Side Quests from Hell: Have You Completed These Ridiculously Hard Game Quests?

Side quests and optional challenges usually sound like fun little distractions — until they morph into sanity-draining nightmares that make you wonder why you even bother. Some are notorious for their absurd difficulty, some for being the ultimate tests of patience, and others are just so ridiculous you have to question what the developers were thinking. If you’ve ever stared blankly at your screen wondering why you’re still doing this, congratulations — you’re not alone.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — The Great Cave Hunt Objective: Explore all 147 caves and track down every single Bubbulfrog. Suffering Level: Some of these caves are hidden so well, you’d think they were part of a decades-old conspiracy. To make it worse, the game doesn’t bother telling you which ones you’ve already found. Once you’re down to the final handful, you’re basically just running around like a confused Korok. Compared to this, collecting all 999 Korok seeds feels like a relaxing day trip.

Metal Gear Solid 2 — Dog Tag Collector’s Purgatory Objective: Collect every unique dog tag across all difficulty levels. Suffering Level: Holding guards at gunpoint sounds fun until they either refuse, pass out, or flip out so hard you start feeling bad. Oh, and every difficulty has its own set of dog tags, so you’re doing this across five full playthroughs. By the time you’re done, you’ll be questioning not only your life choices but also your grip on reality.

Ninja Gaiden Series — Master Ninja Mode (Your Controller’s Worst Nightmare) Objective: Clear the game on the hardest difficulty. Suffering Level: Standard Ninja Gaiden already has a reputation for ending friendships — with your controller. Master Ninja Mode turns enemies into psychic assassins who read your inputs, and every encounter feels like a mini-boss fight. If you actually finish this, you either deserve a medal or a long nap in a dark room.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice — The No-Hit Nightmare Challenge Objective: Activate the Demon Bell, refuse Kuro’s Charm, and complete the entire game without taking a single hit. Suffering Level: Sekiro’s parry-based combat already demands superhuman reflexes, but with these added challenges, even basic enemies become life-or-death situations. One slip-up, and it’s back to the start. Clear this, and you might achieve true enlightenment — or lose all faith in humanity.

Yakuza 0 — 100% Completion Featuring the Gambling Gauntlet Objective: Fully complete the game — every side story, every mini-game, every collectible, every skill. Suffering Level: Pocket Circuit? Cute. Karaoke? A blast. Gambling mini-games? Pure, unfiltered RNG torture. If you don’t believe in save-scumming, you will by the end of your mahjong and shogi marathon.

Elden Ring — Memory Stone Treasure Hunt Objective: Collect all 8 Memory Stones to max out your spell slots. Suffering Level: They’re scattered across the Lands Between with absolutely no tracking. Some are hidden in obscure locations, others are sold by NPCs who might just die on you if you even look at them funny. If you’re running a magic build, missing one of these feels like someone took away your spellbook and gave you a stick.

Resident Evil 4 Remake — Speedrunning Professional Mode for Infinite Rocket Launcher Objective: Complete Professional Mode in under 5 hours to unlock the infinite rocket launcher. Suffering Level: Enemies hit like freight trains, healing items are scarce, and you’re racing the clock the entire time. One bad QTE or missed headshot can erase hours of progress. When you finally get that infinite rocket launcher, it’s less of a reward and more of a trophy for your suffering.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas — Pigeon Hunt from Hell Objective: Find all 100 pigeons hidden across the entire map. Suffering Level: Some are on rooftops, some are under bridges, and others are just chilling in the most inconvenient spots possible — all with zero in-game hints. Miss one? Have fun retracing your steps across the whole map. By the end, you’ll know San Andreas better than the developers.

These side quests and challenges didn’t just break players — they built legends. Whether you powered through for the bragging rights, the obsessive need to hit 100%, or just because you couldn’t let a game beat you, you’ve earned every ounce of respect. Got your own nightmare quests that deserve to be on this list? Drop them in the comments — misery loves company.