Woof, woof…(who’s a good doggo)
Loyal companions, stealthy warriors and best friends forever, dogs have found their place in video games since the early days of video games from Duck Hunt Dog from the arcade era to Sam (from Sam & Max) in the early home system days to the dogs of the next-gen consoles. How they influenced a game may seem small to an outsider but they bring character and narrative depth, quite simply, without these furry companions our gaming experience wouldn’t be the same.
To honour National Dog Day which happens on August 26 every year, we take a look of some of the most iconic and beloved video game dogs. Just to note, we didn’t include companions that shapeshifted into dogs or wolves or appeared in DLCs and lastly, that aren’t dogs in the animal sense (sorry Rush).
Repede — Tales of Vesperia
Tales of Vesperia’s knife-wielding Repede is as much as Yuri Lowell’s companion as he is when in combat. Source: Facebook/@Repede
Who wouldn’t want a knife-wielding, pipe-smoking (we don’t know if he does) dog like Repede? I do…
Repede is the ever loyal companion of Yuri Lowell, formerly owned by Niren Fedrock. Repede as cute as a button when he was a puppy by if there’s one thing he’s most known for was the habit of carrying items in his mouth.
When Repede got older, he donned a leather sash that holds all his weapons and accessories but now has a pipe in his mouth. As a combatant, he is the most mobile and fastest character in Tales of Vesperia with incredible agility and speed. With Thievery, he’s the only character that can steal items from others (and over time, became an item expert) but his ability and knowledge to use items have made Repede one of the most admired dogs in video games.
Shadow — Dead to Rights
Jack Slade’s loyal companion, Shadow, is one deadly threat to enemies, if you anger him, of course. Source: Pinterest/Gamefndr
Shadow is one mean dog with a hitlist of his own (sorry Arya Stark). But rub this hound the wrong way and you may find yourself on the end of a gruesome death.
Shadow is the companion for GCPD officer, Jack Slade in Dead to Rights. As Jack’s companion, Shadow obeys the commands of his master without fail. Being a master of stealth, Shadow can take down enemies with silent kills from behind and rip their throats out or perform kills up close by biting their male enemies in the scrotum before tearing their throats out. Shadow can also hear the heartbeats of his enemies when sneaking and can fetch weapons.
Shadow’s loyalty to Jack shows that dogs are a “man’s best friend” right up till the very end.
Riley — Call of Duty: Ghosts
One of gaming’s most popular dogs, Riley goes beyond enemy lines for his fellow squadron members in Call of Duty: Ghosts. Source: Pinterest/Popular Airsoft
A member of the Ghosts squadron, Riley is a support character that enjoys sniffing out landmines and assisting players against enemy threats.
Having an outstanding reputation with the military, Riley features predominately throughout the first half of the single-player campaign mode as he performs his own recon work, with the assist of his combat vest with a vibrating collar, radio and camera feed.
Considered one of the most combatant experience dogs, Riley has assisted his team in more ways than expected. He even took a bullet to the thigh while coming to the rescue and although he survived the gunshot wound, Riley is a true patriotic dog and a great demonstration of real-life dogs that are currently serving the US Armed Forces.
We salute you, Riley…
Chop — Grand Theft Auto V
As one of Grand Theft Auto V’s tritagonist, Chop has the intelligence and personality to back it up. Source: Pinterest/Tumblr
When one thinks of qualities of a dog, one thinks of honour, loyalty and powerful but while each of these adorable dogs does possess these qualities, Chop is quite different than the rest.
This Rottweiler serves as Grand Theft Auto V‘s tritagonist and what Chop possesses in size, he too has in personality. While you can do the standard activities with Chop like fetching a ball, going for scenic walks or long drives, he’s quite oblivious to oncoming traffic and doesn’t like riding in the back seat.
His AI has shown Chop to be quite intelligent as he can move around without any complication (and as mentioned earlier, not so good with traffic). But when tasked, he can subdue enemies and if an NPC threatens or harms Franklin, Chop will attack.
As charismatic as Chop is, he will always be Los Santos‘ top dog. Deal with it!
Editor’s Note: Please be advised that the following gameplay footage of a violent nature and strong language.
Dogmeat — Fallout series
A long-standing character in the Fallout series, Dogmeat has shown that animals can have longevity in a game franchise. Source: Pinterest/Imgur
Probably one of the more longstanding appearances by a dog, Dogmeat has been an integral part of Fallout‘s gameplay.
Based on the dog companion from Mad Max, the first appearance came in Fallout, when Dogmeat becomes the survivor’s companion after his previous owner was killed by thugs. Dogmeat is incredibly effective in combat much like Riley and Shadow but over the years, Dogmeat has gotten a lot stronger.
Despite Dogmeat appearing as an NPC in Fallout 2, a Cattle dog appears in Fallout 3, paying homage to the originally Dogmeat, this time modelled on a Blue Heeler breed. In Fallout 3, more interactions for Dogmeat were introduced like fetching supplies. However, he does draw more attention than the survivor, making Dogmeat a threat to enemy attacks.
In Fallout 4, Dogmeat is a German Shepherd that can be found at the Red Rocket truck stop and boy, isn’t he adorable? As like the previous Dogmeat (Fallout 3), this Dogmeat version can be commanded to do certain tasks or go to various locations if asked. However, in Fallout 4, Dogmeat comes with customisable options like helmets, collars, bandanas and armor. This version of Dogmeat also appears in Fallout Shelter.
To put it simply in words, no other dog (or dog name) is so iconic and recognised by the gaming community like Dogmeat. His loyalty and love for the survivor is quite palpable it’s so damn hard to resist this dog with a heart of gold and nerves of steel.
Which video game dog companion has stolen your heart? Let us know in the comments section below or follow Xbox Players SA on Facebook and Twitter.
