Summary
- Players love exploring open-world games like Cyberpunk 2077, Skyrim, and Kenshi due to their robust character creators.
- The villains in these games are often more interesting than the heroes, adding depth to the open-world experience.
- Hogwarts Legacy and Monster Hunter Rise offer unique character customization options that enhance the immersive gameplay experience.
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.
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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
Cyberpunk 2077
- Released
- December 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- 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.
7 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
The Dragonborn Can Be Whatever Race And Gender Players Want
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Released
- November 11, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- 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
Fallout 4
- Released
- November 10, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
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.
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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
Hogwarts Legacy
- Released
- February 10, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
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
The Sims 3
- Released
- June 2, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Crude Humor, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Simulation
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
Monster Hunter Rise
- Released
- March 26, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
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.
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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
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
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
Kenshi
- Released
- December 6, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- nr
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Open-World, Survival
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.
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