Games with satisfying level progression

[Sblargh]

Good level progression has rhytm, it has pace.
I am jonesing for it right now, ERA. The ding. The swoosh. Picking a new skill. Opening up new possibilities.
It can't be too grindy, no, grinding is cheating, it is overloading you with dopamines for the first few levels and then starving your brain.
Level reward have to be meaningful, it needs to open up gameplay, it can't just make you stronger, it also needs to change you, to guide you either into specialization or diversification.
Good level progression allows you, at the same time, to build upon what is already there while changing what you can do.

A sharpshooter in XCOM 2 doesn't just become a better shaprshooter with each level. It becomes a sharpshooter that can work around its own limitations. A high level sharpshooter can make multiple actions in a turn and accumulate free shots so its lack of mobility matters less. It becomes the unit that ends low health enemies injuried by the other teammates, it gains new function.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, would be near-perfect, if only level progression weren't so broken and wrong all the time. But if only the rhytm was there, if only the pace weren't a nightmare, the skill tree allows for so much

But what do you think? Gimme some games, old or new, that level up just right.

 

[Greatest Ever]

Man, first thing that jumped to mind was Super Mario 64 before I read the OP.

I'm not a huge fan of RPGs where your answers will probably lie, and as such would only recommend games like Pokemon where beyond the dopamine rush my intrisic relationship with my creatures increases with levels, but I will say Vanquish has a cool in-game gun leveling system that I appreciate has no menus involved. You get better abilities as you play, and have to earn them again when you die.

I also think Ratchet and Clank games have really satisfying gun progession as well since you can feel it in the gameplay.

 

[Sblargh]

Man, first thing that jumped to mind was Super Mario 64 before I read the OP.

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Oh, I guess it can be ambiguous. lol
Sorry.

 

[MetalFaceVillain]

World of Warcraft, in the vanilla days.

 

[The Masked Mufti]

AC Odyssey
Soulsborne

That's all that's coming to mind right now.

 

[Klobrille]

I read the headline and immediately thought of Crackdown 3.

Collecting the green orbs in combination with the nice visual particle effect as well as the iconic sound is pure satisfaction.

Same for getting kills and those sweet little colored orbs flying towards your character, filling your skill bar, getting higher levels.

 

[Coolduderedux]

I'd say Crackdown. That little animation you get after getting so many kills or agility orbs is great, and you know you just a whole lot more powerful.


edit: Klobrille knows what's up.

 

[Aaronrules380]

I'm playing Etrian Odyssey Nexus right now and I think that series is great, since each level you get a single skill point which you can use to customize your characters. Skill choices are essential and you will never have enough to get every skill you want (Even under the absolute best conditions I don't think it's possible to max out an entire class's skill tree, let alone the stuff you can get with a subclass) and greatly shape how your team will play

 

[Truant]

Soulsborne games and WoW. Going back to previous areas and completely demolishing mobs is glorious.

 

[HulkMansfield]

Man, first thing that jumped to mind was Super Mario 64 before I read the OP.

I'm not a huge fan of RPGs where your answers will probably lie, and as such would only recommend games like Pokemon where beyond the dopamine rush my intrisic relationship with my creatures increases with levels, but I will say Vanquish has a cool in-game gun leveling system that I appreciate has no menus involved. You get better abilities as you play, and have to earn them again when you die.

I also think Ratchet and Clank games have really satisfying gun progession as well since you can feel it in the gameplay.

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Wow I wouldn't have even thought to include R&C in a thread like this, but it absolutely belongs. Your skills and playstyle changed by every new gadget and toy you picked up and leveled up. So good.

For me it's the Elder Scrolls series, though I know they can get a tad grindy depending on what you do. But the series' broken-ness is always what makes it fun. Finding a way to break the sneak skill by camping out in a hut with people covered in shrouds or breaking the acrobat skill by rapidly jumping up every hillside and set of stairs you saw. Made it feel like you were owning the game and making it your own. And leveling never really took long. It always felt like you were constantly rewarded with the sound of progression. By the end you had a one-shotting, dual-sword wielding bamf, or an invisible archer pinging away at the world like a god. So good

 

[TransEuropaExpress]

Souls games. I love the sound and the feeling of empowerment you get from even the slightest increase in stats.

"Maybe this'll grant me that extra sliver of health to not die!"

 

[Phhhh]

Assassin's Creed Origins skill progression is pretty great.

 

[Deleted member 8861]

Fromlikes are satisfying for some reason I can't place. Perhaps it's the relief of knowing that the souls/echoes you collected are being spent.

 

[WaffleTaco]

Tomb Raider (2013) was fun; I also enjoyed Bioshock Infinite (2013).

