Summary
Leveling upis a key element of role-playing games,where a character starts with nothingand gradually growsinto an unstoppable and almost godlike being by the time the credits roll. That kind of progression is one of the most satisfying experiences in gaming, enduring great hardship early in the proceedings, but ultimately blitzing through everything up to and including the final boss when characters have been leveled up.
It seems oxymoronic to describe anRPG as having no leveling system, since it’s such a pivotal part of the genre, but some crafty developers have concocted ingenious ways to find new avenues when it comes to improving and upgrading playable characters. Here are some ofthe best RPGs with no leveling up, ranked based on a combination of their overall quality and popularity.
Following up the SNES gameShadowrunand the tabletop RPG of the same name,Shadowrun Returnsis a Kickstarter-funded turn-based RPG.Mixing science fiction with fantasy, the game is set in Seattle in the year 2054, when megacorporations dominate the world and machines coexist alongside humans, elves, and trolls.
There are six character classes to choose from, each with their individual strengths in combat, exploration, and NPC interactions. In terms of improving the player-characters, a limited amount of ‘Karma’ is given as the story progresses, so players must spend it wisely in specific areas, since not everything can be fully upgraded during one playthrough.
Wasting experience points can really harm a playthrough ofVampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, which isbased on a tabletop RPG. Playing as a recently deceased human turned newly formed as a vampire in 21st-Century Los Angeles, the goal is to survive in the gritty underworld of the dark city, battling rival vampire clans and sinister mortals along the way.
There are seven clans in the game, each with their own individual strengths and weaknesses. Choosing the right clan for the player-character and then focusing XP on the right attributes for that clan is crucial for success, since XP can only be earned through completing quests, and there are a limited number of quests. It’s best only to enhance two or three skills and play the game based on those, such as going all in on melee combat, magic, or hacking skills, as a jack-of-all-trades build will struggle mightily in the late-game.
Over a decade after its initial launch,Terrariacontinues to attract new players every year, and it’s no surprise given the endless hours of compelling content it offers. In a vibrant 2D pixelated and procedurally generated world, players must mine, fish, craft, battle, and more if they have any hope of surviving.
Rather than feature a traditional level system,Terrariaplaces more emphasis on equipment and player skill. Some consumables grant permanent boosts to stats, such as the Life Crystal increasing maximum health or the Gummy Worm giving better fishing skills. Defeating bosses increases the amount of items available to purchase from NPCs, too, and buying more powerful weapons and armor can make a huge difference.
1988’sFinal Fantasy 2is something of a rarity inthe long-running franchise, in that it does not contain character levels. The story of four orphaned youths who join the rebellion against the Palamecian Empire is generally considered enjoyable, and although the dialogue options may seem primitive by modern standards, they were revolutionary at the time.
Removing levels was a bold choice, instead granting bonuses based on repeated actions, such as permanently gaining HP by being attacked more, or increasing effectiveness with a specific weapon or magic spell by using them frequently in battle. Later games reverted to the level-based system due to the messy implementation of this system, but for this entry, it did decrease the difficulty significantly and meant that players didn’t have to grind to get results.
Inspired by the lead developer’s own health issues,Hyper Light Drifterstars a protagonist haunted by illness, who must traverse the lands of Buried Time to find a way to keep their disease under control. Given the main character’s frailty, it’s difficult to survive in this dangerous world, withskill playing a major rolefor anyone wishing to take down the game’s many enemies.
Learning to utilize the energy sword properly is vital, as it also reloads weapons when used. Exploration also rewards players with new weapons, upgrades, and even new skills. Bosses become more difficult and enemies more numerous as this unforgiving game progresses, so mastering equipment and gameplay mechanics is essential, and it’s recommended to always keep a lookout for secrets.
Originally a PS1 exclusive, but now available on modern hardware through theRadical Dreamers Editionrelease,Chrono Crossis often ranked among the greatest video games ever made. Featuring a complex plot involving parallel worlds each impacting one another, and over 40 potential party members, it’s one of the few JRPGs with very little grinding.
Breaking from conventions (and even its predecessor,Chrono Trigger), this game contains no leveling in the traditional sense. Boss battles increase the stats of the entire party, even those who are yet to be recruited, so many find that encounters with more minor enemies are essentially pointless. However, these scuffles do serve a purpose later in the game when materials dropped by foes can be used for crafting.
Exploring the large open world of the Forbidden Lands is particularly dangerous, considering the ever-changing weather conditions.Monster Hunter: Worldpresents players with these harsh environments and asks them to track and eliminate the various beasts inhabiting the area, introducingsome new features to the long-running series in the process.
Instead of leveling, players gradually upgrade, purchase, and craft better equipment as they progress through the game and battle more difficult foes. Their Seikret mounts can now also carry extra gear, pop-up camps can be created, andthe wound systemallows specific weak spots on hostiles to be targeted for greater damage. As updates and expansions are added to the game, it will surely only get better and will strive to be among the best games in the franchise.
Everybody hastheir favoriteMonster Huntergame, but the general consensus is thatMonster Hunter World, complete with itsIceborneexpansion, is the best of all. Largely responsible for popularizing the niche franchise in the West,Worldis more accessible than its many predecessors without losing any of the series' core mechanics or charm.
As always, players receive loot from the monsters that they slay, crafting it into more powerful gear that can then be used to slay more difficult beasts, and continuing that loop onwards. Weapons and armor each possess their own upgradable skills, granting more powerful boosts as players progress through the game. Flora can also be cooked up into meals to provide bonus buffs in battle.
