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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.
Updated January 19, 2023, by Maciej Grzymkowski: Class-based RPGs continue to grasp the attention of the genre’s many fans, and titles that offer players a wide variety of meaningful choices with regard to their character progression enjoy greater popularity than ever. In 2022, Elden Ring proved that class systems that enable the flexibility of playstyles, adjustable accordingly with the players’ preferences, can go a long way in making the entire experience more enthralling and enjoyable. 2023 is shaping up to be a big year for class-oriented RPGs, with titles like Baldur’s Gate 3 or Diablo IV slated to come out in the upcoming months. This list was updated to include a few more games with classes role-playing enthusiasts should check out in preparation for these releases.
15 Grim Dawn
Release date: February 25, 2016
Platforms: PC
Grim Dawn is a fantastic ARPG that did not get enough hype back when it was 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.
14 Outriders
Release date: April 1, 2021
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Stadia
Developed by People Can Fly, the same studio that created Bulletstorm, and laid down the foundations for Fortnite during their brief stint as part of Epic Games, Outriders is a class-based looter-shooter that players have been yearning for ever since many have grown tired of the Destiny formula.
With four playable classes to choose from, each one of them comes with its own benefits and drawbacks. Every class drastically alters the gameplay, forcing the players to re-learn the combat mechanics every time they create a new character. Combining each class’s power in co-op multiplayer is incredibly satisfying and truly brings the brilliance of this class-based game.
13 Path of Exile
Release date: October 23, 2013
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
It won’t be an exaggeration to say that Path of Exile has the most complex class and leveling system found in ARPGs to this date, which is all the more impressive considering that it’s a free-to-play title! With seven primary classes to choose from and 19 more “ascendancy” classes that players can reach once they progress far enough into the game, it is clear that classes in Path of Exile are a core element of the title’s gameplay loop.
A character’s class also determines which skills they can use from the game’s whopping 454 abilities, 276 of which are active skills, with the remaining 178 being support skills. As opposed to other RPGs, where skills are obtained via leveling up, in Path of Exile, players obtain equippable skill gems they can receive as rewards for completing quests, purchase from merchants, or loot from enemies and chests scattered across the world.
12 Titan Quest
Release date: June 26, 2006
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, Android, iOS
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!
11 Genshin Impact
Release date: September 28, 2020
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, iOS, Android
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.
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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!
10 Baldur’s Gate
Release date: December 21, 1998 (Enhanced Edition released on November 28, 2012)
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, iOS, Android
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 their 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, which 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.
9 Fallout: New Vegas
Release date: October 19, 2010
Platforms: PC, PS3, PS4, X360, Xbox One
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.
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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.
8 Diablo Series
Release date: Diablo: December 31, 1996, Diablo II: June 29, 2000, Diablo III: May 15, 2012
Platforms: PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, X360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
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 players can use. Once the choice is made, there is no going back!
7 Planescape Torment
Release date: December 12, 1999
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, Android, iOS
Role-playing games set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe are known for their complexity when it comes to world-building and storylines but also the character progression mechanics. There are three primary classes to choose from in Planescape Torment: Fighter, Mage, and Thief. Each one comes with a different set of starting attributes, and they’re all suited for a variety of different playstyles.
Players don’t necessarily have to lock themselves into the class chosen at the start of the game. One can switch classes later in the game upon using the services of various practitioners and trainers found in the city of Sigil. Choosing a class in Planescape Torment is an impactful decision, as each class comes with restrictions regarding the types of equipment they can use and how they interact with the world. For example, only Thieves can pick locks and disarm traps, whereas Mages don’t stand a chance against most enemies in close-quarters combat.
6 Divinity: Original Sin 2
Release date: September 14, 2017
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
The Divinity: Original Sin series scratches the classic RPG itch that many seasoned veterans of gaming have. Coated in modern graphics, Divinity: Original Sin 2 is the perfect example of how the seemingly dated mechanics still have a place in modern games, but only if they’re implemented in the right way.
With a whopping 14 classes to choose from and countless ways to customize them to one’s heart’s content, Divinity: Original Sin 2 is one of the best games with classes that came out in the PS4/XB1 era. It may not have introduced any revolutionary mechanics, but it executed the class system to perfection and brought back classic tropes from some of the best class-based games released in the heyday of isometric RPGs, and it deserves all the credit for doing so.
5 Deus Ex
Release date: June 22, 2000
Platforms: PC, PS2
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.
4 Cyberpunk 2077
Release date: December 10, 2020
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Stadia
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.
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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!
3 Gothic Series
Release date: Gothic: March 15, 2001, Gothic 2: November 29, 2002
Platforms: PC
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 1 and 2) 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!
2 Elden Ring
Release date: February 25, 2022
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One
As opposed to many of the other games on this list, the class players choose in Elden Ring doesn’t necessarily affect the game’s storyline or choices, but FromSoftware’s magnum opus definitely exceeds at making each playthrough feel like a radically different game depending on which path one chooses to pursue at the start of their adventure. Elden Ring also doesn’t lock gamers into a specific class, instead allowing them to mold their own unique adventurer by carefully distributing the limited skill points to the main eight stats.
For instance, a strong focus on magic can result in some very overpowered builds, granting players access to some incredibly powerful spells that make the entire experience feel like they’re playing on an easy mode. On the other hand, a character built solely around Dexterity and Strength will demand a lot more manual skills from gamers, which is a class that is particularly well-suited towards those wanting a maximum challenge. Furthermore, careless distribution of skill points can quickly result in a “broken” build that makes some of the mid-to late stages of the game nearly impossible to get through, which encourages players to pay particular attention to their leveling decisions.
1 The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Release date: May 1, 2002
Platforms: PC, Xbox
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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