Games That Feature The Biggest Skill Trees

Key Takeaways

• Skill trees in RPGs provide players with a sense of progression and customization as they allocate points towards new abilities.
• Games like
  Pillars of Eternity 2
  offer massive skill trees with multiple classes, encouraging players to strategize their builds.
• Complex skill trees like in
  Cyberpunk 2077
  or
  Path of Exile
  provide players with meaningful choices and specialization options.

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 a skill tree, which allows the player to allocate points to increasingly potent abilities and upgrades as they progress 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 the Borderlands games. 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 November 28, by Gerardo Molina: When players first start playing a game, a massive skill tree might seem very intimidating, especially considering that leveling up at the beginning takes a long time and a ton of effort. However, as players progress through the story and become stronger, a scary, huge skill tree becomes more of an advantage than a disadvantage, allowing for various builds, play styles, and endless possibilities that make the gaming experience a lot more fun. While some titles have fewer skills and focus on expanding them to a level of ultimate mastery, others diversify much more significantly, and allow players to become jacks of all trades.

27 Divinity: Original Sin 2

Action Points And Cooldown Times Must Be Taken Into Account

Divinity: Original Sin 2 is 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.

26 Starfield

Hundreds Of Possibilities To Explore In The Galaxy

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, Starfield has some areas of improvement here and there, but what game doesn’t? Starfield features 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.

25 Pillars Of Eternity 2

Numerous Classes With Massive Trees That Become More Overwhelming If Players Multi-Class

Pillars of Eternity 2 is 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 on Fallout: New Vegas, and South Park: Stick of Truth and 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 about Pillars of Eternity 2 is 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.

24 Fallout 4

The Perk Trees, While Simplistic, Are Quite Expansive In Their Own Way

Fallout 4 is a video game that more and more people have come to appreciate over time, especially with the launch of the Fallout TV 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, including Fallout 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, but Fallout 4‘s perk tree has a ton of options that encourage build variety, while also being pretty accessible for newcomers to the genre.

23 Dragon Age: Origins

Numerous Classes With A Wealth Of Abilities To Choose From

Dragon Age: Origins was 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 in Dragon Age: Origins are 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.

22 CrossCode

A Wide Array Of Circuits With Active And Passive Benefits

Players who want to experience an isekai story will find CrossCode to 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, CrossCode is an underrated indie gem that more people need to check out. Since the game takes place in an MMO, certain aspects of this title try 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.

21 Forager

Skills Are Arranged On A Grid With Tons Of Tiles

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, Forager makes 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 what Forager brings to the table.

20 Nioh 2

Skill Trees For Every Weapon Type, Plus Other Abilities

Given that Nioh 2 was 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.

19 Cyberpunk 2077

Update 2.0 Makes Perks More Meaningful And Encourages Specialization

The 2.0 update for Cyberpunk 2077 has been a godsend for players who felt like the game’s progression systems could use serious work. It’s been a game-changing update, with notable improvements including weapons not being leveled anymore and armor being tied to cyberware instead of clothing.

Another aspect of the game that has been improved is the perks and attribute system. Both these trees feel more meaningful to invest in. With the overhauled system, players can focus on being an all-out warrior or an expert netrunner without worrying about their effectiveness in combat being adversely affected.

18 Nioh

Multiple Weapon Types And Skill Trees

Nioh is Team Ninja’s first attempt at making a Soulsborne game. The game’s unique Ki Pulse mechanic coupled with a wealth of unique weapons makes it a blast to play through, and fans of hard action games will gain a ton of mileage out of playing Nioh.

There are a total of seven weapon types that William can equip and wield. Each of these weapons has unique skills that players can unlock over the course of the game. There’s also another section with general weapons that players can check out with little to no issues.

17 Grim Dawn

Each Player Can Be Unique Because Of The Game’s Skill Trees

Grim Dawn is the perfect game for those who miss the classic gameplay of the older Diablo games and want something in the same vein. This action RPG throws players into the action from the get-go. The unique world enhances the quality of this title even more.

One of the most notable things about Grim Dawn is how personalized a player’s build is. There are several Masteries that players can specialize in, with the player being able to create a powerful dual-class character further down the line. This great execution of familiar concepts makes Grim Dawn an engaging title in every way.

16 Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age

The License Boards Are Unique And Expansive

Final Fantasy 12served as a breath of fresh air for the franchise. It was clear that Square Enix’s work on Final Fantasy 11 had influenced the developers quite a bit. The game’s creators decided to replace the traditional turn-based battles with a real-time combat system that functioned a lot like an MMORPG, with many twists to help it fit the single-player playstyle.

