Establishing a relationship in a game is a very hard thing to get right, especially when there are so many factors that will dictate how interactions between characters are going to play out. Say for example the developer has set up an exchange where you're still in control of your hero as they're having a conversation with someone else. Most of the time you're free to wander off and interact with the environment, picking up collectibles and having a general faff about - all while the other person could be telling you some deeply affecting, life-changing story. Some titles manage to get it spot on though, especially with the opposite sex; you don't want to avert your gaze from the person engaging you, because like in real life you wouldn't suddenly dart off to clamber up the side of a building if your significant other was the one talking to you. It might feel a bit weird actually realising you genuinely care about the pixels on screen, but when you've spent so much time with them and they're written in a way that really brings them to life, who can blame you?
