Summary
- Open-world games reward players with perks for defeating enemies, completing missions, and side stories.
- Perk systems like in "The Saboteur" and "Assassin's Creed Syndicate" enhance player abilities in-game.
- Games like "Hogwarts Legacy" and "Skyrim" use a perk system to let players tailor their characters' skills effectively.
Open-world games feature interesting gameplay loops to keep fans engaged. A steady progression curve is a must for players to feel like they're becoming stronger, rewarding their efforts in defeating enemies, clearing the main mission, and completing side stories.
A perk system is an easy way to give players more tools to mess around with, both in and out of combat. As players make progress in the world, they can gain perk points, allowing them to acquire new skills and become more efficient in later encounters.
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8 The Saboteur
An Underrated Open-World Game With Perks To Unlock
The Saboteur
- Released
- December 8, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Open-World
An underrated game that more people need to check out, the incredible art design of The Saboteur compels players to free France from German rule by taking out outposts and helping the French Resistance gain a foothold. When Sean completes an action enough times, he unlocks various perks that make the fight easier.
Unlocking new cars, letting Sean use different moves to incapacitate Nazis, and gaining access to powerful weapons that can be used against the Germans are some of the many perks players can unlock in The Saboteur. Ridding Paris of the Nazis makes for a great time, especially with the unlocked perks.
7 Hogwarts Legacy
Talents Make The Fifth-Year Student More Effective
Hogwarts Legacy
- Released
- February 10, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
Hogwarts Legacy is a great open-world game that does justice to J.K. Rowling's sprawling magical universe. As they explore Hogwarts and the Scottish Highlands, players gain levels and unlock more talents, which are this game's version of perks. Combat opens up a ton as players use talents to pursue the build of their choice and make the most of this title's fun combat system.
Talents increase the effectiveness of certain spells and grant players certain bonus functions. Letting Diffindo cut through multiple targets, taking out multiple cursed targets with a single use of Avada Kedavra, and making stealth more effective are some of the many ways players can use talents to enhance their effectiveness in Hogwarts Legacy.
6 Far Cry 5
Become More Adept At Exploring The World & Taking Out Foes
Far Cry 5
- Released
- March 27, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- FPS, Open-World
Far Cry 5 helped move the franchise in a new direction, with the Junior Deputy embarking on the adventure of a lifetime to free Hope County from the Seed family and their deranged cultists. The Perk trees of Survivalist, Renegade, Assassin, Prepper, and Leader all have useful benefits.
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Players can pursue the playstyle they want and tear apart the cultists in Hope County as they liberate outposts, complete story missions, and find Perk magazines scattered across the map. The perk system makes for a simple yet engaging way to become stronger as players become accustomed to the gameplay loop and unlock new ways to look cooler.
5 Assassin's Creed Syndicate
Jacob & Evie's Perks Make Them More Effective In Both Stealth & Combat
Assassin's Creed Syndicate
- Released
- October 23, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
In Assassin's Creed Syndicate, both Jacob and Evie Frye can unlock a variety of perks with their actions. Their effectiveness in the open world helps them turn the Rooks into the dominant gang in London, while also moving forward with the story.
These perks, in combination with other skills that are unlocked more traditionally, help players become more competent in Assassin's Creed Syndicate. It's a simple yet great way to reward a player's progress in the game. Based on the actions players perform, players can increase their Lethality, enhance the damage they can deal in combat, and make stealth more effective, among many other passive benefits.
4 Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Henry Can Unlock Perks To Become Stronger
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Released
- February 4, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Action-Adventure, Open-World
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is an excellent sequel that expands on the first game's systems, while letting players enjoy an ending with closure that's more satisfying. The game also features perks that Henry can unlock to make his time in this tough open world easier to manage. Players can enjoy a string of benefits that can help Henry both in and out of combat. Gaining levels and unlocking perks is a must if players don't want to be hacked to pieces while traipsing around Bohemia.
Perks adhere to the various skills that Henry can improve during his adventures, focusing on one of his core stats or other skills like his use of heavy weapons, archery, stealth, and alchemy. Players can even unlock perks that let Henry unlock unique bonuses after getting drunk, which is apt given how popular alcohol was during medieval times.
3 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Use An Extensive Perk System To Learn A Bunch Of Skills
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
The Perk system in Skyrim lets players enjoy more freedom with their builds than ever before. This is in stark contrast to previous Elder Scrolls games, where players had to make decisions regarding their Major and Minor skills, reducing their flexibility considerably.
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Skyrim allows players to level up no matter what skill improves and unlock perks across multiple disciplines, as long as their skill is high enough. This ensures that the Dragonborn can be whatever the player wants without punishing them too much for making ill-informed choices early on.
2 Cyberpunk 2077
Update 2.0 Made Improvements To V's Perks
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
Cyberpunk 2077 has gone through the wringer, with people highlighting problems with the shallow perks in the base game. Thankfully, Update 2.0 and Phantom Liberty have made these perks more meaningful than ever before.
Perks are now tied to attribute levels, providing everything from passive buffs to active abilities. Air dashing and landing Finishers feel great . Phantom Liberty takes things a step further with the addition of Relic Perks, which are very powerful and require Relic Points to activate.
1 Fallout: New Vegas
Features The Best Use Of Perks In A Fallout Game
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
- Genre(s)
- RPG
While the open-world Fallout games all have perks, most people feel that New Vegas is the game where they feel the most meaningful. Perks are unlocked once every few levels and provide palpable buffs that players can feel when they make progress in the game.
From seductive perks that players can use to manipulate the opposite gender, all the way to other useful perks that open up new avenues for the Courier, there's no shortage of unique perks for players to select in New Vegas. Players will have a great time with this incredible RPG that's in a class of its own.
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