The Decade That Made Sex in Games Personal (Topic)

Sex in games is no longer rare. The big AAA games offer us everything from space foreplay to sex on a stuffed unicorn. Sex in games, while a little awkward, is still a developing art. And we have to admit that despite the shortcomings, sex scenes in games have never been as good as they are now. They are even capable of arousing. PC Gamer talks about how sex has changed in games.

The theory, alas, does not always work in practice. When I played Mass Effect: Andromeda as Sarah, I tried to trick the tough engineer Gil with Tempest, choosing, to my great dismay, the awkward tackle: “Well, who is the first girl to flirt with here?

Gil was stunned by my attempt at a pickup truck and kindly explained that not only was he not interested in me, but he was gay. Discouraged, I played on without even winking at some other character.

In the end, the thirst for a partner made me return to the search, I came to Suvi, a research assistant. I flirted with her a couple of times in the game, but for the sake of experiment. Of course she would be a good choice. Unfortunately no. It turns out I missed my opportunity earlier and it was already too late. None of the flirting options were available anymore.

In the end, I finished the game without even kissing anyone.

What is love capable of?

My lackluster experience in Andromeda did not surprise me, as sex in high-budget games has always been ... awkward. In AAA projects, thanks to the cool graphic realism, amazingly advanced animation, motion capture and good voice acting, sex, if any, is expected to be at its best. However, this is not always what it seems.

In The Witcher 3, all women have the same orgasm. Perhaps Geralt is just good - who knows. But anyone who has played the latest RPG from CD Projekt Red has noticed that in most cases the same animations are used during sex scenes. Yes, there are exceptional moments due to the plot, but after playing for a while, you realize that everything is often repeated.

There was no sex in Fallout 4. At least not a single animated one. Instead, you are talking to your partner and you can push him to have sex. For this you will be rewarded with a good buff. And if you sleep next to your loved one, then in the morning your companion may remember how fun you had the night.

Things really get interesting when Fallout's simple sexy aesthetic is combined with the ability to take on a few companions you've ever had sex with. They just relax in the same room with you, causing you to wake up with a chorus of voices playing at the same time as everyone starts telling you how great it was last night.

Some AAA games are good at showing sex, but again, most releases focus on the prelude, not the process. Meanwhile, over the past decade, indie releases have evolved significantly, exploring a wider range of sexual themes. In addition to our excessive expectations of realism in large projects, sex in games has also become more intimate, and more about intimacy.

Some of the most tender and believable intercourse, and sexual relations in general, happened without animation at all. They feature organically in beautifully crafted text-based games such as Queers in Love at the End of the World and A Bunny & Her Mistress. Here sex is personal, soulful and has aesthetics. This is just text, but both games manage to create entire worlds with just a few words; moments of passion, love, pleasure and pain. These moments remain in the player's mind long after the game has been completed.

In my opinion, the best representation of sex scenes in games over the past ten years has been shown by developers such as Nina Freeman, Anna Antropy, and Robert Young. Each told all-too-familiar stories of modern love: unfulfilled expectations, internet dating, and poorly taken and sent photos of genitals. In doing so, they shed light on the reality of sex today, making it even more believable.

Better than you ever imagined

In the end, the best sex in games has never happened in a decade. And I don't mean from a philosophical point of view. Literally, it doesn't happen in the game.

You won't be surprised at the lack of sex in 2016 Firewatch, but there's more to it. You play as Henry, the caretaker in Shoshone National Park. He is an almost broken-hearted man trying to avoid the role of husband as he loses his wife due to her early developing dementia. Nevertheless, after several months of loneliness in the forest and only with a walkie-talkie to communicate with the leader, chemistry appears between Henry and his boss Delilah.

The sexual tension between Henry and Delilah is vividly seen in the scene from Day 76, when, contemplating a fire in the park, they confess their sexual desire and yearning for each other. This creates an uncomfortable situation, as Henry, of course, is still married. But they want each other. And it is the way this scene is written and voiced that really makes it special and realistic. It looks like a genuine example of irresponsible lust. It's like an itch that you can't scratch.

When the paths of the two characters converge, Delilah flies away without a word, and we, like Henry, are left with only a fantasy, a dream of what might have been. It's brutal, honest and realistic.

Sex in games is not always as good as we think it is, and you shouldn't expect much from it. This is not something that can be obtained with a snap of your fingers and it is not instant orgasms. Sometimes this is atypical and sometimes embarrassing, but as the last ten years have shown, it can surprise us.

The Topic of Article: The Decade That Made Sex in Games Personal.
Author: Jake Pinkman