Best JRPG Sidequests, Ranked - Investment Policy

Instead of battling an almighty foe like God being the ultimate cliche, what makes a game truly memorable is discovering its finest gear, enchantments, lore, or stories hidden within side missions. Fortunately, not every side mission is created equal.

If you’re seeking games that have plenty of additional tales to explore, you’ve come to the right place.

This list showcases ten exceptional side missions, whether you’re exploring grand dungeons or developing relationships among characters, that you’ll come across within the genre.

10. Elusive Badge

A Thief’s Prize

As an enthusiastic player, I can’t help but rave about the thrill of visiting The Trouble Center tucked away during my gaming adventures. This hidden gem offers an exciting opportunity to snag cool badges and even score some extra Coins, perfect for filling the gaps between the main story chapters!

At The Trouble Center, many side-missions involve brief visits to familiar spots for dialogue with an NPC or collecting an item, but one of them truly excels as a skillfully executed fetch quest.

As a dedicated fan, I can’t help but share my excitement about the chance to bring on board Ms. Mowz, my old “frenemy” in Elusive Badge. This cunning mouse might not have wrapped up The Thousand-Year Door’s main storyline, but her knack for sniffing out hidden treasures makes her an indispensable ally for those of us who are die-hard collectors.

The task at hand is straightforward; it calls for a brief exploration of the game’s initial labyrinth – an opportune moment to relish a sense of empowerment as you progress through the narrative – with the aim of locating a concealed artifact within the chamber of the boss character.

The game craftily combines several types of secondary quest motifs as you uncover fresh skills to re-traverse a familiar location, however, the real prize lies in introducing another captivating character to your team.

9. Here Come The Brides

An Alien Wedding

Although the main focus of the game is often on the survival of the human race, it doesn’t preclude us from enjoying a festive moment with our extraterrestrial friends every now and then. This lighthearted theme is beautifully encapsulated in the game’s amusing sidequest titled “Here Come the Brides.

It appears that, even extraterrestrials like alien groom Nemard Wolfen, encounter relationship issues. The responsibility falls on the player to help him find a solution to these problems.

Much like many captivating sub-adventures, this one revolves around interacting with Non-Player Characters (NPCs) to uncover additional details about the narrative and environment.

Of course, there will be rewards for your efforts this time. But that’s not all! Your actions will also help foster stronger bonds between the humans and the Tree Clan of the Prone aliens in New Los Angeles. This means the city will become more lively and less tense overall.

8. Cave of Oblivion

Recurring Treasure Hunt

As I delve deeper into this captivating game world steeped in Norse lore, every second brings me closer to the impending doom of Ragnarok – chapter after thrilling chapter unfolding before my eyes.

Each time you add a new member to your team or explore a different dungeon, the countdown moves closer and closer to zero. Deciding when to enter the perilous Cave of Oblivion becomes increasingly challenging.

Starting early in the Cave of Oblivion can provide valuable items that will be helpful for the remainder of the chapter. However, if you enter later, there’s a higher chance you’ll delve deeper into the cave. Important to note, the Cave of Oblivion regenerates at the start of each chapter, but once explored, it vanishes.

Engaging with the Cave during gameplay introduces an additional element of strategy to the typical “dungeon sidequest,” as the timing of entry affects potential rewards. This sidequest becomes more than just optional; it significantly influences your overall gaming experience.

7. Leif’s Request

Reveal The Party’s Past

This game, reminiscent of “Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door,” is an exceptional indie JRPG that employs side quests to enrich its characters and storyline.

Approximately halfway through the game, your team’s magical creature, named Leif (who resembles a moth), requests assistance from the group in discovering more about his origins.

As I delve deeper into this game, I stumble upon an enigmatic sector hidden within the very heart of the initial dungeon – the fabled Upper Snakemouth. Here, I uncover a chilling laboratory brimming with grotesque experiments that send shivers down my spine. My journey through Upper Snakemouth culminates in a challenging optional encounter against Zommoth, a formidable adversary whose brutality is as legendary as it is terrifying.

The Upper Snakemouth dungeon stands out as an engaging example within the game, not just due to its link to the initial chapter, but also because it weaves into the narrative of Leif’s personal history.

Delving deeper into the game uncovers its mysteries, and encountering Zommoth prematurely can be quite an unpleasant shock if your character isn’t powerful enough. The main prize is discovering Leif’s past.

Additionally, successfully finishing the side quest will reward you with a new ability for Leif, and it also brings you closer to activating additional synergistic abilities that can be used by the entire team.

6. Night of Farewells

Island-Hopping Battle

This game abounds with fantastic side missions and conversations known as paralogues, which provide optional challenges under specific conditions. In my view, the sidequest titled “Night of Farewells” stands out as the most memorable in the series due to its challenging nature; if you’re not well-prepared, it can prove quite difficult.

In the tale titled “Night of Farewells,” your group is tasked with navigating through an archipelago where the islands appear and disappear underwater as bridges emerge and submerge. This makes movement challenging since only flying creatures can effortlessly pass over, but they are delicate and potentially risky to use in a game with permanent death.

As you march through the islands with the aim of vanquishing the wicked Sonia, several formidable foes attack your troops head-on, while others fire shots from a distance.

