There are a lot of great open-world games out there, but not many of them have class systems. Some of the best games of all time with class systems include Final Fantasy Tactics and Dragon Quest 9: Sentinels of the Starry Sky. If only those games were open-world, but regardless, classes in games can be very fun to help customize a player’s experience.
8 Open-World RPGs That Are Bonafide 10/10 Masterpieces
You can’t go wrong picking one of these open-world RPG classics that are 10/10 quality through and through.
Some examples of open-world games include Nioh 3, which is an action game, while Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a turn-based example. How do these class systems work, and what other games make the list? Let’s get to classing up this joint.
GameRant Quiz
Easy (15s)Medium (10s)Hard (5s)
Nioh 3
Samurai Vs Ninja
Nioh 3 is the latest entry in the series, which features a character creator and a time mechanic that lets players warp around to different eras, each complete with big open areas to explore that aren’t quite fully open, but they are close enough. New to this game are the swappable classes. Before, players could only build their character as a samurai, but now they can swap to a ninja build on the fly.
Each class has unique weapons and armor that only they can equip, and by swapping between them in mid-combat, they can even counter enemies, giving the swap ability a strategic element. Two classes may seem minimal, but they are enough to get Nioh 3 on the list since the action is so tight in this open samurai/ninja game.
Monster Hunter Wilds
A Weapon-Based Class System
Monster Hunter Wilds does not explicitly have classes like a traditional action RPG, but it does have fourteen weapons that essentially act as classes. A bow, for example, would be a ranged class. When players choose a weapon and go on hunts to get monster parts, they will be presented with a weapon skill tree that branches off the starting weapon for that class into different categories.
A bow can have builds based on non-elemental, fire, water, or poison damage, just to make some options. The weapon trees are huge, diverse, and because each weapon is very unique, it takes time to properly learn them.
Xenoblade Chronicles X
A Branching Skill Tree Of Classes
Xenoblade Chronicles X is the only Xenoblade Chronicles game so far that has a character creator with a specific class system. The supporting party members all have their roles to play, but the chosen hero will start as a jack of all trades, a basic role called a Drifter.
Best Co-Op Games With Different Classes
Customize your character and class in these co-op adventures.
Once that class is mastered, they can branch into one of three classes: Striker, Commando, or Enforcer. Each class has exclusive skills they can learn and gear they can equip, and once those classes are mastered on their own, players can move on to a new class. A Striker can become a Samurai Gunner or a Shield Tripper, for example, so overall, Xenoblade Chronicles X has a good branching skill/class tree to follow to play the hero their way.
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Ordinary Jobs Made Weird
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the eighth mainline Yakuza game and the second to feature turn-based gameplay with a class system referred to as Jobs. Some characters have exclusive Jobs, but overall, Jobs are more exclusive between the genders. Females can become Kunoichi while males can be Samurai, for example.
By leveling up Jobs, new tiers will unlock skills, and some of those skills can be moved over once players choose other Jobs, so there is a bit of cross-classing. Outside of battle, players are free to master or swap between Jobs whenever they feel like it, and while they may not be traditional for RPGs, from Cabbie to Aquanaut, they do make for some entertaining gameplay.
Diablo 4
A Diverse Skill Tree
Diablo 4 is a top-down action RPG that gave players a choice of five classes at the start, including Barbarian, Sorcerer, Rogue, Necromancer, and Druid, but now there are three more, including Spiritborn, Paladin, and Warlock. Each one plays differently, and once players go down their respective skill trees, one class build will be different than the last.
For example, one player may prefer to invest fully in fire magic or ice skills, or they may try to be a jack of all trades for their Sorcerer. Rogues can major in stealth assassinations, traps, bow skills, and more. If players don’t like their builds, then they are free to respec, and this amount of customization is why it is one of the better Diablo games in terms of classes.
Final Fantasy 14
The Most Expansive Job System
Final Fantasy 14 is an MMO with a world so massive that it could almost fit all other games on the list in it. Final Fantasy has always been good with its class systems, called Jobs, and after several major expansions since 2013, Final Fantasy 14 is packed with Jobs. Players can start with simple Jobs and focus on those pathways to reach higher-tiered jobs once they go through approved related quests.
A Gladiator could become a Paladin while a Thaumaturge could become a Black Mage, for example. The choices dwarf other MMOs out there, and one character can switch between Jobs if they so choose, which is also rare to see in an MMO.
Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning
Create Your Own Class
Players can create their character in Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning as they are a survivor of death with no strings to fate anymore. This means they are free to make whatever type of hero they want, but there are no traditional classes in the game.
8 RPGs That Let You Define Your Character Without a Class System
The class system is the traditional way to define who and what your character is, but there are other methods, as proven by these RPGs.
The skill tree is diverse enough that players who are used to classes in action RPGs can see typical class outlines. By investing in spells like lightning and earth magic, players can become more mage-like, and if they want to be a tank, then there are big weapons and good stat builds to follow. With some of the best combat in an open-world game, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning remains a hidden gem not just in the class department.
Visions Of Mana
Character Specific Classes
Visions of Mana is one of the few Mana games with classes, and players can unlock its class system in about an hour or two, depending on the amount of exploration. Classes are called Vessels, and they are tied to elemental beings who unlock as the story progresses. The first one is a wind element, and the two starting playable characters, Val and Careena, can equip it.
Both classes will be infused with wind power, but they are different classes. Careena can become a Dancer and gain fans for weapons, while the whole Val will become a Rune Knight and keep his sword from his starting class. Leveling up will earn points, which players can then spend to unlock abilities for their class, and this is true for all classes in the game.
Dragon’s Dogma 2
Diving Into Vocations
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is an action RPG that lets players create two characters at the start, one being the hero and the other being an AI-driven Pawn who tags along. For the hero, players can choose a base class, called a Vocation, including Archer, Fighter, Mage, and Thief. As players level up and go on quests, they can eventually unlock new tiers of classes, like Advanced and Hybrid ones.
For example, a Mage could become a Sorcerer to continue focusing on spells or a Magick Archer to add some weapon-based skills to the mix. As this world is full of danger, on similar levels to a Soulslike, finding the best class to fit a particular playstyle will be key to advancing in Dragon’s Dogma 2, along with picking Pawns to help diversify the classes of the party.
The Greatest Role-Playing Adventure Games Of All Time
These games nailed it by creating the perfect marriage of RPG elements and adventure, all in one quality package.
