Cal Kestus and BD-1
© Respawn Entertainment
The last couple of years have been a little dry when it comes to gaming best buds, but thankfully Respawn Entertainment rocked up at the end of 2019 with a classic little-dude-on-bigger-dude’s-shoulders release. We didn’t really care for the overall story of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, but dare to threaten a stray wire on little BD-1’s head and we’d hunt you to the edge of the galaxy. The chatter between Cal and his robot buddy kept Fallen Order’s explorative bouts from feeling lonely, and gave the game a good avenue to explore Cal’s character in more depth. More robot pals in gaming, please!
Wilbur and Orville
© Nintendo
You’ll make a lot of best friends in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but no matter how much you like a villager, know that you’ll never rival the perfect working relationship of Dodo Airline’s Wilbur and Orville. The disarming Orville serves as the customer-friendly face of the business, complemented perfectly by the suave and job-focussed Wilbur, who flies you wherever and whenever you need, always ensuring you make it home safely. We can only aspire to reach such heady heights of teamwork.
Max And Chloe
© Dontnod
The episodic story to Life is Strange made a lasting impact on a generation of gamers, thanks in large part to the main lead Max Caufield’s relationship with Chloe. Childhood friends reunited, it was up to the player what path their modern-day connection took. One thing was always certain, however: their fates would always be entwined, and the two would need to work together to save their home and friends.
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Shepard and Garrus
© BioWare
Whoever accompanied your Shepard through Mass Effect’s three-part story was up to you. But while each friendship and romance was great in its own right, it’s hard to deny that the duo of Garrus and Shepard was a unique and enduring friendship. Besides a short stint running off as Archangel in Mass Effect 2, Garrus was with Shepard through it all. With so much history together, their shooting competition in Mass Effect 3 was one of the most touching moments for series fans.
Atlas and P-Body
© Valve
Is Portal 2 really nine years old? Blimey, do we feel old. Fortunately, the co-operative side of Glados’ second outing produced a kinship more than capable of etching out a lasting space in our memoryspace. Despite their metal bodies and lack of ability to speak Atlas and P-body’s camaraderie and willingness to mess around together made it impossible not to love and root for them.
Portal 2 was also one of the first Valve games to feature emotes, letting you and your co-op party hug, high-five, and even play rock-paper-scissors with one another. A lovely break from dropping one another into vats of acid, we’re sure you’ll agree.
Did we miss an obvious gaming duo who deserve to be recognized? Declare us frauds and share your favorites friends in the comments below.
