Party members/companions in RPGs can make or break an adventure. Characters that aren't interesting or strong will weigh down an RPG. Some of the best RPGs of all time happen to have some of the best lineups of party members, such as Chrono Trigger. While there are many Western and Eastern RPGs to choose from, this list will focus on party members that are more intricately designed in their games due to the internal systems at work.
5 JRPGs just as good or better than any western RPG
Explore the world of JRPGs with these titles that offer engaging stories, deep character bonds, and tactical combat on par with Western RPGs.
Party members are so much more than battle buddies these days, as players can affect their stats through bonding, and even romance them in some cases, like in Mass Effect 2 or Baldur's Gate 3. Let's find out more about how these complementary systems work and why these games stand out.
Rearrange the cases in the correct US release order.
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Rearrange the cases in the correct US release order.
Light (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
.hack//Infection
You have Mail
.hack//Infectionand the rest of the original quadrilogy, is an action RPG set in a fake MMO called The World. Players take on the role of Kite, who can invite two other players to join him in dungeon runs. If players spent time with party members, it would result in emails that they could access through the game's desktop interface.
They could answer, start conversations and this would lead to extra dungeon information or other secrets. As the series continued, more options opened up, while the cast grew.
Avowed
Always ready for a conversation
Avowed
7/10
- Released
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February 18, 2025
Avowed is an action RPG that allows players to befriend companions throughout the journey, and they can choose to have two accompany them at the same time. How characters behave around other companions is dynamic, so they don't just react to what players ask.
Additionally, when interacting with NPCs, they will either chime in during conversations or respond if players ask for their opinion on a current situation or quest, and they can often provide valuable insights into the world. They are useful in battle, and the more time players spend with them, the more they will open up about their past.
Baldur's Gate 3
Astarion, Enough Said
Baldur's Gate 3 is a strategy RPG that has some of the best systems in RPGs overall, from character customization to dialogue choices to companions. After the initial ship crash, players can walk around the crash site to find several companions at the ready.
Every decision players make in the game will affect their party, lowering or raising their affection levels. Companions will share information about themselves. The more they trust the player, the more they will share. There are even romantic options that lead to lots of fun back at camp, and each Baldur's Gate 3 the player has their favorite romance.
Fire Emblem Awakening
Making Time Babies
Fire Emblem Awakening has a basic party structure like most Fire emblem game at first. Players will gain party members in the story, and most characters have varying degrees of affection levels that can be raised if paired with another character in battle, leading to various combat assists.
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If there are potential romance options between characters, it can lead to having children later in the game. Eventually, these children will also become party members and take on visual and statistical characteristics depending on who is paired up. Games that have romance options don't go that far, which does Fire Emblem Awakening really stands out as a tactical RPG.
Mass Effect 2
Getting the band back together
All of them Mass effect game has some of the best companions in any RPG, but how characters interact was improved in the Mass Effect 2. Some companions carry over from the original, although players must re-recruit them due to certain events, such as Garrus.
In battle, players can issue orders to their two other companions, which is useful considering the game is a team-based cover shooter and requires players to think strategically in real-time combat. Characters can be romanticized or simply bonded with, leading to special quests that further deepen the characters' stories.
The Outer Worlds 2
More customization between companions
The friends in The Outer Worlds 2 are an improvement over the original game, and they may be some of the best in Obsidian Entertainment's history. Players can gather and often ask their opinion on certain situations, just like in Avowed, but the main difference is that players have more ways to interact with a character's build.
They can't be fully customized and upgraded manually, but there are options in the menu to adjust things like weapon and armor skills. The Outer Worlds 2 doesn't have the best cover or tactical system when it comes to first-person shooters, but companions are invaluable in combat either way.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Exploration and battle buddies
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Doorunlike most turn-based RPGs, only allows players to have one companion at a time in battle. If needed, they can be swapped, but players will also lose a turn for that partner character. While useful in battle, companions are more dynamic than most RPGs because they have different abilities, changing the way players can interact with the world.
For example, players can ride their Yoshi companion to advance faster, and Madame Flurrie can use gusts of wind to blow open secret passages. It gives the game a Metroidvania approach to exploration, and the remaster makes it easier to switch during exploration.
Persona 3 Reload
The card of fate
Personas 3 was the first game to include a social link system that allowed the player to raise affection levels between party members and NPCs, and the remake, Persona 3 Reloadraised the bar. Important characters all had a representative Arcana card, which in turn would affect the Personas players used in battle.
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Mitsuru belonged to the Empress arcana while Kazushi had the Chariot arcana, for example. Spending time with characters between schoolwork and dungeon crawling was necessary to get the strongest batch of Personas possible, and it also sheds some light on how these characters tick.
The Sui Code 2
Oh starry night
The Sui Code II
- Released
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September 29, 1999
- ESRB
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M for adults 17+ due to mild violence, suggestive themes
One of the coolest aspects of The Sui Code series is 108 Stars of Destiny mechanic, with The Sui Code 2 to be the fan favorite game. Players can have as many as six party teams in battle, and choosing from a hundred plus characters can be daunting.
However, party members could be assigned jobs where it made sense at headquarters as well, which made sense in the context of the game, as the players were building an army. It took a lot of effort and dedication to find each party member and go through their recruitment process The Sui Code 2but either way, it makes this game and the rest of the series stand out.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
Partners In A Dark World
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty was a soul-like action RPG set in ancient China. Unlike most Soulslikes, this game differed because players could invite two companions to join them in battle, which could make exploration and boss battles easier. The more time players spent with companions, the greater their affection grew, leading to bonus unlocks.
It was important to trade all the companions around just to get all the possible rewards, and while there were no dynamic side stories to go along with these characters, it was still an appreciated system within Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty to make it a little less difficult.
Upcoming RPG that lets you build parties
If you're a fan of RPGs where you assemble a party of diverse characters and lead them into battle, these upcoming games belong on your radar.
