10 RPGs With The Best Class & Skill Systems, Ranked

One of the highlights of any RPG is its leveling and skills system, especially if a title lets the player create their own, custom character. Different games take different approaches to this, with the more traditional titles taking inspiration from the TTRPGs of old by using classes. Others attempt more modern approaches, using skill point allocation or even usage improvement systems to allow people to play exactly what they want.

Sometimes, a game’s replayability hinges entirely on its character leveling, since the best systems allow for great versatility, making each run through the game feel different each time. Character creation and development is just as important as story is in many RPG titles. It’s no wonder that some of the best also have the best class and skill systems around, since figuring out how to develop a character can be just as fun as actually playing them.

10

Fallout: New Vegas (2010)

What Makes You S.P.E.C.I.A.L.?

New Vegas is a fan favorite title in the modern era of the Fallout franchise, and that’s for good reason. Its Metacritic score of 84, which is lower than Fallout 3 and 4, is somewhat deceptive, since New Vegas has gone on to show unparalleled longevity in the series, especially in the modding scene. Its fan base loves the roleplaying possibilities in this specific title, especially because it offers the opportunity to play something other than a vault dweller.

With a system that encourages the use of different builds, along with perks and skills that are versatile for both combat and social scenarios, New Vegas‘ leveling has almost everything a player could want. Although this isn’t a major issue, there is a downside to its level cap. Characters are restricted to a max level of 50, which is odd for a game as open as New Vegas. Still, this is adequate for most players, given the level cap matches the game’s length well.

9

Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014)

BioWare’s Last Big Hit

It seems like eons have past since the last Dragon Age was released, and its latest entry is fondly remembered for good reason. It earned 2014’s Game of the Year award from The Game Awards, as well as a Metacritic score of 85. The title has BioWare’s signature writing style with its character interactions, which changed the RPG landscape. As roleplaying titles go, Dragon Age has always been more traditional, with Inquisition having MMO-like combat with a tactical twist.

Inquisition uses a class system, with Specializations (essentially subclasses) for each of the three classes. These Specializations provide depth to the leveling system, and intuitive UI for allocating skills makes it all easy to understand. With a system as tight as DA:I, it’s odd that party members can’t have their classes or Specializations changed too, so that they can accommodate whatever a player chooses.

8

Path Of Exile (2013)

A New Take On ARPGs

The ARPG space has long been lorded over by Blizzard’s Diablo series, but in 2013 a rival arrived. Path of Exile takes a different approach with its character progression compared to the series that inspired it. While Diablo is rigid in its class structure, PoE‘s classes merely determine where a player starts on its vast skill tree. The sheer size of the skill tree is daunting, but it offers players so much in terms of what their character will be able to do.

This deviation clearly worked, since PoE earned a Metacritic score of 86 and its sequel is planned for the end of 2024. The added versatility of its character progression system adds more modern gaming principles to an old (yet still frequently played) game genre, while also providing something different to Diablo. The players of ARPGs tend to be some of the most involved and dedicated, so the added complexity of PoE‘s system suits them, even if it may turn off newer players.

7

Dragons Dogma 2 (2024)

Fluid Vocations Add Versatility

Although seemingly traditional on the outside, Dragon’s Dogma‘s Vocations provide a unique take on classes, which has been improved upon in its sequel. Vocations can be switched at any time, meaning that players can experience everything in a single playthrough, and Hybrid Vocations offer unique play styles that would be hard to replicate in other titles. Dragon’s Dogma 2 especially shines with Warfarer, where players can take skills from all other Vocations, allowing players to create exactly what they want.

Because of DD2‘s stellar combat, these Vocations can truly stand out. The system is a popular one, since the game has earned an impressive 86 on Metacritic and 4/5 review from Screen Rant. It is also aided by the Pawn companion system, where these allies can also have Vocations, which leads to players configuring party composition with their Main Pawn and others that they encounter in the Rift. Unfortunately, these faithful companions do not have access to any of the Hybrid Vocations.

6

Dark Souls 3 (2016)

The Pinnacle Of The Souls Series

Dark Souls 3 takes the already stellar system from the prior titles in its series and improves them with Weapon Arts. Although the Dark Souls Series has a skill point allocation system, which relies on its main currency (Souls) to be spent to level up, its play style is determined by its weapons. Builds allow certain weapons and tools to be used, and the variety of these weapons is what makes the system so much fun to tinker with.

One of the beautiful things about any FromSoftware title is that players can be at whatever level they want to complete these games. “Soul Level 1” challenge runs have become popular among the fan base, as players don’t have to level up at all to beat it. Thanks to the system being as reliant on equipment as skills, players have a lot to play around with and Dark Souls 3 is still often being replayed to this day. It stands proud with a Metacritic score of 89.

