Team Talk | Who has been your favourite companion?

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With The Outer Worlds' memorable cast still fresh in our minds, we turn our attention to the loyal companions that have followed us into danger without a thought for their own lives. A trustworthy escort or two can enhance gameplay, through either their personalities or simply the bonuses they offer. Whether they are friends, hired guns or merely folks whose interests align with our own, these are the people we'd choose to watch our backs.

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by Chris Brand

@SuperCrisco

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by Team PTC

@pass_controller

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Chris | Felix - The Outer Worlds

At first, Felix comes across as a brash, roguish thug, who doesn't take kindly to authority figures. Attacking your boss with a Tossball stick for insulting your favourite team tends to give people that impression and Felix feels zero remorse for his actions.

After chatting with, or rather interviewing, him, I started to see his hotheadedness as passion and I understood that he could be a faithful companion, given the right motivation. Plus, I needed a crew and he neglected to ask about the going rate or employee benefits (nada and zilch, if you were wondering).

Felix's interactions show him to be a much more nuanced character than he initially appears. Though a harsh upbringing has left him a little rough around the edges, he genuinely cares about the team and is willing to stand up for the less-fortunate folks who are routinely exploited and dehumanised by The Board.

Once I looked past the misguided anger and skewed moral compass, I saw Felix for what he really was; a friendly, good-natured chap, who's making the best of a bad hand.

If that doesn't convince you, he will dropkick anyone you tell him to. That kind of loyalty can't be bought.

This is how The Outer Worlds should be played.

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James | Garrus Vakarian - Mass Effect

There's few game characters who have the charisma and likeability of Garrus Vakarian. Initially cold to your character, Commander Shepard, in the original Mass Effect, he quickly stands out from the rest of your companions and only goes on to be near indispensable as both a gun hand in combat and ready with a charming quip or two in conversation.
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The joy of the series is often the relationships you build with your crew, and Garrus' interactions with the other characters is endearing as much as his chit chatting with quest givers and adversaries alike. His experience and knowledge has a genuine impact on your decisions too, making you think again about the right course of action, something which is far from clear cut.

On the battlefield, in the fight against the Reapers and various factions they're in cahoots with, Garrus' gunplay is sublime, and you'll combine that with his tech powers to create a diverse supporting character you can always rely on.

There were times in the series that Shepard's journey got difficult, and every single time Garrus would be there in my party to keep pushing me forwards, have my back in combat or be a confidant with advice and support with some of the trickier moral decisions in the game.

On top of all that, it never fails to raise a smile seeing just how much he loves his calculations.

If his sharpshooting skills don't scare the enemy, that melted Halloween mask of a face just might.

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Sam | Morrigan - Dragon Age: Origins

Dark Souls notwithstanding, Dragon Age: Origins is my favourite RPG of all time. A major deciding factor in that is the strength of its supporting cast of companions, my favourite among which is Morrigan.

Daughter to a haggered shapeshifter, Morrigan - also known as a Witch of the Wilds - answers the protagonist’s call to aid them in stopping the apocalyptic “Blight” from consuming Ferelden. Though the cause is noble, Morrigan is anything but a willing heroine.

She’s incredibly blunt and dry witted, perfectly brought to life by the excellent Claudia Black (Chloe Frazer in the Uncharted series). When paired with morally upstanding companions like Leliana and Alistair, constant squabbles ensue as Morrigan plays the antagonistic part of devil’s advocate. Often she’ll suggest the less moral (but more practical) solution to a problem, much to the chagrin of other party members regardless of whether or not it needed to be heard.

As a result, Morrigan can come across as uncivilised and abrasive, but the unfiltered truth of her perspective can help any hero to make the hardest decisions with all bases covered. Over time it’s possible to dull her hard edges somewhat and even to romance her, though ultimately, she’s still just serving her own desires.

Unconventional to the end and damn handy in combat, Morrigan lives up to her title by being one helluva wild witch to come to appreciate.

If a tough decision needs to be made, you can count on Morrigan to give it to you straight.

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Liam | The Ghosts - Ghost Recon Wildlands

There have been so many notable companions and partners in games over the years that I struggled to pick just one. There’s Skyrim’s Lydia, a Nord sworn to carry our burdens (read: dwarven tat and pillaged foodstuffs) who also loves a spot of spelunking, or Ashley Williams (the steadfast crew member from Mass Effect, not the Bristol City centre back) for whom I sacrificed Kaiden to save during the ill-fated mission on Virmire.

Both would be worthy winners, but, in the end, I’ve gone for the AI squad from Ghost Recon Wildlands. As Sam quite rightly pointed out when we were discussing our choices in one of PTC Towers’ many luxurious spas, these guys aren’t exactly known for their winning personalities, despite their penchant for military humour (and "military" language, shown below).

I couldn’t even tell you their names (I think one was called Midas, though couldn’t say which for sure) but their ridiculously overpowered sync shot easily trumps any personality vacuum. This ability let you pick out three enemy targets which your squad would then take out on your command no matter what was in the way, be it buildings, solid steel walls or even small hills. I’ll take that over a sunny disposition any day.

By military humour, we mean it's not for young ears.

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Let us know who your favourite travelling companions are.