Open-World Games Where The Best Quests Are Hidden

by

In open-world games, compelling questlines are crucial for keeping players engaged long-term. A beautiful world isn’t enough; players need reasons to explore it and feel like their actions matter. While main quests are important, side quests can often be even more rewarding, sending players on unique adventures, introducing them to interesting characters, and uncovering hidden stories they’d miss if they only followed the main path.

The game features a variety of quests, from short, delightful experiences to long, multi-stage adventures that can take hours to complete. What’s impressive is how these quests feel just as significant as the main story, drawing players into compelling storylines and making them care about characters they weren’t initially invested in. This wealth of interesting quests makes the game world feel vibrant and encourages players to explore every nook and cranny, eager to discover the hidden adventures that await.

Skyrim

Curiosity Leading The Way

Details:

  • Unmarked locations that can often trigger huge questlines
  • The best stories have no relevance to the main path

Bethesda games are famous for being packed with quests, and Skyrim is no different. You’ll rarely go anywhere – whether in a city or the wilderness – without finding someone who needs assistance. For instance, the quest ‘The Mind of Madness’ starts with a seemingly harmless, but eccentric, man you meet in Solitude, and quickly leads you on a bizarre and unpredictable adventure filled with dark humor and unexpected turns.

Some quests, such as the Forbidden Legend, are hidden and start in unexpected ways – like simply reading a random book. These quests slowly reveal a story of old betrayals and offer great rewards to players who are observant and explore carefully. The game encourages curiosity and exploration; instead of telling players where to go, it makes them search and discover new adventures. With so many side quests packed into the world, it’s easy to lose track of time and even forget about the main goal, like defeating the dragon.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Paths That Branch On For Hours

Details:

  • Contracts quickly spiral into massive arcs
  • Timing and obscure choices feed into which quests are available

The Witcher 3 offers a huge number of quests and stories, both essential and optional. Many players discover that the side quests are often more captivating and fun than the main storyline. Quests like ‘Equine Phantoms’ offer unique and intriguing experiences, completely different from the main quest, but still provide a short, enjoyable diversion from battles and saving towns.

The writing is so strong that even minor characters feel real and relatable. A great example of this is the ‘Where the Cat and Wolf Play’ quest, which many players overlook. It tells a surprisingly deep story about trauma and the struggles of survival, and presents the player with a difficult decision that feels just as impactful as the main quests. This highlights how a detailed and lively game world can truly come to life, avoiding the feeling of emptiness.

Fallout: New Vegas

Faction-Driven Narratives That Can Easily Be Missed

Details:

  • Certain groups are entirely optional and missable
  • Dialogue options can permanently lock content without warning

Fallout: New Vegas is considered one of the greatest RPGs ever made, and rightfully so. It features fantastic characters and quests, many of which are hidden in unexpected locations or become unavailable based on your choices. This means players need to carefully consider the consequences of their actions from the very beginning. A prime example is the ‘Beyond the Beef’ side quest, which is easy to miss and significantly changes depending on how you’ve played the game.

Once players visit the Ultra-Luxe casino, they can meet Heck Gunderson, who’s desperately searching for his son. What seems like a simple missing person’s case quickly spirals into a dark conspiracy involving cannibalism and a breakdown of society. The game features many similar unexpected turns – some are lighthearted, like the quests “Come Fly With Me,” while others, such as “Not Worth a Hill of Corn and Beans,” are more realistic and rely on player skill. No matter where you explore in the desert, you’ll always find new things to discover and people to interact with, so it pays to thoroughly investigate every nook and cranny – you might just stumble upon some of the game’s most rewarding quests.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Profound Stories Off The Beaten Trail

Details:

  • Each area hides a huge number of compelling stories
  • Some quests can unfold over many hours without interacting with them

Red Dead Redemption 2 hides some of its most touching stories outside of the main plot, often triggered by subtle clues or found in remote areas. One example is the quest involving the Widow of Willard’s Rest, where players help a woman cope with loss and learn to live independently. This creates a small, personal story that contrasts with the game’s larger, more epic adventures. The quest takes place over multiple visits, and players are motivated to return simply to help her, meaning many never even discover it during their playthrough.

The Veteran questline is particularly memorable. It begins when you encounter a wounded veteran hidden in the Grizzlies. These missions are centered around building a connection and helping someone heal, and they feel intimate and personal – a welcome change from the game’s epic main story. Quests like this work best when they’re small in scope and focused on individual stories, highlighting the game’s message that the most impactful narratives are often about everyday people and that everyone, no matter how seemingly unimportant, can make a difference.

Elden Ring

No Quest Markers To Guide You Forward

Details:

  • Lack of clear steps for each NPC
  • Unpredictable characters that can move with no notice

Elden Ring is a massive game filled with secrets and hidden storylines. It doesn’t hold your hand – there are few clear directions or reliable ways to find important characters. Players often have to pay close attention to small hints or look up information online to fully experience these stories. Some of the most important quests, like those involving Ranni and Fia, are especially easy to miss if you don’t explore every corner of the world. Fia’s quest, for example, sends you on a long and challenging journey to the deepest parts of the map, where you’ll face tough enemies and even risk being consumed by a dangerous power – all without clear guidance on where to go next.

This downloadable content continues the trend of cleverly hiding bosses and quests in hard-to-find locations. The Putrescent Knight is already tucked away, but the questline involving St Trina and Thiollier is even more remote, sending players on a sprawling adventure across the entire game world that’s easy to miss. Similarly, unlocking the fight with Metyr, Mother of Fingers, requires a lengthy journey across the Realm of Shadow, completing tasks before the battle even begins. This approach of subtly guiding players and encouraging exploration is a key part of what makes the game so captivating. Discovering NPCs and their stories feels much more rewarding when they aren’t simply presented upfront.

Read More

2025-12-25 08:35