Best JRPGs with Dating Sim Romance Options
Western RPGs like Baldur’s Gate, Mass Effect, Fallout, and Dragon Age are all well known for having dating and romance options, but they are less common in JRPGs. While many JRPGs have romantic storylines, it’s less common that they have dating sim elements where you can choose from a variety of different partners. If you’re looking for a JRPG to play with dating sim or romance options, here are 10 of our favorites. Fire Emblem: Awakening Image via Intelligent Systems When people think of JRPGs with romance options, many think of the Fire Emblem series, which has long allowed people to marry certain units and strengthen them. Fire Emblem: Awakening gets exceptionally deep into the romance options, and you almost need a spreadsheet in order to organize everyone optimally. Not only will you be planning out your marriage – and the spawn that ultimately comes from that relationship – but the marriage and children of your other units. Certain marriages will produce offspring with different traits that can give an advantage in battle, making romance strategic. Persona 3 Portable Image via Atlus Almost since the beginning the Persona series has had romance and dating options – more on that later – but they became far more overt with the modern series. In these games you can romance as many people as you like, but just be aware that if you invite them out for a date at the same time, they tend to not vibe with it. We’ve chosen Persona 3 Portable to represent the series, as it has a male and female MC with different dating opportunities. One of the cheesy things I love about this is that if you date one of the characters that dies mid-game, there is a post game dialogue that lets you know they are just in a coma. There aren’t many JRPGs where smooching will save lives. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel Image via Nihon Falcom Most of the games in the long-running The Legend of Heroes series have some dating or romance aspects, but the Trails of Cold Steel subseries takes it to a new level. There are four games in Trails of Cold Steel and while romances start fresh in every game, there are bonuses for characters that you romanced in other titles. In the first entry, if you choose someone to take to the dance near the end of the story, they’ll receive an EXP boost in the second game. It doesn’t just offer you additional cutscenes, but a few sweet rewards for your affections. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age Image via Square Enix Dragon Quest hasn’t always had romantic or dating options, but Dragon Quest XI added the option to date certain characters in the post game. It’s still completely optional, but it adds an extra layer to the after credits quests for those who are deeply invested in the game. After you’ve finished the main story you’ll be asked to rebuild Cobblestone and once done, you can choose another character to live with forever. While you can only technically marry Gemma, you can choose to cohabit with a number of other characters giving you some options. Yakuza: Like A Dragon Image via Sega Most of the Yakuza games don’t have dating sim or romance options outside of hostesses and that always felt more friendly than romantic. Yakuza: Like A Dragon switched this up with its personality stats that dictate which of six women our protagonist Ichiban can date. While it’s completely optional, dating certain NPCs and party members has huge benefits, and there is even a side story related to dating all six women at once. For a man who fails so completely in love in Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth he’s quite the lothario in his debut game. Summon Night 6: Lost Borders Image via Media. Vision Many of these games have dating or romance elements as an aside to the story, but Summon Night as a series is known for being part JRPG, part visual novel, and part dating sim. This is the series you will want to jump into if you want the dating to be at the core of your gameplay. At the end of every chapter someone will join you up on the rooftop, and you can decide how much you vibe with them. While Summon Night 6 has some localization issues, you should try out the series if you want the quintessential JRPG meets dating sim experience. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Screenshot by Siliconera Just like in the original Final Fantasy VII there are some hidden dating and romance options in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Things you do and say with different party members throughout the game will determine how they feel about you, and this culminates in a date that you have at the Gold Saucer. In the original FF7 you could date Tifa, Aerith, Yuffie, or Barrett, with Aerith being the standard option – sorry Tifa fans – but Final Fantasy VII Rebirth adds two new options. Cloud can also date Red XIII in Rebirth, or if you haven’t shared enough romantic moments with any of these characters you’ll share a romantic date with the boys: Cid, Vincent, and Cait Sith. Yes, at the same tim
Western RPGs like Baldur’s Gate, Mass Effect, Fallout, and Dragon Age are all well known for having dating and romance options, but they are less common in JRPGs. While many JRPGs have romantic storylines, it’s less common that they have dating sim elements where you can choose from a variety of different partners. If you’re looking for a JRPG to play with dating sim or romance options, here are 10 of our favorites.
Fire Emblem: Awakening
When people think of JRPGs with romance options, many think of the Fire Emblem series, which has long allowed people to marry certain units and strengthen them. Fire Emblem: Awakening gets exceptionally deep into the romance options, and you almost need a spreadsheet in order to organize everyone optimally. Not only will you be planning out your marriage – and the spawn that ultimately comes from that relationship – but the marriage and children of your other units. Certain marriages will produce offspring with different traits that can give an advantage in battle, making romance strategic.
