History Main / EvolvingAttack

* Your main combination attack in ''VideoGame/{{Alundra 2}}'' gets longer as you find the [[GottaCatchEmAll puzzle pieces]].

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** The most notable example in the series may be VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia. You start off by obtaining several level-1 techniques. You then start obtaining level-2 techniques, which mostly include powered up versions of the level-1 techs. There are also level-3 techs, which include combinations of two weaker techs alongside even stronger variants of level-2 techs.
** Another notable example can be found in VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss; The Fon Slot Chamber (FSC) system allows you to attach special effects to your artes. The special effects start out as small chance procs, and increase in effect chance as you use the arte, up to 100% proc chance.

* In the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' series, the moves Return and Frustration become more powerful the more or less the pokemon using them is happy with the trainer. At full power, they are more powerful than Earthquake without a boost.

* ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga'' has the titular bros learn "Advance!" Bros. moves after using the normal versions enough times. In ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiPartnersInTime Partners in Time,]] Bros. moves get more complex and more powerful after the babies join your party.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsA2'' as a few of this. The most famous is the couple evolving equipments: the sword Sequencer and the armor Peytral, whose stats grow during the course of the game as you perform opportunity commands, being up to 99 higher than the based Attack/Defense. There is also an [[LimitBreak Esper]] who cause more damage the more his caster has killed enemies, and [[SecretCharacter Vaan]] has a skill that does more damage the more he successfully used the "Steal" move.

* Personas in ''VideoGame/{{Persona}}'' will gain ranks by using them. There are 8 ranks in total and how often they gain ranks is determined by the character that Persona is equipped to. In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 2}}'' rank works exactly the same way. This and the automatic battle system will encourage you to find a group of weak {{mooks}} and spam healing spells until your Personas are maxed out. Be sure to have some SP recovery items on you though.

* ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga'' has the titular bros learn advance Bro moves after using the normal versions enough times.

* In ''VideoGame/HarryPotter and the Philosopher's Stone'' on the GameBoy Color when a spell is used repeatedly a more powerful version of the same spell is obtained.

* Doing this in ''{{Nostalgia}}'' could unlock new skills.

* ''VideoGame/{{Grandia}}'' and [[VideoGame/GrandiaII its sequel]] did this with its magic system -- each use of a spell added points to the spell and to its associated element; each new element level gives you new spells. In the first game, you could easily level up your healing/water magic by repeatedly running into a fire trap or acid pool, then healing the party. Somewhat esoterically, levelling up individual spells primarily affects the ''speed'' at which it can be used.

* Most of the fighting in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfDragoon'' is done with Additions, a series of weapon strikes performed by hitting the attack button with very specific timing. Every time you pull one off, you get a skill point in that Addition; gain enough skill points and the attack either gets more powerful, earns you more SP for your SuperMode, or both (new Additions are only gained through leveling). Some characters only have three Additions; others have as many as seven, and there's a total of [[LevelGrinding 99 possible skill points for each one...]]

* In ''VideoGame/GuildOfDungeoneering,'' the Yodeler's schtick is that their "[[MakeMeWannaShout Yodel]]" skill gets more and more powerful each time you play it. It starts off doing 1 physical damage, then does two, then becomes [[ArmorPiercingAttack Unblockable,]] and finally becomes a Swift attack (Monsters usually go first unless an adventurer uses a Swift attack).

** ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaOrderOfEcclesia'' has attribute points for each attack type/element. They can be increased by either killing enemies using the corresponding type of attack, using "Drops" that come in several colours, each one raising the attribute points of a different attack type or absorbing glyphs which increases each attribute by 1. Every 328 or so attribute points equals an extra point of attack power when using glyphs of that type, totalling 300% attack strength for that element at the maximum [[PowersOfTwoMinusOne 65535]] points.

* ''MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga'' has the duo learn advance Bro moves after using normal ones enough times.

* ''HybridHeaven'' by Konami is probably the king of complex Evolving Attacks. The character first learned a move (by having it used against him) and then gained levels in it by using it over and over again. However, each use also increased the Attack power of the specific body part used in the process, so a left punch would increase the Left Arm's attack, and so on. Defense was increased in each body part by taking hits in the part. Finally, HP increased over the course of the game as well, depending perhaps on the number of fights encountered.

