5 Absurdly High Level Caps in Video Games

Levelling has been an enormous part of gaming for decades now, and developers are only continuing to push the boat out by increasing level caps and skill trees with each new addition to the catalogue that employs the structure. And what once looked like a relatively simple pathway with a fixed level, now only looks like an endless corridor without boundaries. Level 50 spiraled into 60, 60 into 120 — and 120 into unfathomable numbers, effectively creating a never-ending grind with unachievable statistics.

Of course, anybody who's ever touched an RPG will know that, in order to beat the game, the maximum level doesn't even need to be within spitting distance, and that it can usually be conquered without a great deal of extra grinding. But then, as a way to flesh out the experience and add a little meat to the bones, some games push for you to play a little more. Like, another 300 levels more. And although it's not essential by any means, it is a fun way to keep the hours ticking over post-credits. But with that being said — here are five absurdly high level caps that just sort of take the cake. And the icing. And the decorations.

5. Bloodborne (Lvl. 544)

With a game like Bloodborne, along with anything else that FromSoftware unleash into the wild — leveling isn't something you necassarily enjoy chipping away at. It's more of a requirement, just to be able to tackle the unforgiving spools of enemies that posses the powers to slaughter you with the flick of a wrist. And while the first few dozen levels can be breezed through with only a few major obstacles to hold you back — its additional few hundred levels really aren't so kind. That is, if you can even tipple over to that point in the leveling system.

Of course, with Bloodborne, your level tends to grind to a halt once all your stats have reached 99. But as research has shown, the cap that the small percentage of people have reached is 544. And even with such an absurdly high level under their belts, some players even said that the game as a whole still poses as a major threat, and in no way makes the gameplay any less challenging. So, it really is just a number on a page after all.

4. Dark Souls 2 (Lvl. 838)

Oh look — it's another FromSoftware game. A game that, like Bloodborne, has no major value behind its almighty level cap of 838, other than a whole lot of bragging rights and what have you. But other than that, Dark Souls 2 and its triple-digit level cap really aren't all that great. And you can bet you'll be able to compete the bulk of the game between levels 70 and 100, with the DLC even being beatable at around 150 maximum. But 838? Now that's just an incredibly unnecessary method of extracting a few hundred additional hours of grinding out of our system.

Of course, with a whole lot of PvP comes even more points to attribute towards your overall level. But even then, toppling over anything past 200 just seems to be an incredibly pointless task with very little reward. Worth it to some — but way past the point of being ridiculous to the vast majority. Sorry, Dark Souls. We love you, but not that much.

3. Rune Factory 4 (Lvl. 50,000)

Yes, you read that correctly. 50,000 levels of pure agony, blood, sweat, tears and grinding. A lifetime worth of monotonous grinding at that. And while anybody that dares to pick up Rune Factory 4 will more than likely enjoy the first few thousand levels and the story overall — its 50,000 milestone definitely isn't intended to be a graceful walk in the park. If anything, it will truly test your patience and loyalty to the art of grinding. But I mean — who is honestly that loyal?

Rune Factory 4, like the majority of RPGs, employs a very strict leveling structure that allows you to upgrade certain abilities and evolve set things, such as friendships with accompanying heroes and potential suitors. On top of that, crafting is key when it comes to establishing roots in Rune Factory 4‘s quaint town of Selphia, with the bulk of its leveling locked to the player's involvement. All in all, you're looking at dozens stacked upon dozens of hours of engaging gameplay and kingdom building. 50,000 levels worth.

2. Fallout 4 (Lvl. 65,535)

Okay, so we'll just put it out there and say this: you will never reach the level cap in Fallout 4. Not even if you devoted a lifetime in order to crack it. If anything, it's just a ridiculous figure that Bethesda slapped onto the shell of the game as a way to tie any loose ends. And according to them — Fallout 4 doesn't actually have a level cap, and can be played until your heart's content. But alas, some have managed to discover that, past level 56,535, the game actually crashes and burns.

While Fallout 4 can in fact be beaten at around level 45, with some additional content being beatable at around 100, 56,535, on the other hand, is just an absurd number with no actual connection to any in-game material. There are no “special” bosses or secret mission arcs, or anything like that. It really is, I'm sorry to say — just a number. A number that can effectively break the entire game.

1. Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny (Lvl. 99,999,999)

First of all, let me say this: I have never sunken into Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny, purely out of the fear that I'll be losing my entire life to its eye-watering leveling system. And with a cap as otherworldly as 99,999,999 — you can probably understand where I'm coming from. But alas, many players have taken their time to build up to such a figure, with the milestone being a challenge that surpasses the actual story itself.

Of course, anyone who's ever played one of the many Disgaea chapters will know that its leveling system is usually a bit on the heavy side, with level caps usually rounding off at the 99,999 mark. But the sixth instalment to the tactical role-playing game, on the other hand, really does up the ante, creating a behemoth-sized cap that can quite easily be diminished if the player ever chooses to reincarnate, in which case the level sinks back down to 1. Ouch.

Is there anything we should've put on our list? What do you make of the above five and their absurdly high level caps? Let us know over on our socials here.

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