Yes: several open-world RPGs make their optional stories a major reason to keep playing. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077 have the strongest support for especially memorable side quests; the other picks offer different strengths, from faction role-play to player-directed exploration. “Better” is subjective, so this list distinguishes rich optional writing from games whose appeal is freedom, world detail, or reactive choices.
Which open-world RPGs have side quests worth prioritizing?
These seven games reward players who stray from the main objective, but not in the same way. Some stand out for emotionally complex writing; others let optional choices shape a character’s experience of the world. The recommendations are not a claim that every side mission in each game beats its central plot.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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The Outer Worlds Xbox One | $19.60 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Dungeon World | $29.73 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Monsters & Heroes: Solo RPG: Tabletop Open World And Dungeon Exploration | $24.90 | Buy on Amazon |
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Monster Hunter: World - PlayStation 4 Standard Edition | $17.42 | Buy on Amazon |
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| Game | Best reason to play beyond the main story | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | Morally difficult, emotionally weighty quests connected to the larger narrative | The main story remains a substantial part of its appeal |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | A broad mix of investigative, character-focused, and comic side stories | Optional discoveries do not necessarily ease the urgency of the central quest |
| Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 | Grounded, reactive stories that invite players to inhabit the setting | This recommendation is specifically for the sequel, not the first game |
| Fallout: New Vegas | Faction conflict and choices that support role-play | Its appeal is choice and faction-driven play, not a guarantee that every side quest excels |
| Oblivion Remastered | Imaginative optional quests and faction arcs | This is an editorial recommendation, not evidence of broad critical consensus |
| Skyrim | A flexible sandbox for self-directed adventures, especially with mods | Its strengths are freedom and exploration rather than a proven side-quest-over-main-story advantage |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | A richly detailed open world and narrative experience | The available evidence supports it as a strong story-rich option, not a claim that its side quests surpass the main story |
1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Start here if you want optional quests with emotional consequences and uncomfortable choices. GamesRadar’s 2026 remastered-edition review says side quests weave into the overarching narrative and retain weight through moral complexity and player decisions. Its 2026 open-world RPG ranking likewise points to thought-provoking side quests and Geralt’s difficult choices. That makes The Witcher 3 the clearest benchmark on this list for story-driven detours—not proof that every optional quest is better than the main plot.
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The remastered edition discussed in the review includes the Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine expansions. Edition and platform details can differ, so check the relevant store listing before buying.
#1 Best Overall
- The outer worlds is a new single-player first-person sci-fi rpg from obsidian entertainment and private division
- In the outer worlds, you awake from hibernation on a colonist ship that was lost in transit to halcyon, the furthest colony from earth located at the edge of the galaxy, only to find yourself in the midst of a deep conspiracy threatening to destroy it. As you explore the furthest reaches of space and encounter various factions, all-vying for power, the character you decide to become will determine how this player-driven story unfolds. In the corporate equation for the colony, you are the unplanned variable
2. Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is a strong choice if you want side stories that shift tone and format rather than repeat one mission pattern. GameSpot’s review describes optional quests ranging from investigations to comic and character-centered episodes, and treats them as one of the game’s strongest elements. PC Gamer’s 2025 list also praises the quality and quantity of its side content.
There is an important tension: GameSpot observed that optional relationships and discoveries did not seem to change the urgency of V’s main quest. Meanwhile, PC Gamer argues that Cyberpunk 2077’s central campaign is more tightly plotted and paced than The Witcher 3’s. In other words, the side content is compelling even though the main story is compelling too, and detours may not make the central crisis feel less immediate.
3. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Choose the sequel for grounded, reactive side stories and a slower sense of living within the world. A September 2026 ranking places Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 near the top for optional stories that respond to the setting and give players room to inhabit it. Readers have also suggested the series when asking for games with strong side missions, but comments mentioning the first game should not be mistaken for evidence about the sequel.
Rank #2
- Combining high-action dungeon crawling with cutting-edge rules, Dungeon World is a roleplaying game of fantasy adventure.
- Dungeon World's rules are easy to learn and always drive the action forward in unexpected ways.
- Designed to be ready for you to hack, remix, and build new content, Dungeon World includes systems for changing everything to suit your group including creating new races, classes, and monsters.
- Dungeon World is an award-winning tabletop roleplaying game by Sage La Torra and Adam Koebel. Dungeon World has won an Ennie for Best Rules, a Golden Geek for Best RPG, and an Indie RPG Award.
This is a fit for players who value believable situations and reactivity more than fantastical spectacle. The ranking is an editorial judgment; it does not establish that every optional quest outshines the main campaign.
4. Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas belongs on the list for players who want side journeys to sit inside a larger web of faction interests and role-play decisions. GamesRadar’s open-world RPG ranking highlights its faction-driven conflict and player choice, describing it as a quintessential open-world RPG.
Its recommendation is about the freedom to take a position and play a role within competing interests. The evidence supports that emphasis, not a blanket verdict that each side quest is stronger than the main story.
5. Oblivion Remastered
Oblivion Remastered is worth considering if you enjoy imaginative quest premises and faction storylines. A September 2026 ranking singles out those arcs as reasons to explore beyond nostalgia. That makes it a useful pick for players who want variety in optional adventures, while the ranking remains one publication’s assessment rather than a settled consensus.
6. Skyrim
Skyrim’s case is its sandbox: it gives players room to invent a character and make their own adventures, with mods expanding that freedom. PC Gamer specifically praises the personal, player-directed possibilities of its world, particularly when modded.
That is a different recommendation from saying the side quests beat the main story. Pick Skyrim for self-directed exploration and a flexible role-playing space, not because the cited assessment establishes a universal side-quest advantage.
Rank #4
- Welcome to the new world: taking on the role of a Hunter, players are tasked with going on a research expedition to a newly discovered continent known only as “new world”.
- Living and breathing ecosystem: utilize the surrounding environment and wildlife to your advantage;Subgenre:Action role-playing game (RPG)
- Online drop-in multiplayer: when the battle is too daunting to take on single-handedly, hail up to three other hunters to assist during quests by sending up a sos flare to a worldwide server.
- Hunt to craft new Gear: defeat monsters and collect loot from fallen foes to craft equipment and weapons styled after the monsters that have been slain.
- SEAMLESS gameplay: players and monsters can move from One map area to another freely and without loading screens whilst gameplay also dynamically transitions between night and day.
7. Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a strong open-world narrative option if richly detailed surroundings and story matter as much as quest structure. PC Gamer praises its world and story, and readers have named it in discussions about games with memorable side content.
Those points support including it as a story-rich world to get lost in, but do not establish that its side quests outperform the main campaign. If that exact comparison is your priority, The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 have more direct support here.
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Quick Recap
How to choose based on what you want from side quests
- For moral complexity and emotional weight: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
- For varied, character-centered optional stories: Cyberpunk 2077.
- For grounded reactivity: Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.
- For faction choices and role-play: Fallout: New Vegas.
- For imaginative faction arcs: Oblivion Remastered.
- For a player-directed sandbox: Skyrim.
- For a richly detailed narrative world: Red Dead Redemption 2.
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