Summary
- Character creation in games allows players to fully immerse themselves in different worlds with customized avatars.
- PS1 games like Harvest Moon, Blaze & Blade, and Breath of Fire offer limited but influential character creation options.
- Titles like WWF War Zone and Fighter Maker show how character customization expanded to genres beyond RPGs.
One of the many joys of gaming is the ability to create original characters, and personalize them both physically and skill-wise, as a way for players to fully immerse themselves in a different world by becoming someone entirely new. Character creation in games is being implemented more and more. Plenty of games have a huge array of ways to customize avatars, from appearance to class to race.
While RPGs, MMORPGs, sports, and fighting genres have all come a very long way with much more choice in character creation in newer games, the PS1 still had its fair share of titles — some less limited than others — that allowed players some freedom in their playthroughs. These are some of the best PS1 games with character creation.
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10 Harvest Moon: Back To Nature
One Of The Most Influential Farming Sims
Harvest Moon: Back to Nature is a farming simulator where the player's goal is to build and maintain a successful farm, as well as form friendships, while navigating the challenges of seasonal gameplay. This title was very influential, notably inspiring Stardew Valley.
Admittedly, the character creation is limited in Back to Nature, with only the character's name and birthday being changeable, but this was still a step ahead of many other games of the time. Even these simple decisions can make the player feel as if they are more involved in the roleplaying elements of running a farm. They would also lead to more customization options in later sim games.
9 Blaze And Blade: Eternal Quest
A Prime Example Of Critic Vs User Opinion Clash
- Platform: Windows, PlayStation 1
- Release Date: January 29, 1998
- Developer: T&E Soft
- Genre: RPG
Blaze and Blade: Eternal Quest is an RPG where the players must guide a party of adventurers through the demon-ridden "Forbidden Land" to find an ancient artifact. Despite receiving harsh reviews from critics, Eternal Quest is still widely enjoyed by PS1 gamers.
Players can choose the sex, name, class, protective element, and even speech style of their party members, giving them ample opportunity to try different play-styles and combat. Eternal Quest is relatively digestible for an RPG, perfect for entry-level gamers looking for some classic hack-and-slash adventuring without the gore and complex mechanics.
8 Breath Of Fire 3
A Stylistic Jump For One Of Capcom's RPG Franchises
Breath of Fire III
Breath of Fire 3 follows Ryu (default name), the last dragon shapeshifter (known as a "Brood"), on a mission to discover the truth about what happened to the rest of his race. The title has a compelling story and some interesting characters, which go hand-in-hand with the franchise's progression into 3D visuals to create a great game.
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While the playable characters have a preset appearance and backstory, players can choose which abilities to level up over the course of the game by assigning them "masters" to determine their build. Likewise, players can choose their name at the very beginning, allowing a degree of self-insertion.
7 Wizardry 7: Crusaders Of The Dark Savant
Customize An Entire Party
Wizardry 7: Crusaders of the Dark Savant
When the destiny-writing pen, the "Cosmic Forge," was stolen, a planet was revealed, leaving the powerful artifact "Astral Dominae" exposed to the power-hungry force of the Dark Savant. The player must prevent the Astral Dominae from falling into the wrong hands through a combination of turn-based combat and diplomacy mechanics.
Like many other RPGs, Wizardry 7 allows players to control an entire party, creating each member from a choice of gender, race, and profession, as well as selecting where to spend ability bonuses and skill points. As a direct sequel, Wizardry 7 also allows players to import their existing characters from Wizardry 6.
6 Legend Of Mana
A Beautiful Precursor To Contemporary Open World Games
Legend of Mana
- Released
- July 15, 1999
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix, Square
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android, PC, Microsoft Windows
In Legend of Mana, the protagonist is tasked with restoring the land of Fa'Diel after it was torn by war when the magic life force, the Mana Tree, burned down. The game uses a system called "Land Make," where the player determines the world by placing Artifacts on a map.
Players can choose the gender, name, and weapon of their character, with their backstory left up to their imagination. Legend of Mana has lots of appealing features, from companions to weapon forging, as well as some genuinely gripping quests set in diverse and stunning locations. It's a memorable fantasy world with plenty of whimsical elements.
5 Diablo
The Origins Of An Iconic Franchise
Diablo
- Released
- January 3, 1997
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation (Original)
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
While the PC version is largely preferred for the controls and graphics, for those who first experienced it on console, PS1's Diablo was an iconic game. The player arrives in Tristram, a town almost completely abandoned when demons were released from their prison under the monastery. From there, they must defeat the evil forces that are causing humankind to destroy each other.
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The player can choose between warrior, rogue, or sorcerer classes, which can be refined as they progress through the game and level up. These base character creation options laid the foundation of what would become fully fledged customization in the later Diablo games.
4 WWF: War Zone
Create Your Own Persona And Wrestle!
- Platform: PlayStation 1, Nintendo 64, Game Boy
- Release Date: 1998
- Developer: Iguana West
- Genre: Fighting
RPGs are not the only game genre with character creation. WWF: War Zone is a fighting game, specifically a wrestling game, that allows players to take on well known personalities either as a real professional or as their own persona.
In the "create player" menu, players can alter almost every aspect of their wrestler's appearance, including apparel, signature move, and even theme music. With such a range of customizable features, and a color slider, WWF: War Zone was in many ways ahead of its time with character creation, on par with The Sims.
3 Fighter Maker
Design Your Own Fight Style
- Platform: PlayStation 1
- Release Date: July 30, 1998
- Developer: ASCII Entertainment
- Genre: Fighting
When discussing character creation in fighting games, it is impossible not to talk about Fighter Maker. Alongside standard combat mechanics like those of Street Fighter, this game's whole shtick is that it allows players to create custom moves and animations for their fighter.
Adhering to the Fighter Maker's premise can be time-consuming, with a relatively intricate designing system. However, players can decide to simply play as the preset characters if they just want the base fighting experience. The "VS mode" opens up plenty of opportunities for competitive gameplay and character creation, offering up some great laughs with intentionally silly builds.
2 Armored Core
Customize And Pilot Giant Combat Robots
- Platform: PlayStation 1
- Release Date: July 310, 1997
- Developer: FromSoftware
- Genre: Third-person shooter
FromSoftware has risen to the top in the gaming world, releasing a number of hugely successful titles, including Dark Souls, Sekiro, and Elden Ring. But even before this, the developer had some great early games, Armored Core being no exception .
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The player takes on the role of a mercenary that pilots mechs (known as Armored Cores) in a post-apocalyptic world where different organizations are grappling for control. By completing missions given by clients, they can earn money to craft, upgrade, and customize their units. Different parts and weapons determine the weight and energy consumption, as well as performance in different contexts, offering players huge scope for creation.
1 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
Become A Pro Skater Via Satisfying Gameplay
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
- Released
- September 20, 2000
- Developer(s)
- Neversoft
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation (Original), Windows, Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, Nintendo Game Boy Color, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, iOS
Renowned for having one of the most iconic soundtracks on the PS1, the Tony Hawk franchise allows gamers and skaters alike to grind, flip, and hang in a number of grungy locations. By completing objectives in career mode, players are rewarded with cash that can be used to unlock equipment and levels, while "free skate" allows them to hit the pipes without limits.
Pro Skater 2 introduced the "create skater" menu, where players could customize their character's background, appearance, apparel, and skateboard. While it's a game clearly crafted by and tailored to 90s enjoyers, there is still plenty of appeal for everyone with some satisfying (and quite frankly addictive) gameplay.
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