Name some single-player RPGs that makes you feel part of a group thanks to the companions!

[Alienman]

My personal top pick for games like this is Wizardry 8. I just love how the party interacts with you, stuff that happens etc. Truly a master of a game where you never feel alone, even as you play solo! And one of the coolest parts is that you created them all yourself.

Another game (also from SirTech) is Jagged Alliance 2. I know some don't consider it a RPG... but oh well.
Same thing here, stuff gets commented on, and at times the party/mercenary group speak to each other without involving you. It adds a hell of a lot to the adventure and the characters come alive because of it.

These two games make the companions almost like they have a will of their own, and it's kinda magical when playing.

I would love to mention Kotor, Baldur's Gate, Fallout and all the other 90's to 2000 party RPG/adventure games, but to be honest, even if you might have a party with you at most time they rarely give any input, unless it's a scripted story situation. Often they feel like extra DPS, than an actual companion when it comes to adventuring and combat.

Anyway. List some great games/mods with companions/NPCs that makes the party come alive!

Edit:

Changed title, from solo to single-player.

"Solo" was meant as single-player. As it mostly is a solo experience, but the NPCs that follow you makes it feel like you have real companions with you.

 

[Darth Roxor]

"Name some solo RPGs", proceeds to mention nothing but party-based ones. Wtf men.

As far as I'm concerned, the epitome of this, by far, is Gothic. Diego & Co. who don't follow you around 24/7 but still appear in all the important moments of the game and keep helping you in multiple ways throughout the entire adventure is the highest level of "companionship" in any RPG out there. All other things that try to shove "emotional engagement" down your throat pale in comparison to how well and naturally it is realised in Gothic.

 

[Safav Hamon]

Gothic and Witcher series

 

[zwanzig_zwoelf]

So you want a party-based RPG w/o direct control over your companious?

Well then.

Spoiler

Final Fantasy XIII might be right up your alley.

 

[Swigen]

For all it failed at, believable companions is an area in which Final Fantasy 15 managed to seriously deliver. It really made you feel like a gay prince with an entourage of butt boys in tow.

 

[toro]

Gothic.

 

[Alienman]

"Name some solo RPGs", proceeds to mention nothing but party-based ones. Wtf men.

Singleplayer. Better?

 

[Darth Roxor]

"Name some solo RPGs", proceeds to mention nothing but party-based ones. Wtf men.

Singleplayer. Better?

Like a hundred million billion times.

 

[Alienman]

"Name some solo RPGs", proceeds to mention nothing but party-based ones. Wtf men.

Singleplayer. Better?

Like a hundred million billion times.

Cleaned it up and changed the title, shouldn't confuse now.

 

[Murk]

Assuming we're not talking about games where you have direct control over NPCs, I'd put Arcanum in the mix since it has fallout style indirect influence over companions but some (Virgil esp.) interact a lot more and comment on things.

Ratman is correct tho in Gothic being the epitome, it takes the type of stuff most games would write out in dialog and forces you to experience them in a very natural way that's reminiscent of a proper pen-and-paper scenario. The first game especially is basically a master-class in showing how in-game characters can be developed from "random guy you meet" to "person you have real experiences with" to "friend who will be there to help you". The fact that it's reciprocal makes it have a great deal of gravitas and fits very well in the game world.

 

[Eggs is eggs]

Ultima VI and VII and Serpent Isle.

Ultima IV was the first one to have set characters to join you. But after a brief conversation, they would join your party and you would never hear from them again. Same with Ultima V. But starting with Ultima VI, you could speak to the other characters in your party. They had distinct personalities and stories. They had a shared history with you from the past 2 games and they would even interject in conversations with other NPCs. I had never played a game like this where the other members of your party actually felt like real people. And this continued with Ultima VII and Serpent Isle.

Mad props to Dr Cat for being the head writer of Ultima VI and Raymond Benson who was the head writer of Ultima VII. The non-Richard Garriott members of Origin never get the credit they deserve for crafting the stories, the quests and the characters that made those games so memorable.

 

[Neanderthal]

Betrayal at Krondor.

 

[Alienman]

Betrayal at Krondor.