5

Bloodborne (2014)

Transforming Weapons Make For Fun Builds

Bloodborne, despite being a Soulsborne title, provides a unique experience when it comes to its gameplay. It is faster, features transforming weapons and a gun to use so that anyone can parry, no matter what main armament they use. Out of all of FromSoftware’s titles, Bloodborne has arguably the most dedicated following despite its limited release as a PlayStation 4 exclusive title. That didn’t hamper its critical success, since it has a Metacritic score of 92.

Although Soulsborne titles all follow the same formula with their leveling progression, using point allocation systems that require currency to be spent to progress, the systems are always reliant on that title’s weaponry. Bloodborne is unique in this regard, offering all the standard armaments, like axes, hammers, and swords, except many of them transform to allow players to suddenly change their approach in combat. Paired with its many skills, play styles in Bloodborne can vary greatly.

4

Divinity: Original Sin 2 (2017)

The Most Versatile System Around

Divinity: Original Sin 2 is truly special when it comes to its character progression. It is perhaps one of gaming’s most versatile leveling systems, allowing players to make anything from a summoning master, able to conjure flaming demons, to tough balls of iron, who strike first and ask questions later. It is relatively easy to understand too, since the skills which points are allocated to aren’t that complicated. Making them all work in tandem is the complicated part, however.

An inevitable downside to such versatility is that players unfamiliar with the system can easily struggle to make viable builds, creating characters that are non-functional by stretching them in too many directions. Of course, the vast upside is that players can do exactly what they want with a modern point allocation system, which has clearly earned love. DOS2 Definitive Edition has a Metacritic score of 92, and a Screen Rant review score of 4.5/5.

3

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim (2011)

Constellations Point The Way

No character progression system is perhaps as famous as Skyrim‘s. It is so iconic that countless memes have been made about certain skills reaching 100, and its constellation aesthetic, which is easy to navigate, is perhaps as iconic as the game itself. It is unique in that it is a use-based progression system, where the more a skill is used, the better the player character becomes with it. This is one of gaming’s more realistic systems and is easy to understand.

The wealth of skills and perks available to players means that any build, no matter how varied it is, will eventually be viable. The only downside is that the system is based on use, and there have been many jokes about how players end up defaulting to their go-to builds, rather than try something new. The stealth archer build is the biggest offender in this case, but it does show that there is enough incentive with the skill system to encourage players to replay the game. Skyrim has earned a Metacritic score of 96 in part because of this.

2

Baldur’s Gate 3 (2023)

If It Isn’t Broken, Don’t Fix It

There’s a reason why Dungeons & Dragons‘ leveling and class systems have remained practically the same for decades. Yes, there have been changes and new classes, but the core ideals have made it from the 70s to Baldur’s Gate 3‘s release in 2023, and it still provides players with variety, while giving party members distinct specializations. It is a strong system, especially in a video game format, since it lets players do a lot with the classes while guiding them through the process in a streamlined manner.

Baldur’s Gate 3’s UI is pivotal in making it a good adaptation. Everything in BG3 is easy to understand for players who have never touched a CRPG before, let alone a tabletop game, and the simple respec functions mean that players don’t have to entirely commit to a build that they don’t like. Customizing all the other party members is a blast too, letting players try as many classes as they want through them and not just their customized character. This led to BG3 winning Screen Rant‘s 2023’s GOTY, earning a 96 on Metacritic and a 4.5/5 review from Screen Rant.

1

Elden Ring (2022)

Unparalleled Build Variety

Elden Ring builds are incredibly versatile, and perhaps the best part is they don’t have to be particularly effective, which perfectly demonstrates why the game’s skills system is so good. There are certainly optimal ways to allocate skill points, and proper gear to pair with leveled stats, but virtually any build could work given the game’s open-world nature. Those who care deeply about crafting builds can make everything optimal, while those who don’t could soldier on with whatever they felt worked at the time, and both would have an amazing experience with the game.

Elden Ring’s variety of skills, spells and weapons allow builds to come in all shapes and sizes. Very rarely will two players have the same builds unintentionally, and the balancing of the skills meant that those who struggled could use safer tools, like Glintstone sorcery, while those that want to play Elden Ring like it’s Dark Souls can level nothing but strength and start swinging a big sword. This is partly what gave the RPG a deserved 96 on Metacritic, a perfect 5/5 from Screen Rant‘s review, and earned it the number one spot on Screen Rant‘s best games of all time list.

Sources: Metacritic (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)