PC Games with Good Character Customization

CEO & Founder at RetroStyle Games | Oct 18, 2023

Games with character customization were a breakthrough in the gaming world because they offered interesting plots, dynamics, engaging gameplay, and the opportunity to show the players’ desires through the game. Nowadays, they guarantee a breathtaking synergy between gamers and developers that reveals the audience’s individuality and allows game companies to produce more and more exceptional suggestions for their fans.

Character customization games refer to the ability for players to personalize and tailor the appearance, abilities, and sometimes even the personality of their in-game characters.

In this article, we will explain why such games are becoming increasingly important in modern gaming, how they allow players to express their individual preferences and play styles, and even the role of the character design studio in the game creation process.

Let’s not waste time and dive into the world of character creation games!

Why Character Customization Matters

Games where you create your character matter in gaming because it enhances the player experience and makes it unique. But there are many other key reasons why character customization is important in games.

Firstly, сharacter creation allows players to reflect on their personal preferences, identities, and fantasies. Also, players can easily project themselves into the virtual world, making their in-game actions and choices feel more meaningful. This sense of ownership and connection to the character is the main reason for enhancing the player’s immersion in the game world.

Secondly, in contrast to games with settled 3D character design, games with character customization options offer greater variety and replayability. Players can create multiple characters with different looks and abilities, leading to different gameplay experiences and story outcomes. Such scope for inspiration boosts the gamer to come back for more gaming experiences every day.

Thirdly, games with customizable characters are consistent with modern trends. For instance, they are more inclusive. Such games allow players to create characters that represent their gender, race, and physical attributes, contributing to greater diversity and representation in gaming.

Last but not least, in multiplayer and online games, character customization helps players stand out in a crowd. It fosters social interaction as players compare and discuss their character designs and choices. Also, this is a great foundation for future friendships and engaging interactions.

Popular PC Game Titles with Character Customization

Extensive character customization suggests a wide variety of opportunities for players. For instance, you can choose a gender, appearance, behavior, etc. Depending on the 3D character modeling price, some character customization games realized such options much better than others.

Dragon's Dogma 2

Dragon’s Dogma stands out for its in-depth character creation system, allowing players to customize all aspects of the character’s appearance, including features like hairstyle, body type, and even voice.

But nothing ends only on appearance. One of the most successful features of Dragon’s Dogma is a class system that allows players to choose from various classes for their characters. Each vocation has its unique skills and abilities, so gamers can personalize their game experience due to their preferences. Also, for every vocation, a player can choose a wide variety of weapons, armor, and equipment for their characters.

A pleasant peculiarity is that despite character customization primarily focusing on visual and gameplay elements, Dragon’s Dogma also featured a narrative-driven aspect where players’ choices could affect the story and relationships with NPCs. This point plays a pivotal role for the game’s fans.

Black Desert Online

Black Desert Online is one of the best character customization games in the MMO genre. The degree of control over the player’s character’s appearance is breathtaking, allowing them to adjust facial structure, body shape, skin color, and much more. This level of detail enables players to create visually striking characters. In addition, a gamer can choose something from a deep life skill system, allowing players to engage in various professions such as fishing, cooking, and crafting. Depending on the audience’s interests, these life skills can be customized and improved.

Character classes are also a significant part of the gameplay but it is still not as open-ended as visual customization. Due to the preferred combat style, players can choose from a variety of character classes, each with its unique abilities and playstyle.

Dark Souls III

Compared to Dragon’s Dogma 2 and Black Desert Online, the character customization is not so developed in Dark Souls III. But, at the beginning of the game, players can customize their character’s appearance to some extent. This includes selecting a starting class, choosing a gender, and customizing facial features such as hair, face shape, and color.

Dark Souls III is good at starting classes, each with its own set of attributes, equipment, and starting items. The coolest is that the choice of class can significantly impact the early-game experience, as it determines the character’s initial stats and equipment.

The game’s story and narrative are mostly fixed in the game but they are very engaging and interesting. Also, there is a role-playing option where the audience can make choices that align with their character’s backstory or motivations. This adds a layer of role-playing customization, allowing the gamers to shape their character’s identity within the game’s world.

TOP Indie Games with Expressive Character Customisation

Some people may think that indie game budgets aren’t designed for multifeatured games with great character creation but it’s not true. Sometimes, indie games show even greater results than companies with a big budget.

Stardew Valley

The perfect example is Stardew Valley. This indie farming simulation game offers a unique and charming approach to character customization.

