Here we return to the world of Fallout once more to finish off this trifecta of companion-themed blogs. (At least in the Fallout categories) In this blog it is my goal to observe and asses all the available companions in this RPG title in order to come to my own personal conclusion upon which is the 'best' among the possibilities. Luckily, Bethesda seemed to have taken a leaf out of Obsidian's book when it came to crafting Fallout 4, because the companions in this title are markedly better and more interesting then any other companions in a Bethesda game to date. That being said, none of these folk are a patch upon what New Vegas had to offer, but I appreciate Bethesda for taking their baby steps; you only get better by testing your limits, afterall.
Due to the level of customisation in terms of equipment alongside the way that Fallout 4's companions scale with the player, the question of how useful each follower is can be rendered mostly moot. Of course there are some certain folk that are more useful for certain encounters, (Codsworth's razorblade is ludicrously powerful at close range) but as I said previously, that's not necessarily what I'm looking for in these companions. I'm looking for the folk that are likeable, have a story to them and undergo a significant arc throughout the length of the story. I'm talking about the kind of folk who, at the end of the day, make you glad to have met their acquaintance. Before I do get into specifics, however, I will grant Bethesda a point above Obsidian, amazingly; and that's because Fallout 4 is the first game I mentioned so far in which companions actually interact with each other! It's a super limited capacity kinda thing and nothing substantial ever comes of it, but it makes your little network of friends seem just that little more like a team. (At least it's better than in New Vegas, wherein your entire roster lived together in a one-floor penthouse suite, yet ignored each other like passive aggressive roommates.)
That being said, there are a hefty number of companions who I'm going to disqualify from the running straight away for the plain reason that I just don't find them interesting. I realise that this is a very arbitrary reason to write off three whole complete character arcs (which I've never actually completed because I find them so boring) but you saw the name of the blog, you knew what you were getting into. For this I say goodbye to the Super Mutant: Strong, who's entire arc about "finding the milk of human kindness" grated on my every synapse. Maybe it's the iconic stilted grunting of the Super Mutant race that made every quick conversation stretch out to a marathon, or maybe it's because his entire story is based on a quick throw-away gag that was only mildly funny to begin with. (And felt like it was written by someone who only thumbed through Macbeth and couldn't quite remember the context) But whatever it was I just couldn't find myself giving a rat's about Strong and his dumb questline. Oh, and the fact that he disliked basic actions that one needs to play the game (such as Lockpicking or entering Power Armour) did him no favours either.
The other two that I dislike are a little unfair, I'll admit that, because I never really gave the fullest chance to grow on me. (Maybe I'll come back and write a re-visionary article later.) Here I'm referring to Gage and Old Longfellow, the DLC companions from the game. Almost every companion in the main game has a genuine reason for assisting on your quest in a manner that makes their inclusions dynamic, apart from these two. Old Longfellow is just a drunkard who gives you a really unnecessary tour at the start of Far Harbour, and Gage calls himself your second in command once you take control of Nuka World; but I felt no incentive to keep them around. (That goes doubly true in Far Harbour, given the importance that another companion has to that location.) Again, maybe I'm missing out on Bethesda's strongest writing by ignoring them, (but looking at the main stories of those DLCs, somehow I doubt it) but if their stories weren't interesting enough to grab me at the door, I can't exactly give them total credit anyway, now can I?
Now settling into the main companions I have to address something real quick. Yes, I know it's a meme and everything but seriously; screw Preston Garvey. When I first saw him in the E3 expo all the way back then, I straight away thought "That there's going to be my main companions, I can see it already!" And I couldn't have been further from the truth. In terms of story, he isn't actually terrible. Hailing from the recently dishonoured vigilante band known as the Minutemen, Preston Garvey has a last-man-standing aesthetic going on where he holds the weight of his entire order on his shoulder's. When you meet him he is beaten, tired, and trying his damnedest to protect the last 4 people who survived the massacre which cost the Minutemen their trust, but he's at the end of his road. You working with him instils the young man with hope and helps him to start rebuilding his life's purpose. Heck, his Minutemen even play a key part in the narrative if you let them. So what's my problem with him? One word; Settlements.
For some reason Bethesda thought that they needed to throw in this annoying base defence system to Fallout 4 wherein you build settlements that constantly call upon you for help with simple things. "Help, there's ants on my farm!", "Help, I don't know how to stack sandbags!", "Help, my friend was kidnapped for the 5th time this week!" And Preston Garvey is the bulletin board through which all of these inane requests flow. He's always there to remind you that another settlement needs your help, and the second you help that one there's another behind it. It's this endless loop of mindless 'fetch-quests' that wear on your sanity bit by bit until you go loopy, kill Preston, and carve the words "There's a settlement that needs your help" onto his chest. For god's sake, Garvey, your a Minuteman; do it yourself!
