A trademark characteristic of the RPG genre is side quests. These are quests that can be completed with no relation to the main story of the game. At times, these side quests can take you on a completely new adventure, while sometimes, they consist of just finding a random item.
While side quests can appear in any RPG, some games have more than others. Here, we are going to go over some RPGs with the most amount of side quests that you can complete. If you have not played any of these games yet, no need to worry; we will not include any potential spoilers.
8 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, PC
First up on our list, we have The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. This classic game, first released in 2015, is part of The Witcher series, and is the most popular of the bunch.
In this game, there are literally hundreds of quests that you can do. Around every corner, you can find a side quest that can be completed. Many of these side quests are incredibly deep and well written, so you won’t feel like you are wasting time by not completing the main story.
7 Cyberpunk 2077
- Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, PC, Google Stadia
Cyberpunk 2077 is another CD Projekt Red game filled with tons of side quests, just like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. In total, you can find around 80 side quests in the game, with many of the quests chaining together to create a larger story.
Like The Witcher, the side quests in Cyberpunk are well written and involve memorable characters, such as Lizzy Wizzy. As you progress through the game, more side quests will become available to you, many of which have impressive rewards.
6 Fallout 4
- Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, PC
Next up, we have Fallout 4. In general, Fallout games have a hefty amount of side quests, but Fallout 4 takes the cake. This game takes around 30 hours to beat, but if you factor in the side quests, you’re looking at more than 100 hours of content.
As an open-world game, Fallout 4 naturally has a lot of quest opportunities, but the building aspect of the game opens up the possibility for even more quests.
5 Breath Of The Wild
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Breath of the Wild is another open-world game, packed with side quests. This Legend of Zelda game breaks away from the typically linear format of the series, allowing you to explore the map to your heart's content.
While exploring, you will come across countless NPCs who have side quests available. These side quests are often simple, like talking to another NPC or retrieving an item. In addition to side quests, there are also 42 shrine quests, that involve accessing shrines across the map.
4 Xenoblade Chronicles
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, 3DS, Wii
Xenoblade Chronicles is the first game in the Xenoblade series, releasing back in 2010. This game is notorious for the amount of side quests that you can complete. There are 400 side quests (yes, 400), with many of them being quite long.
Each area in the game has unique quests will well-written stories, making them just as meaningful as the main storyline. If you are looking for an RPG that you want to sink hundred of hours into, Xenoblade Chronicles is the way to go.
3 Death Stranding
- Platforms: PlayStation, PC
Death Stranding brings a unique spin to the classic side quest. Instead of completing stories related to NPCs in the world, you will complete delivery tasks. Overall, there are dozens of these delivery tasks for you to complete.
Unlike other RPGs, you don’t have to complete a single side quest if you don’t want to. These quests don’t add any depth to the story; instead, they are a simple way to earn rewards and take in the beautiful landscapes in the game.
2 Final Fantasy 15
- Platforms: PlayStation, PC, Xbox, Google Stadia
Final Fantasy 15 is the most recent game in the Final Fantasy series. This game has well over 100 side quests for you to complete. Additionally, you can complete bounty hunts, which involve defeating specific creatures in the wild.
Like many entries on this list, these optional quests range from simple item recovery to longer stories. The combination of side quests and bounty hunts will give you hours worth of content to complete.
1 Skyrim
- Platforms: PlayStation, PC, Xbox, Nintendo Switch,
Last on our list, we have Skyrim. This infamous Bethesda game needs no introduction; since its release in 2011, it has remained one of the most popular RPGs.
Skyrim has a seemingly endless amount of side quests all around the map. If you want, you can put the main story to the side and focus all of your attention on side quests. Some of these quests are simple, but others can be quite long and take you on a journey to new locations. Due to the vast amount of side quests, you can keep playing Skyrim for a while and never run out of stuff to do.