Best Video Games for upgrade system

upgrade system Decision Dashboard

Best for upgrade system

Hades II

4.9 feature score

Highest scored product for this feature based on supporting review evidence.

Safest pick

Forza Horizon 5

4.7 feature score

Balances feature score, supporting reviews, and overall product strength.

Best overall product

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter

4.4 overall score

Strongest overall product among items with scored evidence for this feature.

#1 Hades II
4.9
2 reviews

Weapon, attack, and general upgrade systems are praised for giving players powerful new options and making improvements feel substantial.

Pros: world interactivity, side character depth

Cons: grind level

#2 Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
4.8
1 review

The upgrade system is closely tied to job points and class development, keeping character growth central to play.

Pros: handheld play suitability, gameplay mechanics

Cons: multiplayer design, companion AI

#3 Forza Horizon 5
4.7
8 reviews

Upgrade and customization systems are a major strength, with extensive tuning, swaps, visual options, and shared designs.

Pros: cross-play support, open-world design

Cons: cross-save support, tutorial quality

#4 Hollow Knight: Silksong
4.7
4 reviews

Upgrade systems around crests, tools, abilities, and silk skills add major build flexibility and playstyle changes.

Pros: value for money, sound design

Cons: loot system, camera behavior

#5 Pragmata
4.7
2 reviews

The upgrade system is praised for loadout customization and an immediately gratifying upgrade loop tied to Hugh, Diana, weapons, and abilities.

Pros: crash stability, bug frequency

Cons: accessibility options, map and navigation design

#6 Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter
4.6
3 reviews

Upgrade systems are well received, especially Quartz/orbment upgrades and easier handling of orbs compared with older releases.

Pros: crash stability, frame rate stability

Cons: facial animations

#7 Saros
4.6
2 reviews

The upgrade system is praised for stat buffs, weapon improvements, resource spending, and permanent growth that makes players stronger over time.

Pros: load times, fun factor

Cons: side character depth, facial animations

#8 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
4.5
1 review

The upgrade system is meaningful through weapon leveling, abilities, skills, and Pictos that expand build options.

Pros: world-building, crash stability

Cons: platforming precision, map and navigation design

#9 Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
4.5
1 review

The upgrade system was praised because unlocked tools felt useful and rewarding during deliveries.

Pros: load times, haptic feedback integration

Cons: online stability, quest design

#10 Diablo IV
4.4
4 reviews

Reviewer evidence is broadly positive: upgrade system reviewers repeatedly treat it as one of Diablo IV's strengths, with upgrades, Talismans, and gear refinement seen as meaningful build tools.

Pros: cross-play support, faithfulness to franchise

Cons: family friendliness, age appropriateness

#11 007 First Light
4.4
4 reviews

Upgrades are mainly tied to spending XP on gadgets, firearms, and outfits.

Pros: soundtrack quality, atmosphere

Cons: AI behavior, camera behavior

#12 Ghost of Yōtei
4.3
2 reviews

Upgrade systems are well-liked for loadouts, gear bonuses, cosmetics, and flexible enhancement paths.

Pros: load times, art direction

Cons: family friendliness, age appropriateness

#13 Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced
4.3
9 reviews

Upgrade systems are repeatedly praised for new Jackdaw fire options, ship upgrades, weapon perks, and officer-linked abilities.

Pros: environmental detail, platform-specific feature support

Cons: DLC value, multiplayer design

#14 Assassin's Creed Shadows
4.3
3 reviews

weapon and gear upgrading through the Forge and menus is seen as useful and clearly supported.

Pros: polish, cross-save support

Cons: family friendliness, age appropriateness

#15 Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
4.2
3 reviews

Upgrade evidence centers on Wayne Tech, new character abilities, gadget upgrades, and collectible-driven gear improvements.

Pros: voice acting, performance optimization

Cons: multiplayer design, monetization fairness

#16 Forza Horizon 6
4.2
9 reviews

The upgrade and customization systems look deep, especially with garage design, liveries, wheels, tuning, and car-specific tweaks, though some changes are familiar.

Pros: replay value, level design

Cons: dialogue quality, writing quality

#17 Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
4.2
1 review

Upgrade systems are supported through weapon quality tiers and damage scaling tied to crafting and equipment progression.

Pros: core gameplay loop, emotional impact

Cons: family friendliness, checkpoint system

#18 Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
4.2
1 review

Upgrade system is mostly positive where quality-of-life upgrades and ability growth improve return visits.

Pros: bug frequency, frame rate stability

Cons: save system reliability, tutorial quality

#19 Elden Ring Nightreign
4.0
1 review

The upgrade system relies on relics, run-based weapon improvements, and permanent progression rather than traditional stat allocation.

Pros: emotional impact, animation quality

Cons: cross-play support, flying mechanics

#20 Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
4.0
1 review

Reviewer evidence is positive, with support including “spend the AP you’ve earned in battle to upgrade each character.”

Pros: crash stability, soundtrack quality

Cons: AI behavior, platform-specific feature support

#21 Monster Hunter Wilds
4.0
1 review

The upgrade system was supported by steady weapon and gear improvements from monster parts during play.

Pros: cross-play support, atmosphere

Cons: dialogue quality, mission design

#22 Silent Hill f
4.0
1 review

The upgrade system earned praise for trade-offs between keeping consumables and spending resources on omamori or survivability improvements.

Pros: originality, innovation

Cons: family friendliness, crash stability

#23 Street Fighter 6
4.0
1 review

The upgrade system is supported through World Tour gear upgrades and stat growth, but reviews do not describe it as especially deep.

Pros: onboarding experience, animation quality

Cons: platforming precision, quest design

#24 Donkey Kong Bananza
3.9
4 reviews

Upgrade systems are helpful and often fun, though some costume or transformation upgrades can feel underwhelming or too powerful.

Pros: load times, movement feel

Cons: enemy variety, platforming precision

#25 Doom: The Dark Ages
3.8
6 reviews

Upgrade systems are widely mentioned, usually as meaningful rewards for exploration, though some reviewers find upgrades too passive or simplified.

Pros: load times, originality

Cons: multiplayer design, co-op experience

#26 Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss
3.8
5 reviews

The evolution and perk systems add useful boosts, though some reviewers felt upgrades were optional, minor, or not fully valuable.

Pros: faithfulness to franchise, load times

Cons: platforming precision, stealth mechanics

#27 Crimson Desert
3.0
1 review

Upgrades are important for stats and abilities, though they are tied to resource gathering and preparation.

Pros: visual effects quality, soundtrack quality

Cons: stealth mechanics, save system reliability

#28 South of Midnight
2.8
2 reviews

Upgrades can add risk-reward and late-game combat flow, but several reviewers felt upgrades lacked incentive or impact.

Pros: art direction, facial animations

Cons: onboarding experience, mission variety

#29 Dragon Ball FighterZ
2.8
1 review

Upgrade systems appear in story skills, stat bonuses, levels, and perks, but reviewers often say they are underused or not very meaningful.

Pros: animation quality, frame rate stability

Cons: cross-play support, load times