20 Video Game Side Quests That BROKE You
14. What He Would Have Wanted (Mass Effect: Andromeda)
The Mass Effect series is known for its unbelievably dense side content, with plenty of missions across the series that could land a place here. What's funny, though, is that the arguably saddest of them all appears in the game most agree is the worst in the franchise, Mass Effect: Andromeda.
"What He Would Have Wanted" is a masterclass in turning a simple, repetitive task into an emotional rollercoaster. It starts when you find a Field Comm Terminal at Four Giants and receive a mission to place beacons for a technician named Eric. It's all by the book at first, until you place one down and hear the voice of a young child congratulating their dad. How odd.
A meaningful story then unfolds, as each beacon features another motivational message, detailing the story of a terminally ill child cheering on their father from beyond the grave. Eric Jr, as they're revealed to be, ends by telling their dad how proud they are of him.
It's a shockingly intimate moment that hits you out of nowhere. In a universe so expansive and grand in scale, it's missions like these that remind you why everyday lives are worth saving.