Role-playing games have always been about character progression and deep immersion in the worlds carefully crafted by the developers. In some of the older RPGs, going down a certain path with a character carried much more weight than it does nowadays, with respeccing and easily-created jack-of-all-trades builds allowing gamers to be much more careless with their choices.
Classes and guild allegiances in RPGs used to matter a lot more in older games than they do now, but that doesn’t mean that all modern titles discard their importance. Whether it’s a 20-year-old cult classic or a modern AAA blockbuster, video games where class systems are fleshed out and have more impact on storylines and gameplay usually have a higher replay value than their more straightforward counterparts.
10 Grim Dawn
Grim Dawn is a fantastic ARPG that did not get enough hype back when it released in 2016. With smooth combat and a unique, interesting world, no role-playing enthusiast should sleep on this game. One of the better aspects of Grim Dawn is its class system.
Straight-forward and easily understandable even at first glance, the class mechanics allow for some surprisingly in-depth character customization, significantly altering the experience every time an upgrade is made. With six base classes to choose from (players can attach their characters to a second class later on in the game) and complex, yet concise skill trees, the class system in Grim Dawn is truly something players can sink their teeth into.
9 Titan Quest
To many gamers, Titan Quest is nothing more than a Diablo clone. While there is some truth to that statement, the game itself is so much more than what it initially looks like. One of the areas it truly shines in is the leveling mechanics and class system.
Titan Quest does not pigeonhole players into specific class categories, but rather allows them to mold their own destiny by implementing a complex system of skill trees that can be modified to one’s heart’s content. It may get confusing at times, but action role-playing games that put this much effort into leveling up and skill customization are hard to find nowadays!
8 Genshin Impact
The elemental powers of Genshin Impact characters may not fit the traditional definition of a class, but they sure do matter in terms of gameplay and combat effectiveness. With a total of seven possible elements, players have a lot of agency when it comes to finding their own, unique playstyle.
Switching between characters and combining the right elemental powers to unleash the most destructive combos takes a lot of strategizing and knowledge of the game’s systems to get right, but it’s more than worth it!
7 Baldur’s Gate
Released in the heyday of RPGs set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons, Baldur’s Gate and its sequel are two of the best games of its kind. With a convoluted storyline and turn-based combat (that many players have a love-hate relationship with), it should come as no surprise that, much like its table-top predecessors, Baldur’s Gate has a deep class system that enhances the gameplay.
There are six class groups to choose from, with each one branching out into four distinct classes (with the exception of Rogue that only has two classes). That’s not all of it! For each class, there are 3-5 kits to choose from, which will modify the build by granting skill bonuses and penalties, determining the course of character development for that particular playthrough.
6 Fallout: New Vegas
Picking a character class and pledging allegiance to one of the many groups found in the game world is a characteristic present in all of the Fallout games, but New Vegas is one where the class and guild choices have the most influence on each playthrough.
Charisma builds may unlock many dialogue options that would not be possible otherwise, whereas damage-based ones will allow fans to plow through hordes of enemies without having to worry too much about NPC allegiances. There are many options in-between, of course, and the ability to alter the gameplay and plot outcomes accordingly to the player’s liking is what makes New Vegas one of the strongest entries in the Fallout series.
5 Diablo Series
Many games on this list entail having to go through an opening sequence in order to fit into one of the classes. Diablo does away with all that. Players get to pick a character class before starting the first act.
In Diablo games, the class choice matters because it determines the entire playthrough, from the upgradeable skills to the items you can use. Once the choice is made, there is no going back!
4 Deus Ex
The original Deus Ex took the gaming community by storm. It was one of the first games giving players the freedom to go about any level exactly as they wanted to. There was no single best course of action — as long as they achieved the objective, gamers were free to go about it as they pleased, and the range of possibilities was very wide, to say the least.
From a sneaky hacker type to a gun-slinging cyborg, JC Denton’s character build didn’t only affect the gameplay, but also the players’ ability to reach secret areas and uncover plenty of other hidden details within the game.
3 Cyberpunk 2077
Deus Ex may have been the game that popularized the cyberpunk genre in gaming, but it’s Cyberpunk 2077 that was supposed to elevate it to a whole new level. Whether it actually managed to do so or not is a matter of opinion, but there is no denying that class choices have an actual impact on its gameplay in this game.
While they may not radically change the way certain NPCs react with V based on his build, each build flips your playstyle on its head. Comparing a Body+Reflexes build hacking and slashing away at enemies with the Mantis Blades to a slow-paced, Intelligence-focused netrunner feels like comparing two completely different games!
2 Gothic Series
The majority of gamers may not be familiar with the Gothic series. After all, the first entry was released over 20 years ago, and they did not really generate the hype they deserved in North America. They do, however, hold a cult classic status in Germany and parts of Eastern Europe, for a good reason.
Classes in Gothic (especially I and II) didn’t just tremendously affect the gameplay — they were a reflection of the character’s place in the game’s world and had a profound impact on his relationships with NPCs. Even the ability to associate oneself with a certain class/guild has to be backed up by hours of playtime, and following a certain path may lock players out of entire questlines until the next playthrough!
1 The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Morrowind might not have the fancy voice acting and NPC routines of the newer Elder Scrolls games, but that doesn’t stop it from being the best entry in the entire franchise according to many fans. This is partially due to the excellent writing, but also because of the incredibly complex, open-ended class system it offered.
Much like in Gothic, the player’s class choice and guild allegiance can lock them out of certain quests and plotlines. It also enables fans to mold the gameplay in any way they want. Be it a flying Khajit mage-thief or a speedy, fist-fighting Nord, Morrowind is one of the rare games where the possibilities are truly endless.
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