Why do so many open world games forget how to do good side quests?

The most common type side quests in RPGs, open world gamesMMOs and so on are loading quests. These usually involve little effort on the part of players to collect items or kill enemies for equally minimal rewards. They're not worthless, as they can be good ways to earn money or EXP, but they're not exactly mind-blowing.

Other games focus on fetch quests or offer something different in terms of side quest structure. In these cases, it may be surprising that other games haven't copied these types of quests in their games. The following examples, as Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Red Dead Redemption 2aren't just compelling open-world games with memorable quests, they're memorable because their variety keeps things interesting. More games should copy these side quests and let's see why.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Deliveries that matter

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a game with mostly one type of task: delivery. In the main story, players are given packages to open the connections between underground bunkers and then connect them to the network. After that, players can continue to receive and deliver these bunkers, which in turn will increase the level of their relationships. As levels are completed, players will unlock new recipes for 3D printing gear, from cars to weapons to new travel gear like anti-gravity nodes that can lighten backpacks and make traveling on foot easier.

While not a specific quest type, there are also bandit camps that hide an incredible amount of supplies, which can also help from bunkers, and players can choose to ambush them by going loud or taking them down stealthily. Either way, the basic structure of the delivery system is so well done that it surpasses the delivery systems of other games like this one. It develops the idea of ​​fetch quests to give them meaning, and that's pretty special Death Stranding 2: On the Beachwhich other games should consider adopting.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Mini-games that expand the story

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth it has traditional side quests for NPCs such as fetch quests that involve gathering a certain number of items or defeating monsters to make areas safer. While rewarding, the most interesting quests revolve around some of the larger minigames Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. In each region players travel to, there will be chocobos that players must secretly capture, and when done, they can ride with them and unlock new areas that only they can access.

Queen's Blood is a card game and the biggest side quest in the game. In it, players compete against certain NPCs and it all leads to a grand finale with a twist. There's also the quest for Gilgamesh, which involves several different ideas, from playing an RTS to chasing his giant sand form. Many games have one-shot quests, but Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth it expands the idea of ​​them to make players more invested in their individual stories, and these examples are just the tip of the iceberg of what the game has to offer.

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Animal Crossing: Hawaii

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is another example of a game with lots of minigames that take longer to complete and are tied to NPCs that reward the player with items but also interesting interactions. One example is Sujimon, which is a Pokemon– as a clone. Players can recruit enemies to join their Sujimon League and then compete in underground tournaments. Another big side quest involves players going to a separate island, called Dondoko Island, and renovating it with NPCs and housing to make it livable.

Unlike the rest of the game, which is turn-based, combat on the island is real-time, and players must occasionally defend it from bandits. There is also a quest where players have to find and befriend NPCs around Honolulu. Complete Pokemon clone, befriend the city, and live simulator clone are incredibly well thought out side activities within Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealthand beyond these examples there is much more variety.

Batman: Arkham City

Put on your detective hat

The best Batman: Arkham City is the homage he pays to longtime Batman fans of the comics and cartoons. There are main villains tied to the story that players must defeat, but there are also main Batman villains tied to side quests that players can completely ignore. The game doesn't just say “Deadshot is wreaking havoc on this side of town” because many of the quests are set up as mysteries, which makes sense considering Batman is the best detective in his universe.

Players can go into areas, investigate a crime, which then leads to a major conflict with the villain, which is always a surprise, as is the appearance of the Mad Hatter. Not every villain gets a killer assignment like The Riddler, who is more of a filler, but overall Batman: Arkham City does a good job of giving players the power of investigation. Being able to scan areas and recreate scenes with powerful technology is much cooler than many task types in games.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Fantasy detective

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is also a Batman-like game in a way, as the hero Geralt has a sharp mind and a great sense of smell. Every quest players embark on requires a bit of detective work. There are rarely quests that require you to collect berries or just go out and kill a few monsters. They may start out as simple, standard RPG requirements, but they always evolve.

The missions are dynamic and require a bit more observation, often requiring players to make tough decisions based on the facts they've gathered. For example, should they let go a soldier who left his post to raise his newborn, or should they support the mob and execute him because he actually left his post? The tasks are complex, varied and always tell a good story The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Gathering allies

Players go on missions Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain from their headquarters called Mother Base. There are a large number of request types, including dropping into open zones to eliminate soldiers, rescuing POWs, exploring areas with mysterious entities, or gathering supplies. These are standard mission types, with the most interesting ones being rescue missions, which video games don't have enough of.

The thing that sets these rescue missions apart is that the individuals themselves are the reward. Rescued civilians or soldiers can be recruited at Mother Base and then sent on missions or to various facilities to build equipment, a way for players to expand their mercenary force. Rescue missions with a purpose are great, and building the best possible base also requires getting materials, so these types of missions are valuable.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Stranger, Stranger

Red Dead Redemption 2 is an open world western and one of the best of its kind. Robbing banks and skinning animals to sell can be useful, but they aren't the best types of quests in the game. Alien missions come in all variants, and players will encounter high-ranking NPCs as they approach their locations, similar to how locations appear with question marks in other open-world games.

Finding Strangers is always a pleasant surprise, especially when driving for long stretches in open areas of nothingness. Players can help a biographer find and interview famous shooters for their book, find missing artists, investigate a series of gruesome murders, and more. Each Stranger mission is hand-crafted and well-written to give players an authentic western frontier experience on a scale similar to that of writing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.