Hi everyone!

Today I want to talk about Winston’s helpful little companion, Droney! I’m guessing not many people have messed around with him, but he can be accessed through the pause menu and by selecting “2P Assist.”

From the start, I always wanted multiplayer in the game. At one point, I ambitiously wanted every boss character, sort of like in Shovel Knight, to be playable. I went as far with this concept as to actually put a playable A.D. into the game; however, just with how the mechanics of the game work, having what is essentially two Winstons play simultaneously didn’t really benefit either of them, and it just wasn’t very fun.

While on a trip this summer, I decided that, in my spare time, I’d give multiplayer another shot. Instead of a companion that moves like Winston, I opted for something in between Tails from the Sonic series and the assist mode from Super Mario Galaxy, which resulted in a goofy flying robot.

At the end of the trip, I got to play the game with my younger cousins, and they really liked him! They gave him the name Droney, which was way better than my name for him, Winsdrone, which I guess was supposed to be a pun?

Droney can assist Winston by carrying items, enemies, and even the professor himself! Unlike Winston, he cannot be killed, and he’ll teleport back to Winston if he’s been off screen for too long. Like Tails or Galaxy’s assist mode, Droney is perfect for less experienced gamers.

I mentioned a few days ago how I’m starting to believe it’s better to include as many options as possible to make a game accessible to players of all skill levels. Droney is one area where the game succeeds that way. Not only is Droney a risk-free character for inexperienced players to control, but he also makes the game easier for whoever is controlling Winston, as Droney can carry him over particularly hard sections or move enemies out of his way. The emphasis though is that Droney can do those things.

Droney can either be the hero or villain of the story, which is something I absolutely love! Sure, Droney can carry Winston over a pit, but he can also drop him in it. Droney can move enemies out of Winston’s way, but he can also drop them on his head. In my playthroughs with Droney, it tended to be a bit of both. Droney isn’t completely overpowered, as Winston can stun him for a few seconds by firing a bomb at him. At least when playing with Jake, the game’s composer, I found that accidentally stunning Droney when he’s being helpful would often lead him to seek revenge on Winston!

Droney is like his own difficulty slider. He can either make the game easier for new players, or make it near impossible for experienced players. Playing Operation Winston with a friend definitely changes the game’s dynamic, so if you haven’t given it a try, I’d highly suggest it!

Thanks for reading and keep saving the world!

- Alec