RPGs With The Best Customization Options

Key Takeaways

• Character customization is a beloved feature in RPGs, allowing players to shape their protagonist’s appearance and skills.
• Games like
  GreedFall, South Park: The Stick Of Truth,
  and
  Nioh 2
  offer extensive character customization options that enhance the player experience.
• The success of
  Baldur’s Gate 3
  and
  Elden Ring
  can be attributed, in part, to their in-depth character creation systems, which offer immense customization choices.

People love to make characters. For some, character creation in games is one of the most fun activities they can engage with. It’s like playing dress-up except players can change their skin, hair, eyes, ears, and nose like a shapeshifter. The most common genre to have character customization is role-playing games. This is because customizing a character is all part of the fun of role-playing. Players get to decide their gender, race, height, and so much more before being thrown into an adventure.

The fact that most people can spend hours on the character customizer is a testament to how addictive this section of the game is. The funny part is that players wear helmets in some of these games, which means that they can’t even see their creations for a major chunk of the game. Thankfully, modern game developers are well aware of this problem and add options that remove this helmet during cutscenes and the like.

Updated on November 24, 2024, by Mehrdad Khayyat: The first thing that comes to mind when talking about a role-playing game is its level of immersion. How will the game let the player specialize in a certain in-game profession? There are multiple ways to deliver it and character creation is just one of the tools.

Character creation is not just a fancy tool to promote a game, it is indeed the first step towards having an immersive experience as it lets players create their own protagonist with the desired appearance without forcing them to make a very certain choice.

1 Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines

A Cult Classic RPG With Detailed Character Backgrounds

Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines was an RPG way ahead of its time both in storytelling and gameplay complexity. There are multiple aspects that contribute to it being an inspiring experience for the upcoming RPG titles, but the character creation itself was quite rich.

While Bloodlines doesn’t offer many options to customize the appearance of the character, it does allow players to modify the basic skills, choose a starter clan, and come up with a unique background. It was more like today’s Cyberpunk 2077 back then.

2 Dragon’s Dogma 2

A Deep And Detailed Customization System For Player Characters And Pawns

It’s a shame that Dragon’s Dogma 2 was released with a ton of controversies bogging it down, since players really wanted to see this game succeed only for a poor PC port and Capcom’s greed becoming major headlines instead. However, players who look past these missteps will find themselves enjoying one of the best action RPGs of the modern era from a pure gameplay standpoint.

Crafting characters is tons of fun, and the game’s engine is able to generate realistic characters that ae impressively responsive to customization. Players have shared everything from accurate recreations of actors and pop culture figures to horrific monstrosities that will haunt a player’s nightmares. Players can also customize their Pawns, companion characters that will follow them through the campaign, and the custom Pawns of other players will occasionally appear in the game world. Players can journey through the campaign and suddenly encounter another player’s customized Kratos or Arnold Schwarzenegger Pawn, giving the world a feel that’s entirely its own.

3 Dark Souls

A Ridiculously Malleable Character Creator In A Game Where The Main Character Always Wears A Helmet

Dark Souls is one of the greatest video games of all time, ushering in a whole new genre to the industry and inspiring countless other titles to try and imitate what made this title so beloved. The game features a surprisingly in-depth character creator with a surprising number of options that can take most players by surprise.

What makes this level of depth even stranger is that players will be clad from head to toe in armor for a vast majority of their playthrough, and their character is generally a hollow husk of their former self too, looking like a zombified version of their custom character for 80% of the game. This means that the actual look of the custom character won’t be visible unless players are essentially half-naked and using a valuable Humanity to retain their regular visage. Players will actually have to build around the idea of seeing their custom character as they designed it.

4 Diablo 4

A Fun ARPG With Great Character Creation Systems That Serve As An Evolution Of Its Predecessor

When Diablo 3 came out, a lot of players were genuinely surprised to see the amazing character creator that came bundled with the experience. Players excited by the ability create a custom character with a vast array of options to experiment around with, and Diablo 4 carried forth this amazing character creator with a fresh coat of paint.

Players can let their imaginations run wild and create some of the most unique-looking protagonists in this video game, even though, once again, they won’t actually see their character’s face all that much. It’s still more prominent than Dark Souls though, as Diablo 4 will feature their custom character in many story cutscenes. Despite the controversies that Diablo 4 is dealing with to this day, there’s no denying that the character creator itself is pretty amazing for an ARPG.