Onto much more palatable companions, I present the non-humans. (And more traditional robots.) In classic Fallout styling, Dogmeat is your faithful canine companion throughout the game and coming across him is a far bit easier than in previous entries. he's also rather helpful too, and impossibly cute. Unfortunately he has no questline, so he can't really score too much higher here. Then there is the robotic Mr.Handy unit Codsworth, who used to be the same robot who took care of the player's family before the bombs fell. Once more Codsworth is rather useful in combat, but I found something about his demeanour just a tad too judgemental for my tastes. I think it's the way that he seems bothered about the person you've become from the second you leave the vault (You know; at the start of the game) as though you've gone around eating babies or something. His arc is really just about discovering that you're still the same person you always was, and either being contented by that or horrified. (if you go the baby eating route.) This is fine, but personally I'm not the biggest fan of an arc that revolves around another character's evolution, so Codsworth scores low too.
Last but not least there is the robot Ada, who is the third companion to come your way via DLC. Unlike the other's, however, she doesn't really have much of a personality, being a robot, but she does surprisingly have a rather comprehensive arc. You see, Ada starts off the Automaton DLC as the last survivor from her group of travellers that were gunned down by junk robots. Despite being fundamentally unable to process that emotion, at least theoretically, Ada is then driven by a desire to avenge her friends and help you end the robot menace to the commonwealth. Sure, it's not exactly Oscar-worthy material but it's a proper character arc and it's tied into the main campaign in the most basic of ways. Well done, Bethesda, you did the bare minimum.
Now it starts to get hard. Everyone from this point on actually has something commendable about their story or a real purpose for hanging around, so there's really no more fat to cut off the bunch. I guess the next best companion would have to come with a spoiler warning as I refer to X6-88, the Institute courser who is assigned to you once you agree to start helping them. X6-88 is a very no-nonsense fellow at first who has a very suspicious eye on you, but you come to learn that comes from a position of respect to Father. There is a curious dilemma of him feeling like a person incredibly invested in his job and protective of the Institute that he believes in, whilst also being simultaneously aware that he is a servant Synth that was likely programmed to hold those biases. Be that as it may, you can get through to him by showing that you are just as dedicated to the cause, showing X6-88 has faint human qualities alongside his obvious Terminator inspirations.
On the otherside of the tracks I would have to pick Deacon, who works for the Railroad. (See what I did there?) Deacon is your typical wisecracking irreverent who's most notable for the way that he actually stalks you through key events of the main story before making himself known. (He's know as a 'master of disguise' afterall.) As you become familiar with the underground Railroad that is helping to 'free' synths from the Institute, you'll start working hand-in-hand with Deacon and get to know the things that make him tick. Only once you've grown somewhat close does he let you know exactly why it is that he believes so strongly in the freedom of synths. It's one of Bethesda's better told tales revolving around feelings of betrayal and guilt with hints of a lingering lack of self worth; unfortunately this tale is all told to the player rather than having them actually experience it. Now, that isn't inherently a mood-killer so to speak, but I feel it does deprive some of the power of an otherwise well constructed backstory.
I've tied the next two because I love them both for different reasons. First there is MacCready, and folks who played Fallout 3 will know why I was so struck with this character. MacCready was merely a child back in Fallout 3, but he was mayor the the kid run town of Little Lamplight, and I'm always a sucker for a callback character. Coming to MacCready in Fallout 4 you learn that a lot has changed in the young man's life. He got married, had a kid, lost that wife and is currently on the otherside of America running away from that responsibility. (Yeah, I know he has some excuse about 'Looking for a cure to some super rare disease' but we all know that's a crock right? He went out for cigarettes and never came back.) As you meet MacCready he is nothing more than a mercenary butting heads with other mercenaries; but with a little guiding hand from the player he can become a respectable individual who his son could eventually look up to. (You know, if he ever decides to go back.) This is one of the first companions who seems actually transformed through his experiences with the player, and that makes his journey all the more important to go through.
