Open-world games with the best class systems, ranked

Key recommendations

• Detailed class systems in open-world games like Elden Ring offer diverse approaches to gameplay.
• Terraria's four major classes help navigate treacherous biomes and take down imposing bosses.
• In Dragon's Dogma 2, vocations influence combat, altering gameplay experiences across classes.

Open-world games are known for the incredible amount of immersion and freedom they offer players. The best open-world titles have players lose themselves in expansive settings and environments, creating a path that is uniquely theirs, or searching every corner of the world – not just for cheats and collectibles – but from a nature genuine wanderlust that the game. managed to instill.

Beyond the setting itself, no matter how large or detailed, the player character is another vital component to open-world games, as freedom of exploration will only go so far if there is freedom in how it is built the protagonist. Many open-world titles, especially those in fantasy settings, have detailed class systems that can allow for very different approaches to gameplay for each run. These open-world games have incredible class systems that add variety and diversity to player characters.

8 Elden Ring

Classes provide a great start to many builds

Whether it's a niche tailored to individual player tastes or an overclocked, overpowered archetype, builds are the true foundation of Elden Ring. Bosses are important, but how you defeat them is more important. The story is important, but the story behind the players' usable gear is the most important.

Classes are the path to many builds, though they don't have much mechanical influence on the game Elden RingExploring its open world, they can shape the overall shape the protagonist takes as the game progresses.

7 Terraria

Each class has a unique set of equipment to master

Although at first glance it might seem like an idyllic side scroller, Terraria it's actually quite a difficult game. This open-world title has players navigating treacherous biomes and taking down imposing bosses, and while it's no small feat, dropping into one of the four major classes the game offers is a big help.

Warriors can deal heavy melee damage, while ranged attackers can stay out of harm's way and attack from a distance. Mages combine the overwhelming power of warriors with the range of, well, rangers, but consume mana for their abilities. Summoners are the best at all jobs, but most summons are either adorable or badass, so this is the best class.

Each class has variety and depth

Whether it's the classic classes that started this game or later additions like the necromancer or arcanist, The Elder Scrolls Online it is, more than other MMOs, defined by its classes. It defines every aspect of sailing and combat in this title.

Exploring the vast world of Tamriel as a specific class comes with a lot of variety. While PvP meta builds tend to be niche, players looking to engage in more casual content can build a class to their heart's content and still have it viable for public dungeons and world exploration.

5 Dragon Age Inquisition

Classes have a variety of specializations

The open-world centers of Inquisition takes a very different philosophy from the newly launched one Veilguardbut one thing both games have in common is the tough and satisfying combat diversified across classes and specializations.

Inquisition find the perfect middle ground between the two preceding ones Dragon Age titles. Specializations feel like they really have an impact on the character, unlike their vestigial implementation in Dragon Age 2and exploring open-world hubs with a specialization that helps define the protagonist is incredibly satisfying.

Gameplay and missions are exclusive to certain skill combinations

Unlike open-world titles, there are few games that manage to capture the strangeness or dangers of a completely foreign land like Morrow. The classes in this game are incredibly fluid, as anyone with even a slight understanding The Elder Scrolls games is better to create their own games than to use a pre-made one.

Classes influence navigation and quests in this open world in several ways. Many guilds will require your attributes to reach a certain progression threshold – which is difficult if your class doesn't favor those attributes. This means that a mysterious conjurer will have a hard time getting into the fighter's guild, for example.

3 Ancient domains of mystery

A classic RPG revitalized

One of the greatest roguelikes ever made, coming out of that initial age in the 90s when such games were starting to become popular, Ancient domains of mystery is a sprawling open-world roguelike with a lot to offer.

Classes can completely change how the player acts in the world and what paths are available to them in terms of both navigation and combat. There will never be two games, even with the same class but different stat allocations.

2 Dragon's Dogma 2

Vocations offer dynamic and fluid gameplay

Vocations in Dragon's Dogma 2 can greatly change how combat turns out not just through the individual differences between each class, but also through how all of these classes come together to work as a party between pawns and Arisen.

This game's open world is lush, huge, and beautiful, and exploring it as, say, an archer will provide a very different experience to exploring as a trickster or warrior, each of whom have different approaches to encountering enemies.

1 Tales of Maj'Eyal

An excellent Roguelike with many amazing classes

Tales of Maj'Eyal is an open-world roguelike with a level of class customization that is virtually unheard of. The complexity and depth that comes with even the simplest of classes means that exploring the world is just as fun as exploring the player's class.

But simply allocating points into skill trees with clear, easy-to-measure effects means the game never gets too demanding or dull. A complete beginner to roguelikes or open-world titles could use the classes in this game to great effect and see how classes can dramatically change a person's experience in an open world.