We all wish we could talk to animals to find out why they have an insatiable desire for tennis balls and what makes chasing tails so irresistible. Unfortunately, Mother Nature and her strict laws have cruelly prevented us from understanding our fellow animals.
Fortunately, video games have come to save the day once again, offering a tender beacon of hope for those who wish to deepen their connection to the animal kingdom. Many games allow you to communicate with and peer into the minds of animals of all kinds, allowing you to form strong bonds with a variety of friendly acquaintances.
10 Bugsnax – Grumpy
Bugsnax is filled with a variety of animals that are literally made of food that you can catch and feed to the Grumpuses, the furry residents of Snaktooth Island. A Grumpus is a bipedal, oblong-shaped creature covered in fur and will take the form of the food they eat in a process called a Serpent.
You are tasked with building relationships with the inhabitants of the island, performing tasks for them to solve the mystery of the disappearance of a special resident. You’ll want to meet everyone, as they’re all delightfully whimsical and hilariously unique in their own way.
9 lamb cult
Cult of the Lamb not only lets you talk to animals, it also gives you, a former slaughtered lamb, the wondrous task of building a loyal cult that must blindly follow the exacting wishes of their sheep overlord.
Your followers all consist of a variety of absolutely adorable forest animals who will let you know if they are happy or dissatisfied with the way you are handling things. For dissenters, you can always send them to jail or have them literally eat a bowl of poop if you feel like it. Grim, but what better way to make an example?
8 Skyrim: Khajiites, Argonians, and Good Guys
The amazing cat-like Khajiit and lizard-like Argonian animal races make up many of Skyrim’s interactive NPCs for quests and world exploration. You can find some interesting personalities of each in the game’s vast map.
On the subject of talking animal-like creatures, if you follow the quest “A Daedra’s Best Friend” you will meet the pet dog of a Daedric prince, Barbas. The love of him desperately wants to be reunited with the little boy, and we can see why: he is a very good boy. You can talk to him at any time to hear some jokes and fun tidbits. He is a good follower that surely we never want to leave our side.
7 Divinity: Original Sin 2 – Pet friend
Divinity: Original Sin 2 “Petpal” talent it is a very valuable asset and well worth having if you want to make the most of your time with the game. It will let you talk to just about any animal you come across, giving you more story details, useful loot, and quite often a good laugh.
For a more worthwhile game, Pet Pal is a no-brainer, if not just for listening to the polite musings of a noble squirrel riding a cat skeleton or the hilarious stubbornness of a pair of very dashing owls.
6 jack and daxter
The interaction between the two main characters made the Jak and Daxter series so memorable. Although they are both great characters, Daxter often steals the show with his hilarious responses and his outlandish wit.
Part otter and part weasel, Daxter is bossy in every way and loyal almost to a fault. His relationship with Jak is the true heart and soul of the series and fits the tone perfectly. Here’s hoping Daxter returns in a much-needed series return in the near future.
5 Beyond Good and Evil
Set in the distant future on the mining planet of Hillys, it’s safe to say that the world of Beyond Good & Evil is very different from our own. On the one hand, there are fully evolved anthropomorphic animals that coexist with humanity.
The game is littered with a variety of delightful animal-human hybrids, including goat, feline, and bird humanoids, though one particularly lovable pig named Pey’j is the most memorable. He has an endearingly grumpy demeanor and is always willing to lend a skillful hand in fixing any of Jade’s equipment. We hope its long overdue sequel is finally released so we can dive back into this rich and detailed world again.
4 Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy – Rocket and Cosmo
There are plenty of anthropomorphic creatures in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, but you’ll probably get the biggest kick from the team’s charming little rodent, Rocket. The result of forced bioengineering, Rocket is a loudmouth with a heart of gold. He is an expert in all things technology and will upgrade Peter Quill’s equipment if he is asked nicely. Just make sure you don’t pick up and throw the little one. He won’t like that.
Why stop talking raccoons? Another adorable little friend you may meet is Cosmo, a psychic (yes, that’s right) Russian Soviet space dog who serves as Knowhere’s Chief of Security. Don’t let his extreme cuteness fool you, as he is a very powerful being with an insatiable love for little red balls.
3 two are required
You’ll meet many endearing characters in It Takes Two, including a self-styled love expert in talking book form and an animated stuffed baboon. At some point, Cody and May get caught up in a war between squirrels and wasps.
After some gentle puppet torture (this game is for kids, right?), the squirrels give you the insurmountable task of taking down an entire colony of wasps. Their charming exterior should not fool you, as squirrels are highly cunning and have a surprisingly intimidating military presence. You get to fight the Squirrel Boss in a Mortal-Kombat-style showdown on top of a plane made of underpants. If this isn’t the reason he won game of the year, then we don’t know what is.
two The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess introduced an interesting mechanic where Link can transform into a wolf. This brought a lot of different gameplay options for combat and traversal.
In his wolf form, Link can talk to almost any animal he encounters, including cats, dogs, squirrels, and even the series’ famous cuckoos. The most interesting animal conversation you can have is with your horse, Epona, as you can finally get a sense of what she’s thinking. It turns out that she doesn’t like Link in her wolf form and often urges him to return to the good human of hers. Go figure.
1 Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a social simulation game that lets you turn a dilapidated desert island into a thriving community that includes a variety of whimsical animal species, each with different personalities.
Tom Nook, Raccoon’s travel agent and the island’s chief engineer, is the first point of contact whenever you want to improve your community to make it more livable for its residents. You must fill your island with various animal villagers and talk to them to satisfy their needs. There are many charming and quirky characters to meet, but be careful who you invite to your island, as not all of them are the friendliest or most desirable neighbors.
