In most RPGs—regardless of the type—there is one thing that makes you stronger as a player: leveling up. Usually to do this, you can take on quests for experience or continue in the story for character progression which in turn unlocks new powers and such. Though for most games—namely the two down below—leveling up is made easier by killing monsters or tackling various side quests, which can be very different from just normal quests or main story ones. Still confused? Don’t worry, let us examine Final Fantasy XV and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition.

Noctis Lucius Caelum is the young prince of the Lucis empire and is soon to be wed to Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. Though before he embarks on this tremendous occasion, Noctis wants to see the world and thus, he sets forth on a planned adventure with his close friends and advisors Gladiolus, Ignis and Prompto. What should be a fun adventure turns horrible when during his trip, Noctis learns his Kingdom and father have fallen to the Niflheim kingdom. Now, Noctis must gain new strength and somehow charged at the Niflheim kingdom to regain his land and his people. Though the challenges Noctis will soon face will be tough and he will need to rely on his team’s support and skill to persevere.

The Final Fantasy series has always been known for level grinding. The reason being is that some enemies and bosses are extremely tough and just having solid gear won’t net you a win. That’s why it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that Final Fantasy XV shares in its predecessor’s theme of level grinding as it’s called. Players will need to kill hundreds of enemies, bosses and quests to stand a chance of killing some of Final Fantasy XV’s tougher bosses and enemies. We won’t lie, it can sometimes take a long time to accomplish this fear. Though in truth, the combat and gameplay of Final Fantasy XV are so enjoyable it doesn’t feel overly tedious and rarely feels too repetitive. Though if you need a prime example of a form of grinding that would definitely be level grinding, an all too important concept in games like Final Fantasy XV.

Your days of exploring and adventuring seem to be coming to an end. Alongside several other prisoners, you are heading to your death by beheading. As you’re called up to face the axe and end your life in Skyrim, a large noise causes the ground around you to quake. Heads turn up to the sky and notice a large dragon attacking. Escaping the attack with your head intact, you’re told by a solider that news needs to be delivered to the Jarl of Winterhold as soon as you can to prepare them for the Dragon’s future attack. Soon you will learn that you lived through the attack because you have a purpose that will forever change the world of Skyrim.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition—or just Skyrim—is a prime example of doing more than just the quests to level up. Along your journey, there are hundreds of places to explore in Skyrim and while killing enemies and doing the main mission will level you up, you will find taking side quests or missions to really be beneficial. Not only do you get cool rewards for doing a majority of side quests in Skyrim, but you also must travel through dangerous locations to fight enemies which in turn gives you a much-needed boost to your experience bar. That’s why it’s always beneficial to run to every location of Skyrim and listen to various NPC yammer on about some odd predicament they’re in. Grinding in Skyrim is a must for those who want to level up their characters to the highest they can.

Getting better stats in most JRPGs and RPGs is certainly a good thing. However, in some games, leveling up isn’t just enough you need something else. In this case, that something else happens to be getting better gear or equipment. Though in games like Destiny 2—which is our prime example—getting better gear means better success during tough strikes and adventures. Though here’s the main issue with getting gear, it’s not the easiest in the world to obtain. If you want exotic weapons and or legendary gear, you’re going to find yourself grinding various missions and events for some time. Now let’s present you with a more detailed explanation of what we mean as well as describe Destiny 2.

It’s been a year since the Guardians had their drawn-out battles and fought to bring peace back to the world. The Cabal forces have felt it was time to stamp out the Guardians and humanity once and for all. The Red Legion, known for their merciless tactics and fighting style, launch a barrage on the Last City destroying the Guardians home and taking the Traveler’s power which in turn removes the Light from all Guardians. Now mortal, you must somehow regain your Light and somehow bring the Guardians back together to stop the Red Legion’s leader Dominus Ghaul from claiming the Traveler’s power for himself.

We here at Honey’s Anime were huge fans of the first Destiny game but that also meant we had to put some time into it. Destiny 2 has that same trait as players need to essentially begin from scratch and regain better gear, powers and weapons. While the powers can be regained through main missions, better gear—like Destiny 1—is more obtainable from events, PVP and Strikes. This means you’ll be grinding out these missions for hours and while sometimes you’ll get lucky, other times you will find yourself cursing out loud. However, because you’re like thousands of others, you’ll continue grinding for better gear in Destiny 2 so you can become stronger and hopefully be able to take on the future Raids and other players on Trials. Also, let us mention that Destiny 2 is amazing so if you loved the first you should be playing this.