Starfield: Best sidequests you shouldn’t skip

Starfield features some incredible sidequests and missions to take a break from the main campaign. With a plethora of missions and sidequests to indulge in, players are in for a good time with the game. Here’s a list of all the sidequests that you should not skip in Starfield.

Starfield offers players a plethora of quests to tackle within the storyline. With over 1,000 planets in the vast galaxy, the game offers plenty of content for players to discover.

Just like any other Bethesda game, Starfield has sidequests that are considered to be better than even some of the main quests. Overlooking any of these quests is not recommended as you might miss out on certain highly engaging storylines and missions.

So, here are the top 10 best sidequests in Starfield.

Spoilers ahead.

Top 10 sidequests in Starfield that you need to complete

1. Groundpounder

The Groundpounder quest starts when you visit the planet of Aranae IV-A. Once you reach this planet, you’ll get a distress call from the planet of Altair. If you choose to address and help the caller, you’ll come across an outpost that is under attack.

Groundpounder offers players action-packed combat against a ton of enemies and completing this quest will award you with 300 XP, 5000 credits, and a unique version of the AA-99 Rifle – the Peacekeeper, which is one of the best weapons in Starfield.

2. Sabotage

If you were a fan of the Thieves Guild in Skyrim, you would love the Sabotage sidequest in Starfield. The Ryujin Industries quest line will continuously send you on stealth missions, testing your skills at every step.

The Sabotage quest is the final major mission in the quest line where you will have to infiltrate Infinity LTD and make certain major decisions that influence Ryujin Industries’ entire course of action. Skipping this quest is not at all recommended.

3. Eye of the Storm

The Eye of the Storm might just be the single most decisive sidequest in Starfield. As you infiltrate the Crimson Fleet being undercover for the UC SysDef, you will be given the final choice to bring Kryx’s Legacy to either the UC or the Fleet.

Your choices in this quest will determine which faction is destroyed, and which one will enter its glory stage. Also, this quest rewards you 250,000 credits, the most in the game.

4. Burden of Proof

Before you try to start the Burden of Proof mission in Starfield, you should know that this quest isn’t available if you side with the Crimson Fleet. To kick off Burden of Proof, you need to join the UC Vanguard and complete the pilot exam and the next probation mission.

By doing so, you’ll have the option to dock with one of Vanguard’s ships and start the Burden of Proof mission. You’ll need to collect a minimum of 15 pieces of evidence and hand them over to Lieutenant Toft.

While handing in the evidence to Toft will earn you a few credits and XP, the final piece of evidence will earn you a legendary weapon called the Memento Mori. This pistol’s damage increases as the player’s health decreases and an additional 30% damage on the next attack if you hit an enemy’s limbs.

5. Grunt Work

Grunt Work is the beginning of one of the best quest lines in Starfield. As you join the UC Vanguard, Commander Tuala will send you on a mission on Tau Ceti II involving certain civilians. However, things take a horrific turn.

In this mission, you learn about the Terrormorphs for the first time and have to kill one immediately, be it by using your skills or intellect. This quest will not only test your skills but also your presence of mind upon seeing a Terrormorph for the first time.

6. In Memoriam

If you want a romantic relationship with Sarah Morgan in Starfield, In Memoriam is the quest you should complete. Keep in mind that having a romantic partner as a follower will grant you a 5% additional XP bonus whenever you sleep.

This mission will have you travel with Sarah, helping her confront her past as you visit the crash site of her fallen comrades from the past. You will also encounter a new character named Sona in this mission. In the end, Sarah will want to make the relationship official and complete the quest.

7. Mantis

Let’s be honest, who doesn’t like some free Legendary gear in Starfield? The Mantis quest will help you get that quite early in the game. Whenever you encounter enemies called Spacers, always loot their bodies until you find a document called “Secret Outpost.”

From there, simply travel to the location, complete a puzzle, kill some Spacers, and congratulations, you have just got your hands on some Legendary gear, an extremely powerful A-class ship.

8. First Contact

There’s just something about wondering and making tough decisions in Starfield. In First Contact, you will randomly encounter a ship hovering on top of Paradiso, asking for your help. Once you encounter the colonists in it, they will ask you to negotiate with the planet’s officials to let them stay there. You will have to more or less decide their fate in this mission.

9. Juno’s Gambit

As you are exploring the beauty of outer space on your ship in Starfield, one random encounter might pique your interest. You will be requested to board a ship of two Ryujin officials and help them destroy a robot called Juno.

However, upon talking to Juno, you realize that it almost has its own free will and wants to be treated like a person. Now it is up to you to decide whether to let it live and be free in space, or destroy it right there for a few credits.

10. Divided Loyalties

Divided Loyalties will show you the real face of the Vaa’run Zealots as you travel with Andreja to help her face her past. As a former member of the Vaa’run family, Andreja will ask for your help to make everything right with her friends.

This quest will not only make you travel to various star systems and uncover secrets but it’s also the essential step for romancing Andreja if you are interested. If you want a romantic relationship with her, getting on her good side with this quest is the most important and final step that you must complete.

These were the best sidequests in Starfield that you should not miss.

For more on Starfield, check out our other guides:

Starfield romance explained | Starfield money glitch | Starfield plants explained: All types & how to scan | Who is the Adoring Fan in Starfield? | Starfield jail system explained | Does Starfield have mod support? | Does Starfield have multiplayer or co-op | Is Starfield coming to PlayStation?