The Outer Worlds offers a great companion system with fully fleshed-out characters to accompany you on your adventures in Halycon. Each companion has their own set of combat skills that can increase the player’s stats. Not only that but they are all fun to be around. One of the best parts of the game is hearing your companions interact with each other and the world around them. This list will mostly be focused on the companions as “human” beings above their combat skills. It will be about their character growth across the game and their personalities. It will also take each of their companion quests into consideration.
(Spoilers for The Outer Worlds’ Companion Missions and Their Backstories Ahead)
6. Felix
I wanted to like Felix so much because I saw him as the underdog. He is your stupid meathead from a TV sitcom. When I looked into those gorgeous eyes, I saw someone who was under-appreciated his whole life. That’s why I gave him a chance on my crew. Sadly, Felix never grew into anything – at least in my playthrough. He was always just that annoying guy that followed me around thinking he was funny. His companion quest doesn’t really do anything for his character either. While other companions get quests that develop their backstories and or develop their character, Felix stayed static throughout my playthrough. Also, I have a keen suspicion that Felix keeps on bringing cows into my ship.
5. Sam
It pains me to put SAM at number five spot because he is so lovable, but this list is about personality and SAM doesn’t really have one. SAM is a cleaning robot for the Unreliable left behind by its old captain. He is the closest thing to Fallout humor in The Outer Worlds. He made me laugh out loud so many times with his oblivious but sweet nature. SAM is programmed to clean so everything is a catchy cleaning jingle to him. SAM is a lovable robot with his acid shooters but he has no depth. That’s not a bad thing, sometimes you need him to lighten up your day – especially after you kill off a whole town.
4. Nyoka
Nyoka is great. I just love how everyone in Monarch knows who she is. She loves to explore the Monarch wastelands and kill terrifying creatures with her plasma heavy machine gun. She is known for her tough nature and hunter lifestyle. But beneath the strong exterior, Nyoka is broken inside. She lost a crew of fellow hunters and hides her sadness with alcohol. Her companion quest even sees her come to terms with her friends’ deaths. It’s too bad that alcoholism is the character’s main identity. I would love it if Nyoka went beyond the alcoholic companion, but the game never confronts her problem. Instead, it takes the juvenile approach of making it the butt of many jokes.
3. Vicar Max
This guy is near the top because my impression of him changed drastically throughout the game. At first, I hated him because he was the opposite of what a religious organization should be. A place for growth, peace, and shelter. Max, though, was an angry man that hated his congregation. His beliefs made no sense either and I couldn’t even begin to explain them here. He was also just mean to everyone all the time. I quickly came to release that he was actually kind of funny. It’s always fun to see him say some cheesy one-liner about religion while he blasts people away with a shotgun.
Max is definitely a character you have to stick with to like. He is frustrating to be around but we soon learn the origins of his anger and get to watch him work through it. The guy actually develops unlike my man Felix. Through Max’s questline, we watch him confront his beliefs. His anger is influenced by an inner search for peace and understanding that his religion could never find. When he realizes that his attempts at finding the truth, or the equation, will never satisfy him, then we get to see him lose some anger and gain some peace.
2. Ellie
Ellie is the embodiment of The Outer Worlds. She is a free spirit that doesn’t play by the rules. Halycon is a playground to do whatever she wants. Ellie loves money and will do any job, no matter how illegal. At the same time, she does not worship money like those snobs in Byzantium. She adapts to the world so well and it’s great to see someone making the most out of the terrible corruption in Halycon. Her backstory really defined her for me. She grew up in a wealthy family that was completely blinded by luxury, which explains her rule-breaking attitude. It was heart-breaking to see her parent disown her when she went back to visit. Lastly, the game does a good job of exploring her independent nature with the crew members of the Unreliable. It’s exciting to see her make friends with the crew when companionship was the last thing she wanted.
1. Parvati
Everyone saw this coming. In fact, if I wanted to be controversial to get more views, then I could put Parvati in the number 2 spot and see the internet explode with anger. Parvati is such a sweet, funny, and deep character. She is so friendly to everyone she meets but is not afraid to challenge beliefs or decisions. To be honest, the world would be a better place if more people were like her. Her companion quest is also tons of fun to play. I was charged with helping her have a successful date. This may sound stupid, but it really explored her deep-seated insecurities but brought out her selfless attitude. I don’t even care that I had to travel all across the system to get her stupid things like dessert, perfume, and nice attire. We also get to see her grow out of her insecurities into a confident engineer that believes in herself. No wonder the internet fell in love with her.
