A good friend can be hard to come by. In fact, a solid friendship is as rare and precious as gold. The same can be said for friendships in video games. All too often, video games feature a solo protagonist having to face the trials and tribulations of their world on their lonesome.
These ten friendships make for the best exceptions. In their respective games, these buddies have proven they are the ultimate in terms of friendship goals. They set the golden standard. Read on if you want to know about the absolute best of video game friendships. (Just don't expect any relatives here. Sorry, Mario and Luigi!)
10 Master Chief And Cortana - Halo
The Master Chief and Cortana's friendship began as a professional relationship. In a way, they were both just soldiers in humanity's fight against the Covenant. But, over time, their work partnership grew to be something more. They both became each other's best friend. As a Spartan, the closest thing the Chief had ever known as friends were his fellow Spartans. And when most of them were wiped out, Cortana was all he had left. As for Cortana, the majority of her short life was spent helping the Chief. They were all the other had.
9 Simon And Catherine - Soma
Soma was a fantastic game that explored the philosophy behind consciousness and identity. However, what is not often talked about is the friendship that sparked between Simon and Catherine. Simon, the man lost in the future, is stuck in a world where everyone he has ever known is dead.
Catherine, on the other hand, is a person who always had a hard time making friends, even when she wasn't a robot. The two of them start out as complete strangers, but in the end, despite the difficulties and the many things that separated them, they became friends.
8 Ratchet And Clank - Ratchet And Clank
Most cutesy platformers that star two anthropomorphic critters tend to feature a one-sided relationship. One character feels subservient to the other. In Ratchet and Clank, both Ratchet and Clank feel like their own person. (It helps when Clank has his own levels to complete.) And even though Ratchet is a Lombax and Clank is a tiny robot, the friendship that unites these two characters is undeniable. The gameplay also reinforces the fact that one can't get by easily without the other.
7 Ori And Naru - Ori And The Blind Forest
The friendship between Ori and Naru is one of the driving forces behind the story of Ori and the Blind Forest. Naru finds Ori after she wandered away from the Spirit Tree during a storm, and thus began one of the cutest game intros we've seen in a while. All these two wanted to do was spend time together eating fruit they shook down from trees. There is nothing more wholesome and adorable than that. And when they are separated from each other early on in the story, the event feels truly tragic.
6 Sonic And Tails - Sonic
This classic pairing had to make it onto this list. Though Sonic can have a great adventure in a solo game of his, playing alongside Tails feel so natural. Sonic's flying buddy helps him advance to the next stage and makes the gameplay feel fresh. However, game-wise, not too much time is spent developing this iconic friendship, which is why Sonic and Tails did not rank higher on this list. Still, no one can deny the friendship that exists between these two. You don't risk running or flying into spikes for anyone other than a best friend.
5 Ellie And Riley - The Last Of Us
Not all friendships last forever, and it is especially heart-wrenching when a friendship ends due to circumstances outside your control. We met Ellie in The Last of Us, but we learned about her tragic friendship with Riley in the DLC Left Behind.
The two shared a deep bond, and while messing around at an abandoned mall, they were attacked by a pack of infected. Both got bitten, so they decided to wait out what was left of their minds until they turned. Unfortunately, only Riley became infected since Ellie was immune. Ellie survived alone, the guilt at being the one who made it nearly consuming her.
4 Marcus Fenix And Dom - Gears Of War
Nothing screams friendship than two bros shooting their way against the Locust. Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago were friends since childhood, and even though harrowing events strained their friendship, they became even closer. Through thick and thin, they stuck by each other. Sadly, Dom gave his life to help Marcus and the other Gears save the world. His loss nearly broke Marcus, and it definitely stabbed a knife into gamers' emotional gut. Since Gears of War is a co-op game, Dom's loss was twice as traumatic.
3 Max And Chloe - Life Is Strange
Life Is Strange revolves around the friendship between characters Max and Chloe. While their interactions can seem immature and childish at times, the overall arc of their time together showcases the power of friendship like no other game. Instead of being noble and sacrificing a friend for the world, players can actually choose to sacrifice the world for the sake of a friend. Though this is arguably a terribly selfish act, by the time you finish the game, you will be sorely tempted to do so. And you won't be alone in this. It's a fifty-fifty split between the player base whether they saved Chloe or saved the town.
2 Atlas And P-Body - Portal 2
What better friend to have by your side than your actual friend. Co-op mode in Portal 2 placed you and your buddy in control of two robots making their way through various testing facilities. These robots, Atlas and P-Body displayed the exact sort of antics that you and your friends would perform if placed in a similar situation. All the betrayals, successes, and dead ends were experienced together, and we wouldn't have it any other way. The lovable robots embody the friendship that exists between two gaming friends in real life.
1 Commander Shepard And Garrus Vakarian - Mass Effect
RPGs are rich grounds for friendships between video game characters, and no other game features this level of friendship the way that Mass Effect does. The world is on the verge of extinction thanks to the threat of the Reapers. Commander Shepard and his/her crew have to fight against the danger. And no other team member stands by Shepard the way that Garrus Vakarian does. Regardless of whether or not you start a romantic relationship with him, Garrus is the perfect turian to have at your back. The universe might be destroyed, but with Garrus by your side, at least you'll have a friend with you for the ride.