Some video game stories are so good that players can't help but focus on going through the main quests and ignore the side content. In other games, the side content is so good that even if the main story is also good, players will be drawn in for hours just to explore or help NPCs. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a good example, but there are other games where the side quests matter.
8 RPGs players always recommend to friends
Find out why these RPGs are must-play experiences that players are always eager to share with friends and family.
While there may be filler in the following games, most of these experiences have such good side content that even the little fat that might be there is negligible. Players will not easily forget the missions in these games anytime soon.
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Rearrange the cases in the correct US release order.
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Baldur's Gate 3
Make your story
Baldur's Gate 3 is divided into chapters, where each set piece is like a large, expansive world to explore. Players can go straight through the story, or they can explore each region in depth to uncover secret paths through the main story, or perhaps ways to bypass conflicts.
The great thing about the game is the open structure and branching stories, which means that no two campaigns are the same. It's not a typical turn-based tactical game where the goal is to get the best loot. It's about immersing players in the world through dynamic interactions, rewarding player curiosity, and blurring the lines between what is and what isn't a side quest.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
A fantastic third act
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a tribute to classic turn-based JRPGs but with a French twist. For example, there is a world map with side areas that often lead to a deep dungeon to explore or a secret boss/NPC that will deepen the lore of the game.
These side quests are minimal for most of the game, but things ramp up in the latter third when players are given the opportunity to fly around and fully explore the game's world, much like the third act of most JRPG series from Dragon Quest to Final Fantasy. Some of these side areas and bosses are so well designed that they can outshine the main ones, like an unfinished tower reaching into the sky or a secret dungeon in the sea.
Mass Effect 2
All about companions
Mass Effect 2 the world design is fairly linear, as players cannot explore large, expansive worlds. Instead, they go to specific locations on planets or in space stations for missions. Most of the game is focused on the story, but when there is side content, it usually leads to interesting sides that are more than just simple quests to get equipment.
The best quests in the game are tied to the companions, and the bigger the bond, the more quests will be unlocked to deepen these characters, which is why Mass effect the series is so well known for its party members, let alone its squad-based gunplay.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
No black and white
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an action RPG that takes all kinds of typical RPG quest tropes and subverts expectations. There's an early mission where players have to break into a shack to retrieve a frying pan, and while it may seem like a simple fetch mission, the mini-story in this mission goes harder than it needs to.
8 Open-World Games Where The Side Content Is Better Than The Main Quest
The main quest isn't necessarily bad, but it's simply overshadowed by the brilliant side content in these open world games.
This is just a small example, but the larger quests will add an even greater sense of mystery and drama that are so well written that they can branch into entire subplots within any RPG. There is not a single mission The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt which does not make the players think.
Chrono Trigger
Control of time
Chrono Trigger is a classic turn-based SNES RPG that doesn't waste time with an endless sea of quests. When one presents, there are usually many steps involved within each time period or over several to change things. For example, players can look at how Lucca's mother lost the ability to walk properly, or they can look into building a church.
Even without the voice acting, players will feel deeply connected to each mission, and that's not even to mention that the game's main story as a whole is fantastic, well-paced and easily one of the best on the console.
The Sui Code 2
Gather an army
The Sui Code II
- Released
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September 29, 1999
- ESRB
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M for adults 17+ due to mild violence, suggestive themes
Most of the Suikoden 2:s side quests are tied to collecting all party members in the game, and it's a journey. The The Sui Code the series is known for the 108 Stars of Destiny, which is what the party members are referred to. This includes the main character and the characters that unlock through the story, but most are extras.
The Sui Code 2 is a prime example as players will try to build a resistance army, and the more characters they get, the greater their strength for big, important battles. Not all party members get an epic story, as some require just finding them or giving them an item to join, but even the small interactions are worthwhile.
Super Mario RPG: Legend Of The Seven Stars
A 16-bit world in development
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is another turn-based SNES RPG where the missions are few but mighty. This was Mario's first RPG, and it incorporated the action elements of platform games well into the combat system and exploration segments. Most of the side quests were geared towards hidden areas or secret bosses, like Culex, that helped fill out the world.
This is a good example of an RPG that changed how areas were based on where the players were in the story. Old locations can have new NPCs and quests available late in the game, and that was rare for an SNES game.
Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic
Expand the galaxy far, far away
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is another game from BioWare that showed they knew how to fill an RPG with activities that matter. The game takes place a thousand years before the prequels and allows players to essentially create their own Jedi. This game allowed fans to explore the galaxy far, far away like no game before could.
10 Open-World Games Where Little Discoveries Matter More Than Big Quests
The wonders never end in these open world games if you know where to look, and what you find is often more important than the main quest.
Every planet they visited, from Tatooine to Kashyyyk, was filled with side quests that helped expand lore. It was the ultimate fan game at the time, and even though it looks graphically dated compared to new Star Wars games like Star Wars Outlaws Now, no other game managed to build the world better through quests Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
Parasite Eve
A linear detective RPG
Parasite Eve was a mostly linear RPG set in New York City, following a detective, Aya Brea, on the brink of a major supernatural case. As players moved around the city, they had limited access to the world map, and locations were usually unlocked as they progressed. There were a few side areas though, like a warehouse that contained some rare items and a challenging crab boss.
More significantly, a massive side mission was released in the New Game+ mode that added the Chrysler Building as an area, unlocking a hidden ending, which may be an example of the most significant side mission in a PS1 RPG of this era.
Persona 3 Reload
Your friends are powerful
Persona 3 Reload is the remake of the turn-based PS2 original game that updated a few things to speed through this linear RPG. While there are fetch quests that amount to little more than filler, this game has one of the best quest systems that remains throughout, in all RPGs, called Social Links.
By interacting with party members and NPCs around Japan, from training at school to eating ramen to going to the movies, players can get to know these characters far beyond what is presented in the main story. There's a battle bonus to these bands as well, giving players an added incentive, but the stories they'll unlock are the real reward.
RPG game with the best companion systems
These companions will never let you down. Let's take a deep dive into what makes them and their systems so special in the following games.
