3 Hidden Side Quests Better Than the Game’s Main Story (One Changes the Ending Entirely)

There are about as many ways to approach playing video games as there are people who play them. For some, speed-running a game’s main story is the primary goal. For others, like me, it’s all about collecting every single side-quest and filling your journal with things to do. Whether you love them or ignore them, side-quests are a popular part of RPGs and story-based games. They add more gameplay time and often flesh out the lore for characters and locations along the way. But not every side quest is as easy to find, and some of the hidden ones are the best around.

Some side quests are easily triggered by talking to the right person or heading to the right location. Many games even offer a mission board or other central way to grab more quests to add to your log. But then, there are the side quests, missions tucked away behind specific circumstances that will require some finesse to find. Some of these hidden side quests in video games offer compelling stories that almost outdo the main one. These are some of the best hidden side quests out there.

3. Skyrim: The Mind of Madness

It’s no secret that I’m a huge Skyrim fan and have spent many hours exploring Tamriel. In my most recent playthrough, I tasked myself to find and complete every. single. side quest. I’m not sure I ever quite managed it, but I did stumble upon some unexpected fun in the process, including my first experience with the Mind of Madness hidden side quest. This quest isn’t quite hidden, but it’s tricky enough to unlock that many players (myself included) ignore it.

Getting the Mind of Madness quest requires listening to the ramblings of Dervenin in Solitude, then actually working to gain access to the Pelagius Wing. Once you do, that’s when things get interesting. You wind up trapped inside Pelagius’ mind, where you attend a mad tea party a la Alice in Wonderland. This wild story is full of whimsy and literary references, making it one of the more involved side quests in the game. In fact, it rivals the fairly straightforward hero’s journey of the main story for fun and intrigue.

2. Dark Souls: Saving Solaire

For many Dark Souls fans, Solaire is a beloved character. But his fate, without careful intervention, is pretty tragic. However, determined players can go on a hidden side mission to ensure he doesn’t go mad and attack the player. The game doesn’t make it easy to figure out whether you can save him, let alone how. But it can be done, and it changes the story in a satisfying way.

There are a few different ways to save Solaire in Dark Souls, but they all center on making sure he never picks up the Sunlight Maggot. You can do this by joining the Chaos Servant Covenant, which sparks the ability to enter Lost Izalith via a secret path that helps you stop Solaire from encountering the bug. This side mission is well worth taking on, as it greatly changes the ultimate fate of this beloved character, crafting a Dark Souls story that isn’t quite as painful.

1. Cyberpunk 2077: Panam’s Side Quest

Players will get to know Panam Palmer in Cyberpunk 2077 through regular gameplay, and you’ll even be able to romance her if you choose. But Panam’s side quests journey is easily missed, even though it can change the ending of the game. To get it, you need to get past the Life During Wartime main story quest, which will unlock the ability to start Panam’s Riders on the Storm quest. This leads you on one of the best side quests in the game, offering a chance to get to know Panam better and even romance her.

The story of this side quest is solid in and of itself, but it’s also required if you want to unlock a special ending for the game. The choices you make here can set you up for a special Cyberpunk 2077 conclusion featuring Panam – no spoilers, but suffice it to say, it’s worth taking the trouble to unlock and complete this sprawling side quest in the Badlands.

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