While the original game wasn’t all that expansive when it came to the job system, this changed with The Zodiac Age. The game now had a total of twelve jobs with their own unique job License Boards that players could invest in to make the playable characters as powerful and effective in combat as possible.

15 Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning

Might, Finesse, And Sorcery Are The Three Detailed Skill Trees

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is one of the most underrated fantasy role-playing titles around. It’s a shame that the game didn’t interest many people because of its generic premise. The game’s combat system was engaging despite having its fair share of caveats.

There are three trees that players can invest in: Might, Finesse, and Sorcery. These branches of the skill tree have wildly different abilities that make them worth investing in.

14 Prey

Maintain Balance Between The Large Lists Of Human And Typhon Powers

The reboot of Prey as an immersive sim ended up being a great decision that allowed players to get hooked on this sci-fi horror masterpiece. Controlling Morgan Yu and slowly expanding their suite of abilities across the series made for a great time.

What made Prey such a blast was that it allowed players to use both human and Typhon powers. The outcome of the ending and their morality changed based on how much they used their alien powers. There are three branches each for both human and Typhon abilities, which made for a complex and engaging skill tree that players could interact with however they wished.

13 Final Fantasy 10

The Sphere Grid Can Seem Overwhelming

Final Fantasy 10 was a brilliant debut for the series on the PlayStation 2. The graphical overhaul, coupled with the fast-paced combat system, made for a stellar JRPG that is playable to this day.

The game marked a massive departure from the leveling system of past games. Traditional levels were forsaken in favor of the Sphere Grid, which gave players a bit more control when it came to a path a certain character could take to get stronger. Most characters were placed on pre-selected paths, but special Spheres could be used to skip a few slots or jump to a different spot on the Sphere Grid altogether.

12 Factorio

A Massive Tech Tree

Factorio is one of the most engaging simulation games around. The simple act of running a factory becomes deceptively complex as players come to grips with the game’s systems. If the gameplay loop itself wasn’t challenging in its own right, Factorio also has a massive tech tree that players need to invest in to make their factories efficient.

This tech tree is stupendously massive. Players need to do a bit of research or follow a trial-and-error method to realize how useful certain technological advancements are. Without investing properly in this skill tree, players will either be overwhelmed by alien lifeforms or see their factories become overloaded and fail due to a lack of sustainability.

11 Yakuza 0

Use Money To Invest In Eight Fighting Styles

Yakuza 0 is the perfect game to get into the series. This prequel serves as a perfect introduction to the characters of both Kiryu and Majima. This game also features massive skill trees for both characters where players have to invest actual money to improve their skills.

The three fighting styles of both Kiryu and Majima could be improved with this technique. If that wasn’t enough, players will be elated to know that there’s actually a fourth skill tree to unlock. This tree requires incredible levels of investment to increase health, damage, and Heat to ridiculous levels.

10 Diablo 2

Varied Playstyles And Builds Enabled By A Massive Skill Tree

The skill tree in Diablo 2 is definitely on the unintuitive side. For the time, perhaps, players would have been able to make perfect sense of it, but something about the washed-out colors and dated organization makes it a bit of an eyesore in 2021.

That’s not to say that the game’s skill tree system is bad, though. In fact, Diablo 2‘s success can be partially attributed to the sheer variety of playstyles and builds available thanks to the game’s in-depth approach to skills, offering a breadth of smaller choices rather than only a few powerful ones.

9 Diablo 3

Continues The Trend Of Diablo’s Massive Skill Trees

While fans of the series didn’t take too kindly to Diablo 3 on launch, the game has become a bit more accepted with time. It’s no Diablo 2, but it’s better than many gave it credit for on release. One aspect of the game that’s worth celebrating is its approach to skills and passives.

There is a huge number of passive skills available to each class and an equally huge number of active spells and abilities that each can take advantage of. While builds aren’t nearly as complex and require as much micromanagement as Diablo 2, there’s enough diversity to give everyone a little of what they want from a Diablo title.

Each Skill Can Be Leveled Up To Unlock A Wealth Of Perks

While each individual skill tree in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is relatively short, confined to around 10 options apiece, there are a lot of choices available from the system as a whole. The three main stat focuses (Health, Stamina, and Magicka) each have their own sections with a number of separate skill trees dedicated to specific aspects of gameplay.

Skyrim has been praised for its open-ended approach to character progression. While Oblivion and Morrowind locked players into a class from the get-go, players in Skyrim can take on anything at any time, making all the choices viable options for the particularly dedicated.