One of the most freeing games to play is Dungeons & Dragons with a group of dedicated friends around a physical or digital table. Players can fully customize their character and make them into the hero or villain they want to be, complete with a class and personality. Class systems evolved from D&D, and while no console or PC game is as freeing as a good old tabletop session, there have at least been fun games with classes to play with.
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Some great examples include Final Fantasy Tactics, Diablo 2, and Metaphor: ReFantazio. While classes often coincide with RPG systems, some games offer more dynamic ways for players to define their characters with skill trees or equipment without being set in one class. To get a better idea, these are some examples.
Just Do It
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim lets players create their character, including several bizarre races like the cat-like Khajiit, but there is no class system, unlike the previous game, The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion. Instead, players can forge their own path and scale their character into a form that best suits their gameplay style.
Everything players do will level up, including just walking around, which is a traditional part of some entries in The Elder Scrolls series. If players want to be a mage, then they can learn spells, boost stats toward Intelligence, and gain skills in that respective tree. Using spells repeatedly will increase their potency, and this is only one example of how players have complete control over their character build.
Fallout: New Vegas
Perks Make A Man
Fallout: New Vegas gives players some basic choices for character customization visuals, followed by stat allocation and a few Perks. When players level up, there will be certain tiers wherein players can increase stats or gain Perks, which is the highlight of the game. Both stats and Perks can scale a character toward a certain class archetype if they want to play a certain way.
For example, if players level up their Strength stat and gain Perks like Super Slam, Nerd Rage, and Piercing Strike, then they will do more damage with melee attacks. With the various Factions players can align with and the branching leveling paths players can take, Fallout: New Vegas has a lot of replay value compared to most Fallout games.
The Outer Worlds 2
Your Foibles Are Gifts
The Outer Worlds 2 has one of the greatest wealth of character customization options at the start of a game, between looks, backgrounds, stats, and skills. Based on choices made, NPCs may treat the character differently, or unique dialogue options could pop up in conversations and while exploring the world. Allocating stats and skills can transform players into expert hackers, gunslingers, or fast-talking scammers who can use speech as a weapon.
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Perhaps the coolest part of this sequel is that players have the option to learn negative traits based on behavior. For example, stealthy players may like to move while crouched, and if they do this a lot, then they can unlock the Bad Knees flaw, which will increase crouched movement, but once players stand up, the knee pop will alert enemies around them. Again, the amount of character choices in this game is staggering, as it seems like Obsidian Entertainment thought of everything.
Elden Ring
A Class Is More Like A Set Of Gear
Elden Ring is an RPG that gives players a set of class choices at the beginning, but they are more like starting packages for gear. For example, a Prophet has good starting stats and gear if players wish to start out as a magic user, or a Bandit can be good at ranged weapons.
If players want to stick to these archetypes, that’s fine, but they can also branch out if they change their mind. Before playing a game, one never knows how they will adapt to its gameplay challenges. Also, there’s a lot of loot in the game, which may entice players to test out a new build. Whatever the case, Elden Ring has options as a Soulslike.
Cyberpunk 2077
Stay Human, Or Go All Out
Cyberpunk 2077 has a deep character creator, including how players fancy their naughty bits. There are three scenarios players can start in, but they affect the story and not the build of a character. As this is a cyberpunk fantasy, there are cybernetic parts that players can buy and equip to their character to customize them into a certain archetype.
If players wish to play the game more offensively, then they may want good vision and weapon handling, along with a good arsenal of the best guns. If players wish to sneak past enemies, then they can increase stealth and hacking options. Mixing and matching is an okay strategy, too.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
The Mission Matters
Deus Ex: Human Revolution was released before Cyberpunk 2077, and it’s also a cyberpunk game, although it is not set in an open world that is quite as sprawling. It is an open-ended style of game, though, as players can build up their protagonist, Adam Jensen, into the type of cyborg they wish to play as. This includes hacking skills or strength that can affect melee attacks.
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Dialogue choices can also open up doorways, and players can even play as a non-lethal hero, which is always a great option to have in a game. With missions having several ways to penetrate them, Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a game that promotes replay value, especially since it isn’t that long.
Disco Elysium
If Detective Was A Class…
Disco Elysium gives players three Archetypes, which are like classes, at the beginning of the game, including Thinker, Sensitive, or Physical. All this does is give the detective hero a starting set of stats that help determine how players want to build their character. They could start as a pushy brute who tries to get answers from his perps through force, but players can eventually get gear and level up the pillars of their character to learn skills that lean in more deductive directions.
Disco Elysium is another example of an RPG where players are not locked into one type of character build, allowing for a more flexible adventure. With a vastly branching storyline, choice is practically the name of the game in this detective noir.
Vampyr
Your Choices Matter
Vampyr has one of the most interesting gameplay systems for a vampire game released in the past decade. As a doctor, players must grapple with the fact that they hunger for blood but must resist to save the lives of their patients. If they choose to resist the urge to feed, then they will be a weaker vampire, but they will gain bonuses for staying karmically good.
On the other hand, feeding will level up their character faster and give them access to various skills which can branch their vampire into melee-heavy or mystic-like builds. Players can even treat patients like animals, keeping them in good health, which will level them up and thus become more appealing to feed on later. This is a dark and twisted concept, but interesting for an RPG, regardless of personal taste.
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