Having AI companions throughout the game makes it more enjoyable

[dex3108]

Between last year and this one i finished over 60 games. And i noticed that i liked those with AI companions way more than those where i went alone throughout the game. Games like Gears of War, Uncharted, Titanfall 2, Quests with Regis in Witcher 3 Blood & Wine, Battlefield Bad Company, hell even Kane & Lynch are some of the games i played in past year or so that i really can't imagine playing without companions. I still remember how much i loved Elizabeth in Bioshock Infinite or Ellie in The last of Us, Trico from The Last Guardian... Having somebody to go through those worlds even if you can't talk to them directly (i am now playing Far Cry 5 and even having dog Boomer or bear Cheeseburger by your side makes game way more bearable) makes those worlds much much more enjoyable. And if chemistry between characters is good (RDR2 missions with almost any character involved) it is absolute joy to play.

And i also realized that i like AI companions more than playing with friends in coop. And not because i don't like people or anything like that. It is simply because AI companions are talking only about the story in the game, with friends talking can go in many directions and i am not fully focused and immersed in game world.

 

[DaveLong]

Daikatana was so ahead of its time.

 

[Mobyduck]

I think I agree, at least with the few games I've played with those. Ashen has you accompanied by an AI, and it makes exploring the new areas more lively and like a proper adventure.

 

[KillLaCam]

Unless its a stealth game

 

[ninjabreadman]

This is what I like about VR platformers, the main character is the companion (Moss, Asrobot etc).

 

[balgajo]

I have the same opinion as you OP. The only difference is that mine's is the opposite of yours.

 

[Kindekuma]

Unless its a stealth game

Click to shrink...

MGSV did companion AI really well. DD is a good boy, and we all know it.

 

[pillowtalk]

I agree if the game needs it. I have more of a mixed feeling on AI "operators" that only communicates through an ear piece but somehow knows exactly what you're looking at.

 

[MAX PAYMENT]

I loved freedom fighters. Tons of fun having a little army to command.

 

[julia crawford]

Eh. Sometimes i want to be alone to be honest.

 

[DukeBlueBall]

Halo 5 friendly AI is so dumb down to raise the difficulty that it's frustrating.

 

[Deleted member 8593]

Ellie would have gotten us killed a billion times in my playthrough.

 

[DarkChronic]

I'm actually the exact opposite lol. Much rather play "solo" (Halo 1-3, Resident Evil 1/2/4/7) than with friendly AIs (Halo 5/Resident Evil 5).

 

[Yasai]

I don't know if I'd say companions should be in any game but I also love them, especially in explorable 1st-person game worlds.

Can't wait for The Outer Worlds. I hope I can equip them with weapons and armor/clothing because that makes it even better for me.

 

[Delusibeta]

It does vary wildly from game to game. Left 4 Dead is the classic example of really stupid AI hampering the single player experience. More recently, I have not heard good things about the ally AI in Wolfenstein Youngblood's single player mode.

 

[Acorn]

It's not a blanket good or bad thing for me, it depends on the game.

 

[hey it's that dog]

I think it can definitely enhance storytelling and character development in the right hands. It really helped GOW18 for the most part, IMO. And of course TLoU and Uncharted both make great use of traveling companions.

On the other side of that coin, you have RE5 and 6 where the writing is ass and the characters are boring, so all the companion does is ruin the atmosphere if you're trying to have a single player experience.

 

[Rosebud]

Depends on the game imo, sometimes I like to be "alone".

But Mimir in GOW is just wonderful.

 

[Sterok]

It can be mixed, but Star Wars: Republic Commando is an amazing example of AI companions improving the game, as they're both entertaining and useful.

 

[Woylie]

abusing the multiple followers glitch was one of my favorite things to do in skyrim, wish that the characters had more unique dialogue and reacted more to quests and story, though i'm sure there are many mods out there that do just that (i played on switch)

i've also always wanted this in pokemon, honestly. seeing misty and brock travel with ash in the anime, i always thought it would be so cool to have the option to "recruit" one or two gym leaders as followers after you beat them and then they could travel with you as you explore the region, providing their own unique commentary and maybe even opening up unique side quests depending on who your followers are. it'll never happen, but it'd be amazing

they sort of had this with the female protagonist in colosseum, and it was one of the things that made that game so memorable.

 

[Hokey]

I used to try and get through parts of Halo CE without letting any of the marines die and you actually get to hear a lot of secret banter you would've otherwise missed, the tank section in Assualt on the Control room was one of the areas I enjoyed replaying trying to clear the whole section with a warthog full of marines was my favourite part of the whole game, I must've spend countless hours replaying that section testing the enemy and companion AI along with the amazing physics.