Among them, the most formidable character wields a Berserk staff and transforms an island into a perilous arena known as the Thunderdome, where friendly fire is rife. After the bridges are lowered, there’s no avenue of escape until the effects of Berserk subside!

Luckily, the skirmish grants you one of the game’s strongest characters – the formidable assassin Jaffar. With his ability to deliver a single deadly blow to most opponents you face throughout the remainder of the game, Jaffar is indeed an invaluable addition to your team.

5. Private Actions

Swift Relationship Building

In these games, the private actions deviate from the typical JRPG sidequests by centering entirely on the interactions between the characters in your party. Instead of accepting a mission from a central location, these activities revolve around their relationships and experiences together.

Based on the choices you make during conversations or how well you perform certain tasks, additional subplots and objectives may emerge within the storyline of Star Ocean, enriching its narrative.

As the affinity between characters grows, more of these sidequests become available.

By focusing on developing your character relationships, you will be granted not only fresh plot points but also exclusive actions that are essential for unveiling some of the game’s top skills, including a more formidable variant of the final boss in Star Ocean known as “Unlimited”.

4. The Wounded Soldier

Letters For Love

In the foreboding world known as Ruin, numerous additional missions and hidden destinations unfold for players to delve further into.

One particularly moving example is assisting a battle-scarred soldier in composing letters to his beloved, Lola.

It can be overlooked that this task ultimately serves a definite purpose, as it requires several messages to be transmitted through the latter stage of the game.

However, with each passing message, a heart-wrenching tale unfolds, disclosing the emotional bond shared by the unidentified solider in Mobliz and Lola, who mourns him as she thinks he is no longer alive.

Finishing the side mission offers a glimpse into a tender aspect of one party member, and rewards you with a fresh item – the Tintinnabulum necklace. This accessory boosts the health of your active party member as you traverse the world map. It’s a shame the soldier didn’t consider using it himself.

3. Niccolo’s Business Unusual

A Merchant’s Schemes

Different from many other JRPGs, it constructs a rich, immersive narrative by linking the main missions with various sub-quests. The progression and outcomes of these missions can influence each other significantly throughout the gameplay.

Among the notable characters, there’s Niccolo, a cunning merchant constantly attempting to make money at the expense of other non-player characters.

Niccolo’s side quests showcase the power of one vibrant personality in sparking a chain of engaging stories. It’s worth noting that the Mana series is particularly renowned for its rich and colorful characters.

As I delve deeper into each adventure, I can’t help but uncover more of this adorable rabbit’s thrifty nature, which consistently leaves me in stitches with laughter.

The reason why Niccolo’s tale, along with the other side quests in the Legend of Mana, is so engaging – is because it avoids traditional structures like “chapters” or “levels,” instead immersing players more deeply into the experience of living within the game.

In a natural and easy-to-understand manner, Legend of Mana seamlessly blends the primary narrative with adventures such as Niccolo’s subplot, resulting in a genuine role-playing experience that leaves side characters’ tales all the more unforgettable.

2. Mementos

Explore Humanity’s Unconscious

Playing this game is challenging due to its abundant activities, making it difficult to choose where to allocate your time amidst the missions. Picking the optimal side quest is an even greater challenge.

Indeed, I’d like to draw attention to the fact that the vast underground complex known as Mementos cleverly integrates secondary quests with the game’s central motifs.

Within the game “Persona 5 Royal,” Mementos, boasting an impressive 66 floors, is more than just a maze; it’s a reflection of the entire human subconscious hidden within the mystical Metaverse.

In the course of the game’s additional missions, your team delves further and further into Mementos, compelling different adversaries to reconsider their actions and make positive changes.

This dungeon in Persona 5 Royal is richly populated with diverse quests and a mini-boss battle to access each new section, significantly enhancing its side activities. However, what sets it apart is the intricate way Mementos is connected to the game’s occult psychology, making it truly remarkable.

If you successfully guide the Phantom Thieves deep within the dungeon, intriguing revelations await you.

1. The Rainbow Shell

Time-Spanning Side Epic

This outstanding time-travel novel truly lives up to its praises, boasting an intricate narrative and mechanics skillfully woven around the examination of various historical, current, and futuristic periods. Moreover, the primary plot isn’t the sole treasure this piece offers.

In this tangential tale, things appear initially to be a routine task: locate the elusive Rainbow Shell, then utilize it to enhance your equipment for a decisive battle against the ultimate foe. Yet, it’s not as straightforward as it appears at first glance.

From resorting to time travel to pacify a ghost, moving on to a courtroom drama reminiscent of Phoenix Wright, followed by an intense battle against Yakra XIII, who seeks revenge as you defeated his forebearer in a past era, there’s plenty to accomplish before ultimately wielding the power of the Rainbow Shell.

This journey is quite extensive, filled with impactful, emotional highpoints as you help reunite a companion named Marle with her family. Not only that, but one of the prizes at the end is the most powerful weapon available in the game.

Experiencing the Rainbow Shell sidequest as a whole leaves an indelible mark on me, making it stand out as one of my most cherished memories within the realm of Chrono Trigger.

2025-02-07 20:10