Top 10 Hardest Side Quests In Video Games
#10: Big Trouble in Big Town
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“Fallout 3” (2008)
There’s a lot of fun to be had in the Capital Wasteland. Escorting NPCs who die quicker than it takes us to reload is not one of them! After being informed that a town’s doctor has been taken hostage by super mutants, it’s down to you to infiltrate and lead them to safety. If you’re looking to rake in all the good karma, then you not only have to ensure the doctor survives, but her companion as well, located in the basement of the complex. And if you really want to play hero, try to keep every civilian alive when the super mutants come to seek revenge on the entire town!
#9: Legendary Beasts
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“Assassin's Creed Odyssey” (2018)
A Spartan can handle anything the world sends they’re way. No matter the foe, few can hope to stand against the might of a warrior of Kassandra’s calibur. That being said, these deranged animals are a whole different breed. While some of these beasts don’t pose too much of a challenge, the Erymanthian and Kalydonian boars will truly put players to the test. Unless you come stacked with some heavy hitting weaponry, then expect to get folded a fair few times before being able to turn these beasts into pelts.
#8: Trouble with the Trolley
“Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage!” (1999)
Yes, for the last time, we are indeed having trouble with the trolley, now will you please shut up! You’d think an on-rail’s shooter featuring everyone’s favorite purple dragon would be a walk in the park. Not so. There are fifty gears scattered around the level, and to find them all, you have to shoot through signs to change directions and obstacles to avoid getting dismounted. There’s no slowing down, no way to gauge where the missing gears might be, and if you fail – you guessed it – you have to start the whole sequence all over again, accompanied by this now infamous quote.
#7: Queen of Cards
“Final Fantasy VIII” (1999)
Ah, card-based mini-games. Sometimes they’re fun. Other times they’re the base of our existence. By far the most complicated side quest in the game, if you want to come out all aces and complete this quest, then you have to give specific cards to the Queen of Cards so newer, rarer ones can be created in their place. Except you can’t just give it to her, you have to lose them during a game of Triple Triad, which is obviously easier said than done, and can spell doom for the rest of your deck. Finding the Queen is also a huge pain since there’s no way to track her. How about those new cards we spent so much time and energy into forging? Are we given them right away as a reward? Of course not – they’ll randomly appear during matches against random NPCs! Ugh, taking a gun-sword to the face wouldn’t be as painful as this!
#6: Riddler Challenges
“Batman: Arkham Knight” (2015)
By this point, we knew the drill when it came to beating the Riddler and his puzzles! Solve the riddles, snag the trophies all over Gotham. Not a problem for the world’s greatest detective. And then we found out about the races. Not only is the idea of the Riddler creating race tracks to test the Batmobile just stupid, but they are the furthest thing from fun. The Batmobile was already a polarizing mechanic, but having to speed our way through increasingly aggravating courses just dampened the appeal completely. Riddle me this, how many of these damn challenges are you going to make us do before we uninstall the game!
#5: Fit for a King
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“God of War Ragnarok” (2022)
For as much trouble as the Valkyrie gave us, they were a walk in the park compared to the ferocity of these battle hungry spirits. With a wide move pool and ever-increasing difficulty spike, just when you’ve overcome one Berserker, along comes another with an even more vicious gimmick that will have you spamming resurrection stones. This all caps off with King Hrolf, who can cycle through various elemental immunities and, as per the God of War standard, able to dish out every attack used by all previous Berserkers. Between him and Gna, Ragnarök made you struggle for that platinum!
#4: Seeking Your Roots
“The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion” (2006)
This is an exception to the collectible rule, on account that snagging a hundred Nirnroots is very much a side mission that the game will constantly remind you of every time you open up your quest log. Unlike in Skyrim, finding Nirnroot is not an easy task, and the fact you have to gather a hundred of them to earn the coveted Grand Elixir of Exploration is the very definition of a chore. Typical alchemist, leaving us to do the heavy work!
#3: Super-Super Ultimate Series of Battles!
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“Dragon Ball Xenoverse” (2015)
Battling against a slew of Saiyans was always going to be a test of endurance – but combine that with a strict time limit and bloated roster of enemies to face, and this Parallel Quest pushed many a DBZ fan too far! Fifteen minutes to finish off Tien, Yamcha, Android 18, Krillin, and Piccolo? Easy as pie. Majin Buu, Videl, Hercule, and Trunks? Okay, a little tight but we can still handle it. Gohan, Goten, Gotenks, Goku, Vegeta and Vegito?! What kind of Red Ribbon bullshit is this?!
#2: The Lightning Dodger
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“Final Fantasy X” (2001)
It wouldn’t be a Final Fantasy game without badass weapons to unlock, and the very best, known as the Celestial Weapons, require that players snag something known as a sigil in order to craft it. Naturally, one of these sigils is locked behind the most demanding and draining side quests in all of gaming. In an area that’s constantly bombarded by lightning, you have to dodge incoming thunderbolts not once, not twice, but two hundred times… in a row! With no way to keep count of how many you’ve previously avoided. Also, as it happens, dodging lightning is not easy, so expect to have your streak broken by one poorly timed button press. And you thought Tidus’ laugh was the most torturous thing in this game!
#1: Delicate Flower
“Hollow Knight” (2017)
While we were tempted to go with the Pantheon of Hallownest, what with it being a boss rush featuring forty-two super-charged foes, given that it’s the final challenge of a DLC, we decided to lean back on side quest in the base game. But make no mistake, it will punish you just as harshly. In order to fulfill the Grey Mourner’s request, the Knight has to take a flower to a gravesite. What’s the catch? As the name implies, the flower is somewhat fragile – should you get hit once, it will break. If you use any fast travel, it will break. Did we mention that said grave is all the way on the other side of the map?
