Non-player characters! Whether they’re annoying companions, side characters, or disembodied human heads, let’s talk about some of our favourites.

John likes nice people, like Nicole Collard from Broken Sword, or Alyx Vance from Half-Life 2. Brendan likes the plucky passport forger in Papers Please who won’t take no for an answer. And Alice wants to carry around Murray the skull from Curse of Monkey Island.

We’ve also played things. John has been smashing his car up in The Crew 2. Brendan has been kickflipping and faceplanting in OlliOlli 2. Whereas Alice has been puzzling through the calm architecture of Starman: Tale of Light.

Links:

Who is Nicole Collard from Broken Sword? http://brokensword.wikia.com/wiki/Nicole_Collard

Our best friends in games podcast: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/08/podcast-who-are-our-best-friends/

Jorji Costava from Papers Please: http://papersplease.wikia.com/wiki/Jorji_Costava

James Kidd from Assassin’s Creed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUfVDcR4SmA

Solas from Dragon Age Inquisition: http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Solas

What the BioWare writers listened to while writing for their characters:http://blog.bioware.com/2014/12/12/the-sound-and-the-fury-what-we-listened-to-while-writing-dragon-age-inquisition/

HK-47 from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/HK-47

Crestfallen Warrior from Dark Souls: http://darksouls.wikia.com/wiki/Crestfallen_Warrior

Alyx Vance from Half-Life 2: http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Alyx_Vance

Dying Light Zombie who says “No! Please!”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqKo5Jmgdgg

Uncle Pey’j from Beyond Good and Evil: http://beyondgoodandevil.wikia.com/wiki/Pey%27j

Murray the skull from Monkey Island: http://monkeyisland.wikia.com/wiki/Murray

Johnny from Metal Gear Solid: http://metalgear.wikia.com/wiki/Johnny_Sasaki

John’s review of The Crew 2: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/28/wot-i-think-the-crew-2-as-a-single-player-game/

John’s review of Red Faction Guerilla Re-Mars-tered: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/07/03/wot-i-think-red-faction-guerrilla-re-mars-tered/

Olli Olli 2 is a good skateboarding game: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/08/12/olliolli2-released/

Alice’s review of Starman: Tale of Light: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/07/03/starman-tale-of-light-review/

Lydia versus a gate (again): https://youtu.be/MTMwjYgJsFQ

Trying to bring Lydia back to life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2KrgDbLwAU

Lucian Lachance from Oblivion: http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Lucien_Lachance