Mario in Yoshi’s Island

Yoshi’s Island was a very unconventional and unexpected sequel to Super Mario World. And it also added an escort mechanic that defined the entire game without draining all the fun.

If you haven’t played, the game is all about escorting Mario from the beginning of the level to the end. While you need to retrieve Mario if he is knocked away from you, this is easy to do. Other than that, you barely notice the escort mechanic because you are too busy having fun with this beautiful game!

Pikmin 3

The Pikmin games have always been something of an acquired taste. But the escort missions in Pikmin 3 are the kind we like to see.

On Day 23, the escort mechanic is almost perfect: it creates a very tense mission without ever seeming unfair or overwhelming. And this level ultimately blends the best of escort mission design with the best in Pikmin level design.

The Goat in Witcher 3

The Witcher 3 was a hit with pretty much everyone who played it. And one reason for this was that the game wasn’t afraid to get “meta” in poking fun at both video games and the fantasy genre.

Our favorite example of this involved the “A Princess in Distress” mission. It involves your fierce and powerful Witcher trying to safely escort a goat back home. And while the mission throws in some action (you fight a giant bear!), players mostly remember this mission for its tongue-in-cheek design.

Vinnie in Max Payne 2

Most of the games on this list made their escort missions not suck by changing how you do the mission. But in Max Payne 2, they took the traditional formula and made it wonderfully absurd.

This is very clear when you have to escort Vinnie Gognitti. While the typical escort mission rules are in play, Vinnie is rocking a Captain Baseball Bat Boy outfit the entire time. It’s tough to stay mad at a game going out of its way to be this funny!

Alyx in Half-Life 2: Episode 2

Half-Life 2 actually had several cool escort sequences. But our favorite was escorting an injured Alyx in Episode 2.

She rides shotgun in your car and, as needed, fires at enemies. Otherwise, though, the “escort mission” part comes down to your skills as a driver instead of the slow and plodding design of the traditional escort quest.

Dead Rising 2

The escort missions in the original Dead Rising are downright awful. Surprisingly though, the missions in Dead Rising 2 are like a breath of fresh air.

That’s because you can mold the NPCs you encounter into an elite fighting force. You can train them with new skills, provide them weapons, and take them with you. When done right, these NPCs will make boss fights insanely easy.

Emma in Metal Gear Solid 2

Hideo Kojima has pulled off many miracles. But his most impressive feat may be designing an escort mission that doesn’t suck!

In Metal Gear Solid 2, Raiden must escort Otacon’s sister Emma to safety. While there are some annoying underwater bits, the actual escorting parts are simple and give you valuable background context about her character.

And given her grim fate, later on, this part of the game is vital in building the stakes for you to better mourn her.

Red Dead Redemption

Red Dead Redemption features several randomly generated escort missions. Surprisingly, though, none of them ever get stale or boring.

Part of this comes from the different kinds of escort missions you may encounter. We also love that these missions were a great way to learn more about these characters and their world. Finally, the ability to match speed with a single button made it easy to keep up with whoever you were escorting.

Grand Theft Auto V

It was tough to pick a single Grand Theft Auto game for this list. After all, since GTA 3, Rock Star Games has been perfecting the art of fun escort missions.

In Grand Theft Auto V, you have missions where you escort colorful characters who offer funny commentary, especially after you die. And even “plain” escort missions like “Escape Escort” blend in fun driving and strategy mechanics that keep everything from getting boring.

Escorting Children in Bayonetta

Bayonetta is over the top in almost every way. It’s no surprise, then, that the escort missions are equally over the top.

For example, you need to escort a cute little girl in Chapter 6 of the game. You alternate between carrying her and putting her down to fight. But when you put her down, she puts up a shield to protect herself, and the game even pauses when she is being attacked, making it easy for you to protect her.

Paladin Danse in Fallout 4

Fallout 4 wasn’t really as memorable as Fallout 3 or New Vegas. But it had some fun moments, including escorting Paladin Danse through the Arcjet facilities.

However, “escort” is pretty loosely defined here. Danse is fully capable of taking care of himself. In fact, you can walk behind him and simply watch him go to work instead of worrying about protecting him.

The Last of Us

The Last of Us is one of the most beloved games in the world. It’s also a giant escort mission. So, how did the developers make that happen?

The short answer is that the little girl you are escorting is also a decent fighter who isn’t afraid to help out. Over time, players can’t help but see her as a partner instead of a helpless character to escort.

Ico

More than most games on this list, Ico is almost entirely an escort mission. That’s because if your support character Yorda dies or is abducted, the game instantly ends.

Why doesn’t this approach suck? It’s impossible for you to hurt Yorda, and she stays out of the way during combat. And you can either grab her hand or call her to you at any point, reducing the need to constantly backtrack and find where she is.

Resident Evil 4

In terms of escort missions, Resident Evil 4 is the spiritual precursor to Bioshock Infinite. And while RE’s Ashley isn’t as useful as Elizabeth, she helped revolutionize what escort characters could be like.

For example, you can easily command Ashley to hide when the action gets intense. And she generally follows you at a decent pace, so you’re not constantly backtracking to catch her.

Sounds simple, right? But these features alone set this game apart from 99% of other escort missions out there.

Bioshock Infinite

In Bioshock Infinite, there isn’t an “escort mission” per se. Instead, large chunks of the game involve escorting Elizabeth from Point A to Point B.

What makes these sections stand out is that Elizabeth is actually useful. She provides ammo and health, opens portals, and generally stays out of your way during combat.

If only all escort missions could be like this!