Part of role-playing in video games is becoming another person, becoming the hero yourself. Character creator menus expand on this notion. Some creation screens are lackluster, only offering one skin tone and three hair options, while others give such a variety that it can become a bit overwhelming.
Having so many options can sometimes be unnecessarily silly or be the inclusivity needed in the video game world. Whether players want to create a monster from scratch or replicate themselves in ways previous games wouldn't allow, there's a character creator out there for those needs. Below are some of the most creative and best character creators out there.
Updated May 21, 2022 by Sharnelle Earle: The character creator screen holds a lot of power. It determines whether the story you're about to dive into can be taken seriously with a goofy protagonist or if you can connect to the story more with a relatable one. For those that live for a laugh, goofy-looking characters are the way to go. But all those special sliders mean so much more to those who tend to see less representation of themselves in media. Everyone wants to feel like they are the hero. Whether you're trying to make a hilarious hero or a familiar face, only some video games offer the necessary sliders and graphics to achieve these things. We've added even more games to this list, all of which have some of the best character creator menus for different reasons.
20 Destiny 2
- Alien races
- Good graphics
Destiny does not have a lot of special sliders for creativity to run free, but the graphics and color options are enough to make your hero feel unique and personal to your adventure. It's always fun being able to choose mythical races outside of our own realm, and in Destiny 2, you can do just that. You're able to have purple skin and robot-like eyes.
19 Monster Hunter World
- Wide range of skin tones
- Age slider
- Multiple nose, mouth, etc presets
Monster Hunter World graphics can only look so realistic when it's a game so firmly rooted in anime stylings. You're in a grey area of realism and cartoon. Monster Hunter World has multiple different sliders for facial features - while you won't be able to change complex things like the brow bone or cheeks, you can recreate someone's overall look and get that representation you may be looking for.
18 Red Dead Redemption 2 Online
- Detailed skin texture options
- Teeth customization
- Age options
Red Dead Redemption 2 has always been an iconic open-world game. Aside from the amazing story at play, the reputation also comes from the game's exceptional graphics and realism. Everything you do in the game feels realistic and immersive, from petting your horse to hiding behind cover in a gun fight. Your character can even lose or gain weight depending on how you take care of them. You play as a premade protagonist in the main game, but in Red Dead 2 Online, you can create your very own cowboy or cowgirl.
17 Sunset Overdrive
- Afro hair
- Pale to dark skin tones
- 18 different face presets of different races
Sunset Overdrive is an older game with graphics that can't be compared to today's games. Despite this, the character creator menu holds strong. There are a good variety of skin tones as well as preset faces that represent multiple races instead of just one.
16 Elden Ring
- 169 skin tones
- Bone structure sliders
Dark Souls games have always tried to make creating a character realistic and cool, but there was always something uncanny about them. The newest game in the Soulsborne world, Elden Ring, aims higher. Your character looks more realistic, and there are plenty of sliders for facial structure as well as various skin tones and hair colors. Once you get the hang of using these sliders, you can make characters that genuinely look like real people.
15 Mass Effect Andromeda
- 9 facial presets of different races
- Abnormal hair color options
- Various skin tones
Bioware was never the best at making our characters not look hideous the moment they walk out of character creation due to animations, but Andromeda is alright. Things still look a bit wonky during gameplay when there aren't cut scenes, but compared to the previous games' graphics and character creators, this is a big step forward. You still get all the options for multicolored hair, makeup, and face shapes as the previous Mass Effect games, just with better graphics and different hair options.
14 Final Fantasy 15: Comrades
- Body modification sliders
- 77 skin tones
One of the top RPGs around gives us customization in their multiplayer version of 15. Here, you can't morph the body to wacky proportions, but each character you mess around with on the creator screen will come out looking like a strong and independent main character. You can edit bone structure and have colored hair, which is enough for some people.
13 Demon's Souls Remake
- Facial structure sliders
- 15 skin tones
Demon's Souls is an infamous video game that was part of the birth of the Souls genre. But being as old as it was, the graphics were never that great despite the character customization that was always available. In the PS5 remake, they were able to utilize new tools to create a better experience when demon killing. This is easily one of the best character creators in its genre, and by a wide margin.
12 Fallout 4
- Facial structure sliders
- 16+ skin tones
Fallout 4's character creation screen surprised everyone with its options for morphing features exactly how the player wants them. This was a change for the Fallout franchise, which usually only had a couple of face and hair options. With Fallout 4, players can highlight features and make them larger or smaller, much like how the Sims works. Unique face scars and face paint were also added.
11 Greedfall
- 5 skin tones
- Facial presets for different ethnicities
Greedfall is a slept-on game that has an elegant character creator screen. You can't morph bone structure into insane dimensions and have pink skin, but the graphics and simplicity of what the creator has to offer are immersive and clean. This is for making your own main character instead of an intricately horrific or intricately unique RPG character.