Persona 3 Portable
Almost since the beginning the Persona series has had romance and dating options – more on that later – but they became far more overt with the modern series. In these games you can romance as many people as you like, but just be aware that if you invite them out for a date at the same time, they tend to not vibe with it. We’ve chosen Persona 3 Portable to represent the series, as it has a male and female MC with different dating opportunities. One of the cheesy things I love about this is that if you date one of the characters that dies mid-game, there is a post game dialogue that lets you know they are just in a coma. There aren’t many JRPGs where smooching will save lives.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
Most of the games in the long-running The Legend of Heroes series have some dating or romance aspects, but the Trails of Cold Steel subseries takes it to a new level. There are four games in Trails of Cold Steel and while romances start fresh in every game, there are bonuses for characters that you romanced in other titles. In the first entry, if you choose someone to take to the dance near the end of the story, they’ll receive an EXP boost in the second game. It doesn’t just offer you additional cutscenes, but a few sweet rewards for your affections.
Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age
Dragon Quest hasn’t always had romantic or dating options, but Dragon Quest XI added the option to date certain characters in the post game. It’s still completely optional, but it adds an extra layer to the after credits quests for those who are deeply invested in the game. After you’ve finished the main story you’ll be asked to rebuild Cobblestone and once done, you can choose another character to live with forever. While you can only technically marry Gemma, you can choose to cohabit with a number of other characters giving you some options.
Yakuza: Like A Dragon
Most of the Yakuza games don’t have dating sim or romance options outside of hostesses and that always felt more friendly than romantic. Yakuza: Like A Dragon switched this up with its personality stats that dictate which of six women our protagonist Ichiban can date. While it’s completely optional, dating certain NPCs and party members has huge benefits, and there is even a side story related to dating all six women at once. For a man who fails so completely in love in Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth he’s quite the lothario in his debut game.
Summon Night 6: Lost Borders
Many of these games have dating or romance elements as an aside to the story, but Summon Night as a series is known for being part JRPG, part visual novel, and part dating sim. This is the series you will want to jump into if you want the dating to be at the core of your gameplay. At the end of every chapter someone will join you up on the rooftop, and you can decide how much you vibe with them. While Summon Night 6 has some localization issues, you should try out the series if you want the quintessential JRPG meets dating sim experience.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Just like in the original Final Fantasy VII there are some hidden dating and romance options in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Things you do and say with different party members throughout the game will determine how they feel about you, and this culminates in a date that you have at the Gold Saucer. In the original FF7 you could date Tifa, Aerith, Yuffie, or Barrett, with Aerith being the standard option – sorry Tifa fans – but Final Fantasy VII Rebirth adds two new options. Cloud can also date Red XIII in Rebirth, or if you haven’t shared enough romantic moments with any of these characters you’ll share a romantic date with the boys: Cid, Vincent, and Cait Sith. Yes, at the same time.
Unicorn Overlord
Unicorn Overlord is one of the best games of 2024, and it also is the JRPG with the most dating and romance options. It’s all about recruiting characters and organizing them into armies to fight for the cause, and almost everyone you recruit can be romanced and married. In fact out of 70 recruitable characters you can smooch more than 60 of them. You need to build your bonds with everyone, by giving gifts, eating with them or having discussions, and maxing out your rapport means you can hand over the Ring of the Maiden and marry them. Aside from showing your love to that character they gain +5 in every stat, so there are definite benefits to falling in love.
Tokyo Xanadu Ex+
Technically Tokyo Xanadu Ex+ isn’t a dating sim in the sense that you don’t pledge yourself to one person, but you do choose which characters to spend your time with, and there isn’t enough time to get to know everyone. Finishing your bond with a certain character will give you a special final scene and item near the end of the game, giving you more incentive to spend as much time as possible with your favorites. There is a canon choice here that gives you more insight into the ending, but if you have a favorite teammate, you’ll want to make sure you spend your time with them as well.
Persona 2: Innocent Sin
The modern Persona series – Persona 3 onwards – put romance and dating at the forefront as an integral part of the gameplay. However, romance options began with Persona 2: Innocent Sin where our protagonist Tatsuya can choose to date Maya, Lisa, or Jun. Yes, Persona 2 had a same sex dating option, which the modern series will not give us for some reason. Your choice of romantic partner doesn’t have any major outcomes on the story, and if you play Persona 2: Eternal Punishment you’ll know that Maya is Tatsuya’s canon romantic partner, but it is still a beautiful touch to this early story.
Let us know what your favorite JRPG that has dating sim options is in the comments below!
The post Best JRPGs with Dating Sim Romance Options appeared first on Siliconera.
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