RPG fans want the best of both worlds, whether it’s an action RPG or a turn-based RPG: they want a challenge, and they also want to feel incredibly strong. For example, late into Final Fantasy 10, players start finding equipment with sigils called Break Damage Limit, which can deal more than the normal limit of 9,999 damage.
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In a more recent example, it takes some time, but players can turn Maelle into a human-shaped nuclear bomb in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 with a well-crafted build. Those are all great examples of RPGs that take a while to feel overpowered, but the following RPGs don’t require as long to level up, get rare gear, or find exploits. They let players become overpowered early, turning into more of a power fantasy than a gradual climb to greatness.
Final Fantasy 8
Causing A Squall
Final Fantasy 8
- Released
- February 11, 1999
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Final Fantasy 8 has a few things about its leveling up, upgrade, and battle systems that are unlike most Final Fantasy games. For one, no matter what level they are, characters only need 1000 EXP to level up, and the level cap is 100.
In the beginning, players can roam around the training area with Squall in Balamb Garden. There are rare monsters there that can grant a lot of EXP, like the T-Rexaur. Defeating it can be tricky, but if players are lucky, they can train in Balamb Garden for a few hours and reach Squall’s max level. This is also a way for players to Draw rare magic from higher-level versions of normal monsters to increase their stats through the Junction system.
Elden Ring
Exploiting EXP
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- From Software
Elden Ring is more accessible than most of FromSoftware’s Soulslike games, but it’s still challenging. That’s why players try to find exploits to level up quickly, and there are a few in the game where players can access late-game areas earlier than intended. Reaching these places can be tricky, as the journey can get players killed, but the big one that players discovered is in Mohgwyn Palace, with the route there requiring just a quest and a half.
Once players get there, they will see a cliff overlooking a canyon with a big bird, the Giant Crow, pacing back and forth. By shooting it, players can provoke it into chasing them, but then it will just fall into the canyon’s gap, die, and earn players a ton of Runes, the EXP currency of Elden Ring. Rinse and repeat, and the levels will come quickly.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Everything Matters
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Released
- November 11, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
Like most leveling systems in The Elden Scrolls series, almost everything players do in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim will improve a specific stat or spell school. For example, by using a healing spell repeatedly, players can increase the potency for all healing magic in that skill tree’s category, and healing magic is often the easiest to exploit since players just have to wait for their magic power to regenerate.
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Other examples include brewing potions, picking locks, and blacksmithing. Players can easily level up these types of skills quickly through repeated usage, but it can be a monotonous process. There is a base leveling system, too, where players can increase their HP, magic, or stamina, primarily by fighting enemies, which will also get them skill points to spend on a vast amount of skill trees.
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy
The Best Teams
Bravely Default
- Released
- February 7, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Silicon Studio
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy is all about finding the best builds with the Jobs available in the game. Each Job has a set of skills that only that Job can perform, along with passive skills that any Job can equip once they're unlocked. For example, Ninjas can pass on their dual-wielding technique, so characters can equip two weapons and deal full damage with each strike. Experimenting with builds and finding the best passive skill combos can often be the key to victory.
Furthermore, some Jobs are just overpowered if players think outside the box. Monks, an early Job worth boosting to the max, have strong attacks and HP, which can break through most enemies. Players can also create a whole party of Valkyries who can use Jump on their turns to avoid most attacks, and then deal heavy damage in return. By cross-classing characters, players can find the best Jobs in all versions of Bravely Default: Flying Fairy.
Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning
Resewing The Threads Of Fate
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
- Released
- February 7, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- 38 Studios, Big Huge Games
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning has one of the most fluid action combat systems in an open-world game. Players don’t get locked into any classes; instead, they can freely switch between skill trees and weapons at their leisure. It’s overall not the hardest game on the planet, and if players complete every NPC quest they come across, they can earn EXP and other rewards quickly.
Even if the quests themselves aren’t that fulfilling from a narrative perspective, players should do them anyway to level up quickly. Overall, because the combat is so user-friendly, it gives players a lot to work with and it won’t take long to naturally feel like they are overpowered. As such, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a good recommendation for players who want a power-trip fantasy.
Disgaea 6: Defiance Of Destiny
An Idle RPG
Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny
- Released
- June 29, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Blood, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Nippon Ichi Software
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Tactical
Autobattle features in turn-based and tactical RPGs have existed for years, but Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny seemingly leveled up the genre. Through early progression, players unlock the ability for their units to autobattle on maps, which can be turned off at any time if players need to impose their own strategies in sticky situations. Players can also unlock a feature that lets units autobattle and then repeat a map without player input at all, turning the game into an idle experience.
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If players find a low-level map that they know won’t kill their units and set up this autobattle, they can walk away and come back an hour later to find that their party has significantly increased their levels. Because this sort of breaks the point of the game, the developer, NIS, took out the repeat map function in Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless, making Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny an outlier in the series.
Fallout 4
Freezing The Competition
Fallout 4
- Released
- November 10, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
In Fallout 4, players start in Vault 111, and as they leave, they may see a large case with the Cryolator in it, which is a freezing gun. The lockpick level is at its max, so most players will just make a note of that, maybe with a screenshot, and come back to the case much later in the game. However, there is an exploit where players can get it early and start freezing the mutants, monsters, and raiders of the greater Boston wasteland area.
First, players need to find the first gas station, which has Dogmeat in it. With their trusty companion, players can then return to Vault 111, tell Dogmeat to fetch nearby items, and if they are lucky, the dog will ignore the lockpick requirement and steal the gun. This worked in the base level of the game, but there is no ammo to accompany the gun. Still, it’s an easy way to get an extremely overpowered gun very early in Fallout 4.
Final Fantasy 2
A Beginning Saga
Final Fantasy II
- Released
- December 17, 1988
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Square
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Final Fantasy 2 was an odd sequel when it was released on the NES, or more precisely, the Famicom in Japan. Instead of gaining levels through experience, performing actions in battle would increase stats, which were randomized. For example, getting hit may increase defensive stats or HP, while casting a Fire spell might increase its potency. Fighting monsters on repeat wouldn't give players a clear indication of how they would level up. Then players discovered, through multiple versions of Final Fantasy 2, that they could attack other party members and receive the same effect as attacking monsters.
Players can go into battle, whittle enemies down to one HP, and then hammer on their party members instead. They can drink potions or use Cure when needed, but the goal is to keep the battle going for a bit to guarantee stat progression. In the first area alone, players can become over-leveled within a few hours. This battle system then went on to inspire Square to make the SaGa series, which utilizes a very similar version of this randomized stat and skill progression.
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