The best role-playing games in which companions are important for survival

Key conclusions

• The best role-playing games require players to manage a group for successful battles against powerful enemies.
• Solo play leads to interruptions due to the lack of abilities and firepower of companions.
• In popular cross-platform RPGs, individual runs are more difficult and less enjoyable.

Role-playing games are as popular as they come, allowing players to become a character that is part of the player, or a person with a famous story and personality, as they embark on an epic adventure that involves saving the world in one way or another. Some RPGs allow players to go it alone to accomplish this goal, but this is not the case for many other games in the genre.

The best role-playing games allow players to lead a group of adventurers on a journey that is thrilling from start to finish. The main character needs their friends to fight the enemies that stand in his way, and trying to play as a lone wolf can lead to a frustrating experience full of interruptions that are best avoided.

8 Pillars Of Eternity 2: Deadfire

Singleplayer is completely impossible for players who are entering the game for the first time

Pillars of Eternity 2 combines the CRPG strengths of the first game with a sailing adventure where players control a ship and explore Deadfire. It's a great gameplay loop that's as satisfying as it gets, and players can choose four friends to accompany the Watcher on their adventures.

While players can use perks to try and go solo, it's not recommended for new players, who will need the abilities and extra firepower of their friends to emerge victorious in some of the game's toughest battles. Even veterans can find it difficult to play as a lone wolf, as the game is balanced in a way that favors well-managed group fights instead of one-sided humiliation.

7 Persona 5 Royal

A single joker run will end the game in no time if players don't know what they're doing

Invading the Mind Palace as Phantom Thieves is a great game cycle that helps Persona 5 Royal stand out as one of the best JRPGs fans can get their hands on. It's possible to kick all the thieves out of the party and fly solo as the Joker, but that's far from the optimal way to go through the game.

Infiltrating the palace can take too many days, the Joker's weaknesses can be easily exploited, and several turns are spent healing the main character. Only the most avid JRPG players would even consider running with just the Joker, which might be too much of a headache for casual players.

6 Final Fantasy 6

There's a reason why the game boasts the most companions in a Final Fantasy game

Of all Final Fantasy games, the sixth mainline entry has so many party members that trying to complete this title with one person in your party is a futile exercise. Some of the hardest dungeons in the game require multiple parties, and choosing one person for each party is not recommended.

It doesn't help that Pixel Remaster increased the difficulty of the game, which means that solo runs are now even more difficult. Players are better off mixing and matching party members to get the most out of it Final Fantasy 6great gameplay elements.

5 Tyranny

Without companions, combat is difficult and the game lacks flavor

Playing as a solo character in any CRPG is far from ideal, but it's a simple crime Tyranny which boasts some of the best writing that players in the genre can enjoy. The companion quest lines are the highlight of this game and not something players should miss.

Of course, the combat itself is extremely challenging when players are exploring things alone. They will miss team attacks with their companions as they either bond with them sincerely or control them through fear.

4 Chrono Trigger

Players will not have access to double and triple techs without party members

One of the greatest JRPGs ever made, Chrono Trigger it's a name that needs no introduction. The game is well-paced and doesn't waste the player's time, which is more than can be said for most other games in this genre.

Choosing to only control Crono throughout the game is time consuming and may not be worth the trouble. Running away from or avoiding enemies is only possible for so long before the lack of levels catches up with Cron in a boss fight, and losing valuable double and triple techniques is far from ideal in a game with so many memorable party members. Leaving any of them behind is downright criminal.

3 Divinity: Original Sin 2

Without party members, the main character will be bombarded with status effects in no time

Changes made to the fighting art Divinity: Original Sin 2 making companions more whole than ever before. Physical or magical armor must be depleted before players can target an enemy's HP, and the player's character will be smashed to smithereens in one turn as each enemy piles on them with their attacks.

With the help of other party members and summoning, enemy aggro can be managed without getting too frustrating. This, combined with the many interesting companions in the game, makes it clear why traveling in a group is safer and more fun in Divinity: Original Sin 2.

2 Baldur's gate 3

The game is unforgiving if the players don't have reliable companions by their side

Baldur's gate 3 is one of the greatest Western RPGs of all time, breaking records and becoming one of the most popular games upon release that fans can't get enough of even now. The combat retains much of Larian but isn't too hardcore, but there are limits to how far players can push this system.

Trying to play this game alone robs players of the optimal experience. Not only do they miss out on tons of interesting banter, puns, and unique story events, but the combat becomes so ridiculously difficult that players will either give up on the game or give up on the challenge in record time.

1 Dragon Age: Origins

Pulling too much aggro is a death sentence for new players

While most modern BioWare games allow players to take on enemies on their own and emerge relatively unscathed, the same is not true of Dragon Age: Origins. Players need to work as a team to achieve victory over the toughest enemies that can be difficult to fight.

Without companions, all enemies will gang up against the Gray Overseer and deplete their health in the blink of an eye. Only Dragon Age veterans might even consider attempting this run, and it's still far from an enjoyable time, for obvious reasons.