History Main / Sidequest

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' has many sidequests, one example of which is killing of [[BountyHunter "marks"]]. Actually, you could say most of this game are sidequests.
** Similarly, ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' has sixty-four side quests available in Chapter 11. All of them revolve around killing a fairly powerful enemy.

* Even the ''Franchise/MegaMan'' games are not immune. Collecting plates in [[VideoGame/MegaManClassic the Classic series]]; the armors from ''VideoGame/MegaManX'', the Cyber Elves from ''VideoGame/MegaManZero''; and the RPG games ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork'' and ''VideoGame/MegaManLegends'' haven't even been mentioned yet...

* ''VideoGame/KisekiSeries'' Has what is called "jobs" that players can fulfill outside of the story. Some may be a bit harder than others, despite that they garner great rewards.

* Even the ''VideoGame/MegaMan'' games are not immune. Collecting plates in the Classic series; the armors from ''VideoGame/MegaManX'', the Cyber Elves from ''VideoGame/MegaManZero''; and the RPG games ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork'' and ''VideoGame/MegaManLegends'' haven't even been mentioned yet...

* Present in ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'' and its sequels, ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'' and ''VideoGame/BorderlandsThePreSequel'', with characters paying in XP, money, and/or loot. Especially notable is the (only) Face [=McShooty=] quest "Shoot This Guy In The Face". Should you find him in the middle of nowhere screaming about how he ''needs'' someone to [[CaptainObvious shoot him in the face]], accepting means you have to do so. Completing it actually awards you with cash and XP too, as well as the achievement ''[[ZeroEffortBoss "Well that was easy..."]]''

!Examples

!!Non-video game examples

[[folder:Mythology]]

* [[Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick Roy Greenhilt]], on the other hand, hates [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0349.html wasting time]] [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0134.html on sidequests.]] And Tarquin [[ItsAllAboutMe refuses to be one]].

* In ''{{Webcomic/Homestuck}}'', Vriska and Tavros [[HeroOfAnotherStory apparently]] spent quite a while doing side quests on the Land of Maps and Treasure, hoarding wealth and experience.

[[folder:Web Original]]
* {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in ''Ian's Adventures in Morrowind'' ([[http://web.archive.org/web/20030627014843/machall.com/morrowind/page8.html archived here]]).
-->'''Dagoth Ur''': What the hell are you doing here? I'm the end boss!\\
'''Ren''': Correction, you ''were'' the end boss. That's my job now...\\
'''Dagoth Ur''': But you can't just skip to the end of the game without doing any of the 400 side missions!?\\
'''Ren''': Fine then, you can go tramping around this God forsaken rock for years on end, doing odd jobs for complete strangers, which in some twisted way ends up saving the whole world for no reason at all...

* Parodied in the WebOriginal/KingDragonCanon ([[https://youtu.be/Uq20WAuTUdQ link]])
-->'''Archebald''': Shouldn't we be saving Prince Horace from King Dragon?\\
'''Dennis''': Will you relax? I am trying to find every pinecone, okay?

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Tigtone}}: As the series takes place in a world that runs on video game logic, Tigtone often gets distracted by sidequests.

In a lot of post-''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' [=MMOs=] (and games inspired by it), most sidequests fall into the Big Five templates: [[MassMonsterSlaughterSidequest Kill Quests]][[note]]"kill a certain number of certain mobs"[[/note]], {{Fetch Quest}}s[[note]]"bring me a specific thing"[[/note]], [=FedEx=] Quests[[note]]"[[InvertedTrope deliver this thing to another place]]"[[/note]], [[CollectionSidequest Collect Quests]][[note]]"find a certain number of certain things", often [[TwentyBearAsses rolled into Kill Quests]][[/note]], and [[EscortMission Escort Quests]][[note]]"guide this vulnerable NPC to another place"--i.e. an extra frustrating variation of [=FedEx=] Quests[[/note]]. As [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otAkP5VjIv8 discussed]] by ''WebAnimation/ExtraCredits'', the prevalence of the Big Five is often a result of the common view among game designers that the only purpose of sidequests is to [[JustifiedTrope justify]] in-story the endless [[RPGsEqualCombat combat]] [[LevelGrinding grind]] gameplay.

