Best Video Games for upgrade system

upgrade system Decision Dashboard

Best for upgrade system

Forza Horizon 5

4.9 feature score

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

Safest pick

Hades II

4.9 feature score

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

Best overall product

Donkey Kong Bananza

4.4 overall score

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

See ranked products
#1 Forza Horizon 5
4.9
5 reviews

The upgrade system is strongly praised for deep tuning, auto-upgrade convenience, stat changes, and broad customization freedom.

Pros: controls responsiveness, movement feel

Cons: tutorial quality, animation quality

#2 Hades II
4.9
2 reviews

Upgrade systems are praised for breadth and power growth, especially arcana and meta progression, with reviewers emphasizing flexibility.

Pros: skill tree depth, dialogue quality

Cons: emotional impact, economy and resource balance

#3 Saros
4.6
3 reviews

The upgrade system was praised for making attempts feel worthwhile and improving approachability.

Pros: value for money, fun factor

Cons: map and navigation design, side character depth

#4 Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
4.6
1 review

The revised perk and upgrade system was praised for offering meaningful upside-focused choices rather than weak side-grades.

Pros: soundtrack quality, fun factor

Cons: checkpoint system, family friendliness

#5 Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
4.5
4 reviews

The upgrade system is praised for meaningful amulets, combat additions, and flexible build choices that alter playstyle.

Pros: graphics quality, environmental detail

Cons: bug frequency, dialogue quality

#6 Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
4.5
3 reviews

Upgrade systems are praised for flexible perks and incentives that help tailor traversal, stealth, and combat approaches.

Pros: animation quality, facial animations

Cons: quest design, AI behavior

#7 Ghost of Yōtei
4.5
3 reviews

Upgrades are praised for being tied to exploration, weapons, armor, charms, and mastery activities rather than pure XP grinding.

Pros: movement feel, environmental detail

Cons: puzzle design, age appropriateness

#8 Donkey Kong Bananza
4.5
2 reviews

Upgrade systems were praised when ability unlocks felt impactful, while costume boosts were seen as more situational.

Pros: gameplay mechanics, world interactivity

Cons: economy and resource balance, enemy variety

#9 Cabernet
4.5
1 review

The upgrade system had one strong supporting review that described the RPG elements behind skill growth as simple but satisfying.

Pros: accessibility options, protagonist appeal

Cons: frame rate stability, polish

#10 Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter
4.4
2 reviews

Upgrade systems were viewed positively for making gear and Orbment improvements easier and more convenient.

Pros: protagonist appeal, art direction

Cons: camera behavior, tutorial quality

#11 Assassin's Creed Shadows
4.3
3 reviews

Upgrades are generally praised, especially the Forge, weapon improvement, and approachable base-linked progression.

Pros: environmental detail, cross-save support

Cons: writing quality, enemy variety

#12 Hollow Knight: Silksong
4.3
10 reviews

Crests, tools, and upgrades are widely seen as flexible and creative, though a few reviews found early limitations or resource-linked tool use frustrating.

Pros: core gameplay loop, world interactivity

Cons: loot system, accessibility options

#13 Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced
4.2
4 reviews

Upgrade systems are praised for Jackdaw alternate-fire options, new ship upgrades, and more tactical flexibility.

Pros: core gameplay loop, visual effects quality

Cons: monetization fairness, microtransaction impact

#14 Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
4.2
1 review

The character upgrade system is viewed as more nuanced and strategic than Remake's approach.

Pros: world-building, art direction

Cons: mission design, stealth mechanics

#15 Cronos: The New Dawn
4.2
6 reviews

Upgrades were generally praised as meaningful because scarce cores, suit boosts, and weapon improvements forced real tradeoffs.

Pros: core gameplay loop, emotional impact

Cons: checkpoint system, bug frequency

#16 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
4.1
1 review

Weapon upgrading was described as a useful part of the broader equipment loop.

Pros: monetization fairness, microtransaction impact

Cons: platforming precision, menu usability

#17 Diablo IV
4.0
2 reviews

Upgrade-related evidence was positive overall, especially around Talismans and loadout tailoring, though one reviewer had not yet found thrilling pieces.

Pros: lore depth, art direction

Cons: mission variety, protagonist appeal

#18 Pragmata
4.0
2 reviews

Upgrade systems are useful and rewarding, though one reviewer disliked that the full weapon suite waits until New Game Plus.

Pros: bug frequency, user interface design

Cons: HUD clarity, mission design

#19 South of Midnight
4.0
1 review

The upgrade system earned praise in one review for later enhancements that made positioning and cooldown management more interesting.

Pros: atmosphere, voice acting

Cons: world interactivity, camera behavior

#20 Forza Horizon 6
3.9
7 reviews

Upgrade and customization systems are useful and sometimes deep, but several reviewers note familiar options, criticism around customization limits, or overwhelming tuning.

Pros: open-world design, replay value

Cons: dialogue quality, writing quality

#21 Absolum
3.8
9 reviews

Upgrade systems offered build variety and experimentation, but reviewers split over random, temporary, or underwhelming upgrades.

Pros: mission design, world interactivity

Cons: quest design, endgame content

#22 Arc Raiders
3.8
4 reviews

Upgrades and workbenches add depth, but unclear item requirements and workshop friction made the system less smooth.

Pros: frame rate stability, platform-specific feature support

Cons: voice acting, writing quality

#23 Silent Hill f
3.6
4 reviews

Upgrade systems were appreciated for strategic trade-offs and natural-feeling growth, but a few reviewers found the mechanics minor or confusing.

Pros: voice acting, emotional impact

Cons: family friendliness, menu usability

#24 Doom: The Dark Ages
3.6
5 reviews

Upgrade systems were mixed: some liked streamlined and useful upgrades, while others wanted more depth or disliked passive-feeling progression.

Pros: environmental detail, polish

Cons: camera behavior, value for money

#25 Digimon Story Time Stranger
3.3
2 reviews

Cross Arts and upgrades added tactical options, but reviewers criticized limits such as only equipping one Cross Art at a time.

Pros: atmosphere, world-building

Cons: HUD clarity, fast travel convenience

#26 Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss
2.9
3 reviews

Upgrades split reviewers: one liked the exploration incentive, while others felt abilities added little or were not especially useful.

Pros: world-building, world interactivity

Cons: enemy variety, stealth mechanics

#27 Monster Hunter Wilds
2.8
1 review

The upgrade/build system was a mixed point where tighter buildcrafting created tradeoffs but made High Rank gear feel limited to one reviewer.

Pros: art direction, cross-play support

Cons: dialogue quality, monetization fairness

#28 Dragon Ball FighterZ
2.7
2 reviews

Upgrade-system evidence is mostly negative or mixed, with story skills and stat bonuses often described as underused or barely noticeable.

Pros: movement feel, world-building

Cons: save system reliability, mission variety

#29 Crimson Desert
2.5
1 review

Reviewer evidence is negative or mixed: upgrade system was often criticized, even where some reviewers found redeeming moments across 1 review(s).

Pros: level design, replay value

Cons: stealth mechanics, save system reliability

#30 Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
2.0
2 reviews

Upgrades were fun and familiar for some, but others felt certain powers were underused or too lock-and-key.

Pros: world-building, frame rate stability

Cons: companion AI, upgrade system