** Before Patch 6.14, Sona's ultimate had this as a passive ability; with every rank the player put into her ultimate, her standard abilities would become more effective. After the patch, the passive was changed to give the champion increasing amounts of Cooldown Reduction, so YMMV.
** Syndra's passive - Trancendence - counts as this; once one of her abilities reaches its maximum rank, it gains extra effects - her Dark Spheres last two seconds longer, her Force of Will does 20% bonus [[PiercingAttack true damage,]] the area of effect on Scatter the Weak is widened, and the cast range of Unleashed Power is increased.

** [[AncientEgypt Nasus,]] [[{{Expy}} The Curator of the Sands']] 'Q', [[MagicStaff Siphoning Strike,]] gains three 'stacks' upon killing an enemy minion, and six upon killing an enemy champion or large neutral monster. The attack does damage equal to a base amount, plus Nasus's Attack Damage stat, ''plus'' the amount of stacks he's collected. The attack, late-game, has a cooldown of [[SpamAttack about two seconds.]] The champion is definitely made to steamroll late-game; a Nasus with a few hundred stacks is a Nasus to be feared.

** Syndra's passive - Trancendence - counts as this; once one of her abilities reaches its maximum rank, it gains extra effects - her Dark Spheres last two seconds longer, her Force of Will does 20% bonus [[PiercingAttack true damage,]] the cast range of Unleashed Power is increased, and the area of effect on Scatter the Weak is widened.

* Both Lenneths (first game) and Alicia's (second game) Nibelung Valesti in the ''ValkyrieProfile'' series evolved as the game moved on.

* Most of your upper-level techs in the ''[[Franchise/TalesSeries Tales of...]]'' series of games are unlocked by using a previous technique enough times. This can also gain you attacks that are combinations of more simple techniques.

* Personas in ''VideoGame/{{Persona}}'' will gain ranks by using them. There are 8 ranks in total and how often they gain ranks is determined by the character that Persona is equipped to. In ''{{Persona 2}}'' rank works exactly the same way. This and the automatic battle system will encourage you to find a group of weak {{mooks}} and spam healing spells until your Personas are maxed out. Be sure to have some SP recovery items on you though.

* Gabe's, Tycho's and the player's stats can be increased in both (so far) of the ''PennyArcadeAdventures'' games. Finishing off an enemy with a perfectly-executed [[LimitBreak super move]] kills your enemy in a gory way, which gave you an Overkill mark, which permanently increased your strength. Each character can get 15 Overkill marks (5 per weapon level, with three weapon levels.)

** This is also how it works in ''{{Final Fantasy Tactics Advance}}''.
** And Final Fantasy IX.

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* In the ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' series, starting with ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankGoingCommando Going Commando]]'', each weapon had an experience meter; when it was filled, the weapon would evolve into a better version of itself. ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankUpYourArsenal Up Your Arsenal]]'' added a five-level system, wherein levels 2-4 resulted in incremental increase in ammo capacity, range, and damage, with the fifth level being a radical change in appearance, area effect, and even name, adding a [[InfinityPlusOneSword mass-destruction effect]] to almost all weapons. ''[[VideoGame/RatchetDeadlocked Deadlocked]]'', however, went crazy, with up to ten levels available on the first playthrough. All but the tenth consisted of a modest damage upgrade, and an additional mod slot with a free exchangeable weapon mod to go with it. In the NewGamePlus, weapon levels went all the way up to 99, each just increasing power.

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* In ''TheGuardianLegend'', increasing the Guardian's Energy Chip count increases the speed and spread width of her normal energy cannon. She can also boost the power of her special weapons (up to a maximum of three levels) by finding a matching power-up icon.

* Leveling up weapons in ''{{Drakengard}}'' allows Caim to combo longer chains of attacks and unleash more powerful versions of the weapon's associated spell.

* Photon Arts in ''PhantasyStarUniverse'' can be leveled up through [[strike: spamming them]] repeated usage.

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* In the ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' series, starting with ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankGoingCommando Going Commando]]'', each weapon had an experience meter; when it was filled, the weapon would evolve into a better version of itself. ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankUpYourArsenal Up Your Arsenal]]'' added a five-level system, wherein levels 2-4 resulted in incremental increase in ammo capacity, range, and damage, with the fifth level being a radical change in appearance, area effect, and even name, adding a [[InfinityPlusOneSword mass-destruction effect]] to almost all weapons. ''[[RatchetDeadlocked Deadlocked]]'', however, went crazy, with up to ten levels available on the first playthrough. All but the tenth consisted of a modest damage upgrade, and an additional mod slot with a free exchangeable weapon mod to go with it. In the NewGamePlus, weapon levels went all the way up to 99, each just increasing power.