While it doesn't seem to be as much of an issue for CRPG's or WRPG's, a common critique of JRPG's is that they feature braindead, fetch quest-style side quests. While I'd say this wasn't generally the case during the 16- and 32-bit golden era of JRPG's, but it has definitely become an increasingly common mark against many games in the genre since then. Even I have to admit that the side quests are just overly abundant and rarely interesting in some of my favorite modern JRPG's like the Xenoblade games.
But I'm playing through Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology on my 3DS right now, and I have to say the side quests in this game are among the better ones I've seen in a JRPG in some time. Maybe most importantly, there aren't a bajillion of them. They are all distinct events that are triggered by talking to certain NPC's at certain times (clearly demarcated by a red page above their heads), and all of them feel relatively unique and grounded within the context of whatever is happening at that point/place in the game's twisting, interwoven timelines. It's so satisfying to finally come across the key item needed for a side quest ages ago and the time-travel back to that point to complete the quest. Little do these NPC's know I'm bringing them objects from their own future! Or sometimes alternate ones!
Left: Seeing that little red page pumps me up every time. Right: Side quests are easily tracked alongside main questlines in the game's White Chronicle.
I can't stress enough how much the time-travel contextualization enhances the fun of completing these side quests. Even ones that could be considered a fetch quest are elevated to something better because they're TIME TRAVEL FETCH QUESTS! And they often yield unique rewards that, as far as I can tell, can't be acquired elsewhere in the game. This is how JRPG side quests should be done, IMO, and I'd love to learn of other games in the genre that excel in this regard.
But I'm playing through Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology on my 3DS right now, and I have to say the side quests in this game are among the better ones I've seen in a JRPG in some time. Maybe most importantly, there aren't a bajillion of them. They are all distinct events that are triggered by talking to certain NPC's at certain times (clearly demarcated by a red page above their heads), and all of them feel relatively unique and grounded within the context of whatever is happening at that point/place in the game's twisting, interwoven timelines. It's so satisfying to finally come across the key item needed for a side quest ages ago and the time-travel back to that point to complete the quest. Little do these NPC's know I'm bringing them objects from their own future! Or sometimes alternate ones!
Left: Seeing that little red page pumps me up every time. Right: Side quests are easily tracked alongside main questlines in the game's White Chronicle.
I can't stress enough how much the time-travel contextualization enhances the fun of completing these side quests. Even ones that could be considered a fetch quest are elevated to something better because they're TIME TRAVEL FETCH QUESTS! And they often yield unique rewards that, as far as I can tell, can't be acquired elsewhere in the game. This is how JRPG side quests should be done, IMO, and I'd love to learn of other games in the genre that excel in this regard.
