Summary
- Open-world games offer extensive build variety for players to define combat roles, strengths, and strategies.
- Cyberpunk 2077, Dragon's Dogma, and Elden Ring showcase diverse builds through customization and unique mechanics.
- Games like Horizon Forbidden West and Skyrim deepen build diversity with expansive skill trees and customizable options.
Open-world games offer freedom not just in exploration, but in how players shape their characters. The most enjoyable titles allow for extensive build variety, letting players define their own combat roles, strengths, and strategies in worlds that often demand adaptability and flexibility.
Whether favoring stealth, brute force, elemental magic, or support roles, there are plenty of games that encourage deep experimentation and make build crafting a core part of the experience. They are not only about exploring a vast world, but choosing how to exist within it.
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8 Cyberpunk 2077
Hacking, Melee, And Guns Galore
Cyberpunk 2077
- Released
- December 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
The 2.0 update overhauled Cyberpunk 2077’s progression, making it a standout for build diversity. Cyberware, revamped perk trees, attribute changes, and more allow players to lean into a variety of different builds that can be tailored to aggression, or defense, or even a mix of both.
Each build dramatically shifts how combat and exploration play out. Rather than using fixed classes, the game enables modular customization. A netrunner might complete entire missions without drawing a weapon, while a tech-heavy brawler charges through enemies using shock-enhanced fists. Perks are deeply interconnected, rewarding thematic builds over generalist spreads, and opening the door for some game-breaking builds.
7 Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
Class Variety And Companion Customization
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
- Released
- April 23, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- Platform(s)
- Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Dragon’s Dogma uses a vocation system to allow broad build flexibility, with classes like Assassin, Magic Archer, and Mystic Knight offering completely distinct mechanics. Players can switch vocations mid-game, and each brings new skill types and weapons that redefine how the game is played.
Builds affect both combat style and interaction with the world. Some vocations have better mobility or superior ranged options, while others favor close-range control or magical offense. The AI companions come with their own classes and skills, further enhancing the customization, which allows for some more tactical options alongside the pure power fantasy ones.
6 Elden Ring
Endless Combination From All Sides Of Fantasy
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Elden Ring sets a new bar for how builds should function in an open-world setting, and how diversity can be both fun and powerful. Through a playthrough, players are free to focus on a few specific stats or weapon types to amp up their power in a certain playstyle. But at any point, they can respec their stats (assuming they have a Larval Tear), opening the door for even more choices.
What makes the game so great in terms of build variety is that any build can work, and there are so many options that all feed into certain paths or classes. Mages have an endless list of spells to choose from, while fighters can equip as many swords and hammers as they choose, letting all kinds of players have as much fun and success as possible.
5 Fallout: New Vegas
Perks And Skills To Fit Every RPG Build
Fallout: New Vegas
- Released
- October 19, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Obsidian Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Fallout: New Vegas supports an expansive range of builds through its SPECIAL system, letting players select from a long list of perks and skills that each serve a distinct purpose. Characters can focus on small guns, energy weapons, explosives, or unarmed combat. They can even avoid fighting altogether by investing in more passive skills like speech and stealth.
Perks add a unique mechanical flavor that can alter the course of a playthrough in drastic ways. Characters with high Barter and Sneak may resolve conflicts through manipulation, while others might rely on traps or hacking to progress. Many story outcomes and dialogue branches respond to builds directly, allowing players to tailor both the gameplay and the narrative to their character concept.
4 Horizon Forbidden West
Distinctive Paths Within Each Tree
Horizon Forbidden West
- Released
- February 18, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Guerrilla Games
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Horizon Forbidden West and its Burning Shores expansion ffer extensive build variety through deep skill trees and customizable weapon loadouts. Each tree focuses on a distinct combat role, such as stealth, machine hacking, ranged precision, or trap placement, allowing players to lean fully into a chosen archetype or blend skills for hybrid styles.
The Valor Surge system introduces powerful, situational abilities that further define builds and reward strategic thinking. Coil and weave mods enhance weapon function in specific directions, encouraging specialization. By the time players reach the Burning Shores, they will have more than enough tools and toys to keep them satisfied.
3 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
From Mages To Silent Assassins
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Released
- November 11, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda Game Studios
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Skyrim’s skill-based leveling allows builds to emerge naturally through play. With no fixed classes, players can blend swordplay, archery, destruction magic, stealth, and more in any combination. Each skill tree has its own perks, supporting specialized or hybrid roles.
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Enchanting, alchemy, and gear customization deepen this freedom, enabling builds with advantages that can be as specific or general as the player chooses. The world itself accommodates many styles. Stealth-focused players can complete major quests undetected, while tanky warriors can clear dungeons head-on. The options are truly unreal.
2 Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord
Tactical Choices In Gameplay And Builds
Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord
- Released
- October 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Violence
- Developer(s)
- TaleWorlds Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Strategy
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Bannerlord offers a layered approach to builds that extends from personal combat to kingdom management. Characters level up skills through use, and perk choices influence everything from combat tactics to trade efficiency and diplomacy.
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Not every open-world game has to be intense and complex. These titles are perfect for casual players who just want to relax.
Players can become any kind of fighter on the battlefield they choose, and their companion builds and party compositions add another layer of customization. Because the world responds to both character stats and decisions, each build creates a different style of progression, whether as a lone mercenary or ruler of a sprawling empire.
1 Xenoblade Chronicles X
Combat-Defining Arts And Weaponry
Xenoblade Chronicles X
- Released
- December 4, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Animated Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Monolith Soft, Nintendo SPD
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Wii U
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Xenoblade Chronicles X allows intricate character customization through arts, skills, gear, and class advancement. Players progress through a tiered class system that branches into advanced combat roles that fit certain playstyles, each with its own set of abilities and synergies.
Builds define more than just combat, influencing exploration and strategy in larger-scale fights. Later-game upgrades dramatically expand build possibilities, including enhancements tied to affinity and faction allegiance. The sheer breadth of options makes character progression feel personal and encourages experimentation long after the main story opens up the world.
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