The Best Open-World Games If You Want To Create A Completely Custom Character

Open-world games are all the rage right now for obvious reasons. Players love how much fun it is to explore a massive sandbox, either immersing them in an amazing story or checking out a combat loop that keeps the adrenaline pumping.

Related

8 Open-World Games Where the Villain is a More Interesting Character Than the Hero

Though these open-world heroes are fascinating in a variety of different ways, the villains they stand against are arguably a little more interesting.

Some of these open-world games feel great from the very moment players start their adventure and come across a character creator. The idea of creating a character of their own and jumping into these worlds is something that fans will love for obvious reasons.

8

Cyberpunk 2077

Players Create Their Very Own V

Released

December 10, 2020

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol

Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the best open-world RPGs around, and has successfully salvaged its reputation after a botched launch. Players love creating a V of their own with a robust character creator that lets them make some beautiful cybernetic individuals.

Despite the FPS viewpoint, there are more than enough opportunities for players to witness V in the flesh as they explore Night City and make progress in the amazing narrative. If nothing else, players can use photo mode to see their custom V in their element regardless of whether they’re relaxing, exploring, or fighting in and around Night City.

The Dragonborn Can Be Whatever Race And Gender Players Want

Released

November 11, 2011

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol

One of the greatest open-world games ever made, Skyrim is the gift that keeps on giving. Fans love just how robust the open world is, letting them explore in any direction to find something unique.

Right before their supposed execution, fans create a unique Dragonborn who can embody any race and gender. With mods added to the mix, the suite of options in the character creator can increase tremendously to let players make their ideal custom hero who will embark on an epic journey to save the world.

6

Fallout 4

The Character Customization Is Deeper Than Ever Before

Released

November 10, 2015

ESRB

M FOR MATURE: BLOOD AND GORE, INTENSE VIOLENCE, STRONG LANGUAGE, USE OF DRUGS

Fallout 4 shows a huge improvement when it comes to Bethesda’s presentation. Not only is combat improved immensely, but players can also interact with a character creator that feels more robust than ever.

Related

5 Best Open-World Games with Hack and Slash Combat, Ranked

Take out enemies with a flurry of attacks in these open-world hack and slash games.

Players can either create an original character, try their hardest to replicate the look of an existing one, or just create a grotesque abomination that looks downright hilarious. Either way, the character creator makes a strong first impression and lets players immerse themselves in the role of a parent who will explore the entirety of the Commonwealth to locate their missing son.

5

Hogwarts Legacy

Players Create A Fifth-Year Student Who Specializes In Ancient Magic

Released

February 10, 2023

ESRB

T For Teen Due To Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Use of Alcohol

Hogwarts Legacy is a great open-world game that lets players enjoy a magical tale in the beloved Harry Potter universe, even if the game faltered in some departments. Still, fans loved how incredible the combat was, letting them control a customizable fifth-year student with the power to wield Ancient Magic.

This character creator is simple yet robust enough to allow for a wide variety of original characters. Watching this character step into Hogwarts and explore the detailed castle is an amazing moment that makes it clear why Hogwarts Legacy sold like gangbusters.

4

The Sims 3

The Only Open-World Sims Game

Released

June 2, 2009

ESRB

T For Teen due to Crude Humor, Sexual Themes, Violence

It’s a shame that EA and Maxis abandoned the open-world approach after implementing it in The Sims 3. It may have taken a lot of resources, but players loved how immersive the gameplay felt when everything happened in real-time.

Players could create entire households and drop them into an open-world neighborhood where they’d form friendships and relationships with other residents. If they went to work or headed out on a date, players could switch over to that Sim’s perspective at any time and see how things were unfolding at their end.

3

Monster Hunter Rise

Players Can Create A Unique Hunter Who Looks Spectacular

Released

March 26, 2021

ESRB

T for Teen: Alcohol Reference, Blood, Violence

Monster Hunter Rise is a great entry in this beloved series that fans can’t get enough of. Players love hunting down massive monsters and teaming up with other hunters to emerge victorious at the end of a challenging hunt.

Related

8 Best Open-World Games With No Weapons

Love open-world games, but find combat stressful? These titles involve no weapons at all, emphasizing exploration and puzzle-solving instead.

For a game where the player-character is usually clad in a bulky suit of armor, it’s impressive to see just how robust the character creator in Monster Hunter Rise is. Players can easily replicate existing characters or create original characters of their own, leading to them spending hours in the game without even stepping into the world.

2

Elden Ring

FromSoftware’s Wild Character Sliders Can Lead To Some Interesting Designs

Released

February 25, 2022

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence

FromSoftware’s robust character creators have always been oddly hilarious, given how wild the sliders can be. Players can create some ridiculous-looking protagonists who are meant to explore fading or outright lost worlds and deal with some of the toughest bosses in video game history.

Elden Ring is no exception here, with players loving how hilarious it is to explore The Lands Between as a hulking abomination with impossible proportions. Of course, players can create relatively realistic-looking characters too, although they should be warned that the game’s armor sets will cover up these looks at almost all times unless they deliberately avoid wearing a helm, which is not recommended.

1

Kenshi

Players Create A Custom Character And Are Unceremoniously Dropped Into A Hostile World

Systems

Released

December 6, 2018

ESRB

nr

One of the hardest and most experimental open-world games players can get their hands on, Kenshi is not for impatient players. The character creator is full of varied options that let players customize the protagonist’s looks and decide their origins before being dropped into a random location based on their decisions.

Players can only appreciate their character for so long before the game slaps them in the face with its intense difficulty. Exploring the world without developing any combat skills is a death sentence since a single Bonedog can end the player’s run mere moments after it starts.

More

8 Best Open-World Games With A Focus On NPCs, Ranked

These open-world games populate their landscapes with fleshed-out NPCs worth interacting with.