10 Best Open-World Action Games with Profound Build Customization

Action games make up the vast majority of titles available in the industry, as some form of combat is almost always involved in the games released year after year.

While I admit this isn't something I particularly love, I must also acknowledge that nothing excites me more than a great action experience, especially since no other medium can embody a power fantasy like video games.

As a result, more than half of the games I've played in the last 20 years fall into this category, so I've had the privilege of enjoying countless creations that stand out for their ability to put us in the shoes of true forces of nature.

Therefore, in order to pay tribute to the most outstanding titles when it comes to face-smashing individuals, I invite you to read this list of the ten best open-world action games with the deepest character builds.

10 Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

A Playing Field for Porters

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach surpasses its predecessor's formula in virtually every way, but one of the most noticeable improvements is the customization available to Sam Porter Bridges.

In addition to a significant increase in weapons, tools, and modifiers, which offer considerable freedom for creating unique playstyles, the main addition is the APAS Enhancements, which allow you to progressively acquire abilities as you expand the chiral network.

While you'll likely have everything fully developed by the story's end, you'll spend a large portion of the campaign configuring your skill points to suit your delivery style, letting you prioritize stealth, survival, combat, traversal, and other variables relevant to your missions.

At first, it may seem like there isn't much, though in subsequent playthroughs, when you try a different approach, you realize the depth and variety of approaches that Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has, which is impressive given its size.

9 Redfall

More than You Would Expect

This being yet another instance of me praising a game that practically everyone hates, it's my duty to commend Redfall's ability to vary the experience based on its gameplay possibilities.

Arkane Studios, even with what is arguably their worst creation, once again invites us to a gameplay experience brimming with alternatives, depending on the player's will, who will have access to four different characters with unique abilities and also to diverse playstyles depending on the weapons they use.

It's nothing particularly groundbreaking, as it oscillates between the developer's usual approach of letting you be a stealthy assassin, a tank who takes on everything, or a more balanced character, but believe me when I say it fulfills its purpose more than adequately.

Would it be strange if, after finishing Redfall, you wanted to play it a second time? Undoubtedly. However, if you find its unevenness captivating like I did, you truly appreciate the team's dedication to varying each playthrough with such emphasis.

8 Darksiders 2

Create Your Own Death

Given that the hack-and-slash genre is one of my all-time favorites, I'm morally obligated to love Darksiders, though my eyes always seem to be drawn specifically to Darksiders 2.

With its emphasis on RPG mechanics, the game allows us to modify Death's abilities to our liking, which is achieved not only through the vast array of weapons and tools but also through the skill tree.

The core gameplay is the same for any build, though the feel changes completely depending on your loot and approach, allowing you to adapt to the countless situations you'll encounter during your travels through the game's diverse landscapes.

We all know the scythe is the symbol of this great Horseman of the Apocalypse, but it's not the only one. Whether you want to be an agile hunter with fast weapons or become a necromancer, Darksiders 2 offers a level of customization that's quite unusual for the genre, and very welcome indeed.

7 Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

A Classic Fantasy

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is one of those great games that, while you know it's not the best at what it does, accomplishes everything it sets out to do with such charisma and identity that you'll want to praise it at every opportunity.

In this case, the game offers an open world with RPG elements in the most traditional sense, full of fantastical towns, side quests, and countless enemies to empower yourself until you're completely exhausted.

Once again, the character options are limited to the genre's typical choices, such as mage, warrior, and rogue, but each has specializations and variations in their abilities and equipment that truly diversify the experience more than you initially think.

The game is packed with gameplay systems that affect your stats and skills, and if you add all these structures to the intoxicating nature of its exploration and the fun of its combat, you have a formula that works perfectly for dozens of hours without fail.

6 Dying Light

Surviving However Possible

Despite not usually being a fan of zombie games, Dying Light struck a chord with me that makes it impossible not to adore it for what it is: one of its generation's greatest open worlds.

When I discovered its meticulously crafted and extensive skill tree, capable of completely transforming the type of survivor you are, I was genuinely surprised because I expected a more linear and less customizable action experience.

Regardless, what I found was a marvel where parkour, melee combat, stealth, and shooting combine magnificently to create a multitude of dynamic sequences in which every encounter with the undead feels unique and unforgettable.

