Do you prefer games where you can customize the main character?

[Croconaw]

Do you typically prefer games where you can customize the main character to your liking? These games include Animal Crossing, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Sims games, etc.

Or do you prefer games that has a main character already looking a certain way or was already designed? These games include Mario from Super Mario, Link from Zelda games, etc.

I'm personally indifferent, but I do like character customization. I like making the character look like myself.

 

[nightglow]

I do prefer customization options even if the character is pretty much preset.

Link is a good example for me to pick on. There is no customization options in Zelda, but just to be able to change the clothing color or the hair color or even the option for skin color changes would be nice and a good meet in the middle for me for preset characters vs fully customizable. And I would prefer this middle ground out of all 3 options. It doesn't even really require additional models/designs. Just a color adjustment.
However Link's green clothing I know is iconic for him.. and having a set image for a character, a main character the whole story is centered around, is better for marketing of an RPG franchise. Although, Acnh seems to be doing ok with their villager humans.. but I don't think it is really considered an RPG either.
Super smash bros allow "variants" of preset characters but that was mostly because of multiplayer identity needs and again, not a RPG.
But I guess I view color variants kinda like a palette thing from older games? Mario is still Mario in brown and white clothing vs red and blue clothing to me. But if Peach could have brown hair I see where confusion can happen in marketing because Daisy exists. But since both Peach and Daisy exist why not allow dress color changes at minium if you play as them in some future game one day?
Idk just personal thoughts and preferences.

 

[Xara]

I do. I’ve talked about this in a couple other threads recently, but I like being able to customize the character I play as in games. I like designing my character to look like me, or as close to me as I can get at least. I like being able to add my own personal touches to my character. I like being able to choose what my character looks like, and change up her look from time to time.

Whether or not I’m able to customize my character in a game isn’t make or break for me. I won’t not get a game just because I can’t customize my character in it, but I find that I don’t feel as attached to the characters I play as if I can’t design or customize them. I definitely have more fun and feel more personally connected to my character when I can customize them.

 

[Yanrima~]

Depends on the game's context. Personally if it lacks customization, I think the main character should be likable, iconic, or well-written depending on the genre and the theme of the game.

Game mascot games or story-driven are one of those non-customization games that I like. As for the character customization part, I deeply enjoy customizing my character with my favorite types of fashion especially when it has female avatar options included. So yeah, I enjoy customization a lot because you get to experience your own journey in-game and immerse yourself in that world.

 

[Neb]

I really enjoy it! Especially when there's silly outfits that look out of place like the Nintendo Switch shirt in Breath of the Wild.

 

[Annika.]

I really enjoy picking the prettiest outfit. Link can wear his green tunic for sure, but dying his outfits in BOTW/TOTK was a lot of fun too.

 

[Dim]

Ehhh I wouldn't PREFER it but it's a nice feature to have. Games like Animal Crossing and Pokemon especially though since they're social simulation/rpg.

 

[LittleMissPanda]

I don't think it's needed everywhere like most devs want to believe. Personally, I can do without it, but it's also not the end of the world if games have it. It doesn't matter to me whether or not a game offers customization. I just think of it as a fun little bonus. But I do prefer games with established main characters to play as, like Mario and Link, May and Dawn and Lyra, Ness and his friends, Captain Olimar, and so on. The only sim I like to have character customization in is, naturally, farming sims. Usually I name my farmer after one of my OCs and make them look like them, too. Stardew Valley is great for this because of the copious amounts of customization options.

The thing I always remember about customization is the radical shift from Pokémon X/Y which let people customize their player in lots of interesting ways to ORAS where suddenly, inexplicably that wasn't an option anymore. It really upset some, but not me personally. I enjoyed ORAS even more without the ability to customize, since I prefer playing as established characters with their own names, design and personality. They're great and iconic just the way they are.

A game I feel didn't need character customization at all was Pikmin 4. We went from playing as Captains with a backstory and established lives and names and personalities, to just a generic player (not even a Captain) with no voice, no opinion about anything, no cute quirks. At one point throughout the game, Oatchi felt more like the main character than me. Oatchi had tons of personality and cute moments.

If I do customize, I don't try to make the player resemble me too much, mostly I just give them my skin color if that option is available. Other than that, I give them some interesting thing that differentiates them from me, such as giving them glasses to wear, red or yellow eyes, white/green hair, a bit of makeup if it looks good lol

 

[Newbiemayor]

I think it depends tbh. If it's a game with a focus on story, a predesigned MC is fine and can help grow a fandom with fans of that character (because of their looks, their personality, their backstory, etc) and you can't really get that with a story focused game with a customizable MC. Like how many people are huge fans of Nate or Nora from FO4 compared to fans of Link or Mario. However customization is really, really fun and is always nice to see in a game. Even the option to change clothes like in botw or totk is a lot of fun for me. I voted yes because I guess I do prefer it, if only slightly.

