Summary
RPG fans love the genre for many reasons:interesting quests, exploration, character-building, and managing equipment. A robust weapon system can significantly boost player engagement, adding depth and excitement throughout the game. Whether it’s offering flexibility in weapon choice, upgrading and modifying weapons extensively, or even crafting players' own deadly tools for specific situations — these are features that many RPG enthusiasts seek when searching for their next game.
For players looking to dive into RPGs with some of the best weapon systems, here are the most notable games from the past decade. These titles stand out for the depth of their weapon mechanics, offering extensive crafting, modifications, and improvements that can take dozens of hours to fully explore and master.
CD Projekt Red first introduced weapon crafting inThe Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, butThe Witcher 3: Wild Huntrefined and expanded the system to its peak.The Witcher 3offersdozens of uniquely designed silver and steel swordsfor Geralt to discover in the open world, while players can also search for legendary Witcher gear schematics to craft some of the game’s most powerful weapons. These legendary weapons can be upgraded through several tiers, growing stronger as Geralt progresses, though crafting them requires a significant amount of effort.
First, players must find or purchase legendary schematics, which can be challenging or expensive. Next, they need to locate a master capable of crafting masterwork gear, often tied to specific questlines. Finally, rare and costly components are required for crafting, some of which can be hard to obtain without proper knowledge. Additionally, theHearts of Stoneexpansion introduced a new rune system, offering even more depth in weapon customization.
Dragon Age: Inquisitionoffers one of the mostrewarding and intricate weapon systemsin any RPG. Almost every weapon in the game can be upgraded with enhanced hafts, pommels, or grips, which can be bought, found, or crafted. Moreover, powerful runes can be added to weapons, granting special perks like extra fire damage or increased damage against dragons.
The real highlight of the game, however, is its deep crafting system for weapons and armor. Many items can be crafted using rare schematics, with players able to choose from various materials to determine the final result. Each material used adds unique properties and aesthetics to the crafted gear, encouraging experimentation. Furthermore, secret merchants are scattered throughout the game, offering rare schematics, weapons, and upgrade materials, rewarding dedicated players with the best resources for crafting their ultimate gear.
Ubisoft has continually refined its gear and weapon systems in theAssassin’s Creedseries, and withValhalla, the studio has delivered one of its best implementations yet.Assassin’s Creed Valhallaoffers a wide range of weapons to discover and upgrade using common resources, but rarer materials — Carbon, Nickel, and Tungsten Ingots — are essential for unlocking new upgrade tiers and enhancing the appearance of gear with more intricate and exotic designs.
With impressive visual and mechanical upgrade potential,Valhallaalso allows players to slot up to three runesinto each weapon, granting various effects. These enchantments can add elemental damage types, boost stealth or skill effectiveness, or even provide powerful perks such as knocking enemies down. TheDawn of Ragnarökexpansion further expands these possibilities, introducing a new upgrade tier that allows players to forge ultimate Divine weapons using Platinum Ingots.
Cyberpunk 2077follows inThe Witcher 3’sfootsteps, offering a similar weapon management system that includes both melee and ranged weapons of varying rarity, type, and lore. Some of the most powerful weapons in the game can also be crafted, with skills available to boost crafting efficiency and dismantling potential.
Even without diving into crafting,Cyberpunk 2077’s weapon system is extensive. Almost every enemy drops weapons that can be collected, many of which come with modifications that can be removed and reused. Gun dealers also sell weapons, components, and mods, making it worthwhile to check in with them regularly. Plus, the game is packed with unique firearms andmelee weapons (like katanas)available in both the base game and thePhantom Libertyexpansion.
Elden Ring, alongside its expansionShadow of the Erdtree, is widely considered the pinnacle of soulslike RPGs, a status that seems unlikely to change anytime soon. With its enormous world brimming with powerful bosses andcountless weapons to discover, the game offers a treasure trove of armaments. WhileElden Ringdoes not feature a traditional weapon crafting system, nearly every weapon can be upgraded to increase damage and improve scaling, but that’s just the start.
Many weapons inElden Ringcan also be infused with elemental properties like Fire or Cold, or even altered to deal Holy or Poison damage. Additionally, players have the freedom to switch special weapon skills on most non-legendary weapons, allowing for effortless customization to better tackle specific bosses or challenging situations.
Mass Effect: Andromedabuilds upon the crafting foundation set byDragon Age: Inquisitionrather than previousMass Effectgames, offering a deep and engaging weapon crafting system fitting its sci-fi setting. Exploring uncharted worlds allows players to collect rare minerals, which can be used to craft weapons that grow stronger as the game progresses. In addition to crafting, weapon mods provide further opportunities to customize and enhance gear to suit individual playstyles.
One of the standout features ofAndromedais how distinct every weapon feels. The game categorizes guns into three unique types: traditional Milky Way weapons from pastMass Effectgames, plasma-based Heleus weapons, and the futuristic beam weapons of the Remnant. Each new acquisition feels exciting, encouraging experimentation to find the perfect fit for every player.
Fallout 4offers one of the most flexible and comprehensive crafting systems in RPGs, allowing players to repurpose nearly every piece of scrap they find. Junk can be dismantled for materials, each contributing unique properties when assembling a new weapon. By unlocking special perks, players can enhance the usefulness of crafting even further. With avast arsenal of both ranged and melee weapons,Fallout 4enables players to craft a wide variety of gear while utilizing an extensive modification system to alter components such as magazines, scopes, barrels, and more. It’s a haven for weapon-crafting enthusiasts.
Alternatively, players can exploreStarfield, Bethesda’s newer release, which offers a similar depth in crafting, upgrading, and modifying weapons. Ultimately, it comes down to which setting appeals more to the player: the post-apocalyptic world ofFalloutor the vast reaches of space inStarfield.