All playstyles are viable, and while it's not a game I'd highlight for its accessibility, I certainly appreciate Dying Light's ability to give players room to be creative and become whatever post-apocalyptic runner they want to be.

5 Borderlands 3

No Two Vault Hunters Are Alike

From its earliest installments, this franchise has been synonymous with depth and fun, but I genuinely believe it reached the pinnacle of its gameplay with Borderlands 3.

It's not the best in the franchise, but when it comes to striking a balance between having diverse characters with unique abilities and a perfect gunplay system that serves as a common foundation for everyone, I can't think of a better option.

The number of weapons greatly contributes to its gameplay diversity, clearly, though having the opportunity to visit all the planets the game offers with each character makes the journey different every time.

Even if I leave out the cooperative mode, which obviously takes everything to an unattainable level otherwise, Borderlands 3 is a title made to be enjoyed for hundreds of hours without feeling like you've repeated a single second of content.

4 Diablo 4

More Builds Than You Can Try

Although I understand and respect that some people aren't huge Diablo 4 fans, I also maintain it's the series' installment I've connected with the most in terms of gameplay customization.

With so many updates, content, aspects, and everything else, every time I return to the game, I feel like I have a whole world of new possibilities to explore, even though I mostly stick to my Sorcerer.

Considering the classes' variety and each skill tree's depth, where point allocation deserves its own thesis to maximize results, there's such a vast array of options that, to be honest, I feel overwhelmed.

It has taken me dozens of hours of playing the game to finally grasp its depth, and it's at this point that I can say Diablo 4 is spectacular in every way, but especially in the scale and visual splendor of the endgame combat.

That said, I have many complaints about Blizzard's work, including their business model, constant internet connection, and persistent nerfs to my favorite builds, and yet I still feel super confident in placing it near this list's podium.

3 Avowed

Less Talk, More Action

While not Obsidian's most significant work in terms of the kind of games they usually produce, I genuinely believe Avowed is their best in terms of pure action and entertainment.

I like to think of this game, in a way, as a more compact The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim with much, much better combat, as the encounters are fast-paced, vertical, and creative, with a wide range of possibilities depending on the class you choose.

Combining magic with guns is among the best experiences I've had this generation, and when you include its reactive gameplay, where you can do things like use ice to cross water, and its excellent worldbuilding for exploration, it turns into a well-defined open world that truly compels you to explore everything.

If you're expecting to have a lot of influence on the world and make decisions that completely change the course of events, as is typical of Obsidian and RPGs, Avowed doesn't have much to offer. However, if what you're looking for is to get into fights with everyone while enjoying wonderful aesthetics, you've found a gold mine.

2 Ghost of Tsushima

A Samurai to Your Liking

Ghost of Tsushima offers a wealth of reasons to be among the best in every category it falls into, and an article about open-world action games is no exception.

In fact, it's one of the most distinguished examples I can think of in this genre, because without leaning too heavily into RPG elements, it manages to create a myriad of builds that change both the gameplay and narrative experience.

As usual, I favor stealth and distance, enjoying its high mobility and ease of infiltration, but I've also experienced the delights of its melee combat, and it's exhilarating.

Every gameplay option Ghost of Tsushima offers is there because it stems from a foundation of minimum excellence, guaranteed by a Sucker Punch that paid as much attention to detail as humanly possible.

Furthermore, if you change the armor and talismans, you have even more options at your disposal, allowing the same playstyle to have various branches and, therefore, multiplying your reasons to stay and try all the existing alternatives.

1 Monster Hunter Wilds

Weapons for Everyone!

The first time I played Monster Hunter Wilds, it took me 30 hours to feel like I'd truly mastered all the moves and nuances of my main weapon… But the game has more than a dozen.

I've rarely enjoyed an experience with such a high skill ceiling without multiplayer, though Capcom managed to create a title where every weapon is so viable and functional that it can take you the entire campaign to feel comfortable with any one.

However, that's the experience's charm: discovering the numerous possibilities and combinations of weapons alongside the species you hunt, because the act of exploration is both about the bestiary and the players themselves.

If you add playing with friends, Monster Hunter Wilds gives you options for a lifetime, but even if you don't, you still have so many hours of training, familiarization, and experimentation that you'll probably have mastered everything by the time the series' next entry comes out.