And I get what you're saying.. I am not close-minded about that, but one of the very beautiful parts of this game is the stories that come with them, that's where I want a challenge.. Like .. I am going to beat a baddie in Chapter 3 that I've now been hunting down through my quests, I go in and boom, thanks to my healing companion I barely had to do anything.. That's kind of lame.. gotta admit..
Also for those that say, play without a companion then, I'd say, they're part of my story.. Why would I?