Best 2026 Video Games for side character depth

#1

The supporting party is praised for distinct motivations, chemistry, banter, and storylines that make them more than simple companions to Velvet.

#2

Marco, friends, partners, and other climbers provide useful counterpoints to Aava’s obsession, though most remain secondary to the mountain and her internal struggle.

#3

The island vignettes introduce supporting characters that can be easy to care about even when the party only spends a short time with them.

#4

Side-character depth is promising, with Jim Gordon specifically praised as unexpectedly impressive.

#5

Diana’s side-character appeal is strong, with reviewers repeatedly describing her as charming, heartfelt, and central to the game’s appeal.

#6

Side character depth received positive evidence where returning side characters were given needed depth and narrative purpose.

#7

Side characters were repeatedly praised as well-written, complex, rounded, and enjoyable to interact with, though one reviewer found some contemporaries merely personable rather than deeply developed.

#8

Side character depth is strongly praised through new officers, personal questlines, expanded arcs, and more character connection.

#9

The talking guns increasingly feel like companions rather than joke dispensers, with stronger personalities, relationships, and emotional beats.

#10

The new squadmates are viewed as potentially meaningful because their different temperaments and motivations can shape the campaign.

#11

The colorful Space-Time Police crew is a major source of charm. Reviewers often enjoy returning to the ship just to hear new conversations and spend time with its strange, likable...

#12

The supporting cast is frequently funny, tragic, strange, and deeply humane. The expanding plot occasionally sidelines important figures, but the strongest character stories are among the game’s highlights.

#13

Companion-focused side stories do much of the cast's best work, adding backstory and emotional context, although some critics wish that depth were integrated more strongly into the main plot.

#14

Reviewer evidence is positive: side character depth was generally praised, though some notes were more qualified across 2 review(s).

#15

Side character depth has limited positive evidence, focused on Greenway adding a new mentor dynamic to Bond lore.

#16

Side character depth improves in X, with researchers described as having clearer characterization and individual struggles.

#17

Side character depth received modest positive support through Logan and Jean’s apparently comfortable working relationship.

#18

Side characters were described as charming and good company, though preview time limited deeper assessment.

#19

Companions are often one of the game’s best features, with faction-specific perspectives and personal quests that add texture to the world. The roster is uneven, however, and a few characters...

#20

Supporting characters often supply the game’s heart, especially the orphans and Okinawan allies, although reactions to Kanda and the redesigned Rikiya are much more divided.

#21

Moses, Amanda, Safi, and several returning faces earn praise in individual moments, but much of the supporting cast is sidelined, flattened, or used mainly to move the mystery forward.

#22

NPCs make the world busy and believable, but deeper interpersonal writing and companion development are limited. Repeated voices, shallow relationships, and generic interactions keep characters behind the environmental storytelling.

#23

The supporting ensemble often feels woven into the city rather than serving as simple quest dispensers. A few characters remain underdeveloped or actively irritating.

#24

Side character depth was a common weakness, with reviewers describing the supporting cast as shallow, disposable, or stock.

#25

Side character depth was mixed-to-negative: one review liked distinct personalities, but several called the cast shallow or generic.

#26

Side character depth was a concern in limited demo time, with reviewers noting little crew reaction or emotional attachment.

#27

Supporting characters provide texture and occasional charm, but several reviews find them shallow, forgettable, or underwritten compared with the central brothers.

#28

The crew is usually seen as underdeveloped and short on memorable screen time, though one review felt they were fleshed out enough to function beyond set dressing.

#29

Several NPCs are intentionally exaggerated caricatures, and critics found them shallow, stale, or irritating rather than richly developed. They function more as progression hooks and joke delivery than deep companions.

#30

Some added material gives supporting spirits more context, though not every side story feels substantial enough to deepen its character.

#31

Adventure's NPCs receive little characterization, with one reviewer finding their dialogue barely worth engaging with. Side characters function more as tutorial guides than memorable personalities.

#32

One long-form playthrough criticizes the supporting cast as so thinly established that even recurring side characters fail to leave a memorable identity.