How do you guys feel about Vs companions?

[Vakula]

I personally find that I dont really enjoy talking to, or spending time with them. Everyone, except for Johny, dont really care about you. They dont try to help you out with your condition, they dont help you on missions, and mostly just want to use you for their own needs. When you talk, they just talk about themselves and take no interest in you.

I get it, you are a mercenary, working for money and they have jobs for you, but it doesn't make me want to get to know River or Judy or Panam when they just seem to use you.

Contrasting this with Mass Effect companions (I know, different game, different setup), I couldnt wait to talk to them in between missions. I guess I just felt a deeper bond between them and Shep. I never once felt that way about the companions in CP2077.

I got to the part where Judy was leaving Night City. It was this big emotional moment, and honestly I just didnt care. I didnt feel like I was losing a friend, just an occasional employer. And that sucks.

[Shin Hati]

Game would have been improved if we could get them to follow us. Did all the romances once and none of them felt interesting imo. Gotta use AMM just to get any of them to follow you, get in your car, etc etc. For me? I choose Misty (with modded hairstyle).

[Vakula]

Originally posted by Cruella de Vil:

Game would have been improved if we could get them to follow us. Did all the romances once and none of them felt interesting imo. Gotta use AMM just to get any of them to follow you, get in your car, etc etc. For me? I choose Misty (with modded hairstyle).

Yeah would have been much nicer if they would come out on missions with you and offer up different choices.

[ShadowSplit]

Not really care about many of them, tbh. They aren't there for you 90% of time.
I mean, you have the best bond with Johnny (as much as he's being a duche), and that's it.

People around you is not one of the things I'm looking for in this game.

[gungadin22000]

I like Judy, although chiefly because her voice actress is very, very good. Her companion quest UNDA DA SEAAAA takes too long to complete and has no challenge to it though.

Panam I did not care for. Her VA is good, but I'm indifferent to the entire Nomad aspect of the game. It may be part of the setting, but I prefer to run around a giant urban hellhole in my cyberpunk games, not drive around in the desert like Mad Max.

River I didn't care about. At all. Weak writing, too long plotline, uninteresting character quest.

Witcher 3 had a far stronger cast all-round - my personal favourite V "buddy" was probably Delamain, but that's mainly because he's the only one I could actually remember when thinking about the game after not playing it for a month. I also liked the robot girl voiced by Grimes due to how grimdark cyberpunky her questline was.

[Illuminary]

Originally posted by Vakula:

I personally find that I dont really enjoy talking to, or spending time with them. Everyone, except for Johny, dont really care about you. They dont try to help you out with your condition, they dont help you on missions, and mostly just want to use you for their own needs. When you talk, they just talk about themselves and take no interest in you.

I get it, you are a mercenary, working for money and they have jobs for you, but it doesn't make me want to get to know River or Judy or Panam when they just seem to use you.

Contrasting this with Mass Effect companions (I know, different game, different setup), I couldnt wait to talk to them in between missions. I guess I just felt a deeper bond between them and Shep. I never once felt that way about the companions in CP2077.

I got to the part where Judy was leaving Night City. It was this big emotional moment, and honestly I just didnt care. I didnt feel like I was losing a friend, just an occasional employer. And that sucks.

No idea, CDPR completely eliminates them from PL until the very last second of one ending, so it's pointless, even then their final interaction is a complete ♥♥♥♥ move by CDPR.

In the base game I like Judy and overall CDPR should have included more content for all companions after their initial quests to get them to become companions. During PL you have absolutely zero contact with them except a text saying I'm busy now let's get pizza later. Would be cool to have more interactions with them aside from a stupid random "text".

[Chaosolous]

I’m glad they’re not intrusive. Forced companionship is obnoxious. Shame more didn’t die off like Jackie.

[Drahknon]

I think CDPR is trying to keep a balance. They're making a fun adventure/power-fantasy game where you are The Special One and the world revolves around you. They're also trying to be true to the spirit of the tabletop games, where life is cheap and friends who unconditionally like you are few. This isn't Mass Effect, where your ragtag band of misfits will overcome their personality quirks and the point of the journey is the friends you made along the way. This world is brutal, and even the heroes are relative nobodies. It's like the Cthulhu mythos of game worlds - you're a nobody and the forces you're dealing with are unimaginably powerful.