At the beginning of the game, players can fully customize their character’s appearance, including gender, hairstyle, clothing, and accessories. Also, players have control over designing and customizing their farm layout. In games like Stardew Valley, you can place buildings, crops, decorations, and paths on your farm to create a unique and personalized environment.

Overall, character customization in “Stardew Valley” may not be as extensive as in some other games, but it plays a significant role in making the game more immersive and personal. It allows players to express their creativity, shape their characters’ personalities, and adapt their playstyle as they immerse themselves in the peaceful and charming world of the game.

Terraria

Even if Terraria focuses on exploration, building, and combat, character customization is still quite extensive here as in some other games.

For example, character customization includes selecting the gender and choosing from a range of hairstyles and colors. While the options are limited compared to other games, it allows players to add a personal touch to their character with other options.

While playing the game, you can find new interesting options every day. As the gamer progresses in the game, they can acquire various pieces of clothing and armor, each with its unique appearance. Also, Terraria features a wide array of accessories that provide different bonuses and abilities to the character.

MMOs and Online Worlds

MMO games are based on the genre of video games that emphasize large-scale online interaction, socialization, and cooperative or competitive gameplay in shared virtual environments. Their ability to create expansive and immersive online communities made these games extremely popular over the years.

Coreborn

Fortunately, RetroStyle Games studio had a chance to develop character customization for the breathtaking game Coreborn. This game stands out among other games where you can customize your character because of the unique gameplay mechanics: building, developing, and defending the city of the player. While developing every detail and customizing characters, we tried to enhance gamer immersion and engagement in the game world using various techniques such as the combination of outstanding plot, interesting tasks, and awesome design decisions.

Also, it was very important for us to offer characters with greater variety and replayability.

With our ideas and character concept arts, the fans of the Coreborn can create multiple characters with different looks and abilities, leading to different gameplay experiences and story outcomes.

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1. Outline your challenges:

Fill out the form so our team can review your request and suggest efficient solutions.

Get Started

2. Discuss project objectives:

Communicate your vision with our professionals, let's define what is a perfect result of our cooperation.

3. Approve an estimate:

Review the pricing and timeframes of the suggested art production tasks.
Feel free to suggest alternatives to establish a win-win cooperation.

4. Review the first results:

Provide most feedback so it can be included in further progress reports.

5. Iterate and receive top-quality art:

Discuss production matters via the quick communication channel with 1 POC.
Our Project Managers are responsible for the best delivery.

World of Warcraft

WoW offers extensive visual customization options for character creation. Players can choose from multiple races (such as humans, orcs, elves, and more), and within those races, they can further customize aspects like gender, facial features, hairstyles, skin color, and even facial expressions. Also, when creating their character, players choose a character class (like warrior, mage, or hunter). Each class has a unique set of abilities and specializations, allowing players to tailor their playstyle. The most interesting is that this choice influences the character’s role in group dynamics and combat.

Talking about weapon customization, WoW features a wide variety of armor sets, each with its own unique appearance and stat bonuses. Players can mix and match pieces from different sets to create a personalized look without sacrificing functionality. Completing a full set often grants additional bonuses, encouraging players to tailor their gear to their preferred playstyle.

Final Fantasy XIV

Final Fantasy XIV offers a robust visual customization system that allows players to create highly detailed and unique characters. Players can choose from various races (such as Hyur, Elezen, Miqo’te, Lalafell, Au Ra, Roegadyn, and Viera) and customize their character’s appearance. As in other similar games, players select their character’s starting class, which determines their initial abilities and equipment. As characters progress through the game, they can unlock and switch between different jobs (specialized classes), offering significant gameplay customization.

Final Fantasy XIV features an extensive array of gear and equipment that can be customized to enhance a character’s performance. Players can obtain gear from various sources, such as dungeons, raids, and crafting. Additionally, players can apply dyes to their equipment to further personalize their character’s look.

Guild Wars 2

Guild Wars 2 provides a wide array of visual customization options for character creation too. The character creation process allows for a high degree of uniqueness, enabling players to create avatars that stand out.

Our favorite part is that characters in this game can choose from a diverse set of professions, each with its unique playstyle and abilities. Professions range from elementalists harnessing the power of the elements to thieves specializing in stealth and precision. This choice determines a character’s skillset and role in group play. Within each profession, players can further customize their characters by selecting specific skills and traits.

One of the unique features is that during character creation, players can select a personal storyline for their character, choosing from a variety of background options. These choices impact the character’s starting experience and the overarching personal story questline, adding depth to role-playing and character development.