 

[MEGrika]

Diablo 3 is always giving you new skills or runes to have fun with while leveling on top of item drops boosting specific specs you can switch to on the fly as you get them. Not being hard locked into any specific build just makes leveling a treat.

 

[GarrettInk]

I read the headline and immediately thought of Crackdown 3.

Collecting the green orbs in combination with the nice visual particle effect as well as the iconic sound is pure satisfaction.

Same for getting kills and those sweet little colored orbs flying towards your character, filling your skill bar, getting higher levels.

Click to shrink...

Honestly can't tell if serious or troll.

I'm going to say Chrono Trigger. Discovering the combo techs was pretty satisfying.

 

[Tailzo]

Diablo 3 is always giving you new skills or runes to have fun with while leveling on top of item drops boosting specific specs you can switch to on the fly as you get them. Not being hard locked into any specific build just makes leveling a treat.

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I'm currently trying to enjoy Diablo 3 for the 2nd time. (Now on Switch). I think the leveling itself isn't very exciting for me. I'm only a level 30 monk (?) though. Any newbie recommendations?

On topic: A lot of games makes goong up in level a big deal. My favorite way is in the Suikoden games. Take a level 1 with a group of level 50 and take out a high level random encounter... Feels great to see those level ups :)

 

[xendless]

Horizon was pretty good from what I recall

 

[GymWolf86]

horizon on ultra hard was very good.

 

[Aswitch]

-Dead Rising 1 comes to mind. It feels really satisfying with the added items. Also the semi randomization of the moves and skills your acquire makes things fresh as well if you happen to play a new game again.

-Fallout 4 and Skyrim kinda go without saying. Always feels good to decide what new perk I wanna get when i level up.

 

[Oddhouse]

AC Odyssey

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I hope this is a joke ... !

Witcher 3 didn't feel grindy.

 

[DrScissorsMD]

Honestly can't tell if serious or troll.

I'm going to say Chrono Trigger. Discovering the combo techs was pretty satisfying.

Click to shrink...

What? Someone liking Crackdown? How could it be /s

Regardless of whether you do or don't like it Klob is right, having the orbs flying at your character as you mow down swarms of enemies or vehicles and the resulting explosion when your character levels up a skill is super satisfying.

 

[Mr. Poolman]

Aww come on!

Dark Souls!
Even a single point on a stat makes a world of difference!

 

[Deleted member 29464]

While the gameplay isn't the best, I felt this way about the KOTOR games, throughout 2 and after becoming a Jedi in 1. It always felt like you were getting new force powers or abilities to play with every level. I think the max level was only 20 in Kotor1 and reaching that was hard because there weren't really places to grind, as a result, each level felt like a good bump up.

 

[Netherscourge]

World of Warcraft 1 to 60 is still great, with no boosting or power leveling.

It feels like an actual, epic adventure when you play it quest-to-quest and zone-to-zone. And playing it solo is much more enjoyable than playing it with other players.

I feel the community ruins the game with their impatience and fast-forward like mentality.

It's one of the reasons I wish Blizzard would finally make an Epic Open World Singleplayer game, along the lines of Skyrim and Witcher 3.

 

[rrc1594]

DCU till they fucked it up.

 

[Rosebud]

Pokemon, it's so good to evolve and learn new moves.

 

[Adamska]

Leveling up and collecting new equipment in Breath of Fire games is usually very satisfying and doesn't really take much grinding, save for some of the way higher levels I guess.

 

[the_wart]

Level reward have to be meaningful, it needs to open up gameplay, it can't just make you stronger, it also needs to change you, to guide you either into specialization or diversification.
Good level progression allows you, at the same time, to build upon what is already there while changing what you can do.

Click to shrink...

I agree with all of this except the "needs" part. One example of a series with excellent leveling mechanics despite being just straight-up power increases is the classic Ys games. They are structured such that when you get to a new area you'll be struggling Souls-style against seemingly insurmountable odds, frantically throwing out every tool in your kit trying to keep your head above water, and by the time you leave the area an hour later you'll be obliterating everything in your path with the slightest effort. The net effect is that the usual power progression from underpowered to overpowered that usually happens over the course of an entire game gets integrated into the core gameplay loop. At their best they are like ludicrous rollercoasters that take you from scrubhood to godhood and back again a dozen times over the course of a 15 hour game.

This approach also avoids the classic RPG problem, particularly common in CRPGs, where the first 10 hours are frustrating and tedious and the last 30 are mindless (Witcher 3 on Death March, I'm looking at you!).

 

[ghibli99]

Didn't think I would, but I really liked the level progression in AC Origins. Every upgrade felt meaningful, which made going from my Lv. 55 +10 Bayek to Lv. 1 Kassandra really underscore how much my character changed throughout the course of the game. I also like how gear could be leveled up with you, which meant I got *really* attached to my first set of legendaries and never looked back.

