8 Great Video Game Companions That Will Always Have Our Back

NICK VALENTINE (FALLOUT 4)

Fallout 4

Despite his looks, this synthetic detective actually acts as a great partner throughout your journey in Fallout 4. He operates his own agency found in Diamond City where he works with his assistant, Ellie Perkins. In his line of work, Nick focuses on hunting down secrets and divulging them which sometimes gets him into some troublesome situations. His tough and cold exterior also houses a witty and sarcastic personality as evident by the number of sick burns he pulls throughout the game. However, beyond his sardonic persona lies a synth who just wants to live his own life that isn’t connected to the real Nick Valentine.

As a companion, Nick Valentine specializes in hacking any type of terminal in the game. The time he takes to hack a unit depends on the difficulty, but there will be times when he fails and locks himself out. Just like with all other companions, the synth can also help you out in combat and he’s even immune to anything with radiation damage. With his sharp sense of humor and hacking skills, Nick Valentine is easily one of the best companions you can take along with you in Fallout 4.

BT-7274 (TITANFALL 2)

Top 25 Best Video Games 2016 Titanfall 2

Titanfall 2 breaks the stereotype of emotionless machines in video games with your Titan companion, BT-7274. While his imposing figure and monotonous voice give off the impression of an aloof machine, BT respects Jack Cooper and acknowledges him like an official pilot. Moreover, he even ensures the protagonist learns and fulfills his dream of moving up the ranks. BT and Jack share a strong bond as mech and pilot which is further bolstered by their simple, yet meaningful actions like with a simple thumbs up. Throughout the game, the Titan ensures his pilot’s welfare and does everything he can to keep him away from harm – even at the cost of his own safety.

Personality aside, the Titan still retains his other functions and comes equipped with a variety of deadly skills and weapons. With the deadly arsenal of a chaingun, a multi-target missile system, and a vortex shield that deflects incoming projectiles, BT is more than capable of serving his Militia pilot to repel the attacks of the IMC. The Titan can also assist Jack when separated from each other by revealing the positions of his enemies or sniping them from afar. With these points in mind, there’s no better companion that we would stand by for in Titanfall 2 than BT.

ALYX VANCE (HALF-LIFE 2)

Alyx Vance appears in Half-Life 2 as a prominent Resistance member against the Combine. She rescues the protagonist after his dangerous run-in with the Combines and often acts as his partner throughout the game. Despite being a strong and independent woman, this Resistance leader is actually friendly and playful for the most part and even has a good sense of humor. In line with this, Alyx has been praised for being one of the first female characters to portray such emotional breadth in a video game.

Behind her kindness lies a tactical fighter who can also customize machines and hack security systems with her nifty EMP tool. Alyx uses this item to reprogram Rollermines, open locked doors, hack computers, store vital information, and open locks. She also has her own gun named after herself, and has used other firearms in like shotguns and sniper rifles. Overall, Alyx makes for a trusty companion with her quick thinking, genius mind, and affectionate disposition.

ELENA AND SULLY (UNCHARTED)

Sully and Elena, Uncharted

Elena and Sully are two of the most iconic characters in the Uncharted video games for being Nathan Drake’s most trusted companions. The former once worked as a journalist and TV personality whose dangerous jobs usually led her to cross paths with Nathan, while the latter acted as the protagonist’s partner in crime during their many expeditions.

Nathan first met Victor Sullivan, also known as Sully, back when he was still a teenage street urchin. Sully became something as a father figure to the orphan and he took him in and taught him everything he needed to know about treasure hunting. Since then, the two have formed a strong partnership with Sully often tagging along as Nate’s partner in his many adventures. Serving in the United States Navy for several years, Sully’s gone through extensive combat training which he shows during fire fights. Aside from dealing with firearms, Sully’s also experienced with flying planes and has helped Nate arrive and escape his locations.

