What game should let you pat the dog?

You could pet the dogs in Watch Dogs 2, as documented by the important Twitter account @CanYouPetTheDog. But you cannot pet dogs in Watch Dogs: Legion, because it will not have any. This is partly because you can play any NPC in Watch Dogs: Legion and they did not want people to play as a dog (boo), but also because if anyone in the game can die that would lead to too many sad dogs with no owners.

There are plenty of games that do have dogs in them which you are still not allowed to pet, however. This is your opportunity to cause a ruckus about that, and also about games that don't have dogs but clearly should. What game should let you pat the dog? These are our answers, let us know yours in the comments section.

Jarred Walton: Cyberpunk 2077

In the future, it's not just humans that are into body modifications and enhancements. We saw the different ways stealth and combat could be approached in the latest E3 demo, but what was missing was an option to use my trusty cyberdog, Rex. (He doesn't have to be called Rex.) It's a cutthroat world in 2077, and you can't trust anyone—well, maybe Keanu—but at least Rex has got your back! I look forward to seeing the canine skill tree reveal in the coming months. Robotic limbs to jump higher and move faster, a sonic boom bark that will stun others, laser eye attachments, and of course pat the dog, which gives both you and Rex a temporary morale boost. Just don't let him get hacked.

Tom Senior: Dark Souls

The hollowed mutts of the Undead Burg are bad dogs who do not deserve treats or petting. The Capra Demon's dogs are even worse, and should be avoided (with dodge rolls) at all costs. Sif, however, is a legend. Sif is the size of a bus, for a start, which is a trait dogs rarely posses. Sif can wield a greatsword in his/her mouth with more agility than my character can wield one with two arms. Sif is also loyal, like all good dogs, to its companion Artorias. Sif even has a beautiful snowy coat. In short, Sif is the best dog in games, and you should at least have the chance to give the beast a respectful pet before you both battle to the death. 

James Davenport: Monster Hunter World

So you can hang with little cat people, but how do dogs factor into this world? Are there also little dog people? Are dogs just plain-ass dogs? If they are plain-ass dogs, can they at least have the power and sentience of Air Bud? I would like to toss a bomb and so they can alley-oop it into a monster's face by booping it with their nose. I dream of this. Little outfits for the dogs. Little stand offs between the cat things and the dog things. A war that wages for millennia, countless lost. The ability to pat them, obviously part of a package deal. 

Wes Fenlon: Earth Defence Force

I want to be walking down the streets of a city swarming with a thousand gigantic ants and spiders, my commander screaming into the radio about how we're under attack, buildings toppling over all around me, and pause to spare a few seconds for a good good boy. I don't think there are any animals in the Earth Defense Force games except for the giant alien ones trying to destroy the world, but there should be dogs, and they should be blissfully unaware of the horrors all around them. They should just be hanging out on the street, waiting for pets. Sometimes you need to take a few seconds' break from saving the world to pet a nice pup. Maybe they could even bark along to the EDF song.