From Companions to Cat-herders: Which Games Have the Smartest (and Dumbest) NPCs?

The true test of a great RPG or action game with companions isn’t how well you play, but how well your party plays when you give them no commands. In the complex world of video game AI, companions can be the difference between a seamless, immersive experience and a frustrating, head-in-hands exercise in herding digital cats. While some games have created companions that are surprisingly competent and even life-savers, others have given us allies who feel more like liabilities. This is a look at the best and worst of video game AI, exploring which titles have created companions that can truly hold their own.

The intelligence of an AI companion is a delicate balance. Developers must create a character who is capable enough to be helpful, but not so overpowered that they diminish the player’s role. It’s a fine line between a character who feels like a partner and one who feels like a sidekick. Recent advancements in AI, with companies like NVIDIA creating “autonomous game characters” powered by generative AI, promise a future where NPCs can perceive, plan, and act like human players. But for now, we have to look at the history of companion AI to see where the highs and lows have been.

The A-Team: The Smartest Companions

These are the allies you can trust to have your back, even when you’re not looking.

• The Pawns of Dragon’s Dogma: The Pawns are widely regarded as the pinnacle of AI companions. They are not just mindless drones; they are intelligent, adaptable, and a genuine joy to have in your party. They learn from your actions, from the actions of other players, and can even teach each other new strategies. Pawns will point out hidden items, exploit enemy weaknesses without being told, and have a deep knowledge of the world around them. It’s an AI system that makes you feel like you’re fighting alongside a real team.
• The Scions of Final Fantasy XIV: Square Enix’s Trust system is a brilliant solution for players who want to experience story dungeons without the pressure of a live party. Your NPC companions in this system are shockingly competent. The tanks hold aggro, the healers keep the party alive with timely spells, and the DPS characters execute mechanics with precision. While they are a bit slower than human players to prevent them from becoming the default choice, they are reliable and a welcome addition to the game.
• The Companions of Mass Effect: The original trilogy’s party members are a benchmark for squad-based combat. While they may not have the tactical brilliance of the Pawns, they are excellent at using their abilities and cover without constant player intervention. Garrus, Liara, and Kaidan all use their skills and weapons on their own, and for a game with a massive cast, the fact that they are so consistently useful is a major achievement.
• Ellie from The Last of Us: Ellie’s AI is so good that you barely even notice it’s there. During stealth sections, she will actively hide from enemies and will never break your cover, even when she’s standing in plain sight. In combat, she’s a supportive partner, throwing bricks at enemies to stun them or using her small knife to stab attackers. She feels less like a video game character and more like a genuine survival partner.

The Z-List: The Dumbest Companions

These are the characters who will make you wish you were playing solo.

• Sheva Alomar from Resident Evil 5: The co-op experience in Resident Evil 5 is fantastic, but playing with the AI-controlled Sheva is an exercise in frustration. Her AI is notoriously bad, and she has a horrible habit of wasting resources, running straight into the line of fire, and not healing you when you desperately need it. She is a prime example of an AI companion that is a hindrance rather than a help.
• Ashley Graham from Resident Evil 4: While she is an iconic character, Ashley is more of an escort mission than a true companion. Her sole purpose is to be protected, and her actions are often limited to screaming for help and getting in the way. While the game’s design makes her manageable, she is a constant reminder of how frustrating escort quests can be when a companion has no self-preservation skills.
• Donald Duck from Kingdom Hearts: Donald Duck’s reputation for being a useless healer is legendary. In a game where your life often depends on a timely heal, Donald will more often than not be found casting a useless offensive spell or just standing around while your health plummets. His AI’s lack of priority for healing has been a long-running joke in the gaming community, and for good reason.
• Natalya Simonova from GoldenEye 007: A character from a different era of gaming, Natalya is a classic example of a useless escort mission character. She spends most of her time getting in the way, running into gunfire, and generally making your life a nightmare. Her role is to be a liability, and in that, she is a resounding success.

The future of AI companions is bright, with generative AI promising to create characters who are more dynamic and responsive than ever before. But until that future arrives, we will continue to look back at the history of companion AI with a mix of fondness and frustration, remembering the allies who saved us and the ones who made us want to throw our controllers across the room.