Summary
One of the hallmarks of a great RPG is a well-designed system for acquiring new skills and powering up a character. In most games, this is represented as askill tree, which allows the player to allocate points to increasingly potent abilities and upgrades as theyprogress through the game. It’s a simple way to help players enjoy a sense of progression, getting stronger as they improve their stats and unlock new abilities.
Some games have very intuitive skill trees, such as the lengthy but easy-to-understand leveling system in theBorderlandsgames. Some skill trees, on the other hand, are mind-bogglingly massive, and although they may be simple enough to understand, getting the most out of them is a different story. While these systems may seem needlessly complex, players who go through these expanded grids and slots will help their character evolve. In the end, they’ll be satisfied with the freedom to pursue any skill that suits their fancy.
Updated on June 18, 2025, by Gerardo Molina:Many titles out there don’t make developing large scale trees a priority, as they prefer to focus on delivering a compelling narrative or entertaining game mechanics that will have players immersed for hours. However, those that do in combination with the elements mentioned before are typically turn out to be masterpieces that are beloved by millions for years. Being able to create different builds depending on players’ preferences is always welcome, as it helps make the gameplay experience a lot more complete and puts control completely in players’ hands. Many of the titles below are part of longstanding franchises and they all seem to keep the proud tradition of offering various skills for players to choose from.
Diablo 4
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Diablo® IV is the ultimate action RPG experience with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot. Embark on the campaign solo or with friends, meeting memorable characters through beautifully dark settings and a gripping story, or explore an expansive end game and shared world where players can meet in towns to trade, team up to battle world bosses, or descend into PVP zones to test their skills against other players – no lobbies necessary – with cross-play, cross-progression, and couch co-op on Xbox.This is only the beginning for Diablo® IV, with new events, stories, seasons, rewards, and more looming on the horizon.
TheDiablofranchise has been around for several years at the time of writing this article, and every installment seems to improve upon its predecessor, either through new game mechanics, a better narrative, or, as is the case withDiablo 4, different skills and a large skill tree for players to take advantage of.
This title features five different classes, which means that players can use the various skills available to them to create the perfect build for each one. Unfortunately, many players have complained that the six skill slots available to them are not enough, and several of them have been asking for this to be increased. However, there seems to be no indication that this will become a reality in the future, limiting the possibilities to a certain extent.
Dragon Age: Inquisition
You are the only one who can stop demons flooding into the land of Thedas.A cataclysmic event plunges the land of Thedas into turmoil. Dragons darken the sky, casting a shadow of terror over a once-peaceful kingdom. Mages break into all-out war against the oppressive Templars. Nations rise against one another. It falls to you and your party of legendary heroes to restore order as you lead the Inquisition, hunting down the agents of chaos. Bonds will form - and some will break - as the campaign for truth takes its toll.BioWare’s latest action-adventure delivers an unparalleled story set in a vast, changeable landscape. Explore hidden caves, defeat truly monumental creatures, and shape the world around you based on your unique play style. Explore, lead, and battle: tough choices define your experience, and even one decision can change the course of what’s to come.
AlthoughDragon Age: Inquisitiondoes not feature the largest skill tree out there, it still provides players with enough opportunities to create their perfect build and take advantage of most of them. There’s a total of eight skills or abilities in the game, each one ranging from Basic to Improved, Expert, and Master levels, making for a total of 32.
Again, this is not impressive compared to the skill trees in other titles likeSkyrim, which features a whopping 18, each with their own subsections and pathways. However,Dragon Age: Inquisitionfeatures a great narrative, likable NPCs, and tons of interesting missions, which complement the experience significantly and make the somewhat “reduced” skill tree not matter that much.
Divinity: Original Sin 2is one of the greatest RPGs of the last decade, as it not only presents players with an interesting story, tons of lore and fun combat, but it also allows them to pick and choose different skills that they can work on to become stronger and enhance their abilities in various areas. The game has a considerably-sized skill tree, and the Skills players use will often be limited by Action Points (AP), and their cooldown time, forcing players to use them wisely.
