Summary
There have been animal companions in RPGs for almost as long as the genre has been around. For example, in theFalloutgames, players can acquire a dog aptly named Dogmeat. While the dog appears in different forms in the series, he’s usually a German Shepherd.
Animal companions are common but it’s not as common to be able to control these characters manually. Dogmeat acts on its own accord in most games, for example, but it’s still good thanks to the AI. So, are there RPGs with playable animal companions or animal-like creatures? There sure are and some of them are even led by animals.
Boney is Lucas’ beloved dog fromMother 3. He starts as an ordinary dog but on his quest to find and help Lucas after the disastrous opening fire, he takes on a different persona. Boney dresses and walks like a human to fit in with society, leading to some great jokes. Unlike the other party members, Boney cannot use PSI powers duringthe turn-based battlesbut he still packs one heck of a punch in battle or however he attacks. It’s just a shame the game still hasn’t received an official English adaptation so that players could know the many wonders of Boney.
Maneateris one of the wildest RPGs on the market and it doesn’t just have a playable party member that is a shark. The entire game stars a shark. The opening tutorial sees a great mother shark killed by a hunter and the rest of the RPG follows her one and only child as it grows up. Players can fight other fish or chew on humans to level up and literally grow their shark. It’s kind of like the SNES game,E.V.O.: Search for Eden, except that the shark character in Maneater cannot grow legs or arms to literally evolve. That sounds like a good mechanic for the sequel though.
Solatorobo: Red the Hunteris another game that stars an animal. In this case, it’s an anthropomorphic fox named Red who lives in a fantasy-based society wherein animal-like people live on floating islands. It feels like an adaptation of 80s and 90s anime that seemingly loved the idea of sky pirates.
Instead of fighting in hand-to-hand combat himself, Red pilots a mech and can level up in a transitional fashion. It was a DSgame made byCyberConnect2who most may be known as the developers behind theNaruto Ultimate Ninjagames. It’s hard to play now but it is a wondrous worthwhile adventure for those who want to track it down.
Repede is the main character’s dog inTales of Vesperia. Yuri is an ex-soldier who goes into his own work following some tragedy in his life and Repede is the trusty dog that follows. Repede can emote, but he never directly talks. What makes Repede stand out is his design from his giant chain, scarred eye, and giant tobacco pipe, there has never been a cooler-lookingdog in a video game. Repede uses a dagger in his mouth for battle which heightens the wow factor as well.
There have been a lot of animal-based mascot party members inthePersonaseriesbut Koromaru stands out on top fromPersona 3. He can’t talk like Morgana or Teddy, but that’s a good thing. All players needed to fall in love with Koromaru was his shimmering coat, blazing red eyes, and cheerful whimpers. He’s one of the best party members in the game too as he has two types of elemental abilities.Persona 3 Reloadadds some more flair to the character as well, which is the best way to experience Koromaru.
Dust: An Elysian Taleis a brutalMetroidvania with RPG elementsand combat straight out ofDevil May Cry. The hero, Dust, is another anthropomorphic fox who is going against an evil army trying to burn down villages. The combat is the main draw of the game since Dust’s moves are flashy but the story holds a strong place in the minds of fans too.
It may look like a colorful Metroidvania but the story will touch on things like race. It’s a bold move with an even bolder hero trying to stand up for what he thinks is right in an ever-expanding world.
Cait Sith was a fine party member in Final Fantasy 7 despite his betrayal, but like most characters, he didn’t have a lot to offer. Materia is what made party members stand out in the original game. In the remake,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, charactersgot more depth to their play styles. Players could now control this cat manually and also summon his giant mog to ride around on. He’s not the easiest party member to control in the game, but Cait Sith is rewarding for those who invest time into his stats and weapons and Red 13 is a good choice too as an animal companion.
Frog is not just one of the best animal party members in an RPG, he’s one of the best party members in RPGs period.Frog is fromChrono Triggerand his backstory is tragic. While trying to defend the kingdom, this once noble human knight was turned into a frog man and just went by Frog after that. His theme music is triumphant, his sword, the Masamune, plays a big role in the story as does his rivalry with Magus. Frog is more like a main character than Crono. He’s a noble, kind, and powerful warrior who cannot be outmatched in any fight.
