20 Video Game Side Quests That BROKE You
How does a Spider-Man 2 mission about pigeons make you sob uncontrollably?
Many two-word combinations pique the excitement of the avid gamer. You've got combos like "Level up, "Cheat code," "Good game," but if you really want to get the blood pumping, you can utter the ever-so-sweet words, "Side quest."
Side content is a long-standing gaming tradition that has led to an overload of incredible experiences. It applies to additional activities and self-contained stories that don't usually affect the game's overall narrative and are entirely optional. Given that these missions don't tend to have a major impact on the main campaign, there's far more scope for creativity and irreverent stories. They're typically full of goofiness, genre-switching, compelling world-building, and more.
That said, some developers woke up choosing emotional violence, as they decided to put side quests into their games that break your heart in twain.
The following twenty missions are fine examples of this. Each one deals with tragedy, sorrow, and emotional storytelling in a way that absolutely blindsides you. Prepare to give your tear ducts a workout with this side content.
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This list will include spoilers for the missions in each entry.
20. A Young Girl’s Wish (Octopath Traveler II)
As a game series that boasts eight playable protagonists in each entry, all of whom have their own main story, you know you're getting a lot of content from Octopath Traveler. So it's no surprise that there are a few stories that will leave you teary-eyed, with this quest from the second game really going for the jugular.
"A Young Girl's Wish" begins when you find an "Apathetic girl" in the Conning Creek graveyard - oh boy, what a start. Upon talking to her, you'll learn that she is dying, with the pains of her illness and the medication leaving her feeling hopeless. Despite being a kid, this girl has all but lost the will to live, with the quest revolving around your attempts to help her achieve three of her dreams to inspire her to keep fighting.
It feels like an impossible task, which hurts all the more as you know this child's happiness lies in your hands. However, there is, thankfully, an optimistic ending, as getting all three gives her the strength to go on, which is why this quest sits at the number 20 spot.