{
"post": {
"title": "Recommendations for Games with an in depth character building system",
"selftext": "I am currently looking at a new game to play, I'd preferably want one with an in depth character builder. Focusing on stuff like classes, attributes or specific playstyles. It doesn't need all three but I like to theory craft beforehand to make fun builds. All the better if it has over the top weaponry.\n\nI enjoy fantasy and sci-fi specifically but I'm not married to it. I don't really do MMOs or online games much and I like the game to actually have a choice in builds, not just select every skill once you max level like say Horizon or Spiderman (Good games still). Happy with both Western and Jrpgs. \n\nAs to what I've already played:\n- Dark souls series + BB, ER and sekiro\n-Mass effect\n- Witcher 3\n- Pillars\n- Divinity Original Sin\n- Fire emblem series\n- Pathfinder Kingmaker and WOTR\n- Fallout\n- Baldurs gate\n- Tyranny\n- Persona\n- Pokemon / Monster Sanctuary\n\nCurrently looking at Underrail, Tactics Ogre (New), Triangle Strategy. I've got a Switch, Series X and a fairly basic gaming laptop.\n\nThanks in advance, I just love to build characters so darn much.",
"url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg_gamers/comments/wijyvw/recommendations_for_games_with_an_in_depth/"
},
"comments": [
{
"body": "We like a lot of the same games, you should try Dragons Dogma.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "I'll have to look into it, I know there's a second coming out at some point. Might jump in then!",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Honestly if you see Dragons Dogma going cheap get it, it’s amazing, I personally hate being restricted by “classes” but DD gives you so much freedom, and the story is actually very good it’s a real joy to play.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "I’m so glad I tried it. I basically had nothing else to play and gave it a few hours, ended up being one of my favorite games in years. Holds up well even in 2022."
}
]
},
{
"body": "Oh another game you might try is Greedfall. It’s like Dragon Age/Mass Effect but in a very unique setting. \n \nGood luck on the game search! I’m curious what you pick because we have such similar taste actually lol."
}
]
}
]
},
{
"body": "Grim Dawn\n\nTales of Maj'Eyal",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Grim Dawn's dual class system does put out ton of options. Add stats and that celestial system, never the same character twice."
}
]
},
{
"body": "Enderal: Forgotten Stories?\n\nIt's a Skyrim mod but it has its own Steam page. I started playing it a few days ago and am totally hooked now. So far it's totally scratching the RPG itch and is a great improvement to Skyrim imho.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "What's the gameplay like?",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Think Skyrim, but better.\n\nIt's a mod after all. So it can only use what the base game has. It certainly is more fun than Skyrim though. I am building a mage rogue hybrid and having fun."
}
]
}
]
},
{
"body": "Crystal project (might only be on PC) doesn’t have a ton of build depth at first but you really do get a huge amount of options for combat strategies mid to late game. It’s a turn based game for combat like final fantasy 6. Your characters learn jobs and level those jobs up. Each character can equip a main and secondary job. With a party of 4 and the order you select primary and secondary you have a huge amount of options. \n\nPath of exile is free and has the most intense skill tree I’ve ever seen in a game. It’s a Diablo-like so not for everyone. \n\nSomeone above mentioned dragons dogma and I’ll second that.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "I second Crystal Project, the late game is just wild with how many classes, broken ultimate equipment and varied max level bosses there are, however it's not really a game for everyone as it's a nonlinear metroidvania (like Monster Sanctuary) and it has very little in terms of story.\n\nEdit: I also love how the game handles skills and magic in battles with the dual resources, cooldowns and even HP costs.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "That’s a very fair warning about the story and how it’s nonlinear."
}
]
}
]
},
{
"body": "Wasn't sure from the wording of the list in the OP but presuming you played Pillars 2 and D:OS 2. \n\nI'll put a vote in for Neverwinter Nights 2. The ruleset and mechanics will feel like a precursor to the Pathfinder games (because they literally are), and it's a great level 1-20 D&D adventure story as a whole, with a few rough edges. \n\nIt also has a fantastic expansion, Mask of the Betrayer, which is a continuation of the main campaign and has a fantastic story and characters. \n\nAs for the character building, it doesn't have the breadth of Pathfinder but still has numerous base classes prestige classes along with the ability to multiclass up to 4 classes. There's enough there to really dig in and experiment."