Never played it. What makes them stand out?

 

[Neanderthal]

Betrayal at Krondor.

Never played it. What makes them stand out?

In essence all of the companions are the protagonists, very well fleshed out by Mr Hallfords writing and each with a very pronounced personality. Owyn, young, naive but surprisingly resourceful and idealistic. Gorath, a grim troubled stoic with a haunted past. Jimmy the Hand, the clever, experienced and sceptical rogue with a hidden morality etc.

 

[Shaewaroz]

My personal top pick for games like this is Wizardry 8. I just love how the party interacts with you, stuff that happens etc. Truly a master of a game where you never feel alone, even as you play solo! And one of the coolest parts is that you created them all yourself.

Another game (also from SirTech) is Jagged Alliance 2. I know some don't consider it a RPG... but oh well.
Same thing here, stuff gets commented on, and at times the party/mercenary group speak to each other without involving you. It adds a hell of a lot to the adventure and the characters come alive because of it.

These two games make the companions almost like they have a will of their own, and it's kinda magical when playing.

You made me seriously consider reinstalling Wizardry 8. Damn, Sir-Tech really knew how to make NPCs come to life.

I have to give a special shout-out to Ultima V: Lazarus - a game that's criminally overlooked by RPG enthusiasts. Some of the best, naturalistic writing in any RPG ever. Party members occasionally join conversation with other NPCs and comment on quest progression and moral decisions made by the PC. Most of them also have extensive backstories that you gradually discover.

Completely agree about Betrayal at Krondor. Great party members, great writing.

Also, Baldur's Gate 2. Obvious choice is obvious.

 

[Ladonna]

Has anyone tried Lazarus lately? Just wondering if DS1 and the Lazarus module actually work on newer windows.

 

[Shaewaroz]

Has anyone tried Lazarus lately? Just wondering if DS1 and the Lazarus module actually work on newer windows.

I haven't tried it in years. If I remember correctly it worked just fine with Win 7.

 

[V_K]

Dragon Age 2. It made you feel part of some nice group sex scenes.

 

[naossano]

I have yet to find a game that handle companions as well as Jagged Alliance 2. Thanks for the tips about Wizardry. It is definitely on my "to-play-list".
I've read that the Baldur's gate series provide a lot of interaction and twists with companions, but i grow bored very quicklly with those games and i didn't experienced it.

 

[Elex]

gothic

 

[Jimmious]

I would actually put Fallout 2 pretty high in such list because it delivers party members that have clearly distinguishable characters and that offer one-liners quite frequently in the game.
Commenting on areas, events, enemies etc.
Also personally the non-direct control of party members always made them feel a bit more "alive" for whatever weird reasons

 

[Alienman]

Also personally the non-direct control of party members always made them feel a bit more "alive" for whatever weird reasons

That is true. Dungeon Siege, one of the most basic hack & slash ever actually feels compelling because of this. You can control your minions directly, but you can also just let everything go, and it's damn fun seeing your companions run around whacking, casting, and drinking stuff by their own. It's like you put the team together, teach them the basics and then watch them go free to adventure and survive.

 

[Jimmious]

Exactly! Even when Marcus would shred me apart with his minigun, that added a bit to his "character". Sloppy huge mutant with huge minigun that doesn't give a shit
Or Sulik charging fearlessly with his hammer etc

 

[thesheeep]

Exactly! Even when Marcus would shred me apart with his minigun, that added a bit to his "character". Sloppy huge mutant with huge minigun that doesn't give a shit
Or Sulik charging fearlessly with his hammer etc

Well... the games would still be better if the AI would NOT pull stunts like accidentally killing the PC or behave stupidly suicidal (ok, does fit Sulik, but not everyone). Same with Atom RPG.
Yes, it does add some character to the NPCs, but I just haven't seen it done well enough that I wouldn't prefer manual handling anyway.

 

[Chippy]

BG1 nailed it because it built the world and the companions, along with the poilitics of Faerun and the various groups within it. BG2 was interesting because it focussed almost entirely on the companions, and the player, but felt lacking in the world building - so felt like the lesser experience.