Summary
Having a whole world is nice on its own, but being able to share one with others is a fundamental human need. Video games recognize this by providing companions in their open worlds that not only make combat or quests easier but also put an interesting twist on the typical hyper-individualist power fantasy.
Getting AI companions right isn’t easy, as most human beings have in-built hardware in their brains that throws out warning messages when they encounter something that appears to be human but doesn’t quite make it. These games come close to simulating true companionship out in the wide virtual world.
Dragon’s Dogma 2brings back the Pawn system, AI-controlled companions that don’t just follow orders but actively learn from the world around them. These aren’t blank-slate followers with a sword but trained, built, and refined over time to match the player’s style, preferences, and even bad habits.
Pawns will call out enemy weaknesses, take initiative in combat, and navigate terrain with varying degrees of confidence depending on their experience. They even mimic the player’s quest decisions if hired by others online, allowing the AI to build a sort of second-hand memory. Sometimes this leads tostrange and delightful outcomes, like a Pawn insisting on heading toward a cave the player didn’t mark, simply because they’ve “done this before.” That unpredictability is part of what makes them feel real, if not smart, at least alive.
While the player may find them trapped in a spooky forest filled with deadly cannibals, they don’t have to suffer it alone. While Kelvin beginsSons of the Forestas a highly proficient and seasoned soldier at the start ofSons of the Forest, his abilities are drastically diminished after an accident that leaves him deaf and mute.
Despite his injuries, Kelvin is still instrumental. Players can communicate with him in writing, asking him to perform certain actions such as clearing an area, scavenging for supplies, or crafting objects while they head out of camp. Although he has lost his combat prowess and simply hides from the forest’shorrific cannibal inhabitants, Kelvin is proficient in survival, both in finding his own sustenance and hiding from danger.
InFar Cry Primal, companions come with claws and teeth instead of catchphrases. Tameable animals serve as allies, but they will never be found waiting for detailed instructions. They react to danger, engage threats without being prompted, and retreat when wounded. There’s a constant sense that they’re following a set of rules nobody but them is fully in charge of.
Watching a beast rip through an enemy patrol is satisfying, but it’s the misfires, like ambushing a deer while sneaking, that make the animal AI inPrimalstand out. It’s a strong reminder that these aren’t obedient pets but survival partners ruled by instinct first and the player’s desires second, just asreal wild animalswould be in the real world.
Given thatRed Dead Redemption 2has one of the most highly detailed and realistic worlds in video game history, it should come as no surprise that Arthur’s companions in the gang are also incredibly realistic. Each member of the gang feels like someone with a full emotional calendar. They hold grudges, share meals, sing, sulk, and shift their behavior depending on what’s happening in the story, or how Arthur has treated them.
Even small actions, like following them around or aiming a weapon too close to them,come with detailed reactions. The more time Arthur spends with them, the more they open up, or in other words, bonding happens naturally and organically, and without the need for dialogue trees or visible relationship stats.
Most companions in video games will follow the player to the ends of the Earth and down into Hell, never questioning their morality or actions. However, thanks to the superb reactivity ofFallout: New Vegas' companions, players are tested for their loyalty to companions, and not just the other way around.
If the player does something a companion doesn’t like, for example, if they wipe out their adopted family or join the faction they swore to destroy, they’ll leave. At least they’ll give a warning, but it will happen. In addition, each companion is brought to life byObsidian’s classic writingand a cast of talented (and occasionally famous) voice actors.
While it isn’t a typical open-world game about climbing towers and massacring groups of people (although there are plenty of collectables to find),The Sims 3arguably has the most realistic companion AI to date. Sims can venture out into the world, be it their own neighborhood or abroad, in groups.
Just like real people, they will autonomously interact with the world in ways consistent with their personalities, schedules, and ambitions, and will find ways to satiate their needs. As a tradeoff to this rich complexity, their social interactions tend to be abstracted, which means any dialogue they would have is represented by themade-up video game languageof “Simlish” and floating dialogue bubbles.
