So, we’re diving into the RPG genre to find the most comprehensive character customization screens. These games convey freedom that usually translates into the rest of the game and mechanics. In other words, on top of finding what you want, we’ve compiled a list of worthwhile games in the genre.
Selecting Best Character Customization Games
Character customization screens are a natural part of the RPG genre. However, within the genre, there’re three main kinds of protagonists to play:
You’re a set character like Geralt Of Rivia. You can’t customize their looks, and they have strong personalities. However, you get to make choices that this type of character would make.You’re a fully customizable character, but the customization depends on the game. Generally, you get to pick the looks, gender, name, background stories, perks, skills, and class. Sometimes, the customization relates to the protagonists and the side characters.You play as a blend between a customizable character and a set hero, like Commander Shepard. That means you may have a name, a rank, and a path, but you can customize most aspects of the character.
We’re looking for the latter two options, mostly fully customizable characters. That said, there’s a list of features we’re searching for on character customization screens. Namely, we want the ability to:
Customize facial features, body complexity, gender, and nameDetermine RPG-related elements, such as class and race. These choices should influence your playthroughChoose a background story, and these choices should impact the story. Choose initial skills, perks, traits, or similar to customize the character further and give us a taste of what’s to come.
We focus on the character creation screen while minimizing game information to make a hefty list. We believe knowing these features is enough to convince the type of players looking for extra freedom.
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Divinity Original Sin 2 is an isometric turn-based RPG where you play as a customizable squad on a five-arc story. It follows the rules akin to a tabletop D&D game, as your character build affects your actions outside combat. The game relies on a hefty character creation screen. Here you can select a preset character, change a preset character, or create one. You customize classes, traits, and attributes. The preset characters may become companions, and you can customize them.
Baldur’s Gate III
Baldur’s Gate III is the third part of a classic isometric RPG. The modern version is still in construction, but you can play the first act on Early Access. It also uses D&D rules and dice rolls to determine the success of your actions inside and outside of combat. Here, you can create a character and travel with AI companions. The customization screen allows you to pick origin, race, class, skills, gender, and abilities. All your picks, except the looks, will influence your character’s success.
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
Deadfire is an isometric RPG where you play as a customizable squad. It’s also an open-world game, as you travel with a boat across the world, explore islands, and defeat the ultimate evil. The game allows you to customize race, color, hairstyle, and body shape. If you’re focused on aesthetics, it can be underwhelming. You can customize race, class, attributes, and backstories.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Skyrim is an open-world action RPG offering a fun, sandbox, and creative experience. The primary mission is about defeating an ancient dragon. Still, there’s so much to do that you can go a thousand hours without touching the storyline. The character creation screen lets you know the game is all about options. You have sliders to adjust facial features and body, and you can choose 10 races. These come with preset skills and distinct aesthetics. Then you’ve got hundreds of mods available to add extra aesthetic options and extra races.
Dragon Age: Origins
Dragon Age: Origins is a classic action RPG game and the first part of the Dragon Age franchise. You create a hero to save the fictional land of Ferelden from a demonic invasion and an archdemon-dragon-commander. It’s a fantasy. The creation screen looks simple, but it can give you hours of unique gameplay. Aside from looks, you choose one of the three races, one of the three classes, and a background. These are your “Origins,” and these origins come with a unique 2-hour prologue that determines the rest of the game.
Elden Ring
The latest big action RPG available offers an original medieval dark fantasy open world. You follow the main quest that’s all about defeating horrible monsters to become the Elden Lord. More importantly, Elden Ring offers a big character creation screen. The options range from nightmare abominations to handsome-looking humans. Moreover, you select “origin” and “keepsake,” which will affect your character’s journey.
Dark Souls III
Dark Souls III has achieved legendary status in the gaming community. The action RPG offers a linear experience about defeating bosses with timed dodges, parries, and blocks. The dark fantasy starts with a lovely creation screen. The aesthetics are limited to gender, age, some face presets, and similar. However, the most extensive choice is the class, as its 12 options will encourage you to go back and try another.
Bloodborne
Bloodborne is an action RPG by From Software. It’s a linear experience with skill-based combat, a Lovecraftian setting, and many monsters to defeat. The character creation screen is surprisingly good. It offers excellent leeway to create odd and creepy-looking characters. Additionally, you get to choose a class and initial traits.
