Chernobylite is a strange game that can be a bit confusing at first due to its unusual structure. The game's story about Chernobyl survivor Igor Khymynuk is laden with twists and turns that lead the player in odd directions and set up some peculiar mysteries, and it also comes with some mechanics that can be a bit daunting at first. The setup that encourages Igor to evaluate and even change important decisions to produce the best outcome is likely to disorient any player more used to the linear structures of games that inspired Chernobylite.
There is also a management aspect to the game, with Igor having to constantly build and update a base to accommodate different needs, and assemble a team. There are a total of five allies present in the Chernobyl exclusion zone for various reasons- Olivier, Olga, Mikhail, Tarakan, and Sashko. Aside from Olivier, who joins at the beginning, there is no set order in which they can be found and recruited, depending on when and in what order the player does their introductory missions.
One of the most important parts of the game is keeping up the team's morale, which will often be difficult. Players have to make decisions that gain or lose favor with specific characters. It is also important to keep them well-fed, which can also be tricky when resources run low forcing some to be prioritized over others. It is also possible to lose companions for various reasons, but there are ways they can be regained.
5 Reasons For Losing Companions
There are a few different ways companions can be lost. One way is simply due to being captured by NAR. When this happens, it is usually first brought to the player's attention by the companion failing to return from a mission they were sent on. The other way is by lowering morale. This can be difficult, since actions that gain favor with one team member might lose it with another, but it is important to find the best possible balance. Failing to properly accommodate a member of the team may result in them deserting, and this can be accomplished in various ways.
For instance, inappropriately distributing food, or simply not having enough for everyone, will lower morale. Not having enough beds will force a companion to sleep on the floor causing stress. Several of the missions will see companions provide conflicting opinions on what the player should do, and they will lose favor with the one they ignore- consistently ignoring a companion's advice will result in poor standing and can lead to the ally choosing to abandon the player.
4 Dangers Of Losing Companions
Companions who are lost, either due to capture or desertion, are a huge blow to the player. In the short term it means one less person that can be sent on missions, which limits how much Igor can accomplish in a single in-game day. In the long term it messes up the climactic heist on the Chernobyl power plant.
Any companion who is not fully on board will back out when the job starts, meaning one less ally and more tasks to allocate to anyone left. But if the player is on really bad standing with someone, there is a chance of them actually being blocked from completing the heist. Companions who dislike the player may actually join NAR and sabotage Igor's efforts.
3 Rescuing Captured Friends
Sometimes the reason a particular companion disappears is simply because they were captured by the NAR. If this happens, they will fail to report in from their assigned mission. When caught, they are brought to the Jail Base- the same location where the player is brought when defeated by NAR mercenaries. Unfortunately, the only way to reach it is for Igor himself to be captured.
The upside is that being able to explore the base when he arrives. Any ally who has been captured will turn up in one of the base's prison cells, and they can be freed as long as Igor has his Portal Generator, which he also needs to retrieve. Once he has the portal generator, Igor can simply open a portal that allows the captured teammate to return to the hideout.
2 Regaining Deserting Allies
Any companion who chooses to desert is usually doing so because they have grown bitterly resentful of Igor's behavior, to the point where they may not only desert but outright betray him out of spite. By conventional means, trying to win them back is hopeless.
Fortunately, Igor has an unconventional method of rectifying his mistakes- he has the ability to alter the past. A big part of the game is Igor being able to review his decisions and alter them to produce the most favorable outcome, and Igor may have to do this several times before he can actually complete the heist.
1 Altering Decisions To Produce Better Outcomes
Upon dying, Igor is brought to a strange dimension where he can review decisions he has made and has an opportunity to alter the timeline. Using chernobylite that can be obtained from the exclusion zone, he can change important choices he has made. There is also the option to forget a particular event, which allows whole sections of the game to be restarted from scratch. Altering decisions will affect how the game's story has played out so far, including the impact they have on companions. Of course, doing so requires Igor to die and comes with the slight penalty of losing some of his inventory. Fortunately, that penalty can be averted if he uses a radiation chamber.
By altering particular parts of the timeline, Igor can affect his existing relationships, or decisions that contributed to a companion's capture. This part requires some trial and error- altering decisions to improve Igor's standing with one companion can lower his standing with another. Alternatively, he can simply choose to forget events that involved specific allies, or even restart his relationship with them from scratch. Either way, this is the best means of getting companions back.
Chernobylite is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.