},
{
"body": "I like how you listed some of the games with the highest depth in the whole industry and people suggested fucking cyberpunk or Skyrim lmao. \n\nYou'd probably like caves of qud, it's in early access and the controls are still pretty confusing, but there's a terrifying amount of customization and creativity. You can be a four armed giant with horns, a beak and a turtle shell producing corrosive clouds around you, or a western sniper with night vision goggles who occasionally places a sci fi portal to run from his evil clone and shit like that. Incredible game, kinda hard to get into. It's procedurally generated, to a certain degree (important NPCs, quests and stuff like that are fixed), so it's even more deep. Infinite amount of caves, towns, settlements, enemies, factions and so on. Extremely cheap. If the UI is a turn off, just know that the devs showed a bit of what it's going to like in the future, and it's looking super modern and clean.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Thanks for the information! I'll definitely have to check it out.\n\nShould be said that I have played both cyberpunk and the elders rolls games and absolutely loved them, especially with mods for the latter! Just love to go balls to the wall with the builds sometimes."
},
{
"body": "Thank you for the suggestions, comments like yours are very valuable and difficult to find. I'll wishlist caves of qud to not lose sight of it."
}
]
},
{
"body": "Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions.\n\nDragon Age.\n\nFinal Fantasy XII the Zodiac Age.\n\n\nYou love something I love about RPGs as well.\nOf those you played, which were your top ones?",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Thanks for the recommendations! Been wanting to look into Tactics for some time.\n\nMy favourite games ever are Disco Elysium, the Mass effect series, Elden Ring, Witcher 3 and Persona 5r mainly for the amazing stories (elden ring sort of).\n\nIn terms of the character building, the Pathfinder games are amazing if even a little overwhelming, Pillars had a great builder that was fun to play around with and I love the old school dnd for Baldurs Gate."
}
]
},
{
"body": "Tactics Ogre Reborn or Final Fantasy Tactics would be good fits. There is no almost customization in Triange Strategy. Disgaea series might be worth a look, especially if you like over the top anything.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Oh damn really? I was thinking about that game next too. Would you still recommend it? Triangle strat I mean.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "It is heavy story based. As in, you will spend a lot of time just reading text and listening to the story. The gameplay is fine, good even, but it is more of a shift than other games."
}
]
}
]
},
{
"body": "I'm 5 months late to this post, but that shouldn't matter too much as I'm sure you'd want more games to play where you can build a character as indepth as you can (i'm also looking around):\n\nChronicon (can get as indepth as path of exile)\nAlmighty: Kill Your Gods\nAssassins Creed Odyssey & Valhalla (yes, surprising I know, but theres a ton of build variety and depth between these 2, and both play like Witcher and Souls. Hell both and witcher made getting into Elden Ring easier, with no previous souls experience.)\nAny of the Borderlands games\nCode Vein\nVeloren(its a voxel rpg in development, free to play)\nDungeons of Sundaria(heavily recommend this one, co-op dungeon crawler also in development but playable)\nGunfire Reborn(though a roguelite, and you can max out the out of match talent tree, there are builds you can aim for each run)\nKeplerth(pretty indepth top-down arpg that looks and plays like Rimworld)\nKingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning, will always be a personal favorite of mine\nLast Epoch\nThe Outer Worlds\nOutward\nOutriders\nShadow Warrior 2(don't touch 1&3, 2 is basically doom paced fps with diablo loot and build depth)\nSecrets of Grindea\nThe Slormancer\nTorchlight Series\nWildermyth\n\nOthers have suggested Grim Dawn, but grim dawn also has huge overhaul mods that can completely change up the game, my favorite being Reign of Terror, which turns the entire game world into a better Diablo 2 Remaster"
},
{
"body": "Cyberpunk 2077\n\nThe Elder Scrolls series\n\nATOM RPG\n\nJade Empire\n\nStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic\n\nKingdom Come: Deliverance(probably the ultimate character builder rpg)\n\nThe Outer Worlds",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Why is this downvoted lol most of these are very similar to OPs list",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Probably because I mentioned the dreaded Cyberpunk."
}
]
},
{
"body": "I've always heard good things about Jade Empire, does it feel at all dated now as I know it's an old one?\n\nStarted Kingdom Come but didn't get far for some reason l, might have another jump in soon though!",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Jade empire does feel dated, but if you can still enjoy something like Baldurs Gate EE, or KoTOR then it's a lot of fun and I had a great time replaying it a couple of years ago"
}
]
}
]
},
{
"body": "I've just started NIOH and so far I am suprised how good the combat feels, so maybe check it out."
},
{
"body": "UnderRail\n\nJagged Alliance 2"
},
{
"body": "Ffxv",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Is this serious?\nI hated FFXV, between other things, because there is absolutely lack of customization."
}
]
},
{
"body": "Definitely dragon age origins and KOTOR 1&2."
},
{
"body": "Elex 1 & 2"
}
]
}