I Wish Games Still Had Interesting Companion Apps

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A wave of nostalgia hit me recently. I was revisiting Dying Light to mark its 10th anniversary, and it took me back to when the game was first released. One aspect of Dying Light that I cherish is its innovative accompanying app, which enabled players to dispatch virtual scouts on missions, earning rewards in the main game afterwards.

The app offered additional functions, making it an engaging way to maintain contact with the Dying Light world on-the-go and acquire rewards without directly interacting with the game. Unfortunately, this app was discontinued a couple of years back, but it sparked thoughts about outstanding companion apps for games that no longer exist, providing a rich gaming experience even after they’ve gone.

Beyond The Numbers

By the way, I’m not limiting our discussion to simple stat trackers. You can find these everywhere nowadays – from League of Legends to World of Warcraft, and even games like EA FC and Destiny have them. These apps primarily focus on tracking in-game events, managing minor inventory functions, accessing account details, and sending in-game messages.

It’s a shame when the most engaging companion apps felt more like fun, immersive games – small-scale replicas of high-quality titles that kept us connected even after we had signed out.

Dying Light’s companion app was a perfect example of this.

Users can employ this application to execute tasks, send agents on reconnaissance to the riskiest zones within the game’s universe, and advance through a sequence of missions offering increasingly valuable prizes. It’s crucial to select the right agent for each assignment, and any loot gathered during these expeditions can be claimed at a later stage in the game.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag had a similar mechanic.

As a gamer, I’d say that the companion app for Black Flag was an absolute game-changer! It let me command my own fleet of ships, sailing them across the globe on countless missions. Unfortunately, it was shut down in 2015, but while it was live, it added another layer to immerse myself in the swashbuckling adventures that lay at the core of this epic Assassin’s Creed installment.

In Black Flag, the gameplay experience was tightly connected as well. As you built up your fleet by playing the game, you were able to control those ships instantly via the companion app in real time. Later on, when you logged back into the game, you could enjoy the benefits from those missions.

As a gamer, I found the iFruit app in GTA 5 quite enjoyable. It offered mini-games that helped me train Chop, Franklin Clinton’s in-game dog. The games weren’t overly complex, but they were fun enough with their three basic game modes. Plus, there were some extra perks like customizing my cars and tracking stats.

Regrettably, it stopped production in 2022, approximately nine years after its debut along with GTA 5. Given the significant online presence of GTA 6, could we expect another variation to be released?

Run of the Mill

Many games with accompanying apps usually deliver a straightforward gaming experience, often including elements like a codex, interactive maps, or news feed-like mechanics. A prime example of this is Red Dead Redemption 2, where these features are present. While the map can be handy, it’s quite common for companion apps to include this feature.

As a gamer, here’s how I might put it:

Imagine if Red Dead Online had a companion app, where I could dispatch bandits or call in my buddies for missions even when I’m offline! They could rake in resources and cash for me to use when I jump back into the game. Now, Red Dead Online is known for its microtransactions, so it seems Rockstar might not be too keen on that idea – they’d rather have us buy those gold bars instead!

To clarify, apps without engaging features can still be quite useful. For instance, there’s an effective Escape from Tarkov companion app developed by Overwolf. This app includes interactive maps, quest trackers, and guidance for weapon presets, as well as updates on the latest game information. Given how intricate Tarkov is, this additional feature is truly extremely beneficial.

Instead of playing the ‘Scav’ raids yourself, consider the possibility of utilizing a companion app to execute these raids automatically. This application would feature a timer that counts down, after which you’d receive notification if a Scav was successful and the loot they secured. This system could employ a random spin-wheel mechanic for unpredictable results each time. Battlestate Games might opt to monetize this by selling additional Scavs, but I believe this feature could significantly boost the game’s popularity.

It’s not enjoyable for anyone to have to deal with Scavs during actual raids, so making them available only within a companion app, where players can control them during normal Player vs. Environment (PVE) raids, would bring satisfaction all around.

I’m not sure if I’m experiencing a wave of nostalgia or if there’s a real market need for improved, more engaging companion apps.

It’s probably just me…

Let me know if there’s a particular app you enjoy using on the TopMob forum.

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2025-02-09 18:18