While Bethesda’s latest deep-space adventure has received mixed reviews from both players and critics, it’s safe to say that the experience it provides is fun, and almost always feels rather complete and complex. Sure,Starfieldhas some areas of improvement here and there, but what game doesn’t?Starfieldfeatures a decently-sized skill tree that allows players to increase their stats in some areas and build their character in almost any way they want, making the gaming experience feel well-crafted and entertaining. It might take players some time to unlock a considerable area of the available skill tree, but as they do, they’ll feel more powerful and eventually reach a stage where most enemies will fall at their feet.
Pillars of Eternity 2is a game that a lot of people were waiting for with bated breath. The first game was a step in the right direction for Obsidian Entertainment, after the company faced financial troubles after their work onFallout:New Vegas,andSouth Park:Stick of Truthand were forced to turn to Kickstarter to fund their next project. Still, this didn’t take away anything from a stellar CRPG they managed to create, one that fans can’t get enough of to this day. To see the sequel build upon the systems of the first game while expanding on the gameplay side of things as well was certainly impressive.
The best part aboutPillars of Eternity 2is the multiclass system, which lets players choose their pick of the litter between two skill trees that are incredibly expansive. There’s a reason why the game outright recommends multiclass builds for veterans only, since the sheer number of combinations available between two massive skill trees can be rather overwhelming for a lot of newcomers.
Fallout 4is a video game that more and more people have come to appreciate over time, especially with the launch of theFalloutTV series drawing newcomers into the games it was adapted from. The Commonwealth is a blast to explore, even if some people feel like the perk system is a step back from the deep role-playing mechanics present in previous Bethesda games, includingFallout 3.
However, players who interact with the perk system will find themselves enjoying the immense variety present. Some perks may be simplistic in nature, but the vast majority of them feature unique additions to the Sole Survivor’s repertoire of skills and abilities that can completely change how players interact with the game. To call it overwhelming would be a stretch, butFallout 4’s perk tree has a ton of options that encourage build variety, while also being pretty accessible for newcomers to the genre. If players choose their perks carefully, they can create some of the most overpowered builds in the entirety of the Boston Commonwealth, turning them into the ultimate threat that even the most feral Ghoul will run away from.
Dragon Age: Originswas a huge success for BioWare, with parent company EA’s budget being flexed quite a bit on a title with unique intros for each class, and one that lets players forge their own journey as a Grey Warden. There are many classes that players can pursue in the game, all of which can be specialized later on to make their characters as unique as they like.
As one would suspect from a BioWare game released around a time when the company was making the best RPGs in the industry, the skill trees present inDragon Age: Originsare pretty expansive and unique, especially if players decide to micromanage their party’s skills down to the tiniest detail. It can be a time-consuming process, and it’s certainly not easy, but it will ultimately be rewarding for players who put in the time and effort to understand the sheer wealth of skill trees for each class and sub-class present in the game.
Players who want to experience an isekai story will findCrossCodeto be right up their alley. Taking place in an MMORPG called CrossWorlds, players control a silent protagonist named Lea who has lost her memories and must play the game to overcome her amnesia.
Featuring a charming story, memorable characters, and excellent combat,CrossCodeis an underrated indie gem that more people need to check out. Since the game takes place in an MMO, certain aspects of this title attempt to emulate this grind, which works both for and against this title. Still, gamers who don’t mind these tasks can invest in Lea’s Circuits to enhance a wealth of abilities and make her more capable in combat.
The last place where anyone would expect a skill tree is a cozy title that involves crafting and puzzle-solving. For what it’s worth,Foragermakes this mechanic work in its favor, which is pretty impressive.
It seems like a rudimentary skill tree, but it hides a ton of depth that players must discover as they slowly but steadily make progress. Players who want to relax in a video game instead of stressing themselves out will love whatForagerbrings to the table.
Given thatNioh 2was a brilliant sequel in every department, it’s only a given that the skill tree from the first game also saw a notable upgrade. The sheer number of skills that players can upgrade is massive, forcing players to specialize instead of letting them be a jack of all trades.
Not only are there skill trees for each weapon type in the game, but there are also other avenues of combat like ninjustu, onmyo magic, samurai abilities, shifting skills, and more. The game offers a wealth of avenues that can be improved by investing skill points in the proper trees.