5 GreedFall

De Sardet, The Game’s Protagonist, Can Be Customized To Suit Many Different Looks

Spiders was known for creating RPGs with a lot of heart and jank in equal measure, with the latter sucking out some enjoyment from the games they made. So, it was wholly unexpected for GreedFall to become such a huge hit, making the most of the disappointment that many people felt with Mass Effect: Andromeda by filling this void and letting players enjoy a great Western RPG.

There are many things that GreedFall gets right, and the excellent character customization in the game is one of its many achievements. Players can spend a long while customizing De Sardet in more ways than one, letting them get invested in this title before the game even starts.

6 South Park: The Stick Of Truth

The Authentic Art Style Of The Game Makes The Act Of Creating A Player Character A Ton Of Fun

If there’s one thing where South Park: The Stick of Truth excelled, it was ensuring that players could place themselves in the world of South Park with little to no restrictions. The art style helped out quite a bit in this regard, with South Park‘s aesthetic being replicated brilliantly by this title.

The character customization was pretty fun to engage with, and the New Kid felt like a natural inclusion in the game. This, coupled with a wild story very much in line with South Park‘s narrative, made The Stick of Truth one of the best RPGs for fans of the series who wanted to check out a humorous turn-based RPG.

7 Nioh 2

Unlike Its Predecessor, This Game Lets Players Create A Detailed Custom Protagonist

The first Nioh game paved the way for Soulslikes to pervade the mainstream. The game itself was decent in its own right, although the poor and unremarkable level system coupled with the copious amounts of loot made things a bit of a headache to deal with.

Most of these problems were addressed in Nioh 2, which allowed players to create their very own character instead of controlling a preset one. The combat was more fun than ever, and difficulty curves were adjusted accordingly… although the level design could still be a bit too uninspired for some.

8 Baldur’s Gate 3

The Sheer Wealth Of Customization Options In 2023’s Best Game Is Immense

Baldur’s Gate 3 has become one of the biggest phenomenons in the gaming industry, proving major AAA developers wrong by showing how important it is to develop a game that has a ton of heart. Larian Studios has become one of the biggest developers around and deserves all the success that they’re enjoying right now.

Just like each and every facet of this game, Baldur’s Gate 3‘s character creation system is incredibly in-depth and engaging. It’s also important to choose a proper build since making an error here can have dire consequences for the player.

9 Elden Ring

Soulsborne Games Have Robust Character Creation Systems, And Elden Ring Is No Exception

It’s impressive just how robust and in-depth Elden Ring‘s character customization really is. The game doesn’t need such a system in the first place, since the player will be clad in armor more often than not.

That being said, most people still appreciate the lengths FromSoftware has gone to let players create a custom character in the game. Elden Ring can be a tough challenge, and any joy that the player can wring out of the character creation system should be relished before they get pounded into oblivion by the early-game bosses over and over again.

10 Divinity: Original Sin 2

A Variety Of Races, Unique Classes, And Appearance Options Await Character Designers

Divinity: Original Sin 2 is one of the greatest CRPGs ever made. So, it only goes without saying that character creation present in the game would be part of the reason why this title is held in such high regard.

Original Sin 2 allows players to choose everything from their character’s look to their personality, along with their classes as well. Of course, players can choose to just ignore this system altogether and control an Origin Character if they wish!

11 Mass Effect 3

Commander Shepard Can Be Customized To An Impressive Degree

Mass Effect 3 is one of the greatest video games of all time, despite having a pretty divisive ending. Players who decide to change the look of Commander Shepard will be pleased to see how far the character creation system has evolved since the first game.

Players can create their very own unique version of Commander Shepard to enhance their immersion in the game even more. The title may be old, but its character creation system is still a blast to mess around with.

12 Hogwarts Legacy

The Fifth-Year Can Look Like Anyone, From Harry Potter Himself To Someone Completely New

Hogwarts Legacy lived up to the hype it was enjoying for the longest time, even if the title itself may not be all that groundbreaking. Enrolling in Hogwarts and uncovering a tantalizing mystery for the ages makes for a great time.

The character creation system is one of the many reasons why players love this game, allowing them to create their very own fifth-year student from scratch. It’s a fun creator to mess around in, and players can either create massive abominations or sculpt a character that looks as similar to them as possible.

13 Cyberpunk 2077

V Can Look However The Player Wants

Cyberpunk 2077 has gone through the wringer after a horrid launch, salvaging its reputation a full two years after the launch of the game. Creating a unique V in the game makes for a great time, with the character creator being way too in-depth for its own good.

