20 Video Game Sidequests Better Than The Main Campaign
3. Bonding With Futaba - Persona 5
In Persona 5, a high-school student called Joker discovers a dreamlike realm called the Metaverse, which allows him to change the hearts of corrupt adults.
About halfway through his otherworldly caper, Joker and his companions find themselves being assisted by Futaba, a hacker with crippling social anxiety. Joker appreciates Futaba’s intervention, since she went out of her way to help, despite her fear of the outside world.
If Futaba’s rank is levelled up, more is unveiled about her backstory, which explores grief, abuse, and gaslighting. The more players interacts with Futaba, the more they see her psychological growth.
Her agoraphobia is depicted realistically, so there's no moment where it's magically fixed. Instead, Joker needs to spend time with Futaba, make her feel heard and respect her boundaries to help her fears subside (although they never truly go away). Any time Futaba appears in a social gathering unannounced, it feels like a huge win, since it proves your compassion towards her paid off.
Although upping Futaba's rank massively helps on the battlefield, watching her come to grips with her greatest insecurity is the real reward.