Any Other Games Like This?

[Orotomo]

So I'm looking for games like Borderlands. Before you tell me there aren't any or to go play Diablo, let me explain what I'm looking for.

I'm not strictly looking for loot based shooters or anything, I want games where there are different classes, but they all have a similar mode of play. With Borderlands, every class has the same general gameplay, the shooting and whatnot, but then they all have abilities and skill trees that add cool little things to that gameplay. Every other class based game I can find lets the class totally dictate the playstyle of the character. For example, if your character is a ninja in an mmo, only expect ninja things until you stop playing.

What I'm looking for doesn't have to be a shooter. It can be a third person game that focuses on swords and magic, but with classes that add onto that. Like all classes can use swords and magic the same way, but then each class adds their own flavor to it. So what games other than Borderlands are like this?

EDIT: Destiny is another example of this type of game.

 

[DefunctTheory]

Well, there's the obvious choices - Team Fortress 2, Overwatch, and Battleborn.

 

[Orotomo]

That's not what I had in mind. All of those games have classes that distinctly define how they're supposed to be played. Each class in all three of those games has a specific idea in mind, and they aren't very much alike. In Team Fortress 2, if you play Sniper you basically have to snipe. If you play Medic, your only real option is to heal. There's no common ground between those two classes like there is in Borderlands.

Another example of what I'm looking for would be something like Destiny. All the classes use the same weapons and tactics, but they all have different modifiers and additional abilities that make them unique.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

I guess Kingdoms of Amalur lets you pull skills from all 3 skill trees willy nilly, which includes the basic mage, warrior, thief.

Battleborn is basically Borderlands PvP where you level each match and can alter each character. Most characters are set in being a role like DPS, tank, support. There are a few characters that are sorta jack-of-all-trades that you can level in a way that emphasize one thing. But you don't have anything like say Zero from BL2 that could be a sniper or melee god depending on your build.

Maybe games like Deus Ex (especially the 1st one) and Dishonored where you can build your character very differently and actually can't have everything (unlike say Deus Ex HR).

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Dead Island? Lots of looting, four "classes", only real difference is the special skill. It would mostly be First Person Melee though.

 

[Saelune]

Any Gauntlet game I suppose. The most recent is the first to really differentiate the classes.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Erm, from a fantasy perspective, games like Lords of the Fallen and Dark Souls (Salt and Sanctuary, by extension) give you class options but as you play, it gives you the freedom to try out what works best for you through experimentation. There are many different combat techniques that you aren't made to commit to. Kingdoms of Amular i guess does it with an almost hand-holding approach, but the same freedom applies nonetheless. I'll try and think of non-fantasy examples.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

Well, not sure how relevant this is to you but the Fable franchise was always like that. You're free to use any of the combat options as much as you want. Melee, ranged, and magic are all equally viable and you earn experience exclusive to those disciplines the more you use them.

 

[Vidiot]

I've been having a lot of fun lately with Planetside 2. The classes all have comparable primary guns and sidearms, allowing any class to take part in the action, while the classes give you different tactical options. Even the Medic and Engineer get decent rifles so you can customize your play style.

The catch is that there's no single player. It's still an MMO shooter, so if you tend to get angry at online shooters and the bullshit that happens in them, you'll get frustrated here, too. There are always options, however. Getting spawn camped/sniped? Spawn somewhere else, and/or drive a portable spawn truck (Sunderer) someplace safer, and spawn there. Getting overrun on a large battle? Just press U to re-deploy to a different battle. Stuck in the middle of nowhere with no ride? Press I to be orbitally dropped into a random hotspot.

Edit:I forgot to mention, it's also free-to-play, but not pay-to-win. It's not perfect, by any means, but it's one of the better free games I've played lately, along with Warframe and Star Trek: Online.

 

[shrekfan246]

Even in Borderlands, the classes have certain ways that they're played better than others. Like, Zer0 in 2 is very obviously either a sniper or melee character, so while he can be played as, say, a mid-range assault gunner, it's going to be sub-par in comparison to how his actual skills and abilities work. If we're being reductive, then the gameplay of something like Diablo III doesn't really change based on your class other than an arbitrary decision of whether you're playing at range or in melee; you're still going to be rounding up and kiting big waves of enemies while clicking on everything until it's dead either way. The biggest tangible difference is the animations you get.

I guess I would throw a tentative third recommendation for Kingdoms of Amalur? Each "class" has a weapon that it specializes in, but you get enough skill points that you can create a mage or thief who wields two-handed greatswords if you really want. Though I'm not sure if that would really be close to what you're looking for since your character starts out as a blank slate rather than a predetermined archetype.

If you don't mind a bit of weapon restriction, then I'd say Mass Effect. Only Soldiers can use all of the weapons, but you can unlock an extra specialization for other classes by unlocking weapon- or ability-based achievements that can allow you to do things like create an Adept who can wield assault rifles or a Soldier who can use a biotic power. Mass Effect 2 does a similar thing from what I remember, and then Mass Effect 3 only restricts weapon use insofar as how much you're willing to increase your ability cooldowns, as each weapon has a weight tied to it and the more weight you have the longer it'll take for your abilities to recharge.

The idea of class-driven games where the classes are only superficially different seems a bit counter-intuitive to me.