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.
We are going to limit franchises to one entry, so we'll avoid having multiple Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Dark Souls games.
Updated November 11, 2025 by Mark Sammut: To further illustrate these RPGs' great character customization, we have added galleries for each game.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
There's A Lot To Appreciate, If You Can Get Past The Graphics
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
- Released
- March 20, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
Put yourself in the shoes of a gamer in the mid-2000s. Until The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, character creators were very simple thanks to the reduced rendering capabilities of prior generations. Though some games had robust character creators before Oblivion, for many, this was the first game that let you create your very own 3D character in an RPG.
It took the best parts of Morrowind's in-depth character class and customization system and laid the groundwork for future Elder Scrolls character customization screens. You might have to get past the now-dated graphics, but for the time, Oblivion was way ahead of its competition in terms of how much control you had over your character's look and build.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is largely the same.
World of Warcraft
So Many Options It's Hard To Know Where To Start
World of Warcraft
- Released
- November 23, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
World of Warcraft has gone through a lot of changes since it first launched 20 years ago in November 2004. Over the course of two decades and ten expansions, WoW has been expanded to include dozens of new races and four new classes, for more than 20 races to choose from (on either Horde or Alliance) and 13 classes.
Aside from the enormous variety players get when it comes to choosing a race and class, retail WoW's character creation screen is significantly more in-depth than it was in the past, too.
Some races, like Dracthyr or Earthen, have pages and pages of customizations available just in the character creation screen alone – and that's not to mention the mind-boggling amount of transmog and cosmetics you can get to customize your character further once you're in-game.
Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines
A Cult Classic RPG With Detailed Character Backgrounds
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
- Released
- November 16, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Troika Games
- Franchise
- Vampire: The Masquerade
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines was an RPG way ahead of its time, both in storytelling and gameplay complexity. Multiple aspects 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. These choices also significantly impact the subsequent playthrough, so they are the definition of quantity over quality.
The sequel, Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines 2, is finally out. While it does have some customization options, it doesn't quite match the original's legacy.
Dragon's Dogma 2
A Deep And Detailed Customization System For Player Characters And Pawns
Dragon's Dogma 2
- Released
- March 22, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Franchise
- Dragon's Dogma
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
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 can 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.
Dark Souls (Full Series Really)
A Ridiculously Malleable Character Creator In A Game Where The Main Character Always Wears A Helmet
Dark Souls
- Released
- September 22, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Franchise
- Dark Souls
- Platform(s)
- Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Soulslike, Adventure
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
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.
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For fans of Dark Souls — or any of FromSoftware's Soulsborne series —these indie games are virtually the same experience, just in a smaller package.
What makes this level of depth even stranger is that players will be clad from head to toe in armor for the 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.
The full series has great customization, and the same can be said for Demon's Souls and Elden Ring.
Diablo 4
A Fun ARPG With Great Character Creation Systems That Serve As An Evolution Of Its Predecessor
Diablo 4
- Released
- June 5, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Blizzard
- Franchise
- Diablo
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
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 to create a custom character with a vast array of options to experiment with, and Diablo 4 carries 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 features 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.
GreedFall
De Sardet, The Game's Protagonist, Can Be Customized To Suit Many Different Looks
GreedFall
- Released
- September 10, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Spiders
- Platform(s)
- PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
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.
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
South Park: The Stick of Truth
- Released
- March 4, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Obsidian Entertainment
- Franchise
- South Park
- Platform(s)
- Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
If there's one thing that South Park: The Stick of Truth excelled at, 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.
Nioh 2
Unlike Its Predecessor, This Game Lets Players Create A Detailed Custom Protagonist
Nioh 2
- Released
- March 13, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Team Ninja
- Franchise
- Nioh
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
The first Nioh game paved the way for Soulslikes to pervade the mainstream. The game itself was decent in its own right, although the 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 to provide a more consistent experience. Nioh 2 does not only have great customization options when creating a character, but it also constantly demands that you upgrade and update your gear, and options feel limitless.
Baldur's Gate 3
The Sheer Wealth Of Customization Options In 2023's Best Game Is Immense
Baldur's Gate 3
- Released
- August 3, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, macOS
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Baldur's Gate 3 was one of the biggest phenomena in the gaming industry when it launched, showing that turn-based RPGs can be massive hits. Larian Studios has become one of the biggest developers around and deserves all the success that they're enjoying right now.
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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. More importantly, the character customization depth and narrative importance mean that a new playthrough can feel fresh if you just go with a wildly different build.
Divinity: Original Sin 2 also has fantastic customization options.