I have never finished the main story of any JRPG, and I doubt I ever will. I always get distracted by the side quests and hidden bosses. I get sucked in by optional dungeons, card games, and even fishing mini-games. I love how passionate developers get with content for players who enjoy exploring, rather than just following the critical path. The side quests are what show the real quality and creativity of the developers, with the main story only being a pitch. The proof is in the side quests.
In lesser games, the side quests would be a distraction or even just a time sink, but in JRPGs, they serve as fully fleshed alternate stories, character studies, and world-building that exceed the quality of the main plot. They will reward you for exploring by providing side stories and alternate experiences the main story sadly doesn't have. Some of my favorite JRPG moments have been deep into content that most players have never experienced.
In this list, you will find 10 JRPGs that have side content that exceeds any other game in the entire genre. If you are looking to get the most for your money when purchasing a JRPG, these are the games that provide value long after the ending credits. For a more thorough exploration of the genre, check the JRPG tier list, and for games where even the main story is great, check out our guide to JRPGs with the best stories.
10. Xenoblade Chronicles
Xenoblade Chronicles has over 400 side quests, and while this sheer quantity can be problematic, most are lovingly crafted and integrated into the world. Many quests are centered around NPCs, and their relationships with each other can be changed by completing certain quests. For example, helping one colonist can unlock a new quest chain with their neighbors, their rivals, and even their family. There is even a system called the Affinity Chart, and watching the chart fill up is, for some reason, highly satisfying.
I wouldn’t trade the extra 30 hours I spent completing side quests in Xenoblade, and I did a lot of side quests that were not related to the main story of the game. I really enjoyed the named NPC quests that were part of the Colony 6 reconstruction. In these quests, you actually rebuild a town that has been turned to rubble, recruit different specialists, and make town development choices. Each of these choices alters the layout of the town, and changes the shops as well as the NPCs available.
The Quest Tracker has been improved in The Definitive Edition. It is well documented that the original Wii version had bad quest descriptions, sometimes making objectives seem like they were missing. The new Switch version gives a lot of new features like clear directions and added map markers. Although, it has not removed the sense of exploration that is desired by players.
“Colony 6 reconstruction turned me from a speedrunner into a completionist. Building that town was more satisfying than the final boss.”
9. Dragon Quest XI S
Unlike Xenoblade Chronicles, Dragon Quest XI has side quests that are highly inspired by tradition. Each of the locations you will travel to has its own problem to be solved, its own cast of characters, and its own battles. The side quests often show you the fate of characters who you may have met before and even expose truths that the main story hadn’t even brushed up against.
I found myself caring about many pointless side quests. One of my favorite short stories in gaming is the side quest where you help a mermaid in Lonalulu fulfill a promise to a family member. It takes about 15 minutes to complete, and is absolutely fantastic. Even the post-game side quests in Act 3 are impressive. They add an entire story with new character arcs, bosses, and plot twists that change how you see the first two Acts.
In S: Definitive Edition, you also get to do side quests in Tickington. This lets you visit different towns from the previous Dragon Quest games and it's totally for the fans. It may easily be the best side quest.
“DQXI\'s side quests are like Pixar shorts. Each one is a complete little story with real emotional weight.”
8. Persona 5 Royal
From here, things get raised to another level with Persona 5 Royal. The Confidants, which are this version's social links, are in no way optional and not even close to filler. This is a complete and parallel set of narrative layers where you develop relationships with characters throughout the entire city, and each of them has a fully realized story. One involves a politician and corruption, another is a journalist on a quest for a story, and don't forget the ex-gymnast who was exploited and abused.
I spent way more time figuring out my schedule for the Confidants than I did fighting the shadow enemies in the Metaverse, and that's the beauty of Royal. Every time you level up with a Confidant, you get new abilities in the game. It means that unlike the rest of the social simulation systems, the developers of this game cared about the mechanics behind the simulation.
The Royal-exclusive content — Maruki's Confidant and the third semester — begins as optional side content and ends as the emotional centerpiece of the entire game. If you skip Maruki's Confidant, you skip the best content Atlus has ever made. This is side content that retroactively becomes the main event.
“Every Confidant in P5R is a short film. Sojiro\'s arc alone is better storytelling than most full games.”
7. Final Fantasy XIV
There are enormous amounts of world and side activities in FFXIV that put most other games' side activities to shame. fetch quests, crafting, gathering, and even side quests that have boss fights and cutscenes. Fights and cutscenes? don't worry, FFXIV also has that too! There are also quests like Hildibrand that span multiple expansions and others that make you feel and cry like the Knigh job quests.
