Open-World Games Worth Playing Just For Their Side Quests

Open world games as a genre have really exploded in popularity in recent years. The promise of a vast world, full of secrets and treasures to be discovered and explored, is very appealing to a lot of fans. But an open world can quickly become a detriment unless it's detailed and alive, and side quests play a major role in this.

At their worst, side quests might feel like meaningless filler content. A strong side quest, however, can flesh out the world and reveal shocking new details about the game's setting. They can also reveal the rich inner lives of the NPCs involved, making the world feel more alive and populated by people with real emotions and hopes. Here are ten open world games with some of the best side quests on offer.

Fallout 4

Cruising the Commonwealth

Fallout 4's immense map features a lot of side quests for players to embark on during their quest to find their lost son. The game is most infamous for the settlement system, a complex web of side quests and mechanics that let players collect and build on plots of land throughout the game. Recruiting villagers to settle these plots unlocks even more side quests, where players are called upon to defend their burgeoning towns from threats and danger.

Even beyond the settlement system, though, Fallout 4 has side quests to spare. Some of the game's most memorable moments are in its side quests. Some standouts include the U.S.S. Constitution, a rocket-powered sailing ship crewed by colonial robots that the protagonist must free from the top of a skyscraper, and the infamous Silver Shroud questline, where players must take on the role of a fictional vigilante as they battle some of the wasteland's toughest gangs.

Elden Ring

Shaping The Fate Of The Lands Between

Elden Ring is one of the most prominent open world games to release in recent memory. The Lands Between and the DLC realm, the Land of Shadow, are both teeming with secrets to uncover and mighty foes to challenge. There are also numerous side quest threads to follow throughout the course of the game.

In true From Software fashion, Elden Ring's side quests can be rather tricky to follow. They depend on being in the right place at the right time, with no formal quest logs to guide players. Diligence and attention to detail are required to pursue the threads of some of the player's favorite NPCs. The payoff, however, is some truly engaging and emotional content, as well as access to secret dungeons and bosses, and even, in some cases, whole new endings to the game.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

The Hero of Cyrodiil

Oblivion is certainly showing its age these days, especially compared to its successor Skyrim, but it still has some excellent side quests. The realm of Cyrodiil is rich with immersive and expansive factions players can join, including the infamous Dark Brotherhood and the Mages' Guild. Each of these organizations offers a lengthy questline as players rise the ranks to the top.

Even seemingly straightforward questlines, like fighting to become the champion of the local combat arena, can have dramatic consequences. Players can also do unique quests for each of the Daedric Lords in order to earn items of immense power. And of course, individual citizens throughout the world have sidequests to offer, some of which change or trigger based on the player's actions as they journey through Cyrodiil.

Horizon Forbidden West

The Undiscovered Country

Horizon Forbidden West sees Aloy continue her journey into the mysterious reaches of the titular Forbidden West. In her quest to restore the biosphere and avert another apocalypse, Aloy must navigate the precarious power dynamics of the local tribes and work to end a civil war.

Along the way, Aloy is frequently presented with opportunities to aid the local tribes and their people. These side quests are not only an ideal way to help restore order and peace to the Forbidden West; they also help Aloy secure allies and friends for her mission. Just like in the previous game, the stakes of Aloy's mission are high, and despite her aloof nature, she'll need all the help she can get.

Cyberpunk 2077

The Heart of Night City

In spite of its rocky launch, Cyberpunk 2077 has developed into a truly remarkable product. The setting of Night City is rich with immersive details and secrets, and there are side quests scattered throughout the world to help players get lost in this dystopian metropolis.

Major characters like Panam Palmer, Judy Alvarez, and River Ward have very involved questlines that bring players face to face with some of the darkest parts of living in Night City. These side quests hit hard, and the choices players make can have very tangible consequences for V and her allies alike.

Breath of the Wild

Seeing Hyrule In A Whole New Light

The Legend of Zelda's open-world debut was an absolute revelation, reinventing the legendary realm of Hyrule from the ground up. This majestic open world is jam-packed with side quests of every sort. Players will find themselves pursuing village rumors, ancient prophecies, and even business propositions over the course of their myriad adventures.

One of the most iconic sidequests in Breath of the Wild is the construction of Tarrey Town, a humble island community that Link must help build out of nothing. The long process of building this new city is involved and surprisingly emotional, and ends with what very well may be one of the most sublime accomplishments Link has ever had a hand in.

The Witcher 3

Grim Fairy Tales

The Witcher 3 is a game that needs no introduction. This iconic fantasy RPG puts players in the now-famous shoes of Geralt of Rivia, a Witcher whose monster hunting quests bring him into a struggle for the fate of the world around him. The setting of The Witcher franchise takes heavy inspiration from fairy tales and fables, meaning players can expect encounters with mythological creatures around every turn.

The prominent role Geralt comes to play in determining the fate of the realm means he gets involved in a lot of major affairs, and this translates to a pretty hefty library of side quests. Many of Geralt's adventures will bring him face to face with strange and alarming creatures and magical phenomena, which have had drastic effects on the people living with them. In true CD Projekt fashion, there are also several side quests involving major characters, with payoffs equal to the main storyline in terms of emotional weight in consequence.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Climb That Mountain

For many years after its release, Skyrim was the definitive open world game. The titular mountain realm has ancient tombs and treacherous caves around every corner, and its extensive modding scene has kept it alive for many years, maintaining the game's popularity through a staggering number of rereleases.

Skyrim has an incredible variety of side quests for players to take part in. Almost every named NPC in the game has some story they're involved in, whether it's a minor love affair or an ancient family curse. By aiding these NPCs, the Dragonborn can earn plentiful rewards and even pick up valuable adventuring companions.

Tears of the Kingdom

Hyrule Cubed

Tears of the Kingdom improved on the already phenomenal Breath of the Wild in many ways. It expanded the map with the addition of the menacing Underground and the airborne Sky Islands, each with their own roaming bosses and puzzles to solve. It also introduced a wealth of new side quests for Link to take on in between adventures.

Tears of the Kingdom has some of the best side content the franchise has ever seen. The Monstrous Collection side quest, for instance, has Link curating sculpted monster statues to educate the people of Hyrule on the creatures that share their world. The founders of Tarrey Town, the city Link helped build in the previous game, have an emotional new saga about saying goodbye to their young daughter as she grows up. Hyrule has continued to grow and change over the course of the two-game series, and Link is there to help it every step of the way.

Fallout: New Vegas

Preparing For War

Fallout: New Vegas is set in the middle of a battleground, with two major factions preparing for an all-out war to determine the fate of the wasteland. While the protagonist initially sets out into this tumultuous realm to claim revenge, they find themselves inexorably drawn into the coming conflict.

Most of the side quests in Fallout: New Vegas revolve around this coming power struggle. Even the ones that don't will often have ramifications that impact some of the major players in the Mojave, tipping the balance of the region in ways players can't expect. Even dungeon crawls in abandoned Vaults can lead to the player uncovering a narrative worthy of its own novel. When the player finally joins the Battle of Hoover Dam, all of their past experiences will weigh on the outcome of the fight, for better or worse.