Then there is the fan favourite Hancock, and seriously what is there not to love about this Ghoul? Hancock is the rough and tumble Mayor of Goodneighbour, a town founded from the outcasts and refuge from Diamond City and other dumps. After running into the lone survivor however, he realises that he needs to spend some time away from the Mayor's office to 'get back to his routes', and so he joins you. Hancock is charismatic and instantly likeable, with a funny quip or agreeable observation ready for you at every possible interval. Whatsmore, he has quite the engrossing backstory that revolves around his feelings of injustice at a world which rejects and spits on him and others like him. Rather than use that to propel him on a path to villianhood, however, (like I totally would) Hancock channels all that into rising above their ridicule. And killing the odd bigot, he's not above some rampant violence. Hancock is that perfect chaotic-good balance where he is a rolemodel but not 'holier-than-thou', and he's a dab hand with a shotgun too.
Argh! It's tearing at my heartstring to pick this next one but I think I have to settle with journalist extraordinaire Piper Wright. If you could pick one companion who could be considered the flagship of Fallout 4, it's Piper, you could even go so far as to call her iconic. She's a peppy, smartass investigative reporter looking to make the world a better place through her reporting. I will admit, however, that her reasons for joining you on your adventure is a little contrived. (She just promises to up and hang out with you in return for a single interview. It wouldn't have been too hard to just make her invested in solving the mystery of your missing son.) Through it all she still shines as a likeable staple for any adventurer's exploring. Unfortunately, her back story isn't the most inspired thing in the world. Don't get me wrong, it isn't bad or anything, it just isn't exactly unique. She has a father who died due to corruption and therefore she wants to expose corruption whether she goes, it's fairly cookie cutter. Even her character arc merely revolves around her coming to terms with the fact that her example is effecting her young sister, without anything meaningful arc involving her own growth. (You already know how I feel about stories setup like that.) Of course, I'm pulling hairs, Piper is still a great companion who'll always be remembered in the Fallout canon.
Next we have the character of Cait, who honestly feels like another attempt by a Bethesda game to make a 'bad guy' companion that was bailed at the last moment. (Ulysses from New Vegas was meant to be a Caesar's Legion loyal before he was cut and put into the DLC.) Instead, Cait is an irish-american prize fighter who hangs around raiders but is not necessarily associated with them. Although at the time you meet her it seems like it's only a matter of time before she gets hopped up on Jet and goes around beating people's heads in. Just like Cass from New Vegas, Cait is on a self destructive path when the player comes across her, and she is haphazardly thrust upon the player by her overly caring manager who doesn't want to see her kill herself. Whilst travelling together you start to earn Cait's trust and teach her what unconditional friendship is, as she seems to find the term alien. (Or as unconditional as "You kill my enemies and I'll keep you around" is. Yikes, from another perspective this relationship has shadows of Glory's backstory from 'Shadowrun: Dragon Fall')
Once Cait trusts the player enough she'll start to open up about her particularly struggle fuelled journey through life and the brutality it inspired. Such as when she goes back home and kills her- wait, this is Glory's backstory from another angle! (How have I only noticed this now?) It's all very well written and performed, to the point where an empathetic player may actually start to care for poor old Cait. This culminates in Cait coming to the decision that she wants to turn her life around, only she needs the player to help her shake the various substance abuses that she has used to endure her trauma all these years. Now this could have been the start of a very real quest involving slowly weening Cait off of all her drugs and helping to get her through the withdrawal bouts, but luckily someone at Bethesda realised that'd be a little too real and opted for a magical McGuffin machine to cure her. See this is what I'm talking about, a great companion who's life is changed from her experiences with the player. Someone who leaves the story different then she was when she entered. There's a solid companion.
Speaking of solid companions, let's get to one that I can only describe as "Outstanding." Paladin Danse is your customary codex-bashing Templar-type character who works for the Brotherhood of Steel. He is a straight arrow soldier type who believes in his order's mission to wipe the wasteland of all perversions of natural life, be them Mutant or Synth. His honour and duty shape his very character in the early stages, and rather than the player accepting him under their wing, you'll actually find the Paladin accepting you as a rookie solider to train you in the ways of the Brotherhood. Danse is a Brotherhood man through and through, which is way I was surprised by Bethesda's smart choice to throw him at a character hurdle that shook his identity to the very core. At the start of the third act of the main story the player learns the unthinkable, that Paladin Danse himself is a Synth.
