Highlights
- The Deep Sea Research Center in FF8 offers powerful spells & an optional boss for players seeking top-tier content.
- Exploring Kid's past in Chrono Cross connects to Chrono Trigger & adds emotional depth & dimension-hopping convenience.
- Dragoon Spirits in Legend of Dragoon expands lore & provides exciting fights, offering more context to the journey.
Side quests are a common aspect of the role-playing game, as they have appeared frequently in this long and storied genre. Some of them are simple fetch quests, while others are full-blown adventures of their own. Some of the best side quests that the genre has seen came from the PS1 era, where a stunning number of fabulous RPGs produced a plethora of amazing optional content.
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Some hidden side quests in games can add a new layer of excitement that makes the game even better than it already was.
The PS1 was a haven for great RPGs, as it produced a few surefire classics with some outstanding optional content. From icons like Final Fantasy 7 to cult classics like Parasite Eve, the PS1 offered some amazing ways to get more content from some already terrific games. Everything from optional bosses to trading quests, the side quests on the PS1 were built around quality over quantity.
1 Final Fantasy 8
Uncovering The Secrets Of The Deep Sea Research Center Will Grant FF8's Most Powerful Guardian Force
Final Fantasy 8 is a huge adventure that takes place over four discs, a common trait of 1990s JRPGs. One of the many reasons for multi-disc games was the massive amounts of content, something that FF8 has in abundance. Among its many side activities, one of the best is the Deep Sea Research Center, which is located in the southwest corner of the world map.
The Deep Sea Research Center can be found immediately on Disc 2, as Balamb Garden becomes equipped for travel, but requires the Ragnarok to dock and enter. Inside, the center offers some outstanding spells to draw, such as Triple and Ultima. Additionally, the Deep Sea Research Center features a fight against an optional boss in Ultima Weapon, from which players can draw one of the most powerful Guardian Forces with Eden.
2 Chrono Cross
Explore Kid's Past To Find A Connection To Chrono Trigger
When Serge and the party find Kid in a comatose state after defeating FATE in Chrono Cross, the choices made here will determine whether she is saved and brought back into the party or not. It's one of the many fantastic elements of this PS1 classic, but should players decide to, they will enter her dream to explore her past.
This will lead to visiting Lucca's Orphanage, one of several connections to its predecessor, Chrono Trigger. Completing the quest returns Kid to the party and grants the Astral Amulet, allowing easier transportation between dimensions. It is an emotionally charged piece of optional content that is absolutely worth experiencing.
3 The Legend Of Dragoon
Take Out Four Ancient Spirits In Vellweb To Expand The Lore
Released in the waning years of the PS1 in 2000, The Legend of Dragoon is still a phenomenal JRPG that still holds up to this day and is playable on PS5. This is good considering that the game has a host of fantastic side quests, and vanquishing the Dragoon spirits from the town of Vellweb is one of the best.
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Upon returning to Velwebb in Chapter 3, players can find Shirley once more and embark on a quest to take out four ancient Dragoon Spirits. These dragons aren't terribly tough at this point, and the overall reward is more about the thrill of the fights, but the story and lore are excellent and give some more context to the journey.
4 Suikoden 2
This Expansive Side Story Is Nearly As Good As The Main Campaign
Some of the best side quests aren't built around getting some sort of legendary weapon or item, but rather, their stories fill out the world and can be just as compelling as the main quest. And that's exactly what Clive's quest in Suikoden 2 is all about, as this very involved sub-story unfolds spectacularly through this incredible strategy RPG.
Clive's quest begins in the city of Muse, where this complex tale of intrigue and his relationship with a woman named Elza takes center stage. Even more intriguing, the quest is time-based, as players will have to deal with a tense 20-hour time limit to see it through to the end. It's a fascinating, although entirely optional, saga that is just as compelling as the main story.
5 Parasite Eve
The Second Playthrough Opens Up The Hidden Final Boss
A surreal mix of Final Fantasy and Resident Evil, Parasite Eve has gone on to become one of the PS1's most innovative titles. This cult-classic survival horror RPG stars NYPD officer Aya Brea, and her journey to defeat Eve and stop her from eradicating humanity. Completing the main game takes roughly ten hours to complete, but it's the optional content of Parasite Eve that adds a fabulous finishing touch.
While most players will put the game down after completing it, EX-Game unlocks the Chrysler Building and this maze-like structure becomes even more intimidating on the inside. At the top, on the 77th floor, the hidden optional boss named Truebred Eve awaits. It's a mighty test for the most hardened players, but one worth conquering.
6 Final Fantasy 7
Creation Of Gold Chocobo Can Lead To Huge Rewards
Final Fantasy 7
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation (Original) , PC , iOS , Android , Nintendo Switch , Xbox One , PS4
- Released
- January 31, 1997
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- RPG
First introduced in Final Fantasy 2, the Chocobo has become an iconic element of the franchise and continues to play a part in the series to this day. In Final Fantasy 7, they were a part of one of the best side quests in the entire game, as Chocobo breeding and racing is one of the most addictive things one can find in this huge JRPG.
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By breeding different colors of Chocobo, the player can create some magical new variations and the ultimate reward is the Gold Chocobo. This swift and lovely creature can reach any area on the world map, where it can reach Round Island to obtain the Knights of the Round materia. Additionally, breeding Chocobos for racing in the Gold Saucer is also a ton of fun, where competing against others in these fast-paced sprints is an absolute blast.
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