 

[Firima]

Crackdown was always a good example. You feel yourself improving every thirty minutes or so. The feedback is admirable. Another one I was always fond of was Steamworld Dig. Great games, both, with a nice progression curve.

 

[badcrumble]

Resident Evil 4 does this really well with its gun upgrades, IMO. Every little upgrade makes a real difference in terms of your ability to deal damage/stun enemies/both (and helps shrink your windows of vulnerability), and there's a great final upgrade to nearly every weapon that makes a big difference and feels really rewarding for the endgame.

Also, I'd actually argue that for the duration of its story, Final Fantasy X handles this extremely well by making the leveling something guided/decided by the player (and as such, every single time you get a +4 upgrade to a given stat, you IMMEDIATELY notice the difference). It's just that that game's postgame is totally broken and silly.

 

[Hybris]

Surprised to see so much soulsborne mentions. A single level usually means almost no difference on it's own. I'd go with the Mario and Luigi RPGs. Rolling a high number is hype. Or Diablo III's screen clearing explosion for satisfying feelings.

 

[Muppet of a Man]

Bloodborne is too good to exist. I'm still not actually sure how a game this perfect exists.

 

[harz-marz]

Honestly can't tell if serious or troll.

I'm going to say Chrono Trigger. Discovering the combo techs was pretty satisfying.

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How dare he have an opinion!! Your response and tone is unnecessary.

I actually agree with Crackdown, levelling up feels natural and makes a huge difference. No need to craft items, juggle too many menus, etc. All happens in game with a quick animation to level up.

 

[QisTopTier]

Bloodborne is too good to exist. I'm still not actually sure how a game this perfect exists.

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So people can obnoxiously post it over and over when it makes no sense to post it.

Anyways OP my favorite from recent times is Valdis Story. You have stat points and talent points, armor and weapons that change how your character fights completely and lines up with the other two to fit different play styles and a variety of spells to pick from. There are also 4 characters that all play very different. It's my fave metroidvania next to hallow knight

 

[Muppet of a Man]

So people can obnoxiously post it over and over when it makes no sense to post it.

Anyways OP my favorite from recent times is Valdis Story. You have stat points and talent points, armor and weapons that change how your character fights completely and lines up with the other two to fit different play styles and a variety of spells to pick from. There are also 4 characters that all play very different. It's my fave metroidvania next to hallow knight

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Why does it make no sense when its progression system is perfectly relevant to this thread? And the game is definitely the best game of the generation if not arguably of all time.

 

[GarrettInk]

What? Someone liking Crackdown? How could it be /s

Regardless of whether you do or don't like it Klob is right, having the orbs flying at your character as you mow down swarms of enemies or vehicles and the resulting explosion when your character levels up a skill is super satisfying.

Click to shrink...

How dare he have an opinion!! Your response and tone is unnecessary.

I actually agree with Crackdown, levelling up feels natural and makes a huge difference. No need to craft items, juggle too many menus, etc. All happens in game with a quick animation to level up.

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What tone? No need to ge defensive, I was merely curious since I didn't play the game and the opinions on it are quite mixed.
His tone could both have been a sincere praise or pure troll, since a special effect is hardly a level progression mechanic.

 

[QisTopTier]

Why does it make no sense when its progression system is perfectly relevant to this thread? And the game is definitely the best game of the generation if not arguably of all time.

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Because it's shallow as hell. There is no "level ding" either. You just amass currency you dump into stats.

The game is good, but it def doesn't meet what the op describes in his post. You find your one weapon, you build souls, you dump souls into the stats needed for weapon and you just use all the upgrade stones on said weapon.

 

[Muppet of a Man]

Because it's shallow as hell. There is no "level ding" either. You just amass currency you dump into stats.

The game is good, but it def doesn't meet what the op describes in his post. You find your one weapon, you build souls, you dump souls into the stats needed for weapon and you just use all the upgrade stones on said weapon.

Click to shrink...

So what? The flatter leveling system doesn't detract from just how amazingly enjoyable it is and the sense of satisfaction you get from progressing.

 

[Deleted member 7450]

Any rogue-like/lite/light/whatever.

Risk of Rain, Binding of Isaac, and many others.

When you're full on stacked on upgrades/items, tearing through mobs & bosses.

Risk of Rain on the last difficulty and 30+ items stacked is pure numbersgasm.

 

[QisTopTier]

So what? The flatter leveling system doesn't detract from just how amazingly enjoyable it is and the sense of satisfaction you get from progressing.

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Except by the time I was about 4 hours into the game literally nothing changed about my character up until I beat it. I got to put in 1 more stat into hp or str every now and then. This isn't good customization that feels like my character is expanding and dumping stats in just felt like I was going through the numbers to make boss fights shorter.