 

[nihilence]

Resident Evil 5 and Halo 5 had some terrible companions.

 

[Jessie]

This was the main reason why I liked Fallout 4 more than Fallout 76. I missed having Piper judging me for hoarding and Cogsworth starting fights with everything that walked and talked.

And for all of its flaws, Final Fantasy XV nailed having fun companions.

 

[Remo Williams]

I don't exactly agree, it depends on the game. There are cases where I can see it adding to the experience, and there are those where AI companions are a nuisance. Most games are somewhere in the neutral zone, where companions are all right, but the game could probably be reworked to be just as fun without them.

 

[Conal]

Elizabeth in Bioshock Infinite

Click to shrink...

Ehhhh not bad, not bad.

A squad of Security Bots in Bioshock 1? Nooow we're talking!

 

[Soneji]

Almost all my of my favorite games of all time have an AI companion/sidekick with you for a majority of the game(Ico, TLG, Okami, RE4), have a huge focus on side characters/sidequests(MM, LA) or are RPGs with a lot of party members(ME1, DA:O, FFVI) so yeah this definitely is my view of things too. I want more well done versions of escort quest : the game.

 

[Wamb0wneD]

Not always. As soon they are gameplay related they often take me out of the experience way too often. From Trico in TLG to Elziabeth in Bioshock Infinite, their characterization or story relevancy might help the game, but as soon combat or anything else ensues they fuck things up in major ways more often than not. Soneji mentioned Okami, and NPCs like that are actually pretty good. Issun never gets in the way and is implemented well enough otherwise.

 

[Wamb0wneD]

dex3108

Ehhhh not bad, not bad.

Click to shrink...

As a character she was great. wonderful even. In terms of gameplay she absolutely sucked though. She was a non factor more often than not. Way too often I wondered why the enemies didn't target her when they were after her anyway. Her whole resource spamming was a really shallow attempt to make her matter in gameplay. I guess Inifinte is a game more focused on story than gameplay anyway, so you could say she is playing to the game's strenght.

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

Depends on the game/genre. Having a companion in a horror game would kind of defeat the purpose. Or if Im playing Metroid, obviously Im yearning for isolation and exploration. Some of the best games ever dont have companions, and vice versa.

 

[Soneji]

dex3108

As a character she was great. wonderful even. In terms of gameplay she absolutely sucked though. She was a non factor more often or not,w ay too often I wondered why the enemies didn't target her when they were after her anyway. Her whole resource spamming was a really shallow attempt to make her matter in gameplay. I guess Inifinte is a game more focused on story than gameplay anyway, so you could say she is palying to the game's strenght.

Click to shrink...

It is a wonder that with RE4 as a shining pinnacle of gaming that has a companion character that narratively is exactly the same as Elizabeth, laid out the blueprint for how to do it right yet nearly a decade later Bioshock Infinite manages to fuck things up, as does TLOU despite direct quoted inspiration of the two best examples of escort quest : the game up till that point(Ico, RE4).

 

[cnorwood]

In VR horror they are a godsend, even though I knew Mia would end up being evil, her showing up during the prolouge of RE7 made me so much more comfortable rather than being alone in that house

 

[Wamb0wneD]

It is a wonder that with RE4 as a shining pinnacle of gaming that has a companion character that narratively is exactly the same as Elizabeth, laid out the blueprint for how to do it right yet nearly a decade later Bioshock Infinite manages to fuck things up, as does TLOU despite direct quoted inspiration of the two best examples of escort quest : the game up till that point(Ico, RE4).

Click to shrink...

Yeah it's weird. Though, making her hide before going into the next combat encounter was a bit cheap, but pretty effective. It makes sense after all. You mentioned Okami and Issun, and I think I like those NPCs the most. Non-intrusive, but still gameplay and narrative related. I guess it's easier to pull off in games that aren't bound to human physiology. Ico is a great example too, though. TLG was a mixed bag for me again.

 

[Deleted member 40102]

Sure as long as I don't have to protect their asses

 

[leafcutter]

Wolves hunt in packs!

 

[Soneji]

Not always. As soon they are gameplay related they often take me out of the experience way too often. From Trico in TLG to Elziabeth in Bioshock Infinite, their characterization or story relevancy might help the game, but as soon combat or anything else ensues they fuck things up in major ways more often than not. Soneji mentioned Okami, and NPCs like that are actually pretty good. Issun never gets in the way and is implemented well enough otherwise.

Click to shrink...

