Dogs, doggies, doggos, puppas, pupperinos, whatever you want to call them, they are man’s best friend. They’re loyal, hardworking, affectionate, and have endless amounts of love to give. The bond between man and dog develops so quickly that within a matter of weeks they’ll have melted your heart and you’ll protect them as you would your child.
It’s no surprise then that dogs have become increasingly more commonplace in our video games. Some are just there to make you go “LOOK AT THE DOGGO,” others actually have a gameplay purpose.
Regardless, we’re here to celebrate some of the best doggos in 2019’s video games. Perhaps they saved our lives on countless occasions, reminded us how great dog’s are, or just sat their and looked pretty. They all deserve a bit of credit (and a belly rub for being such good bois/ gals). So, without further ado, let’s dive into it.
Rosie – The Walking Dead: The Final Season
While the first two episodes of The Walking Dead: The Final Season were released last year via Telltale Games, it was the final two episodes that released in 2019 thanks to Skybound Games coming in to save the day following the former developer’s closure.
As Clementine and co. attempted to secure a safer future from the hostile group of Raiders nearby. While some of the kids scavenge for supplies, set up traps, or take the fight to the raiders once and for all, there’s one good gal sat back at the school keeping watch. It’s only Marlon’s dog Rosie.
Though she may look formidable at first glance and doesn’t seem all that friendly towards Clementine to begin with, we soon learn that Rosie’s actually just a big ol’ softie who’s got plenty of love to give to the school’s inhabitants. Just make sure you give her a pet or interact with her whenever you see the ol’ girl wandering around, otherwise you’ll miss out on one of the best friendships you can make in the game. Sorry AJ, but it’s a doggo!
Mushroom – Life Is Strange 2
Best Doggos in 2019 Video Games
Sean and Daniel’s adventure in Life Is Strange 2 didn’t get off to the best start in episode one, and it doesn’t take long before they’re on the run, away from home, and without a parent to guide them. During a stop at Bear Station, the two spot Mushroom in a basket behind the counter, but are told the prospective owner really has to be an adult.
Then things go all horribly wrong for the Diaz brothers, one thing leads to another, and the two end up bailing out of the gas station with Mushroom clutched to Daniel’s chest.
And so Mushroom joins the adventure, but not for long. Despite the cute lil’ puppa bringing a ray of sunshine to these otherwise bleak and confusing times for Daniel, nature takes its course. When hauled up in an abandoned cabin in the middle of the woods in winter, Mushroom makes an escape, only to be killed by a wild cougar.
It’s heartbreaking watching Daniel stand over the corpse of his new, cuddly best friend. A reminder of how quickly dogs can become a massive part of our lives, and the void they leave when they’re gone.
RIP Mushroom, we hardly knew ye.
Bullet – Blair Witch
Where Mushroom provided emotional support during though times for Daniel, Bullet is literally your saving grace in Blair Witch. The game sees former police officer Ellis exploring Black Hills forest, where a child has recently gone missing. Ellis decides to help out, exploring the forest looking for clues on the whereabouts of the missing boy, with the help of his loyal canine companion, Bullet.
Bullet is basically your eyes and ears in Blair Witch. Ellis is capable of seeing and hearing, but Bullet is able to detect the movement of supernatural creatures in the woods that you’d otherwise miss. The creatures blend into the natural color tones of the forest, and Bullet barks in their direction to alert you to their position so you can blast ‘em with your flashlight.
An invaluable ally to have by your side, Bullet essentially saves your life on multiple occasions, so be sure to pet him, feed him treats, keep him close, and take good care of him. He’ll protect you with his life, it’s the least you can do.
Also, doesn’t he look majestic af? I’ll answer that for you. The correct answer is yes… yes he does.
Jack – Days Gone
Best Doggos in 2019 Video Games
In a depressing world, teeming with hordes of zombies that literally want to rip your face off, you can imagine that Deacon St. John or whatever weird-ass name Days Gone’s protagonist was given doesn’t have a whole lot to smile about.
And then he meets Jack.
Jack can’t do anything to help prevent the mauling of Deacon’s face, but he can make him smile and let out countless “awww’s” as he sits their, chewing on his little toy bone… as the zombies gnaw the flesh from his bones.
While Days Gone might not be the epic open-world zombie game that we’d hoped it’d be, at least developer Sony Bend added Jack in. Now you can go collecting more chew toys for him from around the world. Doing so and watching the little tike have a whale of a time with them is far more interesting than following the story.
Jack — the true doggo saviour of 2019.
Polterpup – Luigi’s Mansion 3
Not all good bois have to be physical entities and Polterpup is proof of that. The ghostly canine accompanied Luigi on his adventure around the hotel as he attempted to suck up all those ghosts and save his friends from eternity in portraits.
Outside of being the cutest ghost we’ve had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of, Polterpup also came in handy for tracking down recurring boss Polterkitty in Luigi’s Mansion 3; phasing through walls and leaving behind ghostly footsteps so you could follow his tracks right to your target.
Besides that, he’s just a really loyal pup who’s there to be cute. And yes, you can pet him.
Cerberus – The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 3
Best Doggos in 2019 Video Games
My co-worker and Twinfinite Senior Editor Hayes Madsen alerted me to the brilliance of little Cerberus from The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 3. It didn’t take long for him to immediately make it onto the list of best doggos in 2019.
I won’t lie, I have no idea what the game is about, but Hayes tells me that Cerberus is a good little boi who helps run a shop and even does the shopping himself.
Just look at him, he woofs at you and everything. 10/10 good boi, will shop here again… well… Hayes will.
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