Where Red Dead Redemption 2 really sets itself apart is in the details. While there are plenty of open world games that allow your character to wander around and interact freely, there are only a rare few in which the developers have hand-crafted such incredible particulars. For example, not only might you hear about a show that's playing in town, but you can actually buy a ticket and watch a full-length vaudeville act, complete with a freak show and an actress that performs a little show tune (and this is within a side quest). Some people could complete the main campaign and never bother seeing the show. No doubt, this is why Red Dead Redemption 2 is breaking sales records. So much care and feeding went into every single playable detail that you'd swear this world actually exists.

However, Arthur is only as involved as you want him to be. It is you, the player, that gets to decide what side-adventures he plays a part in and whether or not he even completes the side missions he starts. It's a rich world and a weird one on top of that. Depending on the side quest, Red Dead Redemption 2 can be a comedy, drama, mystery, horror film, romance, or even a sci-fi adventure. Whenever you undertake a new mission, you have no idea where it might lead or who will be left standing at the end of it. According to players and critics, here are 13 Side Quests That Every Player Needs To Complete (And 7 That Aren't Worth It).

20. Complete: Oh, Brother

You're taking a stroll through the town of Valentine when you encounter two brothers trying to impress the same woman. With one look, they decide to get you involved in deciding which brother deserves the girl. One brother excitedly says: “Do I look like a coward to you? I mean, obviously, I do because I look like that milksop there...” To which the other brother retorts: “I apologize sir... for his SMELL.” Suddenly, they're asking you to fire at bottles off their heads to prove their courage.

And so the rest of this weird mission goes, with two insecure brothers whose egos are only matched by their comical vocabularies. Before you know it, they're threatening to throw themselves off a cliff. It's not like Arthur to entertain fools, but these guys are just hilarious enough to make it worthwhile.

19. Complete: The Noblest of Men, And a Woman

In Valentine, you meet Theodore Levin, an author who is writing a book about the notorious slinger Jim "Boy" Calloway. The book isn't going so well, largely because Calloway hasn't been very cooperative or helpful in interviews. Levin drafts you on a mission to interview other colorful characters that have had experience with Calloway in order to help round out the book.

This ends up being quite the adventure, as everyone on the list is pretty dangerous, with some more likely to respond to interviewers with bullets rather than anecdotes. You'll run into wild personalities like Flaco Hernandez, Billy Midnight, Emmet Granger, and Black Belle, just to name a few. There are great rewards on this mission as you'll get at least three great weapons that are worth your while, all in a perilous quest that will continue to surprise you. Keep your trigger finger frosty.

18. Complete: The Mercies of Knowledge

The ethical part of scientific experimentation was still pretty dicey in this era. The field of electrical science has been particularly spooky in its development, with harrowing stories of Edison publicly using elephants to prove the powers of electricity.

In this mission, you run into an inventor in the northern area of St. Denis who needs an ample supply of moonshine. The bigger picture is that he needs a permit and a test subject to publicly demonstrate his latest invention: the electric chair. You would be right in guessing that he needs Arthur to help him get the permit and the test subject. In the inventor's mind, he is creating a humane alternative to capital punishment, but it doesn't work out so well, for all involved. It's a morbid adventure, but you don't really want to miss it.

17. Not Worth It: Of Men and Angels

Arthur, despite himself, often ends up doing the right thing. He certainly has no qualms about being violent, but he's not some kind of sociopath either. It's ironic, though, that so many feel comfortable asking Arthur for help having no idea of his highly criminal background.

In this mission, a nun asks Arthur for a simple charity: donate food to the poor. If you donate, the nun catches on quickly that Arthur doesn't like when people see his soft side. She says: “You are wonderful, Mr. Morgan.” “That ain't true,” he replies. “Oh, I meant wonderful but... so very [spooky]. As you wish.” That's it. That's the mission. The hardest thing you'll have to figure out is whether you want to give her the canned apricots, the canned kidney beans, or the Bluegill fish.

