Games Where Enemies Can Fight Alongside You

Key Takeaways

• Games like Pokemon Scarlet & Violet let players recruit enemies to create a powerful party.
• In Shin Megami Tensei 5, players recruit monsters strategically to exploit weaknesses.
• Divinity: Original Sin allows players to charm enemies to turn them against their allies.

Most players assume that the enemies they face across a whole host of video games can’t be swayed to fight for their cause. It’s a reasonable assumption to make, which is why most fans would love the idea of recruiting enemies into their party or forcing them to fight against their allies.

It’s a cathartic gameplay element that does a great job of letting players gauge the strengths and weaknesses of each enemy before deciding which one they want to convince to join their cause. The best games make the most of this concept and become all the more memorable as a result.

8 Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

The Series Revolves Around Capturing Pokemon To Form A Party Of Six

All the Pokemon games are known for letting players fight the very monsters they can capture to form a party of their own, and Scarlet & Violet is no exception to this golden rule. The technical problems at launch coupled with a lack of scaling disappointed many fans, but most people would agree that this open-world Pokemon game is something fans will have great joy playing through.

It’s incredibly satisfying to head to a high-level area and slowly wear down a strong Pokemon with their entire party before eventually capturing them in their party. Players who are patient and willing to take risks can boast a party full of high-level Pokemon, letting them take out weaker Gym Leaders with a single pocket monster.

7 Shin Megami Tensei 5

Players Recruit Monsters To Form A Party That Can Exploit Multiple Weaknesses

The Shin Megami Tensei series and its spinoffs are known for letting players employ the services of certain monsters by convincing them to join the player’s cause, and the fifth mainline entry is no exception here.

Players must be careful about recruiting monsters in each area since the boss fights are incredibly challenging and can use extra turns to batter the party if one of the monsters is weak to their attacks. This tactical depth ensures that fans of hardcore JRPGs who love experimentation will have a great time mixing and matching their party to take out the foes standing in their way.

6 Divinity: Original Sin

Enemies Can Be Charmed Reliably Enough To Turn Them Against Their Allies

Divinity: Original Sin was easily Larian Studios’ biggest achievement at the time, setting the groundwork for the developer to become one of the biggest players in the CRPG scene courtesy of their stellar work on Baldur’s Gate 3. The combat system of this game lets players mess around with the environment and employs a ton of elemental synergy to keep battles dynamic and exciting.

It won’t take long for players to realize that battles become more manageable if they’re able to increase the number of bodies fighting for them. This can be achieved by charming enemies, with players easily able to reload saves if the RNG doesn’t work in their favor. The sequel discourages this strategy somewhat by forcing players to deplete an enemy’s magical armor before being able to Charm them. This enemy will be too battered at this point to help out the player before their health is reduced to zero.

5 Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor

The Nemesis System Involves Players Branding Orcs And Recruiting Them Into Their Army

Shadow of Mordor is one of the best video games players can check out if they want to indoctrinate enemies by force and make them serve their will. Talion’s fate is a grisly one that will make fans want to actively go out of their way to avenge the death of his family, with the wraith Celebrimbor by his side.

The Nemesis system is the crowning jewel of this game, allowing players to exploit an orc’s weakness and make him submit to Talion’s will. This lets the player amass an army of orcs in no time who can aid Talion in battle, kill other enemy captains, or even betray Talion if the odds don’t work out in his favor.

4 RimWorld

Certain Enemies Can Be Imprisoned And Rehabilitated To Become Dependable Members Of The Community

RimWorld is one of the deepest and most engaging colony simulations that does a great job of using procedural systems to generate unique alien biomes with a litany of colonists who sport unique personalities and strengths of their own. This applies to the raiders who assault the colony from time to time too.

Players who want to ensure that their colony is full of people who aid the survival of this settlement should check the stats of certain raiders and heal up the ones who excel in a certain department. A warden can rehabilitate captives before they eventually become a part of the colony and slowly gain the trust of others.

3 Age Of Empires 2

Monks Are Powerful Units Who Can Convert Enemy Units To The Player’s Cause

Age of Empires 2 is one of the greatest RTS games players can get their hands on. The gameplay loop of progressing through the ages and eventually becoming competent enough to use advanced units in an army aids a player’s attempts to conquer their enemies.

Monks are one of the most powerful units players unlock after building a monastery. These units may seem very weak, but they make up for this disadvantage by using their prayers to convert other units to their cause, incentivizing people to gather a group of monks and slowly but surely capture the most powerful enemy units to aid their cause.

2 World Of Final Fantasy

Enemies Can Be Captured As Mirages And Stacked To Enhance A Party’s Effectiveness In Battle

Fans of Final Fantasy who want to enjoy a game that serves as a celebration of the series’ history should make it a point to check out World of Final Fantasy, an excellent game with a unique combat mechanic that involves capturing enemies as Mirages and stacking them up to enhance their power at the cost of number of turns available to a player.

Players must capture a litany of Mirages and stack them accordingly to enhance their effectiveness in combat without leaving themselves open for counterattacks that target their weaknesses. With enough time spent in the game, players will figure out the most optimal stacks using the best Mirages they can get their hands on.

1 Persona 5 Royal

Players Can Converse With Weakened Monsters And Recruit Them To Their Cause

Not only is Persona 5 Royal the most stylish game in the series to date, but it also signals a return to a classic mechanic in the series where players negotiate with their enemies to turn them into Personas that Joker can channel in battle.

This is a critical mechanic that players must make the most of, since it’s important to load Joker up with the best Personas available in a boss fight to make battles easier to manage. These Personas can also be fused to unlock powerful creatures that can further aid the party during their adventures.