Let’s face it, animals make games so much better.
Where would we be without our animal companions in video games?
There aren’t many people in the world who don’t like animals. Whether that be long extinct animals like dinosaurs, whatever the hell Trico from Last Guardian is (spoiler?) or our faithful companions, dogs, we all like at least one animal. And that extends to video games too! It doesn’t matter what they are, as far as we’re concerned if they protect us, lead us to quests and are a constant, calming presence then they’re heroes in our books, right?
To celebrate our faithful friends, here’s a list of the top 5 companions that in our eyes, can do no wrong.
1) Hewie – Haunting Ground
Hewie, also known as the reason why you got through Haunting Ground in the first place, belongs to Fiona Belli. Thankfully Capcom didn’t completely hate their fans and you meet Hewie near enough the moment you wake up in Belli Castle. Which is a relief, because everyone in Belli Castle wants to murder you!
Playing as Fiona you quickly realize she’s more of ‘evade-at-all-costs’ kind of girl and you won’t be wielding weapons anytime soon to fight off your oppressors. Luckily that’s where Hewie comes in! Not only can he helpfully maul any of the enemies out to get you, but he also brings you items. And get this: you could pet him before Assassins Creed made petting animals in video games cool!
Hewie: the dog, the legend, the good boy.
2) Ti’zo – Pyre
Ti’zo, from Supergiant’s Action RPG Pyre, is a drive-imp that you come across during your journey in Downside. Gameplay wise you may not think too much of Ti’zo when you first meet him. He’s small, slightly slow and he comes at the point in the game where you’re still trying to figure out every little thing about combat in Pyre. All in all, it’s easy to get confused when you come across Ti’zo for the first time, but he more than makes up for it with how fun he is!
There are different paths that you can take when playing Pyre, and choosing to do quests that align with your companions can lead to interesting results. Choosing to hunt fish with Ti’zo at one point can lead to a surprisingly dark past on why the little guy hates fish. Until he starts to giggle, and you realize that Ti’zo’s family didn’t get murdered by fish like he told you, but he’s just a massive troll who likes to make jokes.
Oh Ti’zo, that’s why we love you, buddy.
3) Trico – The Last Guardian
Trico is the thirty feet, twenty tons hybridized bird, dog, cat, griffin-thing that a player has always wanted. No don’t bother denying it, you know I’m telling the truth.
I mean I can understand the hesitation, what with Trico actively trying to eat you the moment he lays eyes on you. But in his defense, he does make up for it numerous times in The Last Guardian by saving you from killer statues, talismans and our worst enemy yet, gravity. Not only does he save you, but you also save him a few times too, solidifying the bond between Trico and yourself as you play the game. Which makes certain moments pull at your heart-strings.
But really, what isn’t there to like (apart from the fact he pooped in front of you once, with no shame whatsoever by the way,) about a griffin-thing that can fly and only demands barrels for food at dinner time? That’s right, nothing!
4) Arokh – Drakan: The Ancient Gates
When developers Surreal Software created Drakan: The Ancients’ Gates we had no idea what we were in for. You play as the protagonist Rynn, a warrior who is remarkable enough that she impresses a dragon known as Arokh.
Now Arokh is one of a kind. He has a deep voice that makes him sound like a father who’s constantly amazed by your achievements and his AI, for a game as old as this one, is astounding! For example, there are points during the game where Arokh will tell Rynn he’ll wait for her while she goes on ahead and kicks bad guy butt, and guess what? Arokh does wait! He waits for you in that exact spot! He does a better job than some companions do today (yes Piper Wright from Fallout 4, I’m looking at you) and that’s not even the best part.
He even lets you fly him like your own personal airplane whenever you want. Doesn’t complain once.
Arokh is the best.
5) Repede – Tales of Vesperia
Repede first arrived in Tales of Vesperia as Yuri Lowell’s dog and loyal sidekick. Bandai Namco has always been fantastic with creating loveable characters when it comes to the Tales series, and Repede, the mascot of Vesperia, is no exception! But he isn’t just there to look at while you and your companions go fight evil, he’s a brilliant fighter himself. You can often see him using his trusty daggers to help your group out. That and, get this, because of his shorter stature, a lot of attacks will go straight over his hitbox – negating the damage that would have been taken and making him a vital member to take into battle.
He’s also a real team player, proven by how when fellow party member Estelle faints he allows her to use his rump as a nice pillow. Awww. Too bad nobody thinks to let Repede use THEM as a pillow when Karol’s lure of an eggbear is so unbearable our poor canine friend faints on the spot.
The double standards in the Vesperia team are truly atrocious.
So those are my favorite companions in video games, but what about yours? Please feel free to comment below on those furry companions you just can’t live without!
