A good game companion goes beyond just being a valuable asset: they also make the player feel fond of them, and make the player take actions to insure that companion's survival. However, it isn't always easy, as game companions often get caught in firefights, taken down by friendly fire, or even wander off and get killed while they're away from the player.
While some games have cheats that allow players to make their companions immortal, it appears that won't be necessary for one upcoming companion. Fallout 4 players will be relieved to know that the first companion in the game can't be killed.
While much remains unknown about Fallout 4's plot and general gameplay, Bethesda's E3 2015 Fallout 4 footage showed off some more of how Dogmeat, the first companion of the sole survivor of Vault 111, would work. The information came forward that Dogmeat could help you during combat, but if the dog's life would be at risk in doing so, most players might hesitate to use such a command. Thankfully, a tweet on Bethesda's official twitter account has been posted with a reassurance from Todd Howard, Game Director and Executive Producer of Bethesda Game Studios, that the dog's life isn't in jeopardy.
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While this tweet answers some questions, it also creates many new ones. It's highly unlikely that every companion in Fallout 4 will be unkillable, but it's not completely out of the question. There's also the possibility that Dogmeat may play into the game's plot in a significant way, and thus can't be killed off without breaking the game. While it's impossible to say at this point with so little information about Fallout 4's basic plot, fans can at least rest easy knowing their faithful companion will always be by their side.
Knowing that Dogmeat is an essential, immortal NPC is a real relief, as it's quite common to have your companions killed off in Fallout and Bethesda's Elder Scrolls series. One can imagine that it could otherwise lead to some fairly catastrophic slow-motion V.A.T.S. events if friendly fire was possible, watching Dogmeat accidentally walk into the middle of a firefight. Additionally, if he is an essential character to the game's plot, sending him away to safety might not even be an option like in other games, so it's a relief all-around.
Fallout 4 will be released on November 10, 2015, and will be available for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Source: Bethesda Studios