8 RPG with small scale quests

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that most of the big RPGs that people play today are fairly high stakes. There will always be RPGs with lower stakes, but in general games of this genre usually involve escaping from mortal danger or saving the world from some great evil force. This emphasis on the bigger picture has worked in favor of many titles, giving players some of the best narrative games ever to hit the shelves.

Part of what makes these higher stakes games so interesting is how they stack up against other tasks in the game. If every side quest also about saving the world it diminishes the whole experience, saving the world becomes a chore like running to the store for milk. Whether in vast open worlds or more linear narrative affairs, these RPGs all have small-scale quests that focus on adding realism to the world and making the player's desire to save that much stronger.

8 Red Dead Redemption 2

Immersive world full of great side quests

Back a bit to the introduction, part of what was created Red Dead Redemption 2 such a fantastic title is its emphasis on the smaller and more intimate story of Arthur Morgan and the Van Der Linde gang.

There are a lot of random encounters in the wilderness in this game that are either standalone moments in their own right or seeds that will eventually blossom into a longer side quest. These add character and flavor to the environment in a simple but effective way.

7 Morrowind

Sidequests add flavor to locations, people, and factions

If there is one thing Morrowind does better than Oblivion and Skyrim… it's actually almost everything. Please play this game. However, when it comes to side quests, the game does an excellent job of making the character feel like a living, breathing part of the world, not just a 'Protagonist' cruising around in a blaze of glory.

Lower level guilds give players real busy work or smaller contracts and it's fun because you feel like you're actually a part of the guild operations and not the savior of the guild due to pretending two smaller tasks before one big one. a crisis threatens the entire faction and the real story begins.

6 Cyberpunk

Exploring the night city helps V feel like a mercenary

For many players, Night City is an amazing setting for an open world title. Cyberpunk 2077 it may have its faults, but V feels like an integrated part of the world from the get-go, thanks in no small part to the side quests.

Whether you were found nearby through scouting or by contacting a Handler, the fact that V might even have Handlers helps the player say, “Hey, this person is actually a mercenary, both in name and deed”. The game offers plenty of moments for V to engage in a real profession with a real business.

5 Fallout: New Vegas

A series of comedic and impressive side quests

With an incredible story and some RPG elements that really set it apart from its contemporaries, Fallout: New Vegas is a truly iconic post-apocalyptic RPG. One of the ways this game stands out is the side quest content that gives each area more depth.

Players can take on special quests to earn some caps or ingratiate themselves with a minor faction by helping them out, and it all feels like a real, fleshed-out part of the world.

4 Shin Megami Tensei V: Revenge

Dealing with demons and gods in any capacity

A JRPG that is equal parts difficult and engaging, Atlus has truly created one of the best games in its catalog Shin Megami Tensei V: Revenge. The side quests in this game may not always seem small since they usually involve creature deities, but that often makes them more fun than anything else.

Helping the spider god trick his father or chasing Turbo Granny across Tokyo or any other low stakes task in this game has something special about it and more than often it's a great reward for the player.

3 Dragon Age Origins

The gray administrator can do many interesting tasks

Potentially BioWare's magnum opus, Dragon Age: Origins makes every side quest exciting and substantial. Except for the weakest job board quests, almost every quest has branching options.

In addition, each quest will also prompt reactions from the player's companions, so side quests are not only a way for the player to explore the world, but also to explore the mindset of their companions.

2 Outer worlds

Halcyon Colony has many engaging small-scale quests

The hype continues to build for Obsidian's Openeven so, there are plenty of great titles in this developer's catalog to look back on. Outer worlds is often overlooked by players, but has some of the most fun side quests of any Obsidian title.

Similar to Originseach of the companions in this game has a unique insight into which of the main factions they are assisting in each side quest and it really helps develop them as characters.

1 Mass Effect

The game has many opportunities for interesting missions

The beginnings of a masterpiece among RPGs, Mass Effect was a game that introduced players to a story of galactic proportions with an excellent space opera story that helped cement Shepard's role as an incredibly iconic protagonist.

Whether it's along the Citadel or exploring the many distant planets in the galaxy, there are a number of small side quests that help give this world its own personality. Yes, it's a world about stopping world-ending robots (or biosynthetic creatures or whatever the Reapers are), but it's also a world about a widower trying to get his dead wife's body back to earth, or helping a Hanar merchant get a business license.