Character development
Character development is, for me, the beating heart of any story. I care more about individual character stories than I do about the overall plot machinations, and it’s one of the reasons I often love sidequests.
I’ve already mentioned The Witcher 3 — it’s basically the poster child for ‘best sidequests’, and for good reason. The Bloody Baron is typically one of the first things people rave about when talking about the quality of quests in The Witcher 3, and it’s because it’s absolutely incredible. This questline has you helping the aforementioned Baron search for his missing wife and daughter in exchange for information on Ciri’s whereabouts. What unfolds is a complicated web of the Baron and his family. The Baron has not always been a good man — in fact, he’s been pretty reprehensible. You can condemn him if you want, and make his life worse. But the Baron has also been through a lot of stuff, and your ability to empathise is put to the test.
A much older game, but another that involves choice and character is Chrono Trigger. Square’s genre-defining RPG doesn’t have many sidequests at all, and the game backloads all of them in the final hours, but all of them are pretty darn good.
But one short cutscene after restoring the forest, focusing on Lucca, is one of the game’s single best moments. Lucca travels back in time to a fateful day in her past — when her mum lost the ability to use her legs. And a lot of people don’t know that you can actually save her. Finding a password in the dream allows you to turn off the machine and change the course of history.
Tough enemies and superbosses
Admittedly, this one is a bit of an outlier on my list, but who doesn’t love a good challenge? What could probably be considered the bread-and-butter of RPG sidequests, unique monsters, hunts, and extremely powerful bosses are always welcome.
Hunt boards are pretty common in modern-day RPGs — Final Fantasy XII is the first one I think of, and completing those leads to a superboss, Yiazmat, that has over 50 million HP. Pokémon Gold & Silver’s Red fight, atop Mt. Silver, is pretty legendary — whether you think of it as a really hard fight or the true final boss doesn’t matter, it’s the most difficult and rewarding Pokémon battle we’ve ever seen. It’s a superb reward for those of us who started our Pokémon journey back in Red & Blue, or Yellow.
A recent favourite of mine is Octopath Traveler II’s secret boss, which like Pokémon’s, is a little treat for those who played the first game. Somehow, this superboss is harder than the first game’s, but the amount of fine-tuning, character-building, and thought you need to put into party composition is tantamount to victory in itself. And when you beat it? Honestly, nothing feels better.
Tying into the main story
By their very definition, sidequests are non-essential. But there are plenty that enrich your understanding of the main story and even add to it. I want to talk about Disco Elysium for this one. I could probably pick every single sidequest in this game, and I’m going to be as vague as possible with it. But if you’ve played the game, then you probably know what I’m getting at when I talk about the Cryptozoologist Morell.
There are four quests that come out of talking to Lena, the wheelchair-bound lady at the Whirling-in-Rags, and finding her husband, Morell. Kim’s scepticism of Cryptozoology, paired with my Harry’s playful flirting with the idea of being a Cryptozoologist myself, started off as an amusing diversion, but the emotional pay-off when you help Lena and reassure her is touching. You’ll even get some help in your investigation along the way. It’s a lot more than just amazing character and worldbuilding, though. I can’t even talk about how incredible this sidequest really is because it ties into the end of the game. You’re not missing out if you don’t do it, but if you do, then you’re in for a shock.
I also really enjoy quests that don’t necessarily tie into the narrative, but justify their existence because of your character’s occupation or your journey. Geralt could be picking up quests to get money to continue his hunt for Ciri in The Witcher 3; Lloyd and the SSS are part of the Crossbell Police Department in Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure, so they need to help the citizens.
What’s the takeaway from all of this, then? Good writing is paramount. To me, it’s not about what you do in a sidequest — what buttons you press, what objects you fetch, what activities you have to pursue, etc. — but what you see in the sidequest. The characters you meet, the secrets you uncover, the writing you encounter, and just how much it changes your attachment to the living and breathing world.
I know that won’t be what everyone is looking for in a sidequest— and sometimes I also love just taking down an extremely powerful monster and getting a neat sword or something — but as long as I’m not collecting Rainbow Slugs or 50 of a single item for a basic prize, and I’m rewarded and respected for my time, then I’m happy.
What do you value in your sidequests? Vote in our poll below and let us know in the comments.
