that to all the character bonding I actually had some part in.
a helicopter crash/ambush
The Artisan
Member
just had to command f for this game!
edit: persona 5 had me starting to feel this way but I haven't touched that game in like a month
AudioEppa
Member
This. ND just knows how to make great games based on character development.
Also I feel this same way about Telltale's games.
Tbh almost any game where story and character are primary focused by the developer. Because that's what gets me invested in games.
Ar No Surge
It uses a combination of a really interesting technique that I cannot elaborate on without venturing into spoilers and continuous multiple choices to make you connect with the characters in a way that I didn't know was possible. I legitimately felt for almost every major character in this game and not in a "this is a character in a story" way but more of "I know these people".
It uses a combination of a really interesting technique that I cannot elaborate on without venturing into spoilers and continuous multiple choices to make you connect with the characters in a way that I didn't know was possible. I legitimately felt for almost every major character in this game and not in a "this is a character in a story" way but more of "I know these people".
ChronotriggerJM
Member
Add me to The Witcher 3 pile. The story is so robust, and you get so much personality from the cast. Yennefer is such a spitfire lol.
probably because i just played through it recently but this is the first one that came to mind.
idk if people who didnt play with voice stuff (i lucked out and it worked for me most of the time) would feel the same way but being able to call to squad mates not in your current crew to see how their mission is doing
which the game takes away halfway through and it really compounded their absence for me
Danis Saur
Member
100% The Last of Us and The Last Guardian.
I cared too much about Ellie and my puppy-cat-bird and felt like we built a relationship throughout those hours of gameplay.
I cared too much about Ellie and my puppy-cat-bird and felt like we built a relationship throughout those hours of gameplay.
Catalix
And on the sixth day the LORD David Bowie created man and woman in His image. And he saw that it was good. On the seventh day the LORD created videogames so that He might take the bloody day off for once.
The Last of Us more than anything.
Joel and Ellie practically feel like real people to me by now. The bonds we forged thoughout that journey have become deeply rooted in my mind.
Joel and Ellie practically feel like real people to me by now. The bonds we forged thoughout that journey have become deeply rooted in my mind.
I murdered them all.
Stiler
Member
Dragon Age Origins was great at this, especially how characters could change depending on how you interacted with them.
Alistair was one of the best written friend characters in an rpg imo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTlqnVTJ110
Mass Effect games as well. Garus? Again, excellent companion for Shepard.
Uncharted series is an example of a non rpg that makes characters feel a relationship between the characters. Especially if you've played through all the games.
Last of Us of course will tug at your heart strings.
For an older game, Syberia I/II. With Kate Walker and her relationship with Oscar.
Alistair was one of the best written friend characters in an rpg imo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTlqnVTJ110
Mass Effect games as well. Garus? Again, excellent companion for Shepard.
Uncharted series is an example of a non rpg that makes characters feel a relationship between the characters. Especially if you've played through all the games.
Last of Us of course will tug at your heart strings.
For an older game, Syberia I/II. With Kate Walker and her relationship with Oscar.
ryutaro's mama
Member
Chrono Trigger with Frog
CaptainAmeijin
Member
Plenty of games in this thread perfectly fit the bill, but I'll give a hearty nod to the original Ratchet & Clank. Some of the later games falter in their interactions but its core is so strong and entertaining that I can't help but love it. One of the reasons why I'm iffy on the reboot; the wall between them that the original games knocked down was never there.
GKSilKamina
Member
The Baten Kaitos games. Especially Baten Kaitos: Origins.
Played a lot of games over the years and I've forgotten many characters, but I've never forgotten about Sagi, Milly and Guillo. The game does an amazing job making you feel like you're part of the team. Hell, you even get better card pulls during battle the more you bond with the characters.
Honorable mentions go to The Last Guardian, Undertale and the original Mass Effect trilogy.
Played a lot of games over the years and I've forgotten many characters, but I've never forgotten about Sagi, Milly and Guillo. The game does an amazing job making you feel like you're part of the team. Hell, you even get better card pulls during battle the more you bond with the characters.
Honorable mentions go to The Last Guardian, Undertale and the original Mass Effect trilogy.
The Tales series does a great job of expanding character relationships through skits. Tales of Symphonia has a hidden affection system where the dialogue choices you make with Lloyd and the actions you take affect certain members of your party, which alters a few cutscenes and enables special 1-on-1 cutscenes during certain events with the character who has the most affection towards Lloyd.
I absolutely love the game for this.
I absolutely love the game for this.
NinjamicWZ
Banned
Metal Gear Solid V
All my mother base soldiers would die for me, no matter who I am. Kaz will ride with me to the gates of hell, and show me the way. D-Dog is my best friend. D-Horse is my trusty steed, my companion on the lonely plains. Quiet was '96 Bonnie and Clyde and I couldn't handle it. One man's misery is another man's company.
All my mother base soldiers would die for me, no matter who I am. Kaz will ride with me to the gates of hell, and show me the way. D-Dog is my best friend. D-Horse is my trusty steed, my companion on the lonely plains. Quiet was '96 Bonnie and Clyde and I couldn't handle it. One man's misery is another man's company.