Elena Fisher, on the other hand, met Nathan when she was trying to cover a story on Sir Francis Drake’s coffin. The two developed romantic feelings for each other during their first adventure and eventually got married between the second and third game. However, their relationship didn’t last with the couple getting divorced shortly afterward. Their broken relationship is explained in Drake’s Deception and they reconcile, remarry, and even have a daughter after the main events in the fourth game. Despite being a journalist with little combat experience, Elena quickly learns how to use a handgun and often accompanies Nate whenever their paths cross in the video games. She is one of his fearless companions who often goes toe-to-toe with her husband and isn’t afraid to shut him down when she knows he’s in the wrong.

ELLIE (THE LAST OF US)

The Last of Us, games, must play

In a world filled with infected people, cannibals, and thieves, it can be hard to get by and live a “normal life” – especially as a teenager. However, The Last of Us protagonist Ellie somehow manages and doesn’t let the fear of becoming infected bother her because she’s immune to the virus. After making a deal with Marlene, protagonist Joel takes on the job of “delivering” this 14-year-old girl to the Fireflies in hopes of finding a cure to the ongoing pandemic. What started out as a trip across the city soon became a dangerous trek across America as their initial plans had gone horribly wrong.

Despite her age, Ellie is quite capable and is wise beyond her years. During the early hours of her adventure, Ellie is equipped with a switchblade she uses to fight or finish off other foes. Later on, Joel eventually entrusts her with some firearms and even teaches her how to use a hunting rifle. Ellie slowly begins honing her experience in the field and soon becomes proficient with other weapons like bows, pistols, and even explosives. Having Ellie around as a companion proves that age is only a number as she can score plenty of kills and even save Joel during critical moments in fights.

HEWIE (HAUNTING GROUND)

Hewie, Haunting Ground

Hewie appears in the PS2 horror game, Haunting Ground, as the deuteragonist and Fiona Belli’s companion. He’s a white 4-year-old German Shepard that was somehow caught and brought to Belli Castle to be used as a test subject for the Azoth. Fiona first stumbles across the injured dog when he was bound by a trap, and after freeing him, he eventually joins and protects her as they try to find a way out of the castle. Just like any good doggo, Hewie is very sweet and loyal to his savior as he follows her wherever she goes and obeys her orders.

While Fiona acts as the brain of their escape, Hewie acts as the muscle since he’s tasked with fending off the many stalkers in the game. He can bite or pounce at the enemy, giving Fiona a chance to run away or hide while her stalker is distracted. If Fiona continues to order Hewie to fight back, the dog can even incapacitate the enemy for a useful item. Hewie is also unique in a sense that the protagonist can train him to improve his abilities. There’s a reason why dogs are a man’s best friend and Hewie goes above and beyond that as one of the best animal companions in video games.

ELIZABETH (BIOSHOCK INFINITE)

Elizabeth, Bioshock Infinite

Debuting in BioShock Infinite, Elizabeth is a young woman who had been imprisoned in Monument Tower for all her life. Her life took a surprising turn when protagonist Booker DeWitt was tasked with traveling to Columbia, finding Elizabeth, and bringing her to New York to “clear his debts.” During their journey, however, Booker began to realize that Elizabeth was no ordinary girl and that she houses spectacular powers that can manipulate the rift of time itself. At first, Elizabeth may come off as a free-willed girl with a childlike curiosity due to being secluded all her life. However, she is far from naive and is actually quite witty and sarcastic given the proper situations.

Throughout the game, she shows her fierce determination and courage by aiding Booker during the midst of deadly fire fights. When it seems like you’re finally out of ammo, Elizabeth will call you from the sidelines and throw you some more firepower to fight back. She also has the power to open Tears – rips in dimensional time and space – to “summon” things like rocket turrets or skyhooks to give Booker an advantage in battle. Outside of combat, she can also pick locks to find loot if she has the resources, like lockpicks, at her disposal. Considering these factors, Elizabeth is far from your typical damsel-in-distress and is one of the best reliable video game companions to have around.