Summary
Playingopen-worldgames solely for the main plot can feel entirely different from trying to complete every single side quest. In many cases, completing an open-world game to the fullestcan take players over 100 hours, while sticking to just the story provides a much shorter and more focused experience. It depends on how well the game engages players, making them want to explore everything it has to offer and pursue every small unfinished task, or leading them to try just the first few quests to know what to expect and lose interest in pursuing side activities.
While many open-world games get criticized by players for copy-paste activities and too many pointless fetch quests, some titles are known for their hand-crafted, unique, and memorable quests that you don’t want to miss. Below, you’ll find some of the open-world titles known for their great quest variety, unexpected turns, and varied approaches that don’t push you to a single solution.
The Witcher 3: Wild Huntisrenowned for its excellent side quests, many of which can be more engaging than the main missions in other games. While there is some valid criticism about how many quests require players to use the witcher’s senses for detective work, players are still left with a diversity of stories and activities rarely seen in RPGs of such scope.
Among the usual monster hunting and detective quests, players inThe Witcher 3: Wild Huntwill engage in horse racing, card games (anyGwentlovers here?), theatrical plays, goat escorting, emblem paintings with a troll, political scheming, sea adventures, bureaucracy stories, and even modeling. CD Projekt Red is known for its meticulous approach to quests, and this game remains one of the best examples of varied quests in open-world RPGs.
Red Dead Redemption 2is still unmatched in the industry in many aspects, such as its realistic Wild West world capable of generating unpredictable stories around the player. With its simulated wildlife system and some of the most naturalistic NPCs ever created in video games,Red Dead Redemption 2canlead you into an unexpected adventureeven when simply riding between small towns.
The game is packed with unique situations that Arthur Morgan can find himself in, but what’s even better is that in many cases, players can resolve them without resorting to violence. From saving a drowning man with a lasso, getting drunk and robbed in a saloon, helping strangers bitten by a snake or hit by a falling tree, to treasure hunting, gambling, visiting Native Americans, or simple civilian robbing - there’s a convincing and unpredictable nature to every small quest that players can do inRed Dead Redemption 2.
Cyberpunk 2077largely follows inThe Witcher 3’sfootsteps, delivering unique side quests and missions driven by memorable characters and one-of-a-kind situations. What sets these two great open-world RPGs apart are their distinct settings, allowing the studio to explore many topics and themes that weren’t possible in theWitcheruniverse.
WhileCyberpunk 2077may seem to have fewer side quests and jobs for players to tackle, there are some hidden gems that will stay with players long after they finish them. From the mysterious Peralez spying questline, with its intriguing sense of vagueness, to finding a unique gun with an AI personality, making VR videos of crucifying a convicted sinner, looking for a missing boy, or even street racing, Night City offers awealth of side storiesfor V to get involved in if players pay attention.
Few games have captured the mundanebeauty of medieval everyday lifeas well asKingdom Come: Deliverance. With unparalleled authenticity in everything from real-life distances between nearby villages to gameplay mechanics, including a hardcore combat system and horse riding,Kingdom Come: Deliveranceis an experience not everyone can appreciate, but for those who do, there are few competitors to its unique strengths.
Don’t make the mistake of expecting the Kingdom of Bohemia to offer only grounded or mundane quests; there are plenty of surprises and even comedic twists on your journey. From sabotaging an execution and getting drunk with a pastor to exposing a charlatan and finding a cure to heal sick villagers,Deliveranceknows how to make even the most ordinary tasks intriguing and immersive.
The realistic aspect of the game also impacts every quest, allowing players to fail them if postponed for too long or accidentally killing the wrong person during another storyline.
Fallout: New Vegasis often considered one of the best entries in the entireFalloutseries, largely due to its memorable setting and thesheer variety of its quests. Exploring the vast Mojave Desert is a thrilling experience on its own, with plenty of settlements to visit and vivid stories to get involved in along the way. However, it’s when players finally reach the sprawling and dangerous city of New Vegas, filled with various characters, that the game opens up to its fullest potential.
From intricate crime stories, like searching for a missing son with dozens of branches and possible solutions, to more straightforward but equally captivating activities, such as photographing wasteland landmarks or exploring abandoned vaults through environmental storytelling, and even to sending ghouls to space, nearly every step inFallout: New Vegassets you on the path to a memorable story you can later share with friends. Not to mention that players always have the option to go in guns blazing during any mission.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimis a game beloved by several generations of players, and even 13 years after its launch, it still manages to draw tens of thousands of players daily across various platforms. With its captivatingsetting and deep lore,Skyrimoffers a great sense of adventure, inviting players to explore ancient caves and ruins or embark on impactful character-drivenquestlines with satisfying conclusions, something that evenStarfielddoes not always manage to deliver.
From nostalgic quests that bring back fan-favorite characters from previous entries, likeOblivion’sSheogorath, the Daedric Prince of Madness, to murder investigations, drinking contests, joining secret brotherhoods, helping vampires and werewolves, and engaging in politics,Skyrimholds countless secrets for players to uncover and unforgettable adventures to experience.
In true Rockstar fashion,Grand Theft Auto 5is filled with small, missable side quests that players can tackle while playing as Trevor, Michael, or Franklin. Some of these side stories are unique to certain main characters, while others can be completed by any of them. These quests can be initiated by simply talking to strangers on the streets of Los Santos or receiving a message on a mobile phone. The best part is that players often have no idea where such seemingly unimportant activities will lead them.
For example, by stopping at a street food merchant while playing as Trevor, players can experience a sudden alien invasion filled with insane action. Meanwhile, playing as Michael might lead you to join a mysterious cult. Not to mention the various side activities available inGTA 5to pass the time and play some minigames. Without a doubt, players can expect even more adventures and activities in the upcomingGTA 6, which is scheduled for launch sometime next year.