!!Examples:

** ''VideoGame/LightningReturnsFinalFantasyXIII:'' The official guide states that completing all of the side quests will raise Lightning's stats more than the five main quests and the Canvas of Prayers quests combined.
* The ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' series has quite a few of them, but the one that stands out is ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIX'', which has ''one hundred and twenty'' of them... that came in the box. With DLC, this gets upgraded to over one hundred and eighty. True, the majority of them are either {{Fetch Quest}}s or killing a certain enemy a number of times and/or in a certain way, but the rewards are almost always worth it, such as class-exclusive armour, rare [[ItemCrafting alchemy]] ingredients, or even [[PrestigeClass new Vocations]]. This is a JustifiedTrope as well, your PC is part of a race of {{Winged Humanoid}}s called [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Celestrians]], who ''all'' have [[JustifiedTrope justified]] ChronicHeroSyndrome.

[[folder: Simulation Game ]]

[[folder: Survival Horror]]

[[folder: Turn Based Strategy ]]

[[folder: Wide Open Sandbox ]]

!!Non-video game examples:

[[folder: LARP]]

[[folder: Web Comics ]]

[[folder: Web Original ]]

-->'''Dagoth Ur''': What the hell are you doing here? I'm the end boss!
-->'''Ren''': Correction, you ''were'' the end boss. That's my job now...
-->'''Dagoth Ur''': But you can't just skip to the end of the game without doing any of the 400 side missions!?
-->'''Ren''': Fine then, you can go tramping around this God forsaken rock for years on end, doing odd jobs for complete strangers, which in some twisted way ends up saving the whole world for no reason at all...

-->'''Archebald''': Shouldn't we be saving Prince Horace from King Dragon?
-->'''Dennis''': Will you relax? I am trying to find every pinecone, okay?
%%

** After seeing how much time players spent on the much more limited sidequests in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsArena Arena]]'', Bethesda responded by adding dozens of unique sidequests and an infinite number of [[RandomlyGeneratedLevels randomly generated]] sidequests in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]''. (Though they do get repetitive rather quickly.)

* ''VideoGame/TheSimpsonsHitAndRun'' has collector cards that contain items from [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons the cartoon]] (Such as [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS9E1TheCityOfNewYorkVsHomerSimpson crab juice]]), collecting all in a level unlocked a multi player bonus track that was specific to the level, collecting all in the game allowed you (in level 3) to trade all of them (although they're still there in the pause menu) for a ticket to the "Itchy and Scratchy: 300 Yard Gash" from the Comic Book Guy.

A very fundamental video game trope, a sidequest (or optional quest, or side mission, etc.) is any part of a video game that is not required to complete the game. Sidequests come in a variety of forms, and completing sidequests generally brings reward to the player such as additional equipment or abilities, areas to explore, supplemental plot related details, or fun unlockables.

Going out of your way and completing all sidequests results in [[HundredPercentCompletion one hundred percent completion]].

Some side quests such as the BonusDungeon and BonusBoss may provide challenges more difficult than any content available through the main storyline. This allows more casual players to still complete the game and see the plot resolved, while also giving gamers seeking an additional challenge something to go after.

It is important to note that this trope appears in practically every game which gives the player even a slight amount of free rein, and is one of the best way for a developer to add more content and extend the length of a game. If sidequests take up the majority of the game, it may be a WideOpenSandbox.

* Featured in every single ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' game since the beginning of the series. A well-known example is ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'' for its sheer number of sidequests, which translates in several characters in need of help, more complex mini-games to play and more secret zones to explore. Other games in the series, such as ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]'', ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap The Minish Cap]]'', ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'' follow a similar trend. In general terms, the availability of sidequests in a Zelda game is inversely proportional to how many dungeons exist.
** ''Breath of the Wild'' actually takes this UpToEleven, since it is entirely possible to make a dash for the final boss the second you complete the NoobCave, meaning that ''everything'' is technically a sidequest. Even worse, the '''900''' Korok seeds, fully half of which ''do nothing'', account for 72% of the total completion percentage of the game.

