Sometimes the best partner in a video game is someone who doesn’t speak, and more importantly, who doesn’t judge. In that sense, no best video game companion fits the criteria better than video game animals or pets. They may not have the same level of humanity as their human companions, but they are preferable most of the time as they can be cuter.
Stray, one of the most recent titles with an animal protagonist, took this up a notch by making a cat the main star of the game. But before that title, many animals or pets in video games have grabbed the spotlight, more so than the playable protagonist himself. Regardless, these pets have established themselves as capable beauties despite having little to no dialogue or humanity in them.
8 Palico – Monster Hunter Series
Monster Hunter Rise could have introduced dogs as companions in addition to Palico cats, but the latter is even more desirable as a hunter’s assistant. These anthropomorphic cats can “un-stun” players, track monsters, and keep their masters alive by throwing healing drops or gear from time to time.
They may not be the most reliable helpers in the game (due to the randomness of their AI during hunts), but it’s hard to get mad at them for missing that healing window due to their inherent insanity. So even when they don’t work as intended, they are still an important part of the hunt. To see also : Study: Video Game Players Show Enhanced Brain Activity, Decisive Ability. Also, they are the reason monsters don’t eat players; they practically drag players around in carts after a monster knocks them out.
7 BD-1 – Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
BD-1 is a robot and not an animal, but let’s not discriminate here. It is as good a pet or companion as any other. Because unlike the organic mascots in video games, BD-1 doesn’t mind getting burned or sucked into the vacuum of space. Also, it can be compact. As a droid companion to Cal Kestis, BD-1 is also a major contributor to the Rebel Alliance’s war effort.
As a droid, he has most of the usual abilities of droids present in the Star Wars movies. BD-1 can hack doors and elevators, can take out enemies, and can search for hidden things. Read also : Most Iconic Fighting Position in Video Games. He’s not as affectionate as the other pets here, but that’s easily forgiven as BD-1 can still be cute with all the droid purrs and beeps he can do along with shy gestures.
6 Boah / Alright Girl / My Horse 2 – Red Dead Redemption 2
There can only be one horse to accommodate other pet species in video games, which undoubtedly makes this a difficult choice. See the article : Amazon Prime Video Channel Post and Price Guide. There’s Roach in The Witcher 3 or Epona in The Legend of Zelda, but the award goes to “Boah” or “nice girl,” according to Arthur Morgan’s Southern accent in Red Dead Redemption 2.
Because Arthur’s horse is who the players want it to be. They can even have any name (but it’s usually My Horse 2 for those who are lazy). It’s just that Arthur prefers to call them “boah”, regardless of the name. Regardless, the Red Dead Redemption 2 horse is endearing as players can increase their bond with it; they can also die permanently and players will be left carrying their dead horse’s saddle while crying their way back to camp.
5 Dogmeat – Fallout 3
Of course, not to be outdone by cats, dogs are also included here. And when it comes to dogs in games, Dogmeat from Fallout 3 is one of the best. Because the smile and loyalty of a dog is a respite when the world has ended and everything is in ruins.
And Dogmeat isn’t just for companionship or affection; can also fight. In fact, he’s one of the most effective companions in Fallout 3 and even later games. Dogmeat’s backstory is also tragic; it lost its owner to raiders and thus shares something in common with the players. When he’s not blasting Super Mutants and Ghouls to death, Dogmeat can even bring back some ammo and loot for players.
4 ‘Dog’ – Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2’s ‘Dog’ isn’t exactly a domesticated canine but rather a giant robot programmed with the behavior patterns of a dog. It makes sense in this video game universe because Dog was created by Dr. Eli to protect his daughter Alyx and keep her company since he is a busy scientist. It’s safe to say that Dog has served its purpose for the most part.
It really isn’t that hard for him to do his scheduled duty as he is one of the toughest robots in the game and can even take down alien walking tanks called Striders. And it’s not just loyal to Alyx, Dog also extends this loyalty to Alyx’s friends, so players get unlimited pets and lifesaver coupons from Dog.
3 Trico – The Last Guardian
It turns out that the gigantic hybrid beasts also make amazing pets, hence the whole premise of The Last Guardian. The game’s story is told as a flashback to an old man remembering how he once formed an unbreakable bond with the most unlikely creature imaginable.
That would be Trico, of course, who is an amalgamation of many animals but with his size multiplied by 20. Trico is an invaluable pet and companion for the Kid (players) as the latter must solve puzzles using their differences in size. Although sometimes, Trico’s stubbornness can cause some setbacks in the adventure, although it does not detract from the cuteness of the beast.
2 Ikaros – Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey
Being an eagle, Ikaros from Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey already has a good advantage compared to other pets. He can fly, which makes him much faster and more mobile. But that’s only part of what makes Ikaros difficult to replace. Because he himself is a mechanic in the game.
Ikaros acts as something of a drone for both Alexios and Kassandra. Somehow he can link his eyes to any of those demigods and give them a literal bird’s eye view of an area. Ikaros can also mark enemies and resources visible on the minimap. Kudos to Ubisoft for adding more context to a game mechanic that is usually taken for granted.
1 Pikachu – Pokemon Yellow
And of course, the most popular rodent in video game history (alongside Mickey) deserves to be here. Pikachu, specifically the Pokémon Yellow one is special. It is the same Pokémon title derived from the anime. Hence, the Pikachu of the Pokémon anime has practically the same personality as this one.
It is a stubborn and somewhat independent Pokémon that does not want to go into the Poké Ball and prefers to be carried by its trainer. So from the start, this Pikachu is already an ideal pet. Beyond that, he also refuses to evolve, likely to retain his lovable appearance as the vain but lovable rodent that he is.
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