When games get racy

OK, maybe I'm a prude but there's some things that I don't think I need in a game

Now nobody get excited, this is still a family type blog, Rated G stuff or maybe an ESRB "E".

I've just finished up Dragon Age:Origins including all the DLC campaigns and I've had my
first exposure to an aspect of gaming that I'm not sure I'm quite comfortable with.  I'm well aware that gaming has matured since the days of anything suggestive being limited to the cover of the box but it seems to have gotten more overt.

There's never been a shortage of scantily clad representations of the idealized human form in gaming but until recently it seemed to stay in the realm of mild titillation.  Anything beyond that was usually found in the back of the software rack if at all.  Probably the most famous example was the Leisure Suit Larry series.  In this game the whole point was to, well, score..

At least you knew what you were getting and you probably couldn't get the game in the bag fast enough before anyone saw you with it.  Of course when Larry started wearing his leisure suit graphics were nowhere near what they are now making the whole thing still largely subject to the imagination of the, pardon the pun, player.

Fast forward to today and the scenery has changed, literally.  I'm a normal guy and I certainly appreciate the female form.  Still there's something a bit odd about a game that includes physical relationships as part of the gaming experience. 

I know games like the Sims have had this element to them but I'm not entirely convinced that it's necessary in a game like Dragon Age.  There is a relationship aspect to the game in the form of a slider under each character in your party that shows how much they like you.  The more they agree with your actions the more they like you and the less likely they are to run off in the middle of battle. 

That makes sense and maybe it's even educational.  Treat your party like dirt and just like real life you find yourself all alone or even battling your former allies.

So is it really necessary to take the whole relationship thing to the next level when your primary focus is to slash and bash your way through hordes of baddies? 

It seems unnecessary.  I have to wonder if the opportunity to explore a character's more carnal nature is less of a feature and more of a distraction from a less than epic but very hyped plot.

I guess I just always thought of the word score as more of a noun than a verb when it came to non-sports gaming.

Well this is a blog and thus just my opinion.