I've played Final Fantasy over 2000 hours and I'm still finding stuff to do. There are also seemingly endless hours of storytelling in the beast tribe quest. There's also optional raids near the end of the game that have the most fun boss fights in the game.
The quests are not just XP delivery mechanisms. The Ignard quest line got me more invested in a side quest than most games do in their main quests. The side quest really help bring the world to live. The side quests also have way more depth than many games single player games do. The side quests help give you a much more immersive experience than most MMOs do. For the best platform experience, see our guide to recommended JRPGs.
“FFXIV\'s side quests contain more great storytelling than most games\' main stories. The Dark Knight job quests alone are worth it.”
6. Yakuza: Like a Dragon
The Yakuza series has always been known for its substories but Like a Dragon takes that to the next level. These tales can vary in extremity, given that a player can go from resolving a serious legal injustice to helping a sentient Roomba find romance, to running a business, to competing in a go-kart race. Since the protagonist, Ichiban, takes every task seriously, the wild tone shifts are justified. The substories in Like a Dragon definitely made me laugh more than any other parody title I’ve played. While the Part-Time Hero missions offer very simple and classic side quest objectives in Yokoahama, like rescuing a cat or mediating a cosplay battle, they also cover a lot of range, sending people all over the map. By themselves, the business management mini-game (Ishiban Confections) that is part of the main quest could provide a playable experience of its own given that I lost eight hours in the game without even resuming the main quest. Where Like a Dragon stands out is in the side activities, allowing you to understand about Ichiban’s character as you would with the main gameplay. I believe it is the small things that Ichiban does that builds his character more than over gameplay. The substories serve to improve his character, in contrast to the serious cutscenes.\
While most games have side quests as part of their mechanics in that they reward the player for going off the beaten path, the Trails series treats every character, setting, and event in the game as a side quest. Each character in Trails in the Sky is part of a larger world with their own stories that are told through the player's interaction. Each character is involved in a larger story through their interactions with the player and the game's story.
“Yakuza LAD\'s substories are some of the funniest and most heartfelt content in gaming. Ichiban would help you move apartments.”
5. Trails in the Sky FC + SC
I've played Both FC and SC, and the experience is unique. You witness the transformation of the trainee baker in Rolent become a fully formed confident adult. You follow the journalist in Bose as they pursue a political story. You see the Ruan children grow and become adults. The game does not track or reward these actions. A curious player experiences the most.
The game does a great job with the side quests, which in the game are called the Bracer Guild missions. Each of these quests is tied into the story of the world, and sometimes heavily influence the game's main narrative. The Sky games have over one million words of text, the majority of which is not required to play the game. This is why the Trails series excels at game world and content density.
“I know the name of the bakery owner in Rolent. I know her apprentice\'s boyfriend\'s job. That is what Trails does to you.”
4. Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age
Every JRPG can use Final Fantasy 12's optional boss hunts as a baseline for their own systems. With the Elite Marks system, players can hunt bosses anywhere on the Ivalice map. Players can expect their boss hunts to range from moderately difficult to a greater challenge that requires a full understanding of the Gambit system to take down multiple superbosses. The hunts are pretty rewarding as well. Each client for a job board quest has a unique backstory. The job board quests also have unique locations that are tied to the overarching lore of the Ivalice game world, and the rewards feel appropriately balanced to the effort required.
During my first playthrough, I spent more time on hunts than I did on the game's main story quests. Fighting higher-tier Elite Marks like Gilgamesh, Yiazmat, and Omega Mark XII is considered the most difficult optional boss content in all of Final Fantasy history. Yiazmat, for example, has 50 million HP and can take more than two hours to kill. Fighting him is excessive, it's optional, and it's phenomenal.
Beyond the hunting quests, Final Fantasy XII has a remarkably large array of monsters, the Bazaar crafting system, and optional areas that are completely hidden such as the Pharos Subterra and the Great Crystal. The Zodiac Age remake makes all of this easier to access because of the license board and its speed up feature.
“FFXII\'s hunt system is why I have 200 hours in a 60-hour game. Every Elite Mark feels like a mini-boss event.”
3. Xenoblade Chronicles X
Xenoblade Chronicles X has optional missions that are unlike any other JRPG, and are a necessity to completing the main story. These missions give players the opportunity to create a functional settlement on a planet. The main story requires you to negotiate with the alien species in order to settle the planet, which is an environmental threat. For more games with expansive worlds to explore, see our best open-world JRPGs guide.
