Open world games with the best class systems, ranking

Key conclusions

• Detailed class systems in open-world games like Elden Ring offer different approaches to play.
• Terraria's four main classes help navigate treacherous biomes and take down impressive bosses.
• In Dragon's Dogma 2, summons affect combat, changing the gameplay experience for different classes.

Open world games are known for the incredible amount of immersion and freedom they offer players. The best open-world titles force players to lose themselves in expansive settings and environments, forging their own unique path or searching every corner of the world – not just for cheats and collectibles – but for the true wanderlust the game manages to instill.

Aside from the setting itself, no matter how large or detailed it may be, the player character is another vital component to open world games, as freedom of exploration will only go a long way if there is no freedom in how the main character is built. Many open-world games, especially those in fantasy settings, have detailed class systems that can allow for different approaches to gameplay each run. These open-world games have incredible class systems that add variety to player characters.

8 Elden Ring

Classes provide a great start to many builds

Whether it's a niche tailored to individual player likes or an overclocked, powerful archetype, builds are a true foundation Elden Ring. Bosses are important, but how you defeat them is more important. Knowledge is important, but the knowledge behind the gear that players use is the most important.

Classes are a path to many builds, while not having much of a mechanical impact on the game or Elden Ringopen world exploration, they can shape the overall shape the main character takes as the game progresses.

7 Terraria

Each class has a unique set of equipment to master

While it may look like an idyllic side scroller at first glance, Terraria actually quite a difficult game. This open-world game has players traversing treacherous biomes and taking down impressive bosses, and while it's no small feat, getting into one of the four main classes the game offers goes a long way.

Warriors can deal heavy melee damage, while ranged attackers can stay out of harm's way and attack from afar. Mages combine the stun power of warriors with the range of, well, rangers, but they spend mana on their abilities. Summoners are jack of all trades, but most summons are either magical or horrible, so this is the best class.

Each class has variety and depth

Whether it's the classic class that started this game, or later additions like the Necromancer or Arcanist, Elder Scrolls online defined more than other MMOs by its classes. It defines every aspect of navigation and combat in this title.

Exploring the vast overworld of Tamriel as a separate class comes with a lot of variety. While the build's PvP meta tends to be niche, players looking to tackle more casual content can create a class to their heart's content and make it viable for public dungeons and overworld exploration.

5 Dragon Age Inquisition

Classes have different specializations

Open world centers Inquisition to adopt a completely different philosophy from the recently released Coveredbut one thing both games have in common is solid and satisfying combat, with a variety of classes and specializations.

Inquisition is the perfect middle ground between the previous two Dragon Age names. Specializations feel like they actually affect the character, unlike their rudimentary implementation in Dragon Age 2and exploring open-world hubs with specializations that help define the protagonist is incredibly satisfying.

Gameplay and quests are exclusive to certain skill combinations

Being a masterpiece among open world games, there are few games that have managed to depict the strangeness or dangers of a completely foreign land like Morawind. The training in this game is incredibly smooth, as it should be for anyone who has even a little understanding of it The Elder Scrolls it is better to create your own games than to use pre-installed ones.

Classes affect navigation and questing in this open world in several ways. Many guilds will require your attributes to reach a certain threshold to progress – which is difficult if your class doesn't prioritize those attributes. This means that it will be difficult for a mysterious magician to get into, for example, a fighter's guild.

3 Ancient domains of mystery

A classic RPG reimagined

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

Classes can completely change how the player operates in the world and what paths are available to them in terms of navigation and combat. No two games, even with the same class but different stat distribution, will ever be the same.

2 Dragon's dogma 2

Challenges provide dynamic and smooth gameplay

Vocations in Dragon's dogma 2 can dramatically change the course of combat not only 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 Rebels.

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

1 Tales of Maj'Eyal

A great Roguelike with lots of awesome 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 present in even the simplest of classes means that exploring the world is just as much fun as exploring the player's class.

But the simple distribution of points in skill trees with clear, easily measurable effects means the game never gets too demanding or dull. An absolute beginner to roguelikes or open world games can use the classes in this game to great effect and see how classes can dramatically change one's experience of the open world.