* The ''Franchise/{{Fallout}}'' series generally have a game-spanning storyline that consists of a handful of major quests in key locations and a plethora of sidequests to fill out the world, such as rescuing a town from raiders or clearing out monsters from an abandoned mine. The results of these quests may determine the fate of settlements and people you come across in your travels.

* ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2 Final Fantasy X-2]]'' is a game constructed almost entirely out of sidequests.

** The second half of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' is free form. There are three missions you have to do, but other than that, the missions are all side-quests, with rewards like powerful magic and recovering your warriors.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' has many sidequests, one example of which is killing of [[BountyHunter "marks"]].

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance'' and its sequel both have tons of sidequests (out of 300 missions, around 30 are mandatory to see the ending). The sequel has up to 400 missions if you count random encounters etc.

** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' dropped the infinite randomly generated sidequests in favor of having non-random LoadsAndLoadsOfSidequests, and even had an in-story explanation for why your character would do them. (You're a spy for the Empire and need to keep up a cover identity as a freelance adventurer, cleverly playing with TakeYourTime.) The Guilds and Factions all have their own [[SideQuestSideStory Side Quest Side Stories]] which are nearly as expansive as the main quest itself.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'' kept the trend going with plenty of sidequests available and expansive faction questlines as well. However, the main quest's [[ContinueYourMissionDammit sense of urgency makes a stark contrast]] with the still sidequest-focused gameplay.

* Present in ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'' and its sequel, ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands 2}}'', with characters paying in XP, money, and/or bonuses. Especially notable is the (only) Face [=McShooty=] quest "Shoot This Guy In The Face". Should you find him in the middle of nowhere screaming about how he ''needs'' someone to [[CaptainObvious shoot him in the face]], accepting means you have to do so. Completing it actually awards you with cash and XP too, as well as the achievement ''[[ZeroEffortBoss "Well that was easy..."]]''

In a lot of post-''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' [=MMOs=] (and games inspired by it), most sidequests fall into the Big Five templates: [[MassMonsterSlaughterSidequest Kill Quests]][[note]]"kill a certain number of certain mobs"[[/note]], {{Fetch Quest}}s[[note]]"bring me a specific thing"[[/note]], [=FedEx=] Quests[[note]]"[[InvertedTrope deliver this thing to another place]]"[[/note]], [[CollectionSidequest Collect Quests]][[note]]"find a certain number of certain things", often [[TwentyBearAsses rolled into Kill Quests]][[/note]], and [[EscortMission Escort Quests]][[note]]"guide this vulnerable NPC to another place"--i.e. an extra frustrating variation of [=FedEx=] Quests[[/note]]. As [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otAkP5VjIv8 discussed]] by ''WebVideo/ExtraCredits'', the prevalence of the Big Five is often a result of the common view among game designers that the only purpose of sidequests is to [[JustifiedTrope justify]] in-story the endless [[RPGsEqualCombat combat]] [[LevelGrinding grind]] gameplay.

** ''Breath of the Wild'' actually takes this UpToEleven, since it is entirely possible to make a dash for the final boss the second you complete the NoobCave, meaning that ''everything'' is technically a sidequest.

* The ''Franchise/DragonQuest'' series has quite a few of them, but the one that stands out is ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIX'', which has ''one hundred and twenty'' of them... that came in the box. With DLC, this gets upgraded to over one hundred and eighty. True, the majority of them are either {{Fetch Quest}}s or killing a certain enemy a number of times and/or in a certain way, but the rewards are almost always worth it, such as class-exclusive armour, rare [[ItemCrafting alchemy]] ingredients, or even [[PrestigeClass new Vocations]]. This is a JustifiedTrope as well, your PC is part of a race of {{Winged Humanoid}}s called [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Celestrians]], who ''all'' have [[JustifiedTrope justified]] ChronicHeroSyndrome.

* Featured in every single ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' game since the beginning of the series. A well-known example is ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'' for its sheer number of sidequests, which translates in several characters in need of help, more complex mini-games to play and more secret zones to explore. Other games in the series, such as ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]'', ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap The Minish Cap]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]]'' follow a similar trend. In general terms, the availability of sidequests in a Zelda game is inversely proportional to how many dungeons exist.