Though Fallout 4 introduced a strong companion system to the series, there are a few aspects that can be improved, especially in terms of the companions’ usefulness and how they fit in the world. These are things Bethesda would benefit from tweaking for their upcoming game, Starfield, which will also feature player followers.
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Where the Companions of Fallout 4 Fall Flat
There’s no doubt that the companions of Fallout 4 are fleshed out. All of them have interesting backstories, their own moral beliefs, and have much to say about the Sole Survivor’s actions. However, they do have their drawbacks. One of them is the combat AI. When in battle, most of the companions do little damage at long range because of their terrible accuracy. Though if they were to get closer to the enemy, they’d likely be downed within seconds thanks to the AI’s subpar reaction time and pathing.
Another issue that Fallout 4 companions have is that they don’t quite feel “alive,” specifically once the Sole Survivor dismisses them. Anytime the player dismisses their follower, they have the option to send that character to any allied settlement in Fallout 4. Alternatively, they can simply go back to their home base (for instance, Valentine goes back to the agency in Diamond City), where they wait for the player to call on them again.
This idleness on the companions’ part makes them feel less like characters with their own lives, and more like tools at the Sole Survivor’s beck and call. While they technically are, it takes away from the world of Fallout 4, which is supposedly a wasteland filled with people who want to rebuild (and others looking to take what they can get). To give an example, Fallout 4’s Valentine is supposedly a full-time detective, solving cases for the people of Diamond City. That said, it is hard not to wonder why he never seems to leave the agency or, worse, why he is farming muttfruit for the Sole Survivor in some far off settlement. Things like this just take away from a companion’s already established character.
Making Companions Feel More ‘Alive’ in Starfield
With Bethesda’s new title having been confirmed to have its own set of companions — most notably Starfield’s Vasco — it’s important that Bethesda improve upon the old follower system. For starters, the AI needs some tweaking, especially for combat. One way to improve it is to allow players to control their companion’s combat settings, switching between options such as ranged attacking and melee attacking or offensive combat or defensive combat. This gives the player more control over their companion, which should hopefully lead to less infuriating combat situations.
As for the issue of companion idleness, this can be remedied by giving companion characters unique schedules that they follow when they aren’t with the player. These schedules should, of course, be specific to their job, their interests, and other aspects of their personality. Aside from this, Starfield can introduce random encounters like Fallout that feature companion characters who aren’t currently traveling with the player, and such encounters could even progress into a unique companion quest.
Using Valentine again as an example, suppose the player is wandering the Commonwealth, either alone or with another follower. A random encounter with Valentine could involve the player finding the detective as he’s investigating the venue of a recent murder. Upon seeing the player, Valentine approaches them and asks for help in tackling the case, to which the player can answer yes or no. This could then lead to a new questline.
Additions like these to the world of Starfield would no doubt improve the current companion system. Tweaking the AI would encourage players to recruit followers — ones who could effectively aid them in combat. Meanwhile, character schedules and random encounters would make them feel much more “alive.” In a title that’s being described as “a universe, not just a game,” dynamic characters are going to make all the difference.
Starfield will release on November 11 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
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