So, it didn't bother me that Friendship isn't Magic in Cyberpunk. Also, I think you do get glimmers of hope and affection - just not as much as other worlds. Judy and Panam (maybe River, don't remember) both say out loud that they're surprised you care about their problems and wonder what your ulterior motives are. Judy says "you're a good person" after you earn her trust, like she's surprised. It all fits well into the world, in my opinion.

[RÊYTH]

I don't want any combat companions ever. In any game. They just get in the way.

Social companions is a different story. But this is dystopia, unforgiving and lonely.

Where is my Nexus-6 Rachel that I can drive/fly off to Vancouver with? [haha]

[EJR]

Companions as in companions or romantic partners? Cause I loved Jackie as a bro and Judy is my favorite romance route, while Panam was 7/10 on both accounts as a lover and friend.

[DarkFire]

The relation ships that V has with his / her friends to have quite a transactional feel to them, with the possible exception of Jackie who I think feels like the closest thing that V has to an actual friend.

That being said, since V is a mercenary and moves in similar circles it may not be entirely surprising that people who live that life would become transactional in most if not all their relationships.

As for taking them on missions - that would be a great option to have if it was capable of working. The two problems I see with that are firstly that companion build would have to complement that of the player which would probably be impossible since there's such a diversity of builds that can work. Secondly I can't remember ever playing any game that had competent companion AI. They're universally as dumb as a box of spanners. So a genuinely great idea but probably not possible with current AI.

[Martial.Lore]

I think that NPC companion immersion could have been greatly improved with, for example, something as simple as a nearby cafe in Kabuki that V and Judy could walk to from Judy's apartment, to order a coffee and shoot the breeze, just whenever.

The conversations could simply reflect V's progress in the story with some of Judy's virtu coding thrown in for good measure. V could even have been introduced to Judy's grandmother during such an encounter, rather than via text messages. None of it story relevant but immensely valuable for NPC companion character depth and relationship development.

Or imagine a "surprise" visit from Judy to one of V's apartments for another sans clothes encounter. Other experiences could have been created for other NPCs: imagine how much fun it would be to take Misty on a ride to the beach on Jackie's bike. Not everything in a game like this needs to drive the story forward or generate stat rewards.

[Georgion]

I actually like that, it makes them more real. Most ppl you meet IRL dont care about you, not even those you kno longer. It feels real, not like you play in some bubble that was handcrafted for your player experience.

[Egon]

Would really like to see the formation of a crew similar to the one in the Edgerunners anime. Maybe for the next game. Companion interactions in this game are too thin once your done with their respective quests.

[mutantspicy]

Originally posted by Martial.Lore:

I think that NPC companion immersion could have been greatly improved with, for example, something as simple as a nearby cafe in Kabuki that V and Judy could walk to from Judy's apartment, to order a coffee and shoot the breeze, just whenever.

The conversations could simply reflect V's progress in the story with some of Judy's virtu coding thrown in for good measure. V could even have been introduced to Judy's grandmother during such an encounter, rather than via text messages. None of it story relevant but immensely valuable for NPC companion character depth and relationship development.

Or imagine a "surprise" visit from Judy to one of V's apartments for another sans clothes encounter. Other experiences could have been created for other NPCs: imagine how much fun it would be to take Misty on a ride to the beach on Jackie's bike. Not everything in a game like this needs to drive the story forward or generate stat rewards.

One of the most popular series of MODs on Nexus, do exactly this. Deceptious' Quest Core series is an outstanding addition to the game. Highly recommended. I want somebody to make a driving quest, where you take one of your romance partners or friends on date, but you have drive well to impress them. No crashes, don't go to slow, etc for some "rewards"

[EricHVela]

First off, Rogue and Panam go out of their way to help V by going with. Panam does it a few times. Sure. V helps Panam and helps Johnny with Rogue, but in turn, V receives help (much to the detriment of both every time). However, Panam is a forced companion to do those quests for V. Rogue may be optional, but V is risking a game over by refusing her.

Still, it would be nice to have Judy, River, and Kerry take an active interest in V's situation. Judy just wants revenge for her former lover. River is just a little ball of personal drama. Kerry's just riding Johnny's coattails all over again. Only Panam and Rogue show any ounce of caring about V specifically (and Rogue sharing that interest with Johnny, making her motives a little vague).