Of course, most people won’t complain, even if the game lacks the third-person camera for cutscenes that it was promising for the longest time. The game is a blast to play through, featuring a tale of betrayal and intrigue as V tries to save his own life while dealing with Johnny Silverhand’s engram in his head too.

14 3D Dot Game Heroes

A Detailed Builder That Lets Players Customize Their Hero Block By Block

• Platforms: PS3
• Released: May 11, 2010 (North America)
• Developer: Silicon Studio

It might look like a Zelda game with fully rendered chunky pixels, but there’s a little bit more to it than just that. This game from the makers of the Souls series allows players to either play as a number of fully rendered hero characters with their class styles or go into a builder and make their own.

Simply put, if they can dream it, they can do it. Fans of Lego or Minecraft will have an absolute ball in designing their blocky characters and their animations. It’s an acquired skill, but one that’s surprisingly satisfying.

15 Warframe

Both The Tenno’s Visuals And Classes Can Be Customized Extensively

Don’t be deceived by the free-to-play sticker, Warframe is one of the most entertaining and satisfying action titles currently available. Though it might take some serious grinding to get new Warframes and weapons, the amount of customization available for this ARPG is quite remarkable. It’s all a matter of playstyle preference.

Is it better to be a sci-fi ninja with a deadly blade, a cunning archer, or an acrobatic combination of classes? The combat is both satisfying and flexible, and the visuals and choices are more than enough to tide even the pickiest of players over for a solid while. And that’s not even mentioning the custom paint jobs available either.

16 Diablo 3

Everything From Class Choice To Equipment Changes The Character’s Appearance Considerably

The Diablo series might not offer much in terms of physical customization, but as for cosmetics, weapons, and playstyles, no game does that better than the most recent entry in the saga, Diablo 3. The game has seven different characters to choose from, along with a multitude of armor, weapons, upgrades, trinkets, enchantments, colors, shapes, sizes, and troves and troves of loot to help further invest in the player’s character of choice.

This game is one of the most treasure-heavy games out there. If a player is unsatisfied with their build, all it takes is a little grinding and clever thinking to get the monster-slaying machine of their dreams.

17 Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning

The Player-Character Can Be Customized Across Multiple Fronts And Always Looks Great

When it comes to playstyle and classes, Kingdoms of Amalur unquestionably is the most flexible. Thanks to a gimmick relating to the shifting fate of the protagonist character, players can swap classes, weapons, and playstyles as quickly as they please. Not only can players design their character’s physical appearance, but just about every way that makes them tick imaginable.

A player might start as a simple sword-swinging warrior, but because their fate is completely up to them, they can easily go from fighter to battlemage with the right amount of skills and weapons. Weapons, armor, and perks are not bound by classes, so the playstyle is as fluid as the player desires.

18 Dragon’s Dogma

Both The Main Character And Their Pawns Can Be Deeply Customized

Dragon’s Dogma might rely on several traditional high fantasy tropes, such as the standard warrior, rogue, and mage classes for example, but if there’s one thing it was ahead of its time on, it was the character customization. The game allowed not only the customization of the player’s character but their pawn sidekick as well.

The imagination is the limit when it comes to customization in Dragon’s Dogma. In fact, this amount of attention to physical detail wouldn’t truly be seen until the later Souls games. That being said, it’s still all kinds of impressive to see what the game could do.

19 Fallout 4

The Character Customizer Is Very Detailed And A Lot Of Fun To Engage With

Fallout 4 has a character creator that fans have used to make celebrities, cartoon characters, and more. It has been the star of popular YouTube series such as Monster Factory where players try to make the ugliest character possible.

Not only can players choose the typical hair, eyes, race, and size of the character but they can also add wounds that they would get in a nuclear wasteland environment such as burns, scars, and more. They also included little details such as skin blemishes, because everyone knows that no one has perfect skin in the post-apocalypse. Also, players get to decide how both they and their life partner look and that influences how their baby looks.

20 Final Fantasy 14

Races, Sub-Races, Appearances, And Classes Can All Be Customized By The Player

Among role-playing games with character creation is a lot of massively multiplayer games. Character creation in these games feels even more involved since a character is going to walk in a land where a lot of other real people are going to see them.

Final Fantasy 14 has a ton of interesting races, each with its own sub-race as well. It is a dream come true for anyone who wants to make an original Final Fantasy-styled character. As players go through the game, they can also have makeovers to change their physical appearance any time they want.