Trico's best moments are in combat, TLG is one of the GOATs in large part because it properly captures that feeling of being a small boy overcoming huge odds battling alongside your giant animal/robot companion. You don't have much power yourself but you feel like you're part of the team every time you knock over one of those soldiers, especially if they're holding the stained glass.

 

[Burrman]

Goat companion

 

[Soneji]

Yeah it's weird. Though, making her hide before going into the next combat encounter was a bit cheap, but pretty effective. It makes sense after all. You mentioned Okami and Issun, and I think I like those NPCs the most. Non-intrusive, but still gameplay and narrative related. I guess it's easier to pull off in games that aren't bound to human physiology. Ico is a great example too, though. TLG was a mixed bag for me again.

Click to shrink...

TLG puts you in the Yorda role, so definitely not going to appeal to everyone especially if they didn't train their Trico well. I had few issues throughout my playthrough and it's my second favorite game of all time.

 

[Okabe]

Does Nico count as a companion?

 

[wafflebrain]

I do love the AI companion exchanges in ND games, they really do enhance the journey. One of the reasons I enjoy playing UC4 is for the banter between characters, particularly with Sam Drake.

That said I don't believe it would enhance every single player game, I don't want a companion in horror games because I want to sink myself as much as possible in a feeling of dread, harder to do that with a companion AI or otherwise present.

Also something like Outer Wilds it wouldn't make a lot of sense and would be a detriment to the themes the devs emphasized, it's a very existential contemplative experience where the feeling of isolation in the harsh conditions of space elevates the atmosphere a bunch, and that theme extends to characters you meet along the way.

Works well for certain games, not so much for others.

 

[Commodore64]

I loved summoning two dremora lords in skyrim, especially when you could aim them on the other side of a locked door meant as a shortcut and sit back while the A.I murders it's way back to me.

 

[Deleted member 5621]

The best:

 

[Raonak]

In a narrative heavy game I totally agree.

GOW wouldn't have been half as interesting if atreus wasn't there (it helped that he was actually integrated into the game's mechanic.)
even in TLOU, where ellie learns to shoot enemies for the first time, it feels rewarding because it enhances the narrative and the gameplay.

 

[cbrotherson]

Generally, I love it - and really hoping Streets of Rage 4 follows in Streets of Rage Remake's footsteps in allowing an AI partner to join you. Not enough scrolling beat 'em ups have the option to add AI partners to them.

But my most desired AI co-op combo gameplay is the following:

- Roguelike/lite elements

+

- Destructible/mutating environments

It's one of the reasons games like Caveblazers, Don't Starve and Streets of Rogue have become modern favourites for me (although games without destructible environments, like Death Road to Canada, also work).

It's the occasional unpredictability of the AI and environment, with the freedom allowed by tearing up parts of the level which appeal. It can lead to unwinable situations, but I don't mind given the sheer entertainment value alone.

In fact, if anyone has any recommendations which follow that template (AI partner/s, Roguelike/lite elements AND destructible/mutating environments OR beat 'em ups with AI partners) on Switch or PS4, please fire them over...

 

[monmagman]

When they are just along for the ride like Elizabeth in Bioshock Infinite they can be great and really add to the experience.......when they are there to get shit done and the ai is not up to the task they are the most annoying thing ever.

 

[Tokyo_Funk]

AI partners pretty much carried Bad Company 1 and 2. Sweetwater, Haggard and Sarge were all great fun and they played off each other well without getting in the way.

 

[GrrImAFridge]

RE5: "Hold my beer."

I jest, sort of, but I generally do appreciate it when games designed with co-op in mind offer AI fill-ins for those who prefer "solo" play.

 

[T002 Tyrant]

Unless its a stealth game

Click to shrink...

The Last of Us had the worst companion AI when it came to stealth, and the worst enemy AI when it came to companions. 100% agree that it hinders.

 

[Wulfram]

I'd rather have games where the player controls the companion too. Though obviously that limits the genre quite a bit.

 

[EarthPainting]

While there have been instances that I enjoyed, I still think I'm the opposite. When their AI is less than perfect, I can get really impatient. These games can also quickly feel like you're stuck on a bus, sitting next to an overly chatty person. These AI companions will often be dumping lore and quips at you, just to fill dead air, and it often takes me out of it.

 

[Richter1887]

They are good but not always.

When a game pulls a great companion like FC5, K&L, MGS5, BOI from GoW, Ashley from RE4 (yes she is great and add lots of tension when she is with you. Get over it!) it is awesome. Now when the game forces the AI on you where they need to look cool infront of you or make the missions scripted (looking at you PS3 era COD and Red Dead Redemption 2) then I really dislike them.