 

[Dunquixote]

It depends on the game. I’m mostly indifferent. A lot of times when there is customization, I’m disappointed by the customization options. Dragon Age: Origins, I can’t say the customization was the best but it was good enough for me. I liked being able to name them, picking an origin to play and being able to make choices that affect the ending. Having the customization along with all of this and a voiceless protagonist, made me feel connected to them or like they were my own OC in a way.

 

[al-tirah]

Depends on the game. I'd only prefer character customization if it's a role-playing game in third-person view. If I can see myself in the game all the time, then I would want to be able to customize them. Maybe make them look like me or create a cute or badass version of myself.

 

[Zane]

I’ll play literally anything if it lets me customize my character. Never enjoyed shooters in my life but I’ve played through Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands like 10 times just because I like building different characters. Lol

 

[~Kilza~]

It honestly doesn't make a huge difference to me either way. Even though it can be nice to have that feature depending on the game, it's more important I enjoy the game in the first place than whether or not I can customize my character.

 

[Yoshi155]

It doesn’t really matter to me. A lot of the games I play don’t let you customize your character, but if it’s there I’ll use the feature.

 

[DarthGohan1]

It doesn't make much of a difference to me. There are plenty of great games with zero character customization. Also lots of good games where you can customize the main character, Animal Crossing probably being one of the best. But it doesn't really make or break a game for me.

 

[rocketspruggs]

I think games with more character customization options are even more enjoyable.

 

[Sheando]

It completely depends on the type of game. If I'm supposed to be able to project myself into the experience (so a game like Pokemon, Story of Seasons, or Animal Crossing where customization is a big focus--which Pokemon are YOUR favorites, which villagers will YOU invite, which crops will YOU plant, how will you decorate YOUR town) then I absolutely want to be able to customize the character. At minimum, skin tone, hair color/style, and a handful of outfit choices with enough variety to give everybody something they would wear. I don't miss the old Pokemon protagonists, where I either had to play as a male character or play as a hyper-feminine female character in a questionable outfit.

If the game has a preset plot and I'm just the one with the controller, then I don't feel any particular urge to introduce character customization--though a Mario-style platformer with a customized protagonist would be interesting. But I think that if you're playing Mario or Sonic or Zelda, the recognizability of the main character is probably good for branding. For really story-heavy games, I think it can be even more effective to give the protagonist a defined look, as it makes me feel more like I'm in a kind of participatory movie. I'm accompanying Chell, or Senua, or the mysterious robed figure from Chants of Sennaar, on a personal journey.

 

[Marridia]

I love character customization! I wish more games had them, but I understand it's a lot of work to add it.

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

I like having the option to change the player character in games. It makes it feel a bit more personal and in the Pokémon games, I typically remove the hat as I don’t wear them in real life unless ‘m at work

 

[-Raven-]

If you mean having fashion options then heck yeah, it’s just fun seeing a defined character in all kinds of looks as if they’re in different scenarios, adds something to mess with and makes the game feel more fleshed out. It’s just fun.

If you mean having an avatar/blank slate protagonist then not really, outside of very specific cases. The Pikmin case above, I totally agree. Sometimes customisation just becomes jarring if it’s so barebones or irrelevant to what the game is. Like I love ya Skylanders and they really tried to make something out of it in Superchargers, but the base customisation in that game and Giants stuck out as random and lamely executed because it was so sloppy in the former and miniscule in the latter.

Pokémon… makes very little difference to me but is better for having it. It’s a turn-based RPG but like… how much character roleplay do you do there lol. I would really love secret bases to come back though because the idea of hanging out with ya mons in a spot just works somehow. Xenoblade or something? Like sure it’s nice you can get cool armor and see it in action, but I just don’t care because it has a defined story and it never feels relevant for anything other than my own visual taste. I guess it makes me sort of upset actually because I’d rather just have it as transmogs.

Then you got Monster Hunter which kinda has both and running around before the postgame in ugly mishmashed sets is so annoying but when you have to beat down monsters and it ties into progression to get the fashion options that’s just SO good. And THEN then you have the Switch Zelda games where Link is at a really weird spot of being a blank slate as a character but having a really heavily predetermined story as far as the plot beats go instead of any CRPG elements and he also has outfits and it’s cool to have fashion choices but I also don’t get much out of it because I don’t care about him as either a self-insert or character.

Like… idk a character RPG where you interact with the story, like Disco or BG3 even if characters don’t necessarily comment on your clothes I feel like having it is a more important touch for the sense of life it adds and how the immersion in the character / customisation is more relevant.

Also there’s Crash 4 in the corner where it’s just a neat bonus on a goofy lol

I prefer making customisable characters fit some aesthetic I want to represent, not making them look like me.