Companion

A companion is an NPC who travels with the player character and operates in a support role (e.g., fighting alongside the PC).

There is some overlap with the party system found in many RPGs, but a companion operates more autonomously, instead of being directly controlled by the player. This makes companions a better fit for realtime action gameplay, as opposed to the turn-based gameplay of many RPGs.

A game which implements this mechanic typically provides the player with one or more companion slots, which can be assigned as the player desires. Different companions usually have different stats, abilities, equipment, and/or AI.

Sometimes the player must unlock each companion. This can involve simply finding them, hiring them for a fee, completing a quest, or meeting some other requirement.

It's common for companions to offer side quests.