Board 8 > Games with really good side quests?

(+) Yeah! (+)

This topic was inspired by the discourse around FFXVIs side quests (making my way through that now, theyre fine) and how it got me thinking that weak side quests is a refrain you hear very commonly about big games. So what are the games that buck this trend and have great side quests? Ideally thinking of games where the focus is more around the main story campaign, not say Bethesda games where the side quests are the whole point.

Blitzball

ChaosTonyV4 posted...

Blitzball

no

Yakuza

if we're discounting minigames as like... sub-quests at best rather than sidequests... hmm

Triple Triad

Mass Effect 2 (if you consider loyalty missions "sidequests" since they're technically not required)

Yeah I was thinking about this kind of thing, same deal with the Hero Quests in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 which are also mostly excellent - do they even count as side quests? Theyre clearly higher priority both in terms of playing the game and development resources with both games having regular side quests as well.

Xiahou_Shake posted...

Yakuza

This is the thought that popped into my head the nanosecond I finished reading the topic title and I don't think I'll be able to come up with a better answer any time soon.

Final Fantasy 16

Haven't played more than an hour, so I can't confirm, but I've often heard The Witcher 3 touted for this.

The Witcher 3s side quests are indeed excellent.

GANON1025 posted...

Final Fantasy 16

I am ready for discourse.

Xiahou_Shake posted...

Yakuza

The cabaret club stuff in 0 and Kiwami 2 are probs my fav subquests, yeah.

Yeah basically every Yakuza game is the poster child for this

Nier Automata was what came to my mind first.

FF16 has some good stories in the side quests but they're kind of weak/repetitive gameplay wise

Yeah, FFXVI's sidequests themselves are super basic and not very diverse (usually "go here and beat up these bad guys"), but you do get some really touching moments out of some of them. I'd hesitate to call them "good," but I'd at least classify them as "worthwhile."

I'm thinking of games where I willingly reached 100%, which is rare since I hate filler side missions. Hat in Time jumps to mind, I wanted to do every little bit of content there.

Been playing Path of Exile and those side quests are pretty great too.

STALKER (Chernobyl & Pripyat) have super in depth side quests too. It's hard to even know if it's a side quest or part of the main quest.

To me, for a sidequest to be good-to-great, it needs to at least either provide a great reward, a great combat challenge, or have great story/character work/worldbuilding. I think a lot of 16's sidequests fulfill that third option for me, with a few providing the first. I'll also say that any 16 sidesquest that was middling was ALSO very quick to finish, so the below average ones don't stick in my mind as much. Also also, all the really good sidequest stuff happens towards the end of the game, and since I just wrapped it up those are the things I remember the most right now.

I really like all the lategame sidequests in Chrono Trigger.

Chrono Trigger and Yakuza are the only answers.

Fromsoft

Cyberpunk 2077
Resident Evil 4 remake
Assassin's Creed II
God of War 2018 & Ragnarok

Unironically Lightning Returns.

Not necessarily from a gameplay point of view but I thought the stories were really interesting

Xenoblade 3

New God of Wars absolutely

Pretty sure I liked Nier Automata's sidequests more than the actual game.

The Trails games. I often like the side quests better than the main game story

Johnbobb posted...

New God of Wars absolutely

Not all, but yeah a lot of them are great

Agree with ME2

MysteriousStan posted...

Nier Automata was what came to my mind first.

Same.

Nier Replicant/Gestalt too

depending on definition of sidequest Final Fantasy 14

To me, good sidequests are 1) almost essential to the main story, 2) multiple stages that build on each other, and 3) require some effort to find or complete, but aren't repetitive. To that end, I think Elden Ring, Mass Effect, Witcher 3, and the Trails series all do a great job.

Nier

Pirateking2000 posted...

Nier

Nier is a mixed bag of good and really really tedious

Leonhart4 posted...

Nier is a mixed bag of good and really really tedious

Fair but the the good ones are really good and some shift from tedious to good like the fishing one

Mass Effect 2 is probably the standard.

Bug Fables
Trails in the Sky

Witcher 3 was the first that came to mind

Mass Effect 2 is also a solid answer.

Leonhart4 posted...

Nier is a mixed bag of good and really really tedious

Even the tedious gameplay ones have a fun story to them generally

Does Majora's Mask count?

Yakuza is the only answer for me. As for FF16, I think they're only bad in that the gameplay is always the same. Go here, talk to this person, kill this enemy or group of enemies. They're fine as narrative segments. Also there are an overwhelming number of them.

the monster arena in DQ8 comes to mind.

Lufia 2

Oblivion

Majora's Mask

KamikazePotato posted...

Does Majora's Mask count?

We might have found a new standard.

Xenoblade 3 would probably be at the top of my list.
Trails series has some good ones.
Nier can be a bit uneven with this but when it's good it's good.

Edit: Yeah if Recruit/Loyalty Missions in ME2 count, then it's up there.

I have a theory that we remember "great sidequests" for the storytelling. Dull gameplay can make them grating, but adequate gameplay can suffice for accompanying a narrative.

paperwarior posted...

I have a theory that we remember "great sidequests" for the storytelling. Dull gameplay can make them grating, but adequate gameplay can suffice for accompanying a narrative.

You think people immediately answered Blitzball and Triple Triad for the narrative rather than the gameplay?

Add Chocobo Hot & Cold for another one that's fun for the gameplay.