As it turns out this is a surprise to everyone, not least of all Danse himself and he runs off into hiding whilst being hunted down by his former brothers. Once you catch up with him you get to witness the full result of a nigh-on zealot who realised that everything he was is just a lie. He has no idea when he was replaced, if he was even replaced at all, where the real Danse is if he does exist, or why the Institute installed him, his entire nature is a mystery to him and that encourages him to want to end it all. This is one of the most important moments in the entire game in my opinion, as it makes a concept that has been mentioned and makes it real. Through the main story you hear the paranoia about these new human-like synths who replace ordinary folk in the night. People are terrified to find out that their friends and family are not who they seem, and that fear drives a lot of the conflict of the land. Until Danse's arc, however, none of that was real in the eyes of the audience. Now they feel all those emotions of betrayal and confusion and see it mirrored (and amplified) in Danse himself. It makes for a powerful moment where you have to choose whether or not to abide by everyone's wishes and eliminate him or try to instil a will to live in the heartbroken Paladin once again. Truly pivotal stuff.
Which would leave the second most important companion in Fallout 4 as being another crowdpleaser; Nick Valentine; the synthetic gumshoe. A much older model of Synth who isn't fooling anybody as to his robotic nature, Nick is living his life as a detective in Diamond City where the folk tolerate him due to him being the kind of robot they can identify rather than one who hides. Valentine was a discarded prototype model who has no idea why he was cut from the Institute's control, nor why he was made in the first place. (Just like all Synths.) Now he specialises in finding missing people amidst the wastes and winning first place in Bladerunner Decker cosplay contests. Once again, Nick is the kind of character who wins over hearts with his lovable charm and demeanour; an inalienable drive to do good makes him easy to root for and his backstory inserts that curious glimmer of mystery to him.
As you progress along his Arc, however, you will learn that there is something which gets under his skin. Apparently his name and likeness, Nick Valentine, was burrowed from some pre-war detective who was in the midst of a big case. Nick wants to get closer to the person who's identity he was injected with, and so you go on a scavenger hunt to solve his last case. This whole mission is a great showcase of how Nick is coming to terms with being his own person, by putting to bed the last regrets of the mind his AI was based on. It's arguably the best of the companion Questlines with the most satisfactory feeling of having made a difference by the end. Nick's tale is only enhanced by Far Harbour as we learn about the circumstances behind his origins and get a rare glimpse of the narrative from the point of view of a Synth. Again, this is a crucial tale to establishing the heart of Fallout 4's story, which is why Nick makes a clear contender for the best Companion in Fallout 4. However in the words of a green puppet in a swamp; "There is another."
Curie is a very interesting companion as she could be argued to undergo the most metamorphosis both in character and shape throughout her story arc. She starts of life as a Miss Nanny robot constructed to monitor a long defunct Vault-Tec experiment on lab rats and disease, but she was given a personality by one of the scientists who grew fond of her and attributed her a rolemodel in the famous icon Marie Curie. (He also gave her an irreplaceable french accent.) The player releases Curie from her duties and as such she is free to scour the wastelands with them in order to discover her new purpose in life. Throughout your travels together Curie will see the destructive power of man whilst witnessing the pockets of kindness that shine through it all; although nothing will quite give her that spark of inspiration that she so craves.
Eventually she comes to the conclusion that her struggles aren't due to a lack of stimulus, but an inherent flaw in her design; she was made to be little more than a robot whereas she would need the mind of a human to achieve true inspiration. This mirrors the archetype 'longing to be human' plot we see from many Sci-Fi shows like 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' or even 'Red Dwarf'. It's borne out of a somewhat pretentious assumption that man is the pinnacle of design, but that doesn't mean it can't spark some interesting debate about what it is to be human. Luckily Fallout 4 is themed around the very concept of Synthetic humans, so Curie can achieve her wish by transmitting her consciousness into a Synth, thus essentially giving a robot the gift of life. Ultimately, Curie gets more than she bargained for, and the rest of her arc is shaped around the robot coming to terms with what it is to be a human. With your guidance she manages to stave off the possibility of being overwhelmed and instead comes to manage human emotion, frustration and passion; from these spawn inspiration. It's a brilliant arc in my opinion that is sensibly told and satisfying to pursue, but more than that: it directly tackled the struggle of humanity and identity that is core to Fallout 4 themes, and that is what makes Curie a priceless companion and the best in Fallout 4.
I suppose it was by no small coincidence that all the top three companions all happened to be Synths. There's something about companions who are deeply rooted in the main narrative that never ceases to get me involved. Those times when it feels like my character is learning and evolving next to his friends are some of the most profound character building moments that one can hope for, and it's part of the reason why I love playing party-based RPGs. Unfortunately, this is the end of the Fallout section for this topic for the foreseeable future, (Fallout 76 will have to wait, I have more important titles to play) but I have a much more competently constructed RPG to follow next week, so it shouldn't be too dire of an issue. See you then.
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