Ar No Surge
It uses a combination of a really interesting technique that I cannot elaborate on without venturing into spoilers and continuous multiple choices to make you connect with the characters in a way that I didn't know was possible. I legitimately felt for almost every major character in this game and not in a "this is a character in a story" way but more of "I know these people".
Took GAF long enough. Ar no Surge is probably the best example of this (and yes I played a lot of the other recommendations of the thread).
I am not sure if this counts as a spoiler for the story, but I will put it into spoiler tags either way. The story uses Earthes, the robot and one of the main characters, as
a terminal that acts as an avatar for the player
It's one of the things that you have to play it to properly understand. If anyone's interested in checking Ar no Surge, I would highly recommend searching Google for the blackrain's translation of Ciel no Surge. Here's the YT link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSajs2z_UH3CYeD29mgilg/videos
ProgenitorCastle
Banned
Deadly Premonition I think qualifies...whenever Agent York refers to Zach, could be interpreted as talking to the player as well. That's literally building a relationship with the player over the course of the game
Humdinger
Gold Member
Yup. Life is Strange. Came to post that. Most games, I play and quickly forget. Two and half years later, I still remember the main characters and many of the scenes from LiS.
Persona 5 . Although it was actually too much for me (too much social interaction).
Horizon. I got to know Aloy pretty well by the end of the game, and I really liked her. It was hard to shut the game off, not just because I enjoyed the world so much, but because I liked Aloy and didn't want to shelve a friend.
The first Mass Effect, (Liara in particular), less so with the subsequent ones. A bit with Dragon Age Inquisition, actually, too.
The Uncharted series, of course. Nathan, Sully, and Elena all feel like videogame friends to me.
MarmiteBadger
Member
Fire Emblem Awakening.
Building friendships that later blossom into a romantic relationship. I'm still so bent on building friendships with everyone I meet, even fighting side by side with them makes me more passionate when coming up with strategies.
Building friendships that later blossom into a romantic relationship. I'm still so bent on building friendships with everyone I meet, even fighting side by side with them makes me more passionate when coming up with strategies.
Personally I felt closer to Varric and Aveline of Dragon Age 2 than the cast of DA1. Probably because their arcs revolved around their family/social life more than big problems/saving the world. Aveline is one of the best written female characters in an rpg which helps, having a career and a love life that don't revolve around the player, but that your friendship can help her advance in exchange for hers gaining you a strong, reliable ally. That she calls out both Hawke's bullshit and the more 'morally flexible' party members all the time is cool too- her friendship has a price and it's not gift/gift/gift/sex.
Generally the small group of characters that I focus on in a Fire Emblem game feel like this to me too. I'll happily let the more annoying ones die minutes after meeting them but replay an hour of a tough battle to save one of my favourites from an unfortunate death.
boiled goose
good with gravy
Chrono trigger
Xenoblade
Xenoblade
lord_of_flood
Member
Majora's Mask for me. Doing all the side quests and getting to know the denizens of Termina made me care a lot more about them and the plight of the moon falling on the world. It became a really personal journey for me because of the people that inhabit the game's world.
Nintendoga
Member
Too many to mention. Games that focus on the relationships between characters are favs of mine. If I had to say what came to mind, probably Persona, The Walking Dead S1, and FFXV.
Edit: ^ Ooh yeah, Majora's Mask is a good one I forgot.
Edit: ^ Ooh yeah, Majora's Mask is a good one I forgot.
The canon ending for BG1 always takes me out of the experience.
KOTOR 2... under very specific circumstances. I posted my thoughts on this game a while back. The influence system completely destroys the pacing of the characters arcs. But if you happen to unlock them at a slower pace (or just deliberately hold off on them to create dramatic effect since you have played the game 100 times) you get some wonderful scenes where it actually feels like you are helping actual people you know and love come to terms with their lives. I love the cast of this game so much. I'm still bitter about the situation with the game and I always will be.
Parapraxis
Member
Most recently Horizon Zero Dawn, I really liked Aloy, she seemed genuinely caring and kind.
RespectThySole
Member
Witcher series
Trails in the Sky
Persona
Uncharted series
Trails in the Sky
Persona
Uncharted series
TwistedFreeze
Member
The Fire Emblem games definitely do this for me, at least with a certain cast of characters, like Ike, Lyn, and Lucina. All lovable characters with their own worries and troubles that make them very endearing
Persona 5 has done that for me with the various members of the Phantom Thieves and the women you can romance. Like Futaba with how she was cruelly harassed for "killing" her mom, that just made me cry, man
The locals in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, such as the star crossed lovers, Anju and Kafei, or the little girl concerned for her cursed father doing research in Ikana Canyon
I could maybe think of more but these stick out to me prominently
Persona 5 has done that for me with the various members of the Phantom Thieves and the women you can romance. Like Futaba with how she was cruelly harassed for "killing" her mom, that just made me cry, man
The locals in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, such as the star crossed lovers, Anju and Kafei, or the little girl concerned for her cursed father doing research in Ikana Canyon
I could maybe think of more but these stick out to me prominently
TheGreatMightyPoo
Banned
Harmondale
Member
MGS V - QUIET
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FFX
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FFX
