The Best Side Quests Ever
These side quests will have you laughing and crying
Getting properly stuck into the main mission of a game is obviously the point of the whole video-gaming exercise, but sometimes it’s nice to have a break from the hard stuff and focus on something a little more menial. If you don’t want to put down your favourite video game but want to explore a softer, sillier, or less serious side to it, then side quests are where you should be focusing your attention. Of course, there are far too many brilliant side quests out there to name all of them, but these are some of the missions that stood out to us. Whether they helped to fill in the backstory of certain characters, were an interesting insight into the history of the plotline, or were just downright weird, these side quests bring another dimension to the games we love.
Mass Effect 2 – Samara: Ardat-Yakshi
Although the ending to the Mass Effect series ranks as one of the most disappointing ever, you absolutely can’t knock the effort that went into the vast majority of the side quests. Throughout the series there were interesting twists and turns, but one of the very best was in the Ardat-Yakshi monastery. In Mass Effect 2, there was a side quest to gain the loyalty of Samara that took place in the Ardat-Yakshi monastery. The quest begins with meeting Samara, who confesses to you that she has a daughter who is an Ardat-Yakshi, a child born with a dangerous genetic defect that causes her to kill whoever she melds with. It’s up to you to locate Samara’s daughter and put an end to her suitors’ suffering. Remember to wear casual clothes, as you’ll need to be blending in to all kinds of locations for this confusing quest.
Far Cry 6 – The Seeds of Love
The Far Cry series has always done the absolute most when it comes to side quests. The team behind the games have got a brilliant way of giving us a window into the sides of the main characters that we wouldn’t always get to see in other titles. Far Cry 6 The Seeds of Love, as you might expect from the name, gives a gentler picture of Lorenzo Canseco, perhaps even gentler than the side quest that precedes this called The First Love. Of course, The First Love has a whole load of potentially deadly booby traps, which do detract somewhat from the lovey-dovey storyline. This quest is a lot more relaxing in terms of gameplay, though. It involves Lorenzo asking Dani to find each of his children, all seven of them. You’ll need to investigate the Conuco and Sierra Perdida regions thoroughly to find them. Some of them are delighted that Lorenzo has got in touch, some of them less so. One thing is for sure though – you’ll find yourself in some hilarious situations completing this quest.
Red Dead Redemption II – He’s British, Of Course
The zebra you’re looking for might surprise you
Much like Far Cry, the team behind Red Dead Redemption have always put an immense amount of effort into their side quests. There are a real range of quests from the serious to the silly in this game, and this particular quest is largely on the sillier side of the spectrum. You’ll begin the quest in Bluewater Marsh in Lemoyne, where you’ll find some circus performers who’ve crashed their caravan. The leader of the group will explain that during the crash they’ve lost their performing animals: a zebra, a tiger and a lion. It’s up to you to find them. The first you’ll need to find is the zebra, or should we say, a horse with stripes. Lasso the horse and bring him back and then you’ll need to find the tiger and the lion. As you search you’ll come across the body of an unfortunate looking lion, who turns out to be a dog with a mane poorly attached. It looks as though he’s fallen prey to something, so your search for the remaining tiger continues. We won’t spoil the surprise, but the tiger might not be what you were expecting when you find it.
