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Summary
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Many RPGs now offer respec systems to fix character build mistakes and experiment with playstyles.
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Games like Cyberpunk, Baldur’s Gate, and Divinity offer respec options at different costs and in various scenarios.
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Dragon Age: The Veilguard sets a player-friendly trend by allowing unlimited, free respecs directly from the Skills menu.
RPGs are getting longer and, for the most part, that’s great. In an age of soaring video game prices, value for money is a major consideration for many gamers. However, it also has its downsides. There’s no worse feeling for an RPG fan than getting a dozen or so hours into a game they’re enjoying and realizing that their character’s build sucks and there’s no way to change it.
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Best-case scenario: this simply kills one’s enjoyment of the game as fans are forced to play a character they no longer enjoy. Worst-case scenario: progress is next to impossible as one’s character build is completely unfeasible. This is why many of the games with the best progression systems include the ability to respec. Sure, every decision in an RPG should carry weight, but nobody likes wasting their time. These are some examples of RPGs with great respec systems that understand that most gamers have a limited amount of free time.
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Cyberpunk 2077
A Limited System That’s Better Than Nothing
Cyberpunk 2077
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OpenCritic Reviews
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Top Critic Rating:
76/100
Critics Recommend:
65%
- Platform(s)
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PC
, Xbox One
, Stadia
, PS4
, PS5
, Xbox Series S
, Xbox Series X - Released
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December 10, 2020
- Developer(s)
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CD Projekt Red
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Attribute Points can be reallocated once
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Perks can be changed at any time, at no cost
The current version of Cyberpunk 2077 is a very different beast from what fans got in 2020. After a famously rough launch, CD Projekt Red worked hard to earn back gamers’ trust, something they finally gained with the 2.0 update. Among countless other changes, this update added a much-requested respec system. Something the game desperately needed after so many changes.
Cyberpunk 2077 might be one of the best open-world FPS games, but at its heart, it’s still an RPG, and it’s important to build a character that suits one’s playstyle. If fans realize they’ve gone wrong, Cyberpunk gives players exactly one chance to respec their attribute points. One chance is better than nothing. The game is much more generous with perk points, thankfully. These can be changed at will with no penalties, allowing a certain degree of flexibility. While it would be nice to have more chances to respec attribute points (maybe by paying a ripperdoc), at least this system ensures that character-build decisions still carry weight and encourages a certain degree of roleplaying.
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Baldur’s Gate 3
Rebuild Your Characters For A Small Fee
Baldur’s Gate 3
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OpenCritic Reviews
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Top Critic Rating:
96/100
Critics Recommend:
98%
- Platform(s)
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PC
, macOS
, PS5
, Xbox Series X - Released
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August 3, 2023
- Developer(s)
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Larian Studios
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Players can respec their characters after rescuing Withers from the Dank Crypt
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Each respec costs 100 gold
Baldur’s Gate 3 was easily one of the biggest games of 2023. That’s hugely impressive when one considers how faithfully it recreates some of Dungeons and Dragons‘ most intimidating aspects. It’s a 100-hour+ long RPG that can be brutally punishing if the player messes up their builds. The game has one of the best RPG class systems. There’s a lot of information to work through when building up one’s player character and companions, and it’s easy to go wrong.
Thankfully, Larian Studios gave players a way to respec. Early on in their adventure, players can rescue an NPC called Withers from the Dank Crypt dungeon. If they save Withers, they can recruit him to hang around back at camp. He’s one of the game’s most important NPCs, capable of reviving dead party members and respec-ing them. Each respec of a character costs 100 gold. In the early hours of the game, that sounds like a lot, but by late in the game it’s pocket change. As befitting an RPG of this caliber, BG3’s respec system balances giving weight to build decisions while also giving players a way to fix their mistakes and experiment.
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Elden Ring
Give Lucaria All Your Larval Tears
Elden Ring
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OpenCritic Reviews
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Top Critic Rating:
95/100
Critics Recommend:
98%
- Platform(s)
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PC
, PlayStation 4
, PlayStation 5
, Xbox One
, Xbox Series S
, Xbox Series X - Released
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February 25, 2022
- Developer(s)
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From Software
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Players can respec after reaching the Academy of Raya and meeting Lucaria
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Each respec costs one Larval Tear
FromSoftware’s Soulsborne games have always put a lot of emphasis on perfecting one’s character build. They’re brutally hard games (for some) that can require hours of grinding if one realizes too late that they’ve made a mistake with a build. Elden Ring does allow players to respec their character, but they have to jump through some hoops first.
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Players can respec after reaching the Academy of Raya and meeting Lucaria. Each respec will cost 1 larval tear, a fairly rare item (there are 18 in the base game and 9 in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC). The Academy is found a fair way into the game, and it’ll likely take most gamers many hours to get there. As an open-world game that embraces player freedom, Elden Ring had to include a way to respec. This one might feel a little restrictive at first, but it fits in with Elden Ring’s difficulty level and still gives determined players plenty of chances to rebuild their character.
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Divinity: Original Sin 2
The Magic Mirror Gives Unlimited Respecs
Divinity: Original Sin 2
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OpenCritic Reviews
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Top Critic Rating:
93/100
Critics Recommend:
99%
- Platform(s)
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Switch
, PS4
, Xbox One
, PC - Released
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September 14, 2017
- Developer(s)
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Larian Studios
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Find the Magic Mirror at either Fort Joy or The Lady o’ War after enabling Gift Bags in the menu
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The Magic Mirror is free to use and offers unlimited respecs
Before the studio became famous for Baldur’s Gate 3, Larian Studios was most well known for Divinity: Original Sin 2. Another well-respected CRPG, the game has one of the most open-ended respec systems in any RPG. All players need to do is turn on Gift Bags (a kind of developer-approved mod) in the game’s menu and visit a Magic Mirror.
These mirrors can be found in Fort Joy in Act 1 and after that in The Lady o’ War. Using them lets players respec every aspect of their characters, turning a mace-wielding warrior into a spell-slinging Wizard if they wish. Divinity: Original Sin 2 can get fairly difficult, especially for CRPG newbies, so this feature is much appreciated.
5
Mass Effect 3 / Andromeda
Respec-ing Is As Easy As Visiting The Med-Bay
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Mass Effect 3 Mass Effect: Andromeda System Nintendo, Xbox, PC, PlayStation Xbox, PC, PlayStation Platform(s) PS3, Nintendo Wii U, Xbox 360, PC PS4, PC, Xbox One Released 2012-03-06 2017-03-01 Developer(s) BioWare BioWare Genre(s) Action, Adventure Action, RPG
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The player character and companions can be respec-ed using a terminal in their ship’s med-bay
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The first respec comes with a discount but they become progressively more expensive
Repec-ing one’s character wasn’t always an option in Mass Effect games. In the original Mass Effect there was no way to do it, outside of editing save files, while in Mass Effect 2, it required reaching a certain point in the story and purchasing an upgrade. Thankfully, Mass Effect 3 and Andromeda made it much easier. In both games, it’s as simple as visiting the ship’s med-bay and using a terminal to respec Sheperd, Ryder, or a chosen companion between missions.
However, there is a cost associated. The first respec comes with a hefty discount but subsequent respecs become increasingly expensive. The Mass Effect games are almost endlessly replayable, but it’s great that changing one’s playstyle doesn’t mean starting over again. It also makes sense considering the technology of the Mass Effect universe and the franchise’s lore, that characters would be able to change their abilities on the fly.
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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Respec Geralt With A Costly Potion Of Clearance
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