10 Video Game Series We Wish Had A Character Creator

Self-identity is important for the human condition. It doesn’t matter what media we use; humans strive to find something to relate to and attach ourselves to. In video games, it’s easier to relate to the silent protagonist, such as The Legend of Zelda‘s Link, as we go through the motions controlling the character, but with all our actions and inputs.

While silent protagonists work to a degree, the create-a-character feature in a video game truly lets players express themselves. Many series have included this feature, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Halo, and Metal Gear Solid. As we still crave other series to adopt this feature, we will list series that could benefit from a character creator that not only pleases expression but can also serve a narrative purpose.

10

Mega Man

Grow And Upgrade Your Own Robot Master

Mega Man is a long-running series that focuses on a robot boy who is upgraded into a super-fighting robot by his creator, Dr. Light. They go up against Dr. Wily and his evil Robot Masters, robot terrorists specializing in a single weapon. Each game sees Mega Man defeating the Robot Masters while obtaining their abilities.

We almost had a character creation back in 2010 with Mega Man Universe, but it was canceled. We need a proper Mega Man character creator that offers complete customization as the story can focus on another scientist present during the Light and Wily rivalry. This scientist would essentially be the player who creates their own Robot Master to choose his fate and morality.

9

Infamous

A Born Conduit WIth Limitless Potential

Infamous is about certain humans, called Conduits, who suddenly gain powers such as electricity or smoke. The protagonists go through each of their stories with moral choices and decide if they’ll abuse their powers or use them for the greater good.

While the first game had Cole getting his power through the exposure of ray field energy, it was the second son, Delsin, who was probably born Conduit. We would also create a natural-born Conduit with a character creator by choosing said powers from elemental to object manifestation. And it wouldn’t be an Infamous game without a Karma system.

8

The King Of Fighters

Here Comes A New Challenger!

The King of Fighters is one of the best team-based fighting games in which characters from SNK’s catalog, such as Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, and Psycho Soldier, take part. In this tournament, fighters are in groups of three and must climb the ladder to battle the tournament organizer.

The King of Fighters can benefit from a character creator, as the series is almost as old as the Street Fighter series, which recently introduced this feature. In KOF, players can create a fighter or a group of three as they fight in underground fights, eventually gaining experience and training from characters like Kyo or Terry until they are invited to a King of Fighters tournament.

7

Resident Evil

Umbrella Corps. Ultimate Bio-weapon

Resident Evil is a third-person survival horror game focusing on weapon-based combat. Players are pitted against zombies and other mutated lifeforms created by the Umbrella Corporation. Our protagonists are usually part of a police or special task force who must uncover Umbrella’s secrets and experiments.

A Resident Evil character creator would be a player creating an Umbrella Corporation mutant called a Bioweapon. The Bioweapon escapee will start with a few enhanced abilities, such as strength, speed, and regeneration, as they fight and escape Umbrella. As the story progresses, so too will the abilities of the bioweapon.

6

F-Zero

A GP Legend Against The Dark Million

F-Zero is a dormant Nintendo series set in the future. Racers pilot jet-propelled vehicles and can perform moves such as speed boosts and shove other pilots to gain an advantage against opponents. F-Zero GX on the GameCube was the last main entry in the series, and it was the fastest and most chaotic yet.

F-Zero isn’t known for its deep story, but there are a few takeaways from the anime GP Legend. Players’ custom characters will be brought from 2024 to 2201 via cryo-sleep. Once awake, they can customize their vehicle and race against the evil organization Dark Million.

5

Assassin’s Creed

Find Your Origin

In the Assassin’s Creed series, we use DNA samples to explore each Assassin’s story through many different eras. Nowadays, scientists can use a DNA sample from a person or leftovers from centuries ago to access memories of that assassin in the past.

Players can customize their assassin’s place of origin from a country on Earth’s map with a character creator. From here, the protagonist will be an assassin in the middle of the Great War in Great Britain. It will be up to the player to decide their morality and whether they side with the Allies or the Central Powers.

4

Metroid Prime

Another Bounty Hunter Hired By The Federation

Metroid Prime is a first-person shooter subseries of Metroid, a 2-D shooter with maze-like stages. Metroid Prime relies heavily on exploration, as you play as Samus, a bounty hunter whose purpose is to go against the parasitic Metroid race and the space pirates who want to abuse its power.

Metroid Prime would introduce a player’s customized bounty hunter, hired by the Federation to track down the whereabouts of a missing Samus Aran. The power suit worn by the player has similar abilities to Samus’s Chozo armor, with the potential of upgrading to tackle different planet’s environments.

3

The Last Of Us

A Nomad Fights Their Way From LA To Oregon

The Last of Us occurs in the post-apocalypse when a mutated fungus has taken over civilization, creating a zombie infestation. Joel, a smuggler, is tasked with delivering a girl across North America who happens to be immune to infection.

While The Last of Us occurs in more rural areas, seeing the series begin in heavily populated Los Angeles will be interesting. From LA, our customary protagonist would have to escape the urban landscape and find their way north towards Oregon. While it is hopeless without a cure, there is news that Oregon is a haven for survivors.

2

Batman: Arkham (Series)

Welcome To Batman Incorporated

The Batman: Arkham series follows Batman, a detective, on a journey to solve mysteries while fighting against his Rouge gallery. While most of them are on the loose around the same time, Batman must strategize and act quickly to take them down with few casualties. However, Batman is not alone, as many members of the Bat-Family, like Nightwing, Robin, and Catwoman, offer assistance.

A Bat-themed crime fighter would fit in as a character creator for the Arkham series. You would start training with Batman to begin taking on missions around Gotham as the city is in turmoil yet again. Players would have full control over the suits and abilities of characters, which would heavily borrow from existing playable bat-family members across the series.

1

The Legend Of Zelda

The Legend Of Link Gives Courage To A Villager

The Legend of Zelda series spans multiple timelines, each era having its own set of Link and Zeldas. Many entries in this series feature a boy named Link who must find the courage within himself to save the land of Hyrule while seeking the wisdom of the princess. He encounters many foes and foreign lands, gaining weapons and abilities essential to stopping a dark plague.

While Breath of the Wild plays with the hero falling in battle, we are curious how the rest of the population would react to such news. In their design, the player starts as a villager, inspired by Link’s sacrifice to save Hyrule from malice. The villager gains Link’s weapons and abilities, eventually becoming this story’s hero, whose legend will also be remembered.