Summary
Games have a wide variety of genres and subgenres, and most offer an even wider variety of playstyles for players to try. Whether it’s maining a certain class in an MMO or creating a certain way of playing a single player RPG, there’s usually a number of ways to play a given game.
But given the sheer diversity of these games and the ways players can interact with them, there are a few playstyles that fly under the radar. Sometimes they’re rarely included, or if they are, they’re usually hard to balance. But more often than not, they add much-needed gameplay variety or an enjoyable way for players to get more out of their games. Some of these playstyles are underutilized by developers, some by players, but they all deserve a bit more love.
10High-Skill All-Rounders
Useful In A Wide Variety of Genres
This playstyle is rare in everything except maybe fighting games. A high-skill all-rounder is generally a character or weapon that does everything well, but has a high skill floor, meaning only the best players can use them well. Characters such as Kazuya Mishisma fromTekken,Demoman fromTeam Fortress 2, and Akuma fromStreet Fighterare some of the more prominent examples.
These characters, weapons, and techniques can be hard to balance. Quickscoping in games such asCall Of Dutyis often a subject of debate, as it essentially eliminates a sniper’s weakness at the cost of a high skill floor.Team Fortress 2’sDemoman has had major nerfs in the past. These characters and weapons, when done right, can be extremely powerful.
9Tankers And Pilots
Drive Vehicles In Multiplayer Shooters
While apopular tool in other genres, it’s rare in most mainstream multiplayer shooters for players to come across vehicles.Call Of Duty, Space Marine 2,and many more recent shooters have foregone or limited the use of vehicles to focus on more fast-paced, close-quarters fighting.
But legacy franchises and the military sim genre keep the playstyle alive. Many players in theBattlefieldseries only use vehicles.Halofeatures them front and center in most “Big Team Battle” maps, rewarding players that have gotten good at using them with a highly effective weapon or tool.
8Necromancer Builds
Only Appear In A Few RPGs
While quite a few games might let the player resurrect a single enemy or just use thematic spells, true Necromancers are not an RPG staple. The ability to summon a horde of undead is generally hard to come by.
Wizards, sorcerers, and all kinds of magic users are everywhere in fantasy RPGs. Games likeDivinity: Original Sin 2offer a Necromancer class that focuses more on life-sapping magic and the occasional minion. But gamers have seen a resurgence in this kind of playstyle in recent years.Baldurs Gate 3’s Necromancer subclass and the Witch fromPath Of Exile 2allowed players to command a horde of ghouls, skeletons, and zombies.
7Grenadier
Throw Things At Enemies In Shooters and RPGs
A staple of warfare since the medieval age, grenades are a common sight in most modern shooters, but using them as a central part of a loadout or build is rare for most games.
Battlefield 1let players choose a spate of grenade launchers and specialized grenades across three of the four infantry classes. When used correctly, they’re unmatched in clearing the game’s trenches, letting players embody the famous stormtroopers of World War One. TheFalloutfranchise lets players build an entire character around explosives, something that is especially advantageous when dealing with certain factions, likeNew Vegas’Brotherhood Of Steel.
6Pacifists
Keep The Peace In Many Different Genres
Most games feature some kind of conflict, adversaries for the player to overcome. Usually this is done through combat, driving, or some form of minigame. It’s rare that a game will allow players to explore a more passive route.
The pacifist playstyle can be a challenge for players and tends to come with rewards.DishonoredandUndertaleboth encourage players to never kill, requiring it for the best possible endings. For game series such asFallout,it is more circumstantial. Players can talk their way out of most required fights and can rely on companions to protect them from the wasteland.
5Dodge Tanking
In Almost Every Genre
Dodge tanking is a form of tanking in MMOs and RPGs that involves dodging incoming attacks rather than relying on a large health pool. Made famous by classic MMOs, the playstyle has fallen out of favor.
World of WarcraftandFinal Fantasy 11both featured classes and abilities that allowed players to avoid damage through a percentage chance. This meant that traditional DPS classes, such asFinal Fantasy 11’sNinja, could be tanks instead. Unfortunately, this is rarely seen in modern western RPGs, although it is possible in many JRPGs andBaldur’s Gate 3with the correct gear.
4Melee
Get Up Close In Multiplayer FPS
Best used on smaller maps, melee is a staple of CallOf Dutygames. Rushing with nothing but a knife is simultaneously extremely fun to do and incredibly frustrating to be killed by.
Battlefield 1did something similar in its Trench Raider class, letting players cleave their way through hordes of enemies. However, it isn’t seen in most modern FPS games. Shooters such asApex LegendsandBattlefield 2042lack effective melee loadouts and classes in favor of long-range firepower.
3Ambush Characters
Stealth Gameplay In Multiplayer Shooters
These are common in legacy and hero shooters, but have fallen out of favor in many modern releases. Stealth characters and power ups are often extremely difficult to balance. Ambush characters tend to let players skirt around the lines of the enemy team, picking off targets.
It was common in the age of arena shooters for certain power ups, such asHalo’s active camouflage to grant players the ability to go invisible.Marvel Rivalsfeatures stealth heroes, but these tend to be support roles. The only game to have featured this role recently isSpace Marine 2withthe sniper class.
2Consumables Only
A Unique Way To Play RPGs
Something overlooked by many players is a consumables-only build. This descripes a playthrough in which players use grenades, thrown weapons, and potions to substitute specific weapons or skills. This is most commonly seen in theSoulsborneseries. The most recent entry,Elden Ringfeatures a variety offun and unique builds.
But this is a possibility in many other games too.Fallout, Skyrim,andBaldurs Gate 3all feature ways to run throwing weapon builds or other ways to use consumables to forgo the need to grind for that one powerful weapon.
1Kill Everyone
Full-Scale Slaughter In RPGs
Role-playing games often feature well-thought-out, expansive stories. Featuring multiple endings. But it is difficult to code and write a game where anyone can die at any time. Few games have even attempted to include this option.
Fallout: New VegasandUndertaleare some of the only examples of games that let players step into the shoes of some of themost evil characters in gaming. Obviously, resulting in the worst possible ending for both games. InNew Vegas,players have to side with Yes Man as he is the only character that resurrects himself if killed, leading to a bleak version of his ending. A kill everything run inUndertalewill result in a boss fight with the iconic Sans, who stands as a final barrier to the player’s onslaught.