Character development
Character development is, for me, the beating heart of any story. I care more about individual character stories than I do about the overall plot machinations, and it’s one of the reasons I often love sidequests.
I’ve already mentioned The Witcher 3 — it’s basically the poster child for ‘best sidequests’, and for good reason. The Bloody Baron is typically one of the first things people rave about when talking about the quality of quests in The Witcher 3, and it’s because it’s absolutely incredible. This questline has you helping the aforementioned Baron search for his missing wife and daughter in exchange for information on Ciri’s whereabouts. What unfolds is a complicated web of the Baron and his family. The Baron has not always been a good man — in fact, he’s been pretty reprehensible. You can condemn him if you want, and make his life worse. But the Baron has also been through a lot of stuff, and your ability to empathise is put to the test.
A much older game, but another that involves choice and character is Chrono Trigger. Square’s genre-defining RPG doesn’t have many sidequests at all, and the game backloads all of them in the final hours, but all of them are pretty darn good.
But one short cutscene after restoring the forest, focusing on Lucca, is one of the game’s single best moments. Lucca travels back in time to a fateful day in her past — when her mum lost the ability to use her legs. And a lot of people don’t know that you can actually save her. Finding a password in the dream allows you to turn off the machine and change the course of history.
Tough enemies and superbosses
Admittedly, this one is a bit of an outlier on my list, but who doesn’t love a good challenge? What could probably be considered the bread-and-butter of RPG sidequests, unique monsters, hunts, and extremely powerful bosses are always welcome.
Hunt boards are pretty common in modern-day RPGs — Final Fantasy XII is the first one I think of, and completing those leads to a superboss, Yiazmat, that has over 50 million HP. Pokémon Gold & Silver’s Red fight, atop Mt. Silver, is pretty legendary — whether you think of it as a really hard fight or the true final boss doesn’t matter, it’s the most difficult and rewarding Pokémon battle we’ve ever seen. It’s a superb reward for those of us who started our Pokémon journey back in Red & Blue, or Yellow.
A recent favourite of mine is Octopath Traveler II’s secret boss, which like Pokémon’s, is a little treat for those who played the first game. Somehow, this superboss is harder than the first game’s, but the amount of fine-tuning, character-building, and thought you need to put into party composition is tantamount to victory in itself. And when you beat it? Honestly, nothing feels better.
Tying into the main story
By their very definition, sidequests are non-essential. But there are plenty that enrich your understanding of the main story and even add to it. I want to talk about Disco Elysium for this one. I could probably pick every single sidequest in this game, and I’m going to be as vague as possible with it. But if you’ve played the game, then you probably know what I’m getting at when I talk about the Cryptozoologist Morell.
There are four quests that come out of talking to Lena, the wheelchair-bound lady at the Whirling-in-Rags, and finding her husband, Morell. Kim’s scepticism of Cryptozoology, paired with my Harry’s playful flirting with the idea of being a Cryptozoologist myself, started off as an amusing diversion, but the emotional pay-off when you help Lena and reassure her is touching. You’ll even get some help in your investigation along the way. It’s a lot more than just amazing character and worldbuilding, though. I can’t even talk about how incredible this sidequest really is because it ties into the end of the game. You’re not missing out if you don’t do it, but if you do, then you’re in for a shock.
I also really enjoy quests that don’t necessarily tie into the narrative, but justify their existence because of your character’s occupation or your journey. Geralt could be picking up quests to get money to continue his hunt for Ciri in The Witcher 3; Lloyd and the SSS are part of the Crossbell Police Department in Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure, so they need to help the citizens.
What’s the takeaway from all of this, then? Good writing is paramount. To me, it’s not about what you do in a sidequest — what buttons you press, what objects you fetch, what activities you have to pursue, etc. — but what you see in the sidequest. The characters you meet, the secrets you uncover, the writing you encounter, and just how much it changes your attachment to the living and breathing world.
I know that won’t be what everyone is looking for in a sidequest— and sometimes I also love just taking down an extremely powerful monster and getting a neat sword or something — but as long as I’m not collecting Rainbow Slugs or 50 of a single item for a basic prize, and I’m rewarded and respected for my time, then I’m happy.
What do you value in your sidequests? Vote in our poll below and let us know in the comments.
