8 Games With Amazing Weapon Crafting

Weapon crafting in video games is always fun, as many titles offer their own unique spin on the activity. It’s not just limited to guns since many fantasy games allow you to spruce up your finest blades and hammers.

Plenty of games offer surface-level weapon modding, but it’s much rarer to find a title where that aspect is mechanically deep and your choices matter.

If you want to play a game where tinkering with your swords or guns yields excellent rewards, here’s a selection featuring games with an amazing weapon crafting system.

8 The First Descendant

Spin The Wheel

I’ve sunk a ridiculous amount of time into The First Descendant since it came out, and the weapon system continues to get deeper with each update.

While you can’t craft a gun with parts in TFD, you have tons of options with multiple perk systems and modules.

Each weapon has 10 Module slots where you can add anything from extended magazines to elemental damage and crit rate bonuses. Once you’re satisfied, you can roll for perks, like bonus damage against specific enemies.

Finally, you can add ‘Cores’ for even more personalization, but you have to tackle some pretty tough content to get them.

TFD kicks off our list as customization is surprisingly deep, but it’s ultimately governed by a gacha system. Everything I’ve explained can only be obtained through a game of chance, and while you can expertly craft a weapon to suit your needs, you can’t just pick what you want and call it a day.

7 Monster Hunter World

Poke That Dragon To Death

I considered putting Monster Hunter World on the list because not only is its crafting system so untraditional but it’s also tied to the main gameplay loop of thrashing monsters and selling their body parts for profit.

Besides hunting monsters, equipment and armor are among the series’ greatest selling points.

Each of the 14 weapon types has a lengthy crafting tree, filling more than an entire screen. New, shiny toys can only be crafted by going out into the field and bullying giant monsters for parts. This is usually a multi-step task, as you’ll often need to craft weak weapons and build them up with more advanced parts.

The weapon system in Monster Hunter feels rewarding as you have to work for every upgrade. Veterans can spend hundreds of hours collecting end-game weapons, and with Monster Hunter Wilds just around the corner, many will be ready to do it all over again.

6 Destiny 2

It’s All In The Shape

One of the greatest allures of Destiny 2 is the addictive gunplay and the neverending quest to acquire better weapons and armor.

The only downside to hunting down a ‘god roll’ weapon is how heavily RNG-based the game can be.

That’s where ‘Shaping’ comes in. Shaping is Destiny 2‘s take on weapon crafting, and while you can’t use it on every weapon, the level of customization is truly impressive.

Each weapon has multiple columns of perks, and you can pick a selection to suit your build and playstyle. Some of these perks completely change how a weapon works and can transform some guns from mediocre to meta.

For example, you could give a weapon ‘Incandescent’ to ‘scorch’ opponents and ‘Demolitionist’ to gain grenade energy on kills. There’s so much room to play around with this system; it’s just a shame that it’s not available on every gun.

5 Warframe

It’s Almost Overwhelming

I can’t praise The First Descendant for its weapon crafting without mentioning Warframe, the game that influenced so many of its systems.

Weapon customization in Warframe is almost identical to TFD but with everything dialed to 11.

There are over 500 weapons (I’m not kidding) in Warframe, each with at least 10 Mod slots that offer near-infinite combinations.

Weapons in Warframe come in all shapes and sizes, from swords to automatic shotguns, each demanding a personalized build to shine.

And then we have Riven Mods, which are tied to a soft in-game gacha system and can bestow game-breakingly powerful effects if you get lucky.

4 Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades

Your Finest Creation In The Palm Of Your Hand

I’m a massive advocate for VR gaming, as it offers unrivaled immersion and experiences you can’t get with other hardware. As it turns out, one of those is a sandbox that will delight any gun enthusiast.

Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades may have a dumb name, but it’s effectively a weapon sandbox, complete with dozens of guns, attachments, and environments to use them in.

The best part about the game is everything feels tangible. You can install attachments manually and inspect every gun as if it is in your hands.

Once you’re happy with your creation, insert the magazine, rack the slide, and flick the safety off.

Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades won’t be for everyone as it lacks the progression in other games on this list. However, if you just want to mess around with guns in a VR world, this is the best place to do it.

3 Fallout 4

Another Bethesda Banger

The Fallout games are beloved Bethesda masterpieces, challenging players to carve their own path in a post-apocalyptic world.

Like many systems in Fallout 4, weapon crafting is as complicated as you want it to be. Crafting benches are scattered across the map, allowing players to turn their embarrassing rusty guns into coveted weapons of war.

Each weapon has several mod slots, which typically govern a ‘stat.’ For example, Grips typically improve accuracy while Receivers dictate things like damage and fire rate.

You can get pretty granular with your weapon crafts, provided you have the materials. If you love weapon crafting, you can even utilize character skills like ‘Gun Nut’ to turn your survivor into a workbench savant.

2 Call of Duty Black Ops 6

AAA Weapon Crafting

Black Ops 6 has seen its fair share of controversy, but there’s no denying that the title has a great weapon crafting system that’s accessible and rewards smart decisions.

Every weapon in Black Ops 6 has a lengthy list of attachments that unlock as you play the game and level up your gun. You can change almost anything from the camo and scope to the ammunition and under-barrel attachment.

Weapon crafting in BO6 is wonderfully accessible, with handy stats to explain what each attachment does.

Players are also limited to a set number of attachments, so you may have to make difficult decisions, like choosing between a scope or an extended magazine.

1 Escape From Tarkov

A Gun Enthusiasts Dream Come True

If you’ve ever played Escape From Tarkov, you knew it would comfortably sit at the top of the list. And if you’ve not tried it, let me explain why.

Escape From Tarkov is a hardcore extraction shooter firmly grounded in reality. Most of the gear in the game is also based on real-world equipment, and Battlestate Games spared no expense in making the art of weapon crafting meticulous and freeform.

If you want a gun with an extended magazine, you can do that. If you want a shotgun with flashlights mounted on flashlights with a laser, you can do that, too!

You can even load the wrong ammo into your magazine because it would incidentally fit in real life.

There are even ‘Gunsmith’ challenges based on weapon crafting to demonstrate the staggering level of customization.