Demon’s Souls Remake
Demon’s Soul Remake brings back the famous skill-based action RPG. It features a graphical and audio update to fit the PS5. Still, it plays through the same story and levels using the same mechanics. The game does improve the character creation screen compared to the first game. The character models are stunning, so it’s easy to make epic heroes. However, the options don’t go beyond aesthetics.
Final Fantasy XIV
Final Fantasy XIV is the most popular MMORPG currently. It’s a fantasy RPG on an ever-growing fictional continent with gorgeous visuals and in-depth skill threes. The character creation screen is full of options. You select all aspects of your appearance, gender, race, class combination, “nameday” and patron deity, starting city, and Home World. Not all of these decisions have significant in-game consequences.
Black Desert Online
Black Desert Online is a massive open-world MMORPG. It may have the downsides of the genre, such as multiple currencies to encourage you to pay money. At the same time, though, it features action-RPG combat, a welcomed addition to the category. That said, the game features outstanding graphics and a robust creation screen. The options to customize your character’s looks are impressive. It allows you to create the most attractive, uncanny, or interesting characters you’ve seen in games.
World Of Warcraft
Developer: BlizzardPublisher: Activision BlizzardRelease Date: 2004Platform: Windows, macOS
World of Warcraft is perhaps the most iconic MMORPG you can play. It features a massive story across several expansions and ever-growing mechanics. In general, though, you play through the story of your faction with simple combat and expansive loot and skills. The creation skill is less about looks and more about class options. You have dozens of race and class combinations to pick, and they change depending on one of the two factions you pick. Each offers a special questline, plus skills, racial skills, and other benefits.
Elder Scrolls Online
ESO is a sprawling MMORPG that’s part of the Elder Scrolls saga. You customize characters and enter an open-world RPG story in Tamriel. You can follow the main story and its expansions or do many side activities online or with other players. ESO offers an immersive character creation screen. The look customization is deep. There are many races to choose from across the two alliances. Each offers a unique playstyle, which encourages you to create heroes.
Monster Hunter World
Monster Hunter: World is an open-world RPG with a simple promise and design. You’re a monster hunter, killing monsters for bounties across an open world. Your enemies reward gear and the loot delivers your character stats and skills. So, characters don’t learn skills, perks, or similar. It means the character screen is about customizing your look, and it’s beautiful. On top of that, you customize your pet NPC follower, a cute fluffball that will help you in combat.
Attack on Titan 2 – A.O.T. 2
Attack on Titan 2 follows the Japanese manga and anime. It’s an action-packed hack-and-slash game that relies on complex traversal abilities and fast-paced combat. Here, you play through the first two seasons of the anime. However, you get to create an original character, and the creation screen is quite nice. It allows you to select body type, hair, eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth, shirt, weapons, glasses, and more. In other words, you create your own anime character.
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen is an action RPG with one of the best stories and combat in the industry. It’s a fantasy story about defeating dragons alongside AI companions and traveling across an open world. You customize body type, voice tone, name, gender, facial features, and more. You’ll find these options on a multi-menu character creation screen offering more than most games of the era promised. You can get weird, creative, and epic with these options.
Code Vein
Code Vein is a soul-type game. It features skill-based combat relying on timed parries, counters, and dodges. Combat is difficult, and the story features an original vampire world. So, you create an anime vampire with a bunch of customization tools. Defining features include tattoos, blemishes, scars, make-up, and more. It’s a fun experience, even if the choices don’t go beyond aesthetics.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is a 3D battle arena game that uses locations from the manga/anime franchise. You fight to complete a story, travel between hubs, customize your character with apparel, level up, and develop skills. Before that, you have a character creation screen that offers great fun for Dragon Ball fans. You choose from five races (Saiyans, humans, Namekians, Majins, or Frieza’s race), each with strengths, weaknesses, and unique quests. Then, you mix and match aesthetic features.
Fallout 4
Fallout 4 is a post-apocalyptic open-world RPG shooter with lots of lots, lots of branching paths, and survival mechanics. You play as a father searching for his son on a wasteland you can reconstruct, one shelter at a time. The creation screen is fair. You select body type, gender, age, and many facial features. You also choose your starting attributes to prepare yourself for the journey. More importantly, there’re hundreds of mods adding more customization options.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
Mass Effect Legendary Edition is a 4K remaster of the RPG trilogy. You play as Commander Shepard on an epic journey across the Milky Way Galaxy to defeat an ancient AI evil. It’s a semi-open design that also allows you to customize some aspects of your hero. Shepard-Commander can have your chosen appearance and gender (the voice-over changes accordingly). Additionally, you select a background -which changes some dialogue options- and initial skills.
