Summary
Everyone needs a friend, even heroes.RPGprotagonists being accompanied by a band of companions has been a staple of the genre since time immemorial, but the formula has changed over time. These days, many of the best RPGs let playerscreate their own parties, choosing who gets to come along for the ride.
There’s also greater emphasis now on fleshing out these companions. These characters used to be little more than NPCs who helped the player out in battle and perhaps made the odd quip while exploring the map. Now, it’s common for companions to have their very own quest lines and character arcs. Sometimes, these are short and sweet, but in the case of the games below, they rival the main character’s story in quality.
Recruiting a ragtag team of companions has been part of the Bethesda formula for a while, so it’s safe to say fans thought recruiting companions for their ship would be a big part ofStarfield. In reality,Starfield’scompanions left a lot of players a little disappointed.
Starfieldhasfour “main” companions: Andreja, Sam Coe, Barrett, and Sarah Morgan. Andreja’s companion quest,Divided Loyalties, is a real standout, as it not only fleshes her out as a character, but also gives players information on the game’s most secretive faction. Sam Coe’s quest, where players help track down his ex-wife, and help them reconcile for the sake of their daughter, also does a good job at tugging on the heart strings. Sarah and Barrett’s quests have similarly personal themes, but don’t hit as hard. Helping out the crew with personal errands might be a bit underwhelming at first, but the emotional payoff comes whenStarfield’sbig twist hits towards the game’s end.
Fallout 4has some ofthe best companionsin the series, and that’s backed up by some excellent companion quests. Curie’s is a fun little spin on Pinocchio, during which the player helps her become a synth. MacCready, meanwhile, has them helping his son, and Cait’s is a dark story all about her struggles with addiction. Each quest is well-written, fun to complete, and ends with a powerful companion perk being given to the player.
It just feels weird thatFallout 4only gives players four companion quests when there are thirteen companions in total. Instead of more companion quests, fans got Preston Garvey’s infamously annoying Radiant quests. More companion quests would have gone a long way toward making some of the game’s less popular companions stand out.
In most RPGs with a companion system, the main player character is followed by at least one companion at all times, butHogwarts Legacytakes a different approach. There arethree companions in the game, each of whom is recruited as part of the main story, accompanying the player for certain sections of the game.
After meeting them for the first time, the player can embark on companion quests to get to know Natsai, Poppy, and Sebastian. EveryHarry Potterfan wants to go to Hogwarts and make friends with the students, and these quests do a great job of capturing that feeling. Poppy has players befriending amazing beasts; Natsai’s quest is about finding her place in the world; and Sebastian’s is a tragic cautionary tale. It’s a quality over quantity approach, but it’d be nice if there was a little more quantity.
Fallout: New Vegashas a reputation for being the kind of game whoseside quests outshine the main story. Which is pretty fair; it has an insane number of side quests on offer, and most of them are of the highest quality. Many fans also fondly rememberNew Vegas’cast of eccentric companions, each with their own quests.
Boone’s, which is all about grief and overcoming PTSD, is particularly strong, as is Cass'. Rex’s is also a fan favorite for just how weird it is. Take off the rose-tinted glasses, though, and it’s clear not all the companion quests were created equally (probably a result of the game’s infamously rushed production). EDE’s boils down to choosing who gets to upgrade him, and Raul’s has the player wandering around the map endlessly.
TheDragon Agegames have a strong reputation when it comes to companion quests. One of the highlights of the first two games was getting to know the companions and bonding with them through their individual quest lines. BioWare really tried to double down on this strength inDragon Age: Inquisition.
The game features nine recruitable companions and a further three advisors, all known as “The Inner Circle.” Each member has their own sidequest, some of which are brilliant. Iron Bull’s “Demands of the Qun” forces the player to make a tough moral decision, while Cole’s “Subjected to His Will” emphasizes everything that makes him so entertainingly weird. Unfortunately, much like the game in general, the companion quests could have benefited from more quality and less quantity. The game is already so massive that many players will end up skipping some of these quests, especially since some barely feel worth the effort.
Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfirespices up the classic CRPG formula by giving players a ship they can fill with companions, sidekicks, and crewmates. If they want the maximum performance out ofthe bestPillars of Eternitycompanions,though, they’ll need to complete all the companion quests.
In a nice touch, Xoti and Eder’s quests are closely tied to the main storyline, meaning it doesn’t feel like friends are sidetracking the hero from saving the world for their own selfish reasons. Serafen’s quest is less connected, but has him tracking down his old captain, and highlights why he’s such a fan favorite character. The others are entertaining in their own ways. The only problem withDeadfire’scompanion quests is that it isn’t always clear what the player is meant to do. Some are easy to fail if the player goes to the wrong place or does the wrong thing first. Adding to the confusion, it’s never 100% clear who on the ship has a companion quest and who doesn’t.
Going into a game likeDivinity: Original Sin 2,players kind of know what to expect. They create an avatar or choose a pre-made Origin character and collect a party of companions to help them on their journey. Throughout the main story, they get to know these companions by carrying out companion quests. TheDivinitygames are long, and players have all the time in the world.
Except in this game, they don’t. At a certain point, the player’s party is locked in, and the other companions aredisposedof. No matter what they do, the player will fail several companion quests. That’s a real shame, because being a Larian Studios game, the quests are all well-written and offer important background info on the characters. It might be a completionist’s nightmare, but this approach makes the companion quests players do get to play through feel even more impactful.
3The Outer Worlds
Hunting Monsters, Giving Dating Advice
The Outer Worldswas created by the same studio that gave playersFallout: New Vegas, and nowhere is that shared DNA more apparent than in the companion quests. There are nine companion quests in total, some that involve recruiting companions, others furthering their individual plots.
Most of these quests are completely optional and don’t really play into the game’s main story. That being said, they’re still worth doing. The emphasis here is on exploring the companions, and the writing is stellar. Parvati asking for dating advice might feel odd while the player is trying to save all of humanity, but her quest line is undeniably sweet.The Outer Worldsshows that flashy quest rewards aren’t essential if the writing is good enough.
WhileMass Effect 3is featured here, really any entry in the franchise could have been picked. For many RPGs fans, theMass Effectgames are the gold standard when it comes to companion requests, and it’s hard to argue with them.
Each game in the series follows a similar formula - get the Normandy, collect a crew, and then go on companion missions to make them more loyal. These missions often take the player to unique locations and are filled with action and story. Most impressively, they play right into the game’s main story. Companion missions aren’t just extra side content; they help dictate who lives and who dies in each playthrough.
Unfortunately forMass Effect, there’s a new champion when it comes to companion quests:Baldur’s Gate 3. While the series has always had this style of quest, Larian Studios really knocked it out of the park with this entry.
It’s hard torankBaldur’s Gate 3’sbest companion quests, because they’re all so good. These quests branch out over the game’s three acts, with their events often affecting the main game’s story and having significant impact on the ending, and even how certain characters play after they’re completed. The quality of each character’s companion quest rivals the main story of many RPGs, and the player’s decisions during them help shape their companions. Not just the best companion quests, these are some of the best quests in gaming, period.