Im not saying the game is bad. I'm saying it's a bad choice for what the op was talking about.

 

[Tuorom]

Good level progression has rhytm, it has pace.
I am jonesing for it right now, ERA. The ding. The swoosh. Picking a new skill. Opening up new possibilities.
It can't be too grindy, no, grinding is cheating, it is overloading you with dopamines for the first few levels and then starving your brain.
Level reward have to be meaningful, it needs to open up gameplay, it can't just make you stronger, it also needs to change you, to guide you either into specialization or diversification.
Good level progression allows you, at the same time, to build upon what is already there while changing what you can do.

A sharpshooter in XCOM 2 doesn't just become a better shaprshooter with each level. It becomes a sharpshooter that can work around its own limitations. A high level sharpshooter can make multiple actions in a turn and accumulate free shots so its lack of mobility matters less. It becomes the unit that ends low health enemies injuried by the other teammates, it gains new function.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, would be near-perfect, if only level progression weren't so broken and wrong all the time. But if only the rhytm was there, if only the pace weren't a nightmare, the skill tree allows for so much

But what do you think? Gimme some games, old or new, that level up just right.

Click to shrink...

The best answer is:

Ninja Gaiden Black.

There are no level ups outside of upgrading your weapons. With that said, it has the most satisfying progression of any game I've played. There are often new enemies in new levels, new challenges to face, and a fantastic enemy variety. Where the progression really shines though is between difficulties. Yes, when you change difficulty levels everyone is upgraded but it also adds in new enemies that you have not faced before, and changes up enemy placement. Going from normal to hard makes it almost a new game. Very hard adds to it, then Master Ninja adds even more. All the while your own skills are increasing to match these new demands. The progression is both internal with enemy encounters, but also external with your own practice and increase in skill. You level up as you play.
It is satisfying. It is fantastic. It is beautiful.

 

[Sblargh]

I'd say the "ding" from the souls series is when you find a bonfire or a blacksmith. While "one level" means little in the souls series, you are rarely only leveling up once. Instead you are taking all your leveling loot and cashing in, which is very satisfying given what a risk it is to walk around with all them souls.
Also leveling stats often mean you can equip new gear or new spells.
Those games are good.

 

[QisTopTier]

I'd say the "ding" from the souls series is when you find a bonfire or a blacksmith. While "one level" means little in the souls series, you are rarely only leveling up once. Instead you are taking all your leveling loot and cashing in, which is very satisfying given what a risk it is to walk around with all them souls.
Also leveling stats often mean you can equip new gear or new spells.
Those games are good.

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I agree the souls games are good at this... bloodborne I'll just keep disagreeing on as it punishes you too hard from branching away from your core build and spreading weapon upgrades out and if you want to use a variety of weapons you need to grind souls/upgrade material. Not to mention the builds are extremely shallow in comparison.

Playing a caster or hybrid caster in souls is extremely satisfying to progress and unlock new spells to use

 

[Don Fluffles]

Dragalia Lost.
Resources including EXP crystals, dragonfruit and mana are distributed at a satisfying pace so you can level up everything to take on increasingly tougher raids and quests.

 

[Deleted member 51248]

Gonna echo Crackdown and Ratchet & Clank, super satisfying to be in the middle of a fight and suddenly your weapon gets a boost to do more damage or do some crazy thing in the case of R&C or you are able to finally jump like the Hulk and do ground pounds in Crackdown when you've found enough agility orbs or punched enough dudes.

 

[Glassboy]

I read the headline and immediately thought of Crackdown 3.

Collecting the green orbs in combination with the nice visual particle effect as well as the iconic sound is pure satisfaction.

Same for getting kills and those sweet little colored orbs flying towards your character, filling your skill bar, getting higher levels.

Click to shrink...

I can confirm this is true. Just played for 5 hours straight and I have to get up in 4 1/2 hours. It's basically Crackdown 1 but I am having a blast. The way they implemented HDR is incredible.

 

[Revolsin]

Satisfaction-wise, any game where I can actually distribute stats to contribute to a build feel super satisfying. I love dumping a shit ton of points into STR or something and becoming monstrously strong for that point in the game. Super fun stuff. So Dark Souls comes in here.

Another one I can think of is Fire Emblem, though it's a bit of a crapshoot. It can be super annoying to get shit stat ups since it's all random, but it also feels amazing when you get those exact stats you wanted or when the whole damn screen fills with +1s and it's like "Holy shit really?". The high from that is pretty much unmatched compared to any other level with how utterly important each stat point can be, especially in Speed.

 

[Banzai]

The most satisfying power progression I have ever felt was in Gothic 2. You really feel like a weakling loser in the first third of the game, gain your footing and can go up against moderate opponents in the second third and then become a dragon slaying monster in the last third.