Hello dear readers and a very Happy Valentine’s Day! I know some of you hate Valentine’s Day, or at least try and willfully ignore it, but please don’t let that put you off! It is clear that Valentine’s is in many ways just a big corporate mess, but for me, having a day designed to celebrate love can hardly be the worst thing that could happen, particularly in these dark days. Therefore, I thought I’d get into the spirit of things and have a bit of fun celebrating love and romance in video games…
…or at least that was my plan! When I started to think about this I discovered that I’m not a big fan of many canon couples from video games. In fact, not many of my favourite video games even have canon couples! Boo! Therefore I’ve gone back to my old favourite topic – shipping – and picked out my 5 favourite video game ships. Looking at the list it seems like most of them could use a little nudge to help them take the plunge and actually send that Valentine’s Day card to their beloved so hopefully this will serve as inspiration!
I’ve had these names on my mind for quite some time now, ever since the wonderful Ian from Adventure Rules launched last year’s Blogger Blitz competition which asked participants to pick their favourite video game ship. Although it was obvious to me who I would write about for the competition (and yes, they make a return here), I did spend a while thinking of other video game ships and so what better time to share them with you?
So! In no particular order, here are my Top 5 Video Game Ships (may contain *spoilers* – you have been warned!)
Ann & Ryuji from Persona 5
Who? Both of them are high schoolers at Shujin Academy and members of the Phantom Thieves. Ann is also a part-time model and Ryuji was formally a member of the school’s track team. Neither have particularly good grades.
Why? They’ve known each other forever and have recently been united by their need for justice. They are both driven by their hearts and both dislike studying, meaning they would have plenty spare time to go on dates, even if those dates may sometimes end in a shouting match about where they should go for drinks.
Ideal Valentine’s Day Date: Going for a run in Inokashira Park followed by a trip to a Ramen bar.
Reyn & Sharla from Xenoblade Chronicles
Who? A loud mouth soldier from Colony 9 and a gun wielding doctor from Colony 6.
Why? Despite constantly being at each other’s throats there is clearly a close connection between them and although a romantic relationship would probably need to wait a few years, once the dust of war has settled the pair would make the perfect odd couple.
Ideal Valentine’s Day Date: A relaxing fishing trip followed by a walk to Outlook Park to take in the scenery.
Guybrush & Elaine from Monkey Island
Who? A wannabe pirate who fights like a dairy farmer and the swashbuckling Governor of the Tri-Island area.
Why? Not a perfect match on paper but they did get married in the end (making them the only canon couple in this list) so I guess I was right to ship them in the first two games! I don’t totally know what Elaine see’s in Guybrush but they do seem like they are meant for each other.
Ideal Valentine’s Day Date: An evening stroll with the dogs followed by a fireworks display and then a grog swilling competition. No prizes for guessing who would win!
Jin & Lora from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 – Torna the Golden Country
Who? Jin is a moody humanoid weapon who is remarkably good at cooking and Lora is an unassuming and upbeat young woman who accidentally became Jin’s master.
Why? It is the perfect tragic love story. Yes there may be a wee bit of moral ambiguity involved but I want you to ignore that and just look at their personalities and clear affection for one another. Knowing the fate that awaits them just serves to make this story all the more romantic and before those terrible things happen wouldn’t it be OK to just let them be happy for a bit?
Ideal Valentine’s Day Date: A day wandering around Auresco followed by dinner at the Spefan Inn where Jin can make his fabulous Ruby-Stew Buloofo.
Itsuki & Yashiro from Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
Who? A directionless teen with good leadership skills and Tokyo’s hottest idol.
Why? They complement each other perfectly and go out of their way to support each other’s dreams and ambitions.
Ideal Valentine’s Day Date: Lunch or possibly afternoon tea at Café Seiren followed by a trip to the cinema. On the walk back to the subway station Yashiro would hopefully buy Itsuki a red rose.
So… is romance in the air? Do you think any of my ships might make it? Or maybe you think these are horrible ideas that would never work out? Let me know your own favourite video game ships and more below in comments!
Thanks for reading,
Pix 1001 x
Shoot the Rookie 
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