I completed 40 hours of gameplay in the side quests alone. Many of the affinity missions that are character focused on the side quests only become accessible after a certain level of exploration and relationships. Finally, the game provides the players with the ability to live in Mira before the story is completed. This is another level of the exploration and side quests.
When research probes are planted across the five continents, it not only generates revenue and resources, but environmental data that is related to the narratives in the side quests. The side quests along with the exploration create the perfect mechanics that build the world.
“XCX doesn\'t have side quests — it has a colonization simulator. Every mission makes New Los Angeles feel more real.”
2. Chrono Trigger
Every side quest in Chrono Trigger is a masterpiece, and is better than any side quest in any other JRPG. As you near the end of the game, a character will tell you a bunch of optional quests you can do before fighting the final boss. Each side quest is centered around a member of your party, and every quest is exceptional. There is Robo and his forest, Lucca and her tragedy, and Frogs big fight. These are the most important parts of the game and just like the quests, they are not filler.
One of the things that makes Chrono Trigger such a great game is the design behind the side quests. I replayed Chrono Trigger for the side quests, and I love the design behind them. Each quest is between 30 and 45 minutes and no time is wasted. There is no filler, no arbitrary quest objectives, and no lengthening for the sake of lengthening. You go where the quest takes you, an experience is had, and you gain insight into the character along with the gameplay.
In addition to the New Game Plus, Chrono Trigger has 13 endings. These endings can also be considered side content, and are a reward for those who skip the final boss and are willing to do a few playthroughs. Chrono Trigger makes every other 60-hour RPG look bloated with the optional depth that you can find in such a short playtime of 25 hours.
“Chrono Trigger has 6 side quests that are each better than most full games. That is not hyperbole.”
1. Yakuza 0
Yakuza 0 takes the cake for best side content ever in an RPG. I'm confident in saying this. It has 100 side stories and each one is unique and entertaining in character-driven stories and absurdist comedy. Dommes need your assistance in gaining self-confidence. You play a role in helping a band get over the fear of a live performance. You raise a chicken to be a real estate manager. Yes, all of this happens, and they're all fantastic.
I've played Yakuza 0 three times and each time, I found brand new substories. There are real estate and cabaret club mini-games that are so detailed, it justifies being a game by itself. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again if it meant spending 15 hours on the cabaret club. That's how I feel about the other elements in the game like the telephone card mini game, disco, bowling, karaoke, and cat fighting. If it seems like a diversion, these activities are actually fully fleshed out and ready for you to explore.
The best example of range in Yakuza 0 is the main plot, which is a serious crime story dealing with loyalty, betrayal, and a patch of empty land in Kamurocho vs the side stories, which serve to provide comedic relief about the importance of anti-heroism in a selfish world. Without this range and without the contrast, the game would lose the majority of its meaning. Every Yakuza 0 side quest is a main quest, then. To see how these games compare to the larger JRPG scope, check the best RPGs of all time.
“I hired a chicken as a real estate manager in Yakuza 0. It outperformed all my human employees. Greatest game ever made.”
What Makes Great JRPG Side Content?
The patterns become obvious after ranking all 10 games.
We start with the best side quests, which contribute to narrative purpose. Achieving this in its fullest extent is the Chrono Trigger side quests, which aid in the completion of character arcs. They also provide the groundwork for the emotional peak in the Persona 5 finale. The most narrative-heavy top-down Japanese RPGs, like the trails series, use NPC dialogue and lose worldbuilding. This is where narrative optional becomes essential.
The second is the mechanical reward. Persona 5 ties your combat abilities to how far you get with your Confidants. In FFXII, the best gear is dropped from the hunts. In Xenoblade X, your resources come from probes that you can set up in the world. The best side activities give you incentives to engage, other than story reasons, that allow you to strengthen your character through activities that reinforce the core gameplay of the main missions.
The third is tonal variety. Yakuza 0 and Like a Dragon know that a 60-hour game should have some variety to it. You need serious main story missions and then some side missions to break the horror with humor. The tonal variation is what separates good games from great ones. A game world that only has one emotion becomes stagnant.
Conclusion
These ten games have shown that great side activities are not a last minute thought, but rather where the JPRGs shine the brightest. You can see the intricate detail that has gone into creating the side missions in Yakuza, the NPCs in Trails, the side character quests in Chrono Trigger, as well as in the relationship mechanics that are implemented in the Persona series. These games give you ample rewards for branching out from the directed gameplay.
I have invested countless hours in engaging with these activities and each hour has created a very high feeling of reward. This is the mark of great side content. It never feels like a detour, but rather that the real game was waiting just off the main gameplay path.