patronmacabre on 16 March 2017
I am going to go with a completely radical alternative solution.
Games shouldn't have side quests at all -- or if they exist, they should be done sparingly. Alternative branches that have a meaningful impact on the story, sure. But side quests almost always dilute the game and weaken the cohesiveness of the story. The best parts of the game are confined to the main story. Unless the side quests are of equal quality to the main story or they present a new view to the game's broader story, they shouldn't exist.
Personally, I vastly prefer optional challenges (akin to Shrines in Breath of the Wild or challenges in Gravity Rush, Grand Theft Auto, or Jak and Daxter) than side quests.