Casual Games with Good Character Customization

Many gamers think that the best character-creation games are only complex and immersive games, such as RPGs or MMOs. However, there are casual games that also offer enjoyable character customization options. These games are designed to be accessible and easy to pick up, making them suitable for a wide range of players.

Disney Dreamlight Valley

Working with Disney is a great experience that we can reap. However, the game Disney Dreamlight Valley was perfectly developed without our interference. Character customization in a Disney-themed game involves choosing the character’s gender, hairstyle, facial features, clothing, and accessories. The opportunity to create characters that resemble their favorite Disney characters or design entirely new ones leaves the players with breathtaking pleasant memories.

The game became so popular that it unexpectedly affected other areas, such as creating a Disney-stylized game slot design

Also, in this game, a player can explore a whole new Disney magic world, find new fascinating stories, and build the place of the dream alongside Disney and Pixar heroes and villains.

Disney Speedstorm

This game is different from Disney Dreamlight Valley, and it showcases its gameplay techniques and mechanics. This game is focused on survival races inspired by the worlds of Disney and Pixar. The player can master each character’s unique skills and win first place in this racing match, as an engaging result.

Character customization in this game helps players immerse themselves in the magical worlds and stories associated with Disney properties but in a new light. Controlling customized Disney characters, the gamers feel like they belong in the Disney universe, experiencing a sense of immersion.

RPGs with Character Customization

Role-playing games with character customization are very popular mostly because of allow players to create unique avatars and tailor their in-game experiences.

BALDUR'S GATE 3

Baldur’s Gate 3 begins with character creation, allowing players to craft their protagonist from scratch using their desires and preferences. Players can choose their character’s race, gender, background, and class, which significantly affect their abilities, skills, and role in the game world. But beyond selecting a character’s race and gender, players can delve into detailed appearance customization. This includes choosing facial features, hairstyles, skin tones, and even tattoos, enabling players to create a unique and visually distinct character.

Also, Baldur’s Gate 3 features a variety of character classes, such as wizards, rogues, and warriors. Each class comes with its unique set of abilities and spells. During character customization, players select their starting class and can further customize their abilities as they level up.

However, character customization not only influences character statistics but also shapes the role-playing experience. Players can make choices throughout the game that reflect their character’s personality, motivations, and alignment, and these choices impact the narrative and interactions with other characters too.

STARFIELD

In this game, players may have the ability to customize their character’s appearance, including options like choosing their character’s gender, facial features, and other visual elements. This allows players to create unique characters that match their preferences and immerse themselves in the game world.

RPGs often feature a skill or attribute system that allows players to allocate points or make choices that define their character’s strengths and weaknesses, and in the context of “Starfield,” this might involve choices related to piloting spacecraft and more. And the most important part: players may be able to customize their characters by selecting weapons, armor, and technological enhancements that suit their preferred playstyle.

RTS Games with Character Customization

Real-time strategy games typically focus on commanding armies and managing resources rather than character customization. However, some RTS games incorporate elements of customization for commanders or heroes.

CONQUEROR'S BLADE

Game menu design is often divided into categories or tabs, such as appearance, skills, abilities, and equipment. Talking about the character appearance customization, it often involves sliders for adjusting features like hairstyle, facial features, body shape, and skin tone.

Why fans like this game is that in the massive battles and sieges of Conqueror’s Blade, character customization helps the audience easily identify the character amidst the chaos. This recognition is particularly important in team-based battles, where coordination and strategy are key.

Also, as players progress in “Conqueror’s Blade,” they can unlock new customization options, such as unique armor sets, weapons, and visual enhancements. This sense of progression encourages players to continue engaging with the game and refining their character’s appearance.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII

Diving into the historical depth of ancient China, “Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII” offers players the chance to engage with the era’s power dynamics and diplomatic intrigues. The game stands out with its detailed character customization, allowing players to either embody iconic historical figures or create a new officer from scratch.

Visual tweaks like hair color and facial structures are not the main highlights in this game. Players can shape their character’s origin and backstory, influencing their journey in the Three Kingdoms saga.

The officer system introduces various roles — the gamer can be a strategist, a warrior, or a diplomat. Each comes with distinct abilities, allowing players to navigate the vast political and military landscape with finesse. As players progress, their decisions can alter historical events, relationships, and alliances. This narrative richness is enhanced by unlockable customization options, including rare armors and abilities, boosting players’ engaging experience in this grand tale of ancient China.

