Best Video Games for side character depth

side character depth Decision Dashboard

Best for side character depth

Donkey Kong Bananza

5.0 feature score

Highest scored product for this feature based on supporting review evidence.

Safest pick

Goodnight Universe

5.0 feature score

Balances feature score, supporting reviews, and overall product strength.

See ranked products
#1 Donkey Kong Bananza
5.0
3 reviews

Side character depth was strong around Pauline and the DK-Pauline duo, even when legacy characters were less emphasized.

Pros: gameplay mechanics, world interactivity

Cons: economy and resource balance, enemy variety

#2 Goodnight Universe
5.0
2 reviews

Side characters were praised where discussed, especially Isaac’s family and the small cast that reviewers came to care about.

Pros: side character depth, visual effects quality

Cons: user interface design, handheld play suitability

#3 The Alters
5.0
2 reviews

Side character depth was praised in the reviews that addressed it, with the Alters described as distinct and fully realized.

Pros: controls responsiveness, onboarding experience

Cons: crash stability, grind level

#4 Hollow Knight: Silksong
4.7
1 review

Side character depth receives positive evidence from a review praising Pharloom’s supporting characters as charming and motivated.

Pros: core gameplay loop, world interactivity

Cons: loot system, accessibility options

#5 Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter
4.5
4 reviews

Side character depth was mostly positive, especially for party members, though some reviewers felt certain supporting arcs remained thin.

Pros: protagonist appeal, art direction

Cons: camera behavior, tutorial quality

#6 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
4.5
1 review

A side character was praised for hiding darker motivation beneath an upbeat personality.

Pros: monetization fairness, microtransaction impact

Cons: platforming precision, menu usability

#7 Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake
4.5
1 review

Side characters were praised for compensating for silent protagonists and making the expanded story feel more emotionally alive.

Pros: visual effects quality, environmental detail

Cons: AI behavior, level design

#8 Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
4.5
1 review

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

Pros: pacing, core gameplay loop

Cons: companion AI, map and navigation design

#9 Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
4.5
1 review

Side character depth is supported by praise for Eva's importance and scene-stealing presence.

Pros: world interactivity, sandbox freedom

Cons: crash stability, learning curve

#10 Pragmata
4.5
1 review

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

Pros: bug frequency, user interface design

Cons: HUD clarity, mission design

#11 Cabernet
4.5
7 reviews

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.

Pros: accessibility options, protagonist appeal

Cons: frame rate stability, polish

#12 Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
4.4
4 reviews

Side character depth was often strong, especially around Kat, though one review singled out Dylan’s unresolved arc as a weakness.

Pros: character roster, animation quality

Cons: core gameplay loop, polish

#13 Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced
4.4
7 reviews

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

Pros: core gameplay loop, visual effects quality

Cons: monetization fairness, microtransaction impact

#14 Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
4.3
7 reviews

Supporting characters are often praised for nuance and memorable moments, though one review felt they were underused.

Pros: animation quality, facial animations

Cons: quest design, AI behavior

#15 Street Fighter 6
4.3
3 reviews

Side-character depth was a pleasant surprise, especially through master relationships and smaller personal interactions.

Pros: movement feel, art direction

Cons: platforming precision, writing quality

#16 South of Midnight
4.3
1 review

Side characters earned praise for having enough interaction and backstory to avoid feeling flat.

Pros: atmosphere, voice acting

Cons: world interactivity, camera behavior

#17 Forza Horizon 5
4.3
2 reviews

Side characters add more car culture, local context, and human texture than prior entries.

Pros: controls responsiveness, movement feel

Cons: tutorial quality, animation quality

#18 Diablo IV
4.2
1 review

One review praised the supporting cast and narrative characters as more memorable and fleshed out.

Pros: lore depth, art direction

Cons: mission variety, protagonist appeal

#19 Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
4.1
1 review

The sequel was credited with giving supporting women and other groups somewhat more agency than before.

Pros: soundtrack quality, fun factor

Cons: checkpoint system, family friendliness

#20 Crimson Desert
4.0
2 reviews

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

Pros: level design, replay value

Cons: stealth mechanics, save system reliability

#21 007 First Light
4.0
1 review

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

Pros: level design, user interface design

Cons: AI behavior, facial animations

#22 Arc Raiders
4.0
1 review

One review praised traders for having enough personality and interaction to feel like more than simple vendors.

Pros: frame rate stability, platform-specific feature support

Cons: voice acting, writing quality

#23 Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
3.9
2 reviews

Side character depth improved with new dialogue and performances, but several reviewers still wanted more interaction after recruitment.

Pros: emotional impact, polish

Cons: bug frequency, crash stability

#24 Ghost of Yōtei
3.7
5 reviews

Side character depth is mixed, with praise for strong companions and villains but criticism that many allies or supporting figures lack involvement.

Pros: movement feel, environmental detail

Cons: puzzle design, age appropriateness

#25 Monster Hunter Wilds
3.6
6 reviews

Side character depth was split: several reviewers liked the cast, while others found Alma or supporting characters thin or irritating.

Pros: art direction, cross-play support

Cons: dialogue quality, monetization fairness

#26 Silent Hill f
3.5
2 reviews

Side-character depth split reviewers, with one praising the small cast as multilayered and another saying Hinako’s friends felt underused.

Pros: voice acting, emotional impact

Cons: family friendliness, menu usability

#27 Digimon Story Time Stranger
3.0
4 reviews

Side character depth was mixed: Digimon characters were praised for charm, while several human NPCs were called forgettable or thin.

Pros: atmosphere, world-building

Cons: HUD clarity, fast travel convenience

#28 Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
2.7
15 reviews

Side characters were divisive: some reviewers warmed to them, while others found them annoying, tropey, or poorly matched to Metroid.

Pros: world-building, frame rate stability

Cons: companion AI, upgrade system

#29 Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
2.5
1 review

Side character depth is weak in the evidence focused on Ankou, whom one reviewer calls dull despite liking the broader visual design.

Pros: graphics quality, environmental detail

Cons: bug frequency, dialogue quality

#30 Saros
2.5
4 reviews

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

Pros: value for money, fun factor

Cons: map and navigation design, side character depth

#31 Directive 8020
2.4
2 reviews

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

Pros: user interface design, graphics quality

Cons: combat system, animation quality

#32 Split Fiction
2.3
2 reviews

Side character depth was weak, especially around the one-dimensional CEO/villain.

Pros: puzzle design, level design

Cons: exploration quality, side character depth

#33 Doom: The Dark Ages
2.0
4 reviews

Side character depth was usually criticized, with reviewers calling supporting characters forgettable, unmemorable or impossible to care about.

Pros: environmental detail, polish

Cons: camera behavior, value for money

#34 The First Berserker: Khazan
2.0
4 reviews

Side characters are a recurring weakness, often described as generic, shallow, or not meaningfully integrated.

Pros: core gameplay loop, controls responsiveness

Cons: mission design, learning curve