Whether you need a shoulder to cry on or ahand in a heist*, friends make the world a better place. Some devs know the power of these relationships, and fit it into their games. Friendship mechanics in games are a powerful tool for characterization and storytelling, making good characters great and great characters feel like real friends.
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They are also a great way to provide progression to the games, since putting rewards behind befriending your teammates has a double-whammy reward of good feels and practicality. In this article, you will find the finest examples of friendship mechanics in gaming.
*TheGamer does not endorse or approve of the cool crime of doing a heist.
7Persona 5
Part school social simulator, part dungeon-crawling RPG, part ruminations on the human condition, the Persona games are famous for this memorable combination of different gameplay styles. Persona 5 embodies the best of them.
Persona 5 takes all that was good about the friendship mechanics of the previous entries and not only expanded them, but made them more accessible to new players. In addition to having compelling stories, each Confidant adds powerful and unique tools to your arsenal, whether they’re a party memberor not.
You increase your bonds with them in a relatively realistic way. While you canstill give them gifts, it’s better to hang out with them and tell them what they need to hear, improving their lives in the process.
6Dragon Age Series
Bioware games are known for their epic storytelling and the social dynamics between their characters. While Knights of the OId Republic is the ur-example, Dragon Age Origins is what arguably codifies this rep.
Of course, the friendship mechanics are excellent throughout theDragon Age series, improving in depth and nuance with every entry, with your companionships (as friends or rivals) often defining the story of your character. Perhaps the most remarkable thing is that your friendships (and romances) can be preserved across all the games, with relationships made or broken in previous games being remarked upon or even affecting later games.
5Hades
The friendship management in Hades is pretty simple. To deepen your bonds with other characters, you need to go over mostly linear conversations and the gifting of two kinds of items. Still, despite its simplicity, it shines.
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This is because the writing inHadesis as top-notch as it is voluminous. The plot of the story is largely character-driven, and so every character is brilliantly written, which in turn makes them far more interesting to befriend. That you get game-changing trinkets and adorable (and equally powerful) stuffies out of it is also a nice bonus.
4Mass Effect Series
Another epic from Bioware, this time an intergalactic sci-fi struggle as opposed to a high-fantasy story. Mass Effect tells the tale of the ace Commander Shepherd, but also, the tales of the various allies you make in the war against the Reapers.
Of course, every character is fantastically written, always interesting even if you don’t like them. The gameplay and storytelling are wonderfully integrated, and getting on your squadmates’ good side (or at least gaining their respect) can often be the difference between life and death.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about ME is that, unlike Dragon Age, it tells the story of one grand figure across three games. It keeps track of all your relationships, and keeps them meaningful whether the given characters are party members in the game or not.
3Fuga: Melodies Of Steel Series
Friendship is the most important thing in the Fuga games, even more than your characters’ level, which is saying a lot for an RPG. The game puts you in the interesting place of having to manage a bunch of children who end up controlling an ancient superweapon during a war between nations.
Both in and out of combat, you manage the relationships these kids have with each other. They operate the tank in pairs, and friendlier pairs get all sorts of powerful bonuses. You also get adorable cutscenes for all the pairs, as well as some powerful attacks. Plus, the best endings are locked behind high friendships between certain characters, in addition to not feeding any of them to said superweapon.
2Stardew Valley
Though Harvest Moon deserves a nod, it ultimately walked so thatStardew Valleycould run. One of the areas this is most apparent in is the friendships you develop with the other denizens of Pelican Town. Though fans of Harvest Moon are familiar with the gift-giving system and each character having their own preferences, as well as the heart events, Stardew took it to the next level.
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While the cutscenes and the possibility of marriage are a prize already, Stardew sweetened the deal by unlocking tangible benefits as well. You could get valuable recipes and exclusive skills by befriending the people in town, creating a nice feedback loop between the core gameplay and the rewards you get.
1Yakuza: Like A Dragon
The seventh main entry in theYakuza/Ryu ga Gatokuseries has a pretty strong emphasis on the bonds of friendship, and the need for the downtrodden to band together. So, of course, managing your friendships is a joy in Like A Dragon.
As a band of (relatively) normal middle-age adults, your interactions are actually pretty realistic in between the life-or-death battles and criminal intrigue. You grow closer to your party with gifts, of course, but you also hang out with them. Karaoke, drinks, and other fun activities deepen your bonds, unlocking new attacks and new class options for each character.
Much like in real life, you can get close to your friends over good drinks and good conversation, and like any good friendship, you become better through your bond as well. Each of them also has interesting personal stories that you can help them with, if they trust you enough.
