As many of you may well be aware, July was the last month for Boxman214 as a member of our merry Band of Bloggers. He had a good run and provided us with several fun prompts to blog about. And his last prompt, Heroes, not only inspired us to write blogs about heroes in games (but not me because I’m a procrastinatng lil’ bitch), it also inspired my prompt for this month.
And so I will be piggy-backing off last month’s prompt, as well as paying homage to our former comrade with this month’s theme: The Company You Keep.
So what does this prompt mean? Well that is up to interpretation (isn’t always?) but basically it’s about games that feature building bonds between you, the player, and another character. Whether that would be an RPG where your character bonds with their party members, an adventure game featuring the main character and a partner/partners, or something else I don’t want to bother thinking of is up to you.
It doesn’t really matter what kind of game you play just that the game features, in some way, the building of a relationship with another character. It doesn’t even technically have to happen in-game. If you played a game and found yourself invested in another character, well you could write about that. Do as your heart desires and try not to take the prompt too linearly. It was made to be flexible, so go ahead and interpret as you will.
Here are some handy-dandy suggestions of games that I personally believe fit the bill for you to consider:
Animal Crossing series
The crux of these games is pretty much just trying to keep the villagers happy by developing a kinship with them, so any one of these games would be a good choice to blog about.
The Last of Us
A major component of this game is the relationship between the grumpy, grizzled Joel and the more affable and foul-mouthed Ellie and how that relationship changes and grows along their journey. It’s not a game for everyone, but it’s a game I adore.
Chrono Trigger
A legendary JRPG that hosts an amazing cast of party members with truly no stinker in the bunch. And every character gets a rather fun character arc, though you may have to go out of your way to see some of them through to the end. But the game is very good, so I doubt you’ll mind.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Really any of the Uncharted games could fit here, but Lost Legacy does this idea the best in my opinion. The relationship that forms between its main characters Chloe and Nadine is quite fun to behold and feels very genuine. Also this is my favorite game in the franchise, so you know I’m going to shill it.
Ever Oasis
I played this game a couple of months ago and quite enjoyed it. The bond that forms between your character and the water spirit, Esna, is very cute and fun, just like the game itself. A hidden gem for the 3DS that deserves some more attention.
As for myself I plan on writing about Dragon Quest Builders 2, specifically about how it handles the building of relationships with the Builder and the many characters they encounter on their adventure, especially their faithful ally Malroth. I recently beat the game and am dying to write about it and it coincidentally fit my theme. I definitely did not plan it at all. No sir. Not one bit.
And that pretty much does it for this month’s theme. I look forward to seeing what kind of games the community decides to write about and/or play. If you decide to write a blog for this theme make sure to include Band of Bloggers or BoB in the blog title. As always we’re open to new recruits. If you’re interested in joining our Band of Bloggers just leave a comment below.
Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy this month’s prompt and the games it inspires you to play. Have a great August and happy gaming!