The best side quest in a game?

[Kryzantine]

Something interesting about The Witcher 2 and DA2 was the side quests. Specifically, the developers put a lot of emphasis into the side quests, to give them larger stories and more involvement into a part of the gameplay that is theoretically optional. I can't say this is a bad thing, so I open the question to the Escapist forum: what is the best side quest you have ever experienced in a game, or your favourite?

I honestly can't think of my own favourite side quest. Some of them in Jade Empire were really, really good, though. The Black Leopard School, the women being sold into slavery on Gao the Greater's island (which is amazing if you're following the Closed Fist path), and the foreigner played by John Cleese are all highlights.

 

[BlindTom]

DA2 consisted entirely of the same two or three sidequests copy pasted throughout the entire unfinished mess of a game.

I really liked everything about the John Cleese sidequest. But then Jade Empire is a relic from when Bioware respected its audience.

I'm particularly fond of taking pictures of the wildlife in Beyond Good and Evil. It's a sidequest that makes perfect sense in the context of the gameworld and it allows optional puzzles to be integrated into pretty much any conceivable environment.

 

[hazabaza1]

Do the social links from Persona 3+4 count? Those were pretty pimp.

 

[Zhukov]

'I remember Me' - Mass Effect 1.

Although it kind of depends what counts as a sidequest.

 

[ThisIsSnake]

The Fighters Guild side quest in Oblivion got really really good after you finished the peon quests.

That 'best town in America' unmarked sidequest in Fallout 3 as well as the Dunwich building side quest also stick out in my mind. Purely from how dark and creepy they felt compared to the rest of the game.

 

[Johnnyallstar]

Some of the side quests in the Elder Scrolls were phenomenal, and many of them were better than the main quest YES I'M LOOKING AT YOU OBLIVION.

Such as the Sheogorath quest in Morrowind, where you have to kill a giant bull netch with a fork. Also, I was a big fan of the Dark Brotherhood quest in Oblivion where you entered the house party and picked off each guest one by one, until the other guests would start killing each other.

 

[hooblabla6262]

The Lovers side quest from Majora's Mask, where you needed to reunite the couple after the man was turned into a boy.

 

[DeadlyYellow]

I was a big fan of the Dark Brotherhood quest in Oblivion where you entered the house party and picked off each guest one by one, until the other guests would start killing each other.

Same thing I came here to say.

Though I found it hilarious due to the ineptitude of the countering A.I. They apparently saw nothing suspicious about me standing over the latest victim wielding a bloody weapon, as they ran in to inform me there had been a murder.

 

[GundamSentinel]

Also, I was a big fan of the Dark Brotherhood quest in Oblivion where you entered the house party and picked off each guest one by one, until the other guests would start killing each other.

"Whodunit?" was truly amazing. I had a lot of fun playing that one. Fallout 3's "The Superhuman Gambit" and "The Wasteland Survival Guide" were great too.

 

[rwege]

In the book Neuromancer (sorry if this is slightly off-topic) theres a section where Molly is telling Case about her last real relationship, and the story was VERY CLEARLY the inspiration for Johnny Mnemonic. Guy stored stuff in his head, was being chased by the yakuza after messing up a run etc etc. First thing that came to mind when I read the topic post.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

Such as the Sheogorath quest in Morrowind, where you have to kill a giant bull netch with a fork.

Ninja'd. The Spear of Bitter Mercy is worth all the hassle though. Even if that bastard Netch always keeps flying out over the water when I try and kill him.

OT: I suppose as a nod to that quest I'll put up the quest in the Shivering Isles which once again includes Big Head and the Fork of Horripilation. No Netches though.

 

[Prince Regent]

Some of the side quests in the Elder Scrolls were phenomenal, and many of them were better than the main quest YES I'M LOOKING AT YOU OBLIVION.

Such as the Sheogorath quest in Morrowind, where you have to kill a giant bull netch with a fork. Also, I was a big fan of the Dark Brotherhood quest in Oblivion where you entered the house party and picked off each guest one by one, until the other guests would start killing each other.

The dark brotherhood was a great questline, but I personaly loved the quests in the shivering isles the most. They were just brilliantly surealistic.

 

[C95J]

Also, I was a big fan of the Dark Brotherhood quest in Oblivion where you entered the house party and picked off each guest one by one, until the other guests would start killing each other.

Yeah same for some reason I loved that side quest as well
(I think) it was called something like Whodunnit, but I'm not sure.

There was also a quest in Fallout 3 that I really liked called trouble on the homefront. Those who have done it will know which quest I am talking about, and for those who haven't I haven't spoiled anything for you.

 

[MetalDooley]

Also, I was a big fan of the Dark Brotherhood quest in Oblivion where you entered the house party and picked off each guest one by one, until the other guests would start killing each other.

It was fun but the utter stupidity of the A.I stopped it from being as good as it could have been.At one point everyone was gathered around the table.One of the characters went upstairs to go to bed.I followed them up,murdered them and returned downstairs.Everyone else(still gathered around the table)was freaking out about the murder because "it could be anyone in this room" yet not a single one of them suspected the only person to not be in the room at the time of the killing i.e me

 

[Midnight Crossroads]

The Strange Man sidequests in Red Dead Redemption
Raising and racing chocobos in FF7

 

[Cheesus333]

There was also a quest in Fallout 3 that I really liked called trouble on the homefront. Those who have done it will know which quest I am talking about, and for those who haven't I haven't spoiled anything for you.

That was a good one. It was nice to revisit the Vault, even in its horrible state, and see the effects of your actions after you left.

I thought the ending to 'Come Fly With Me' in New Vegas was brilliant, but the quest itself was such a drag. 'Power of the Atom' - assuming you chose the "I'm a dick" route - also had a similarly spectacular finale.

 

[C95J]

There was also a quest in Fallout 3 that I really liked called trouble on the homefront. Those who have done it will know which quest I am talking about, and for those who haven't I haven't spoiled anything for you.

That was a good one. It was nice to revisit the Vault, even in its horrible state, and see the effects of your actions after you left.

I thought the ending to 'Come Fly With Me' in New Vegas was brilliant, but the quest itself was such a drag. 'Power of the Atom' - assuming you chose the "I'm a dick" route - also had a similarly spectacular finale.

It might have just been me, but I always liked to keep a separate save file, so whenever I was pissed off, or just wanted to blow shit up, I would load the save and have a bit of fun

 

[Thespian]

Tali'Zorah Vas Normandy's loyalty quest.

Or the Fable 3 Driftwood sidequests where you essentially build a whole town.

 

[Jungy 365]

The Assassin's guild in Oblivion.
I seriously only go back to that game for those missions.

 

[Simeon Ivanov]

Tali'Zorah nas Raya's loyalty quest in ME2 ... I wanted to cry ... and I'm a dude!