The world of gaming is vast. Over the span of decades, there have been so many games on different consoles and in a variety of genres that it’s impossible to play all of them. But some games do stand the test of time and are forever cemented in our personal Halls of Fame.
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It’s not always the gameplay or the story of a game that makes it a fan favorite. Sometimes, it’s just the quality of the game’s side quests. While the games that follow aren’t popular just because of their side quests, each possesses one side quest that nearly every gaming fan will recognize and that has been discussed even years after the game’s release.
“Sasquatches Are Made Up”
Red Dead Redemption Undead Nightmare Pack
What starts as a simple mission turns into something so deeply disturbing that it’s still remembered byRed Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare fans all over the world. “Birth of the Conservation Movement” is a side mission given to John by a strager rambling about baby-eating Sasquatches in the tall trees.
The pretense of the mission is to eliminate all these sasquatches, which are pacifist creatures that run away from the player as they approach them. Doing this is disturbing on its own, especially when these Sasquatches have done the player no harm. But the emotional meter really escalates when the player finds the last remaining Sasquatch who tells John that Sasquatches are herbivores and have never harmed any human. He then proceeds to beg John to kill him as all the remaining survivors of his kind have been killed, leaving the player between a rock and a hard place.
I remember when I first played Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare, I couldn’t find the Sasquatches in the Tall Trees, no matter what I tried. It annoyed me so much that I abandoned the game entirely.
6The Silver Shroud - Fallout 4
“Death Has Come For You, Evildoer. And I Am its Shroud.”
This quirky quest lets players become a retro comic book hero, The Silver Shroud, donning the costume and speaking in character while dispensing vigilante justice in the ruined wasteland ofFallout 4.
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The Silver Shroud’s radio broadcast missions bring a campy, old-school vibe that adds a unique charm to the quest, making it easily stand out from not just the other missions inFallout 4, but the entire franchise. From the noir costume to the dramatic, radio-style voiceovers, it’s a fun, immersive side quest that fans still remember and talk about to this day.
5The Perfect Crime - Batman: Arkham Knight
“Pyg Gets To Play With Flesh, Make It Look Pretty After Death."
Batman: Arkham Knight
Batman Arkham gamesoften delve into psychological horror, especially when Scarecrow is involved. But inArkham Knight, things take a much more sinister turn. While flying above the buildings of Gotham, players will suddenly hear opera music coming from nearby, and when they follow the sound of this music, they’ll stumble upon a horrendous crime scene with a dead body hung up on a wall.
It takes Batman multiple dead bodies and his detective knowledge to piece together clues as to who’s behind these grotesque murders, and in the end, all the clues point to Professor Pyg. This maniacal doctor has been mutilating people trying to create the perfect body, and every time he fails, he dumps the body if the person dies, and if they don’t, these people become Dollotrons that Batman has to fight during his showdown with Professor Pyg. Everything from the start to the end of this side quest was extremely disturbing, and fans won’t be forgetting this mission any time soon.
4The Bloody Baron - Witcher 3
There’s No Right Choice
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Even though “The Bloody Baron” is just a side quest, it’s such a marvel of storytelling in a video game that it could very well become its own movie. This side quest has tormented people for years after players first experienced it back in 2015 whenWitcher 3came out. With an intricate storyline and a huge emphasis on player choices, there are multiple outcomes to this quest, but none are necessarily good, highlighting the nature of human flaws and complex moral choices that can’t be easily classified as good or bad.
The quest follows Geralt’s search for Baron Strenger’s missing wife and daughter. As he uncovers a tragic history of abuse, curses, and dark magic involving the Crones of Crookback Bog, Geralt faces harrowing choices, including whether to transform a cursed fetus into a guiding spirit, and a wrong choice could make the Baron hanging himself by a noose in the courtyard.
3Shoot This Guy In The Face - Borderlands 2
That’s It. That’s The Mission.
Borderlands 2
On a much lighter note than Witcher 3,Borderlands2 is home to some of the most iconic side missions in all the game industry. But the one side quest that arguably trumps every other side quest in this series in terms of how memorable it is, has to be this one. Given to the player by a guy called Face McShooty, who wants nothing more than to be shot in the face, this mission gives players a simple task that’s clearly explained in the name of this side quest: Shoot This Guy in the Face.
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Face McShooty pleads, shouts, and insists on this request, and the player is even rewarded after doing the simple, bizarre act. There’s no dramatic story arc or hidden message, but the sheer absurdity and over-the-top humor alone make this one of the most iconic side missions in gaming.
2Whodunit? - Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
A Game Of Cat And Mouse
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Side quests in Elder Scroll games have always been masterfully written and executed, but none holds a candle to the creativity and humor of “Whodunit?” in Oblivion. Tasked with eliminating five guests at a secluded mansion without any witnesses, the player becomes both the detective and the murderer in a twisted game of deception.
As the guests grow paranoid and start to suspect each other, the player can manipulate the situation to create an atmosphere of suspense and chaos, even turning them against one another. And just for this alone, this quest is considered by the fans of the franchise as an unforgettable masterpiece that’s just as fun to play the hundredth time that it was for the first time.
1Demolition Man - GTA Vice City
Dark Souls Before Dark Souls Was A Thing
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
It’s not always the positive aspects of a side quest that make it iconic, and the best example of this is the “Demolition Man” side quest in GTA Vice City. Creating lasting childhood trauma among gamers, this mission is remembered for its challenging and nerve-wracking gameplay that tested even the most skilled players.
In this quest, the player must control a remote helicopter to plant bombs in a construction site, all while dodging relentless enemies. It’s not so much that the task is hard, but it’s the finicky and awkward controls that make maneuvering the helicopter around the construction site’s stairways a nightmare. For many players, finally conquering this mission after multiple days of attempting and failing became no less than a badge of honor.
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