In one form or another, an RPG has to include progression, and most games simply go down the “stat increases, skill upgrades” route. There's no reason to fix a wheel that isn't broken, but it's still nice when we get a game that takes things in a different direction. As progression fundamentally changes how you interact with the worlda unique version can create a dynamic not found in any other game.
Move away from all bonfires and traditional stat points; let's focus on a few games that experiment with new progression systems and, for the most part, nail their implementation. Since nothing exists in a vacuum, we'll highlight a mix of classic and modern games, even if the former's ideas are no longer as unique in 2026.
I have chosen to include only three games, as I prefer to go in depth. Several other open-world RPGs have new progression systems.
Click on the game with higher OpenCritic rating.
Gothic (1 or 2)
Groundbreaking development in more ways than one
Gothic
- Released
-
November 23, 2001
“Almost perfect” might be a slight exaggeration, but Piranha Byte's first two Gothic games have truly written their places in both open-world and RPG lore. Focusing on the 2001 original, Gothic rejected the prevailing trends of its era, moving away from the casual stat-based power fantasies that defined most early 3D RPGs. In an absolute stroke of genius, your character's animations act as your progress indicatoras they change as you get stronger.
You start Gothic as a nameless convict who was kicked into a magical prison colony called Mining Valley. If we take “progression” to mean more than just “growing stronger,” Piranha Bytes sets its games apart by removing conveniences like mission markers or an accessible minimap.
Gothic gives you traditional stats like HP, Mana, Strength and Dexterity.
Although you gain experience for leveling up, this process only rewards learning points and a HP boost. To actually get stronger, you have to use LP and money to have an NPC train you, which allows you to improve your stats or gain new skills. We have seen this concept coordinated by the likes of Kingdom Come: Deliverancebut Gothic did better than its successors.
World development is also entirely based on experience. Instead of artificial walls, players simply learn if they are strong enough for an area when they encounter its monsters. Gothic even handles story progression differently than most RPGs, making it primarily based on social hierarchy. Factions react to the player's condition, strength, and wardrobe.
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Kenshi
Want to get tougher? Well, prepare for a beating
Kenshi
- Released
-
December 6, 2018
Even more than Kingdom Come: Deliverance or even Piranha Byte's subsequent games that Elect, Kenshi appears to be the true spiritual successor to Gothic. About the masterpiece from 2001 wrote the blueprint for organic world building and progression, then this bizarre indie darling is coming to an end.
No other open world RPG makes you feel like garbage better Kenshi. In this wasteland, you mean nothing. You have no identity, future, presence, strengths or ambition. Rock bottom is your home, and moving out isn't easy. The world does not exist for your benefit, and it is not scaled to match your abilities. It's simply there, and it's up to you to make something of it.
Similar Gothic, Kenshi have tons of stats and skills, almost all of which gain XP independently based on what you actually do and how you do it. For example, running improves your athletics, and direct combat increases stats like martial arts or toughness (you have to be hit for the latter). If you want to become a master thief, you have to steal, get caught, end up in a slave camp, try to escape, get beaten by guards and repeat the loop to improve your Stealth and Lockpicking skills.
The above progression is really just for the early game, which Kenshi becomes more and more complicated.
Again, “almost perfect” may sound like too much praise, though Kenshi was originally created by a single person, Chris Hunt, and has been a part of Steam for nearly a decade. Even now, the game still averages about 5K concurrent players. Given its humble beginnings and longevity, “almost perfect” seems fair.
Cassette animals
Record, knit and fuse
OK, enough with awesome open world RPGs! Time to talk about something a little more colorful. That said, don't be fooled by its cozy 16-bit monster-taming aesthetic; Cassette animals is much closer to a critique of Pokémon formula than a recommendation. Although it contains some traditional elements, the indie game stacks mechanics on top of each other to create a system all its own.
You wake up on New Wirral, a bizarre, shifting island stuck in an interdimensional pocket dimension where people from different eras of Earth are mysteriously washed ashore. Instead of throwing Poke Balls, you tame monsters by recording them on magnetic tape, so you can physically transform into them.
You level up the ribbons until they reach 5 stars, adding moves (aka stickers) along the way. The cool thing about stickers is that you can peel them off and attach them to other bands, giving you much more customization options. Unlike so many monster tamer games, Cassette animals' progression is not a mad rush to find a high-level monster, but rather a journey to harvest stickers to create a very strong core group.
Of course, Cassette animals has an evolution system in the form of Remasters, which honestly isn't that different from Pokémon in addition to sometimes offering multiple paths.
Finally, the progression loop culminates with Fusion, which unlocks as you improve your relationship with your human companions. Since the main character turns into a monster, you can only have one band active at a time, and Cassette animal gets around this by attaching companions with the same ability as you. After completing a personal mission, you'll unlock the ability to fuse with your companion mid-battle, and you'll need to figure out the best combination of monsters to survive boss battles.
When it comes to world development, Cassette animal structuring its island like a Metroidvania that locks sections behind walkthrough abilities. It's not a particularly unique progression system, but it's rarely seen in open-world RPGs.
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