16. Complete: The Ties That Bind Us

When you first encounter these two escaped prisoners on the lam, they are literally at each other's throats. After calming them down a bit, you agree to help get the law off their back by collecting all the posters with their faces around town. After this is done, you expect them to go their separate ways, however, these two just can't quit each other.

You run into them several more times, where it becomes apparent that they can't survive without each other. They quarrel like an old couple, but when push comes to shove, there's a lot of love there. It's hard not to find these two adorable, and they provide a nice bit of comic relief to all the other serious goings-on. If you want to help them out, look for them southwest of Rhodes Town.

15. Complete: A Bright Bouncing Boy

This one is really quite special. In West St. Denis, you'll encounter Marko Dragic, an obvious nod to the very real Nikola Tesla. Dragic wants your help showing off his breakthrough wave-based technology to potential investors. To you, he's blathering on about a toy boat, but to him, he's demonstrating invisible waves you can't see that are controlling the boat remotely. Arthur is understandably skeptical, repeating with disbelief: “Invisible waves I can't see.”

Later, he needs your help in capturing electricity from a nearby storm. Arthur is ignorant enough about electricity to not think twice about running around outside with metal rods. The third mission is straight out of early science fiction, and we won't spoil it for you here; just make sure to follow the mission until the very end to learn the fate of the mysterious Marko Dragic.

14. Not Worth It: Do Not Seek Absolution

Arthur's not sorry for all the people he's hurt in the past, because in his mind, so many of them deserved it. But occasionally, he runs into a situation where he IS sorry because life is complicated, and deep down, he has a heart. Such is the case where he accidentally encounters Edith Downes in Annenberg, a woman he had previously shaken down to settle a debt. Arthur collected, but she and her grown son are now destitute as a result.

If you choose to help in this mission, you will do it against her wishes and most likely out of a sense of guilt. In the end, you will end up $35 poorer for your troubles. If you must for your conscience, then it might be worth it, but it's a sad little quest for which you will get little thanks.

13. Complete: He's British, Of Course

The title of this mission reflects what's going on in Arthur's head. If you run into a man in Lemoyne dressed as a woman who happens to be missing a few circus animals... well, he must be British. This circus performer begs for Arthur's help in tracking down a missing zebra, tiger, and lion. The zebra and the tiger hold some hilarious surprises, but it's the lion that will give you the most trouble, and resultantly, the most excitement.

It's a man-eater, so you'll have to use your tracking, hunting, and hiding skills to get the lion. You'll learn quickly how NOT to trap a hungry lion in a barn and the reward is pretty good, too. It's a nice and weird break from the typically “western” things you usually have to do.

12. Not Worth It: The Aberdeen Pig Farm

You wouldn't take candy from strangers, right? So, why on earth would you take liquor and beef stew from strangers? Perhaps the smell of those delicious vittles made Arthur forget that there are weird folks out there that are up to no good. It starts out, innocently enough, with a plump guy wearing only his overalls inviting you into his and his sister's remote cabin for supper. Maybe they're just lonely? This just seems like a dumb move on Arthur's part.

He's a little too close with his sister, and on top of that, it seems like she's putting the moves on you. However, it's not long before you wake up after being poisoned, blacked out, and robbed of everything you own. You can get it all back, but you're just recovering your losses. Avoid these degenerates, it's not worth it.

11. Complete: The Smell of the Grease Paint

The circus act wasn't the only traveling show in these parts. While stopping by a saloon at the Van Horn Trading post, you meet Miss Marjorie and her gigantic friend with a misshapen head, Bertram. Bertram is in the midst of ending the bartender when you manage to intervene and de-escalate the situation.

Miss Marjorie is the head of a freak show act, of which Bertram is a part, but she's missing her little person magician, Magnifico. She wants you to track him down and wrangle him back into his contractual responsibilities for the show. If you do as asked, you can later see their show in St. Denis and get a $40 reward in a letter from Miss Marjorie. The developers actually made a little entertaining show for you to watch, so that alone is worth it.