So, you’ve just met an NPC and they told you to go to that cursed village to recover their grandfather’s necklace. They also promise to reward you handsomely if you succeed. Congrats, you’ve just got yourself a quest.
Quest Meaning in Games
If you’re wondering what is quest in gaming, it’s simply a mission or a task you have to complete to get some kind of reward. Not all missions are referred to as “quests”, though. Quests are usually related to role-playing games and fantasy themes; in such games, a quest can be anything, from simply retrieving an item to embarking on a grand adventure with an objective to get rid of the most powerful monster that terrorizes the continent.
In other kinds of games, such as modern military first-person shooters, even if you have some kind of objective, it’s usually simply called a “mission”.
To start a quest, usually you have to talk to a specific NPC; NPCs that give players a quest are sometimes referred to as “quest givers”. It’s not a rule, though; sometimes quests start automatically or when you approach a specific area.
What is the Purpose of Quests in Games?
Quests in games serve a number of purposes. Most importantly, they reward those who manage to complete them, allowing players to get their hands on new loot and upgrade their character to make some progress in the game. The rewards may also give players special privileges, such as access to special areas and hunting grounds, new perks, and follow-up quests.
Quests may also give players a sense of accomplishment once completed.
In story-driven games, quests are the main content of the game, and they tell all kinds of captivating stories for players to experience and enjoy.
Popular Types of Quests
The most popular type of quest is arguably a fetch quest, which can be often found in MMORPGs and is considered a very lazy kind of quest. It’s a quest where players simply need to collect some kind of item. In MMORPGs it could mean spending a lot of time travelling to a distant place where the item can be found or killing hundreds of enemies to collect enough items that drop from them.
Kill quests are very similar to fetch quests, but they focus on killing a particular kind of enemy, usually in large numbers.
Escort quests require players to safely escort the target to the destination.
In delivery quests, you’ll have to deliver an item to a character or a place.
In story-driven games, quests are often more complex in nature and may combine a variety of objectives mentioned above and even throw some extra tasks such as finding clues, solving puzzles, tracking targets, crafting, and more.
Conclusion
Quests are an essential part of certain video games, especially role-playing games, allowing players to get extra rewards and make progress in the game. They give players a sense of direction and long-term goals. In story-driven games, completing a quest is often the reward in and of itself, as it pushes the story forward and may reveal important lore details.