The best and worst side quests. In defense of side quests
Table of Contents
How to briefly sum up the reception of side quests in games? I think the Polish blogger, Christopher Gonciarz summed it up perfectly in his 2006 review of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
Side quests can be maliciously divided into two categories: those with an idea, and those without it. Unfortunately, most of them easily falls into simple patterns. We overhear a conversation, we ask around, we're directed to someone directly involved, and they send us to a dungeon. We kill who needs killing and find what needs finding, and go back – and they lived happily ever after. That's not necessarily bad, we're all more or less used to the "meat and potatoes." The latter are quests, in which the spark of God and the talent of Bethesda writers are clearly visible, which will occasionally jump out with a twist or theme so captivating that we are prepared to meekly agree to another ten "ordinary" missions.
Christopher Gonciarz
"Meat and potatoes." We often look at side quests as paltry addition to the tastiest bite. We juxtapose the main plot and the side story, expecting that each time we will get equally impressive, extended stories in which we will only deal with relevant and exciting matters. We just want the meat, so we lose sight of the big picture – conceived deliberately by the authors of the compositions of different sensations and possibilities.
On the other hand, it's good to have some potatoes on your plate – as my mother used to say, "You can skip the potatoes, but eat the meat." When you're running out of time and you don't like the game that much, you can just get on with the main story. And if you don't have enough, you can always eat the potato. This allows us to decide for ourselves how long our adventure will be.
Red Dead Redemption 2 turned the simplest tasks into really engaging missions. But even simple quests can be more than a dull duty – it's mostly up to our attitude.
So should we turn a blind eye to the quality of side missions and set out to deratisize another alleyway? No, this isn't about lowering the bar. The magic of games, after all, is that they open up limitless possibilities to us, inviting us to different virtual worlds. So we have the right to expect interesting and unforgettable experiences. Remember, however, that sometimes a side quest is just an invitation offered by authors. It's an excuse to try something new, to go somewhere else. Let's not judge these tasks solely through the prism of plot value – they are not the driving force behind the story.
I encourage you to reminisce about the recently completed games and look at the side stories from this, less obvious angle. Remember their voluntary nature and try to see how even the simplest of them motivate creativity, engagement or simply open the door slightly towards better understanding of a visited universe.
