Star Wars: Old Republic Gets Friendly, Companions Announced

Today BioWare has taken another step toward MMO awesomeness with the announcement of companions in upcoming uberMMO Star Wars: The Old Republic. The team at BioWare have told us how desperate they are to create a true Star Wars experience with this game, but boy are they starting to actually show it. Companions are sidekicks – think R2D2 and Chewbacca – loyal followers of your character. A key part of the Star Wars film’s narratives, these characters often used for comic relief will come tagging along with you once SW:TOR launches in the spring of 2011.

As the game’s official site describes:

“These characters compliment a player’s strengths or weaknesses, and provide company for the epic journey you will inevitably undertake. Whether they’re combative, friendly, flirtatious, or even just good for a laugh, companions always contribute to your adventure. In Star Wars™: The Old Republic™, a variety of these Companion Characters will join your cause. Some will join you for adventure, some for greed, and some for motivations that will remain hidden until much further along in your adventure.”

Sounds awesome. Your choice of companion isn’t limited to fuzzballs or boxes of bolts either. Companions can be bizarre aliens from any race, greedy pirates, or the popular droid. Each class of character will have a separate list of potential companions to join up with, as well.

But it gets better as companions level up and improve as you do. They provide unique plot points, quests, and rewards. They will attempt to sway you with guidance, just as you will influence how they grow and evolve. As your character progresses, more companions will open up to you. As you can see, the potential for loads of side quests is here. I also think BioWare is banking on players becoming attached to some of their companions – and that can only make companion-based side missions all the more compelling.

Some will complain that SW:TOR is replacing real people with NPCs as your teammates, something that MMO purists may not like. But for me, the story elements and plot branches that become possible with this addition are too good to pass up. Companions give BioWare a bit of control over some of your closest in-game relations, and I’m OK with that. Just look at the company’s record of spinning great narratives from the Knights of the Old Republic to Mass Effect series.

The occasional planet reveal from BioWare here and there is great, but this is much bigger. The Old Republic’s companion feature could prove to be one of the main tenants of the game’s fun factor, providing comic relief, interesting story elements, and unique relationships. Hot blue alien chick sidekick here I come!

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