Navigating Character Customization Menus

The variety of games where you can make your character depends on navigating character customization menus, as each game may have its unique interface, options, and UI/UX. And user-friendly design is crucial to providing players with an intuitive and enjoyable customization experience. However, there are some common elements that game developers use to navigate these menus effectively:

Basic Navigation

Sliders and Customization Elements

Character appearance customization often involves sliders for adjusting features like hairstyle, facial features, body shape, and skin tone. Usually, game developers use the left stick or arrow keys to adjust sliders horizontally and the right stick or arrow keys to adjust them vertically. Alternatively, they can use the mouse to click and drag sliders.

UI/UX

UI meaning in games with character customization is huge. Organization of customization options into categories, such as appearance, skills, abilities, and equipment should be logical; icons or symbols should be recognizable to represent different customization options; and of course, accessibility options, such as adjustable font sizes, high-contrast modes, and controller remapping, should be implemented to ensure that the menu is usable by a wide range of players. For example, a paintbrush icon for appearance customization or a skill tree icon for skill customization.

The Role of Mods in Character Customization

Mods play a significant role in games with customizable characters. Basically, modifications are user-created content that can alter, enhance, or expand upon the base game, including aspects related to character customization.

Mods are very cool because they can introduce new character customization options that were not originally available in the base game. This can include additional hairstyles, clothing, accessories, and even body features. Players can use these mods to create more diverse and unique characters. However, some mods are designed to improve the visual quality of a game, not the characters, but it’s still indirectly enhance character customization. High-definition textures, improved lighting, and realistic character models can make the customization process more visually appealing.

Many character customization games support modding. Examples include Stardew Valley, Factorio, RimWorld, and games similar to Elder Scrolls and Fallout. But the most engaging examples of games with mods are:

Minecraft

It has a vibrant modding community that has created thousands of mods, ranging from simple quality-of-life improvements to massive content additions.

Grand Theft Auto V

This game series has a history of modding, and GTA V is no exception. Mods can add new vehicles, characters, missions, and graphical enhancements.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Series

These open-world survival shooters have a robust modding community that can change everything from graphics to gameplay.

Our Case Study: Girls Who Code Girls

Girls Who Code Girls is a new progressive step in the gaming world and games with good character customization. Its various experiences empower users to code characters that better reflect them and the diversity of their communities. Basically, teaching the girls 3D character modeling in reality, the company suggests a huge variety of character customization online.

Using unique mechanics, the game provides opportunities for students and graduates to learn, deepening their knowledge of computer science and increasing their self-confidence while coding their 3D video game characters. For example, the main feature here is that players can use code to customize their character’s body type, skin color, hair color or eye color, outfit, and identity details. At the same time, Girls Who Code creates a cohesive community and gives girls role models to help them overcome difficulties and succeed.

In this case, this is a perfect example of a successful game combined with real experience and teaching methods that help girls all over the world become better versions of themselves.

FAQ

What is character customization in gaming?

Character customization in gaming is the ability for players to personalize and tailor the appearance, abilities, and behavior of their in-game characters. This feature allows players to create unique avatars that express their individual preferences and playstyles.

How does character customization affect gameplay?

Character customization has a significant impact on gameplay in various ways, depending on the game and the extent of customization options available. For example, in the RPG, players can build characters specializing in melee combat, ranged attacks, magic, stealth, or support roles. This choice directly impacts how players approach challenges and encounters in the game.

Are there any character customization games that emphasize fashion and style?

Yes, there are several perfect examples of games that emphasize style as a central aspect of character customization. These games allow players to focus on creating fashionable characters by offering extensive clothing, accessories, and customization options. Talking about some notable examples:

The Sims

For instance, the Sims 4 places a strong emphasis on fashion and style customization. Players can create unique Sims with a wide range of clothing options, hairstyles, makeup, and accessories.

Animal Crossing

This game regularly introduces new clothing items and themes, allowing players to express their creativity and style through their in-game avatars.

Fortnite

While primarily a battle royale game, Fortnite allows players to customize their characters with a wide range of skins, emotes, and cosmetics. These items often reflect various pop culture references and styles.

Can you provide examples of character customization influencing the storyline in games?

Character customization influencing the storyline is a compelling narrative feature in some games, particularly in RPGs and interactive storytelling games. Perfect examples of such games are:

Mass Effect Series

In the Mass Effect, players assume the role of Commander Shepard and make choices that affect the story’s outcome. Character customization allows players to choose Shepard’s gender, appearance, background, and military history.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

While players control Geralt of Rivia, they have some influence over his appearance, armor, and equipment. Moreover, they make narrative choices that influence the game’s story, quests, and character interactions.

Undertale

Undertale is an indie RPG that heavily emphasizes player choices and character customization. How the player interacts with other characters, including combat choices and dialogue decisions, leads to multiple possible endings and character fates.