10 Saints Row
- Bone structure sliders
- Various skin tones, from natural to abnormal
- Body type slider
Saints Row is known for being a silly, goofy GTA where players often blow sh*t up and go crazy with their characters. Perhaps too crazy. There is no limit inside the Saints Row games' character creator. Players can highlight and morph things that do not and should not need morphing, creating a beauty or a beast. Whatever the gamer heart desires.
9 Jump Force
- 84 skin tones
- Over 50 face cosmetics
While Jump Force's character creator and, well, everything else, isn't that revolutionary, it's still notable. The best feature of this character creator is the fact that players can become anime characters. Anime fans could only become anime characters within MMORPGs, never being their own hero in their own world. In Jump Force, the character graphics are stunning and highlight what an anime character should look like - and the options to be unique are endless.
8 WWE Games
- Body modification sliders
- Various skin tones
Another over-the-top ridiculous character creation screen resides within the WWE games. It's debatable if such power should be given to gamers. The WWE franchise is all about famous wrestlers going at it, but they've allowed the player to join in and become one of the best. Or one of the worst.
Players can create their own infamous wrestler. Whether that be a replica of themselves or torso Spongebob. It's okay, torso Spongebob can't hurt you, he's not real.
7 Blade And Soul
- Facial structure sliders
- Body modification sliders
MMORPGs usually have the vastest options for getting the character's appearance just right. In Blade and Soul, there are options to edit every section of the jaw, cheeks, eyes, and so on. There are multiple sliders for each and every feature, as well as darker skin tones. Most people make a beautiful warrior, but with the number of sliders at hand, the possibility to create a monster is very much within grasp.
6 Baldur's Gate 3
- Over 100 skin tones
- Mythical races
Larian Studios did everything in its power to offer gamers a wide variety of customization. To be distinctive and also inclusive. In the screenshot alone can be seen the range of skin tones available and that's just the skin tones. The hair and eye color options also exceed expectations. The game goes as far as to allow women to have beards and men to have female voices so that absolutely every possible person, unique or common, is accounted for. Baldur's Gate 3 is the first to do it when it comes to graphics and options in character customization for a fantasy RPG.
5 Sims 4
- Various skin tones
- Facial structure sliders
- Body modification sliders
This list wouldn't be complete without adding a Sims game in there. The Sims may be about living life and creating a family, but that's only a quarter of what the game has to offer. Many people sit idly by on the character creation screen, just having a blast and creating original characters for their stories or simply for fun.
Sims 4 has a range of ethnicities to choose from, players can highlight and morph features and plan outfits for different situations. Paired with buying added content, the customization never ends.
4 Second Life
- Download mods
- Body and facial sliders
The power Second Life gives gamers is second to MMORPGs. There are sliders for just about anything and everything. With the graphics being what they are, it's also hilarious at times. Want abnormally large feet? Head? Ears? All of the above? Tiny everything? Second Life has the sliders for it. People normally play this game to truly have a second life and socialize, meaning they make socially acceptable-looking characters. But who says players have to? Make a slimy creature!
3 Skyrim (With Mods)
- Mods
- Multiple mythical races
Skyrim's character creator is something many readers will be intimately familiar with. The base game alone is buggy, and honestly, it's not the most pleasing thing to look at. But when smothered with mods for everything imaginable over the years, this is your best bet for customizing your own character in some of the most detailed ways possible. There are plenty of sliders in the game by itself, but the aging graphics might wear on some. However, you can find a lot of mods that smooth out the appearance of skin and hair as well as more hair options to further extend on what Skyrim has got going on.
2 Cyberpunk 2077
- Genital options
- Nail customization
- Cybernetic cosmetics
Cyberpunk 2077 may not have been what everyone hoped for, but the possibilities in character customization are still second to none. You can change your nail polish color to a variety of color and pattern options that may lead you to restart a new character just to change it again. Genitals can be edited in ways you never thought would be allowed for a video game. The developers have a lot to answer for in terms of what was promised, but we still have a lot to work with. It may not all be entirely useful at the moment, but it sure as hell is entertaining.
1 Black Desert Online
- 30+ skin tones
- Over 100 sliders for all parts of the body
Breathtaking. There are no other words to describe Black Desert Online's character creator. Whether players are into the game itself or not, there's no denying the urge to get into that character creation and go nuts. The finish product and graphics are enticing enough as it is. The developers used to have a version of the character creation screen itself available for download for players who just wanted to mess around in it. There are around 30+ skin tones, and players can edit the body shape, muscles, tattoos, and more. The graphics are stunning, and the black backdrop allows for focus on the character alone and makes it an immersive experience.