Summary
In the landscape of role-playing games (RPGs), side quests offer players an extension and sometimes a much-needed break from the main story. Side quests can range from fetch quests and monster killing quests to acting like a bona fide mail carrier. While most RPG side quests are straight forward, there are a handful of quests that end up being more complicated than the main story (which is a feat given some games).
These side quests can be a time investment, but they usually elicit great rewards in the way of items, character and story development, and new abilities. The grind and mental fatigue are worth the effort.
9Clock Tower Rewards
Kingdom Hearts Final Mix
Kingdom Heartsis a popular RPG that combines Disney and Square Enix properties. One of its side quests takes place in Neverland and is related to the Clock Tower. The iconic London clock tower’s time is synced to your gameplay.
Above the clock are 12 doors, each corresponding to a different hour on the clock. For each hour of gameplay, one of the doors will open, but that door will only stay open during that hour. If you miss it, you have to wait 11 hours for it to open again. For example, if you played 26:15 hours, then the clock would read 2:00 and that door would be available. Not confusing at all.
If you already sealed the keyhole in Hollow Bastion, you’ll need to complete the Phantom quest to unlock the clock again.
8Biggoron’s Sword
The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Biggoron’s Sword inOcarina of Timeis a weapon that can deal more damage than even the Master Sword, save against Ganon. Obtaining the Biggoron Sword requires completing a series of trades all across Hyrule. It starts with hatching a Pocket Cucco, and leads to a series of five different trades before Link finally gets his hands on the broken Biggoron Sword.
Of course, Biggoron has irritated eyes. Link needs to create eye drops so Biggoron can forge Biggoron’s Sword. It takes three days for Biggoron to finish the sword, but Link’s hard work is rewarded at long-last with one of the strongest weapons in the game.
7Sorceress Sellen
Elden Ring
Beware of slight story spoilers.Sorceress Sellenis one of the most importantElden RingNPCs forsorcery builds. Her quest begins in Waypoint Ruins. After she agrees to sell you spells, you are sent out to run a full lap all the way around Mt. Gelmir to find the Primeval Sorcerer Azur and receive the Comet Azur. You return to Sellen just to be sent out to learn the Stars of Ruin spell. Afterward, Sellen sends you to Witchbane Ruins, where you find Jerren with the body of Sellen, which puts a hitch in things.
Time to revive Sellen to continue the sorcery training. You make your way to Three Sisters, which is full of illusionary walls and floors. After puzzling your way to the basement, you find the doppelgänger doll of Sellen and revive her. She’ll reopen her shop in the basement until you defeat Rennala.
6Pitioss Ruins/Stealing the Past
Final Fantasy 15
Final Fantasy15is known for its great wealth of side quests, but one of the most complicated side quests to complete is the Pitioss Ruins and Stealing the Past. The ruins are a constantly moving platforming dungeon that requires precise techniques to pass. The only light in the dungeon comes from Noctis’s flashlight and fire, making it difficult to see your platforms.
The dungeon is broken into three sections, each more challenging than the last. Noctis finds the Magitek Core to complete the Stealing the Past quest, as well as the Black Hood item, which gives Noctis the ability to automatically dodge attacks. A very useful item now that you’ve completed the main gameplay.
5One Small Favor
RuneScape
RuneScapeis a free fantasy MMORPG where players live their best fantasy lives. One side quest is called One Small Favor. What could go wrong?
After traveling to Shilo Village, Yanni Salika asks if you could source an exotic mahogany polish, which is created from red mahogany logs. You head to the Jungle Foresters, who are willing to part with the logs if you take their blunt hatchet to Captain Shanks to be sharpened in Port Sarim.
But Captain Shanks doesn’t want to get the hatchet sharpened, so you hop on a boat to do it yourself. This trading cycle continues for more than 30 cycles and takes you all over the world until you finally receive the mahogany logs and make the polish for Yanni Salika.
4Cecile/Frings
Tales Of The Abyss
Beware of story spoilers ahead.Tales of the Abyss is a story of a world in turmoil. The Kingdoms of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear and Malkuth are thrust into war after extended hostilities. General Cecille of Kimlasca and General Frings of Malkuth develop feelings for each other on the battlefield. The most complicated thing about the Cecille/Frings quest is that if you miss one of the steps, the quest is plot-blocked and there are no quest markers on the World Map. The only way to complete the quest would be to restart from an earlier save file or to wait until your next New Game+.
The quest begins with Cecille sending a letter and a dagger to Frings, ending their relationship. Frings sends another letter back to Cecille (delivered by you) refusing the dagger. This letter exchange goes back and forth a number of times until Frings finally asks her to marry him. Cecille reveals that her family is in disgrace. Restoring her family’s honor must come before her feelings.
At the inn in Yormgen in Tales of Vesperia, there is a message that reads Cecille♥Frings, shipping the pair in a different universe.
After signing a peace treaty, honor is restored to House Cecille and Cecille is free to marry Frings (cue more letter deliveries). Sadly, Frings is killed before the wedding. If you manage to find every step of the quest, Cecille gives you Frings’ handmade wedding regalia.
3Legendary Gardener
Nier Replicant
An important item inNier Replicantis the White Moonflower, also called the Lunar Tear.To cultivate the White Moonflower, you’ll need to grow various hybrid flowers in very specific combinations.
The first step is getting ten seeds of each of the three Moonflower varieties: blue, red, and gold. The flowers take 24 hours to bloom and 48 hours to drop seeds. You hybridize the plants until you get at least ten seeds of peach, indigo, and pink Moonflowers.
The last step is cultivating the White Moonflower. This requires planting the new Moonflower varieties of a very particular pattern. This does not automatically create a White Moonflower, so you’ll need to repeat the process over and over again until you get the desired result. All for a flower and an achievement.
2Aranyaka
Genshin Impact
Genshin Impactis no stranger to long, drawn-out quest lines, especially the Aranyaka quest line in Sumeru. The quest begins when the Traveler befriends Rana. While helping Ranaclear Withering Zonesand investigating missing children, Rana is injured. The only way to help her is to seek the aid of the Aranara, a race of forest spirits.
This leads to an extremely long series of side-quests that has the Traveler jumping all around the jungles of Sumeru. The Aranara teach the traveler how toplay different tuneson their instrument, unlocking different parts of the jungle. Throughout their journey, the Traveler befriends at least 64 Aranara, helps them solve their problems, and even assists the Aranara in reclaiming their ancestral nursery.
1Spiritomb
Pokemon Sword & Shield
Spiritomb joined thePokemon Sword & ShieldPokedex in the Crown Tundra DLC, but it takes several steps to encounter it. The trainer must find the tombstone engraved with the words “Spread my voice” in the Crown Tundra. Then you must connect to the internet, which requires aNintendo Switch Online subscription, to interact with 32 other trainers. Unfortunately, there is no in-game counter, so you’ll need to keep count manually.
The 32 trainers is a call-back to Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, where you had to speak to 32 people in the Hallowed Tower to catch Spiritomb.
Upon revisiting the tomb, it now reads “My voice has been heard.” The trainer leaves the area and then returns to spawn Spiritomb. Or, conversely, you can use Pokemon Home to transfer a Spiritomb from Pokemon Go. Whatever works.
