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Five of the Best: Side quests

You complete me.

A close-up of the frightening hag Auntie Ethel in Baldur's Gate 3. Her oversized head has a very pointy nose and sharp teeth. She has green leathery skin. She's rather monstrous.
Image credit: Eurogamer / Larian

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Side quests are part of so many gaming adventures now they're a worn trope - an expected thing. Yes, they litter role-playing games, because that's where they originated from, but they've also spun out to fill Ubisoft worlds and many others. But there's a sharp line between filler and fun. Some games use side quests as padding, whereas others use them as vessels to deliver what the main story can't: incidental detail, world building, lore. They are where we often find some of the most memorable details in games. The question is, which of these side quests - and by "side quests" I mean those that aren't part of the main quest, somewhat obviously - are the best?

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