There are some truly terrible character creation systems in the video game industry. The first character creation systems were originally forged by multiplayer dungeon titles, which required users to type characteristics into the title, which would then be relevant for the rest of the playthrough. It was an innovative design, but the concept of character creation has evolved greatly since then. Intriguingly, it's largely multiplayer online RPGs that have now mastered the medium, which are in themselves a successor to those dungeon releases. There are so many games that have now paved the way through making mistakes that could thus be learned from.
Some of the best video game protagonists with deep backstories actually have been given a visual makeover from within the creation suite. It can be really distracting, however, when those visual elements don't quite line up with the premise of the game, because of the poor tools available to work with. The flaws with these systems usually equate to a lack of options when it comes to forging the perfect hero, or a clunky interface that doesn't allow for ease of use.
10 Stardew Valley (2016)
Stardew Valley is a beloved title from Chucklefish, Fangamer, 505 Games, and ConcernedApe. While the simulation role-playing game is one of the best of its genre, and includes plenty of options when it comes to designing the look of the player character, it is held back by the way in which this creation system is actually controlled.
When starting Stardew Valley farm there were originally just two arrow buttons to scroll through all of the content. That seems straightforward enough, but once the collection of wearable items has been fully built up, it's an almost endless stream of scrolling to get something suitable. It results in the system becoming more unusable as the player progresses.
9 FIFA Series (1993-present)
The FIFA saga started off with a pretty poor customization system. Technology has come a long way and graphically and mechanically, there have been obvious improvements for FIFA that have added to the experience. Nowadays, the customization suite for new soccer players is so extensive and incredibly detailed, taking into account every possible desire.
However, there is one area that still hasn't caught up even in the greatest FIFA games. When creating a side character, like managers, the normal creation software isn't available. Instead, there are a limited number of options, likely to speed up the process. The problem is that this takes away a lot of autonomy from the player, and shows all the trademarks of a terrible system.
8 Outriders (2021)
Crafted by People Can Fly and Square Enix, Outriders is a third-person action roleplaying game that is exclusively online. The cooperative experience is designed to allow the player to truly put themselves into their protagonist, with the gear developing and expanding as the game builds so that the best equipment is to hand at all times.
However, while the title is a lot of fun and boasts plenty to do once Outriders is beaten, the early version of the experience before its updates hosted a terrible system. It gave very little choice in terms of player appearance, with only a couple of skin tones, hairstyles, and facial features available. Perhaps the idea was that all of this would be quickly covered by the expansive gear opportunities.
7 Mass Effect: Andromeda (2017)
Mass Effect: Andromeda from BioWare is the least well-received entry into the series. It didn't quite live up to expectations and faltered in one area that the franchise could usually be relied upon: character customization. After all, putting the choices in the hands of the player is exactly what the series' success is built upon.
This really is a great video game franchise with one bad entry and the issues with the character customization suite properly hammer that home. The concept is largely based on presets. Although there are options to play around with the existing designs, there are still so many limitations in place that this character system just doesn't work, with the game forcing users into making a select few changes to the model that's already in place, rather than starting from scratch. Its boundaries limit imaginative modifications.
6 Star Wars Galaxies (2003)
Star Wars Galaxies from Daybreak Game Company and LucasArts, was an early attempt to create a massive multiplayer online RPG experience, using the galaxy far, far away's intellectual property. Although it received critical acclaim and some sequels, it isn't well-remembered and has been overshadowed by recent hits within the universe.
The dated character customization system should have allowed for the creation of figures that don't fit the traditional Star Wars archetypes just like some of the most famous faces from the franchise. In reality, it offered a slider system that got progressively worse the more it was utilized. Even with the range of choices, everything ended up looking the same, meaning multiple characters could be mistaken for one another.
5 Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015)
Metal Gear Solid V from Kojima Productions and Konami Digital Entertainment unexpectedly includes its own character customization system. When titles such as these feature memorable protagonists with a distinct look, usually the only custom options on the market are clothing choices, which can be affected by the narrative and are thus made redundant.
However, the system employed within Metal Gear Solid V is especially frustrating. Players are given what seems to be one of their most important choices in Metal Gear Solid: the protagonist is asked to change their appearance, so a new look has to be created. Except, despite how long this process can take, it's never actually seen aside from a reflection. The reason for it seems redundant leading to a terrible execution for the system.
4 Saints Row: The Third (2011)
Developed by Deep Silver Volition, Sperasoft, and Fishlabs, Saints Row: The Third had its traditional customization suite intact. Previous installments of the game have really impressed, thanks to the great deal of control that's given when it came to placing their identity within the title, with the intuitive nature of the system's layout helping the process become an efficient one.
However, the third version of the game, which future Saints Row reboots will likely forget, decided it would offer fewer options. Perhaps in the grand scheme of things, it isn't the worst compared to alternative character customization suites on the market, but when paralleled with all the options that were once available, Saints Row: The Third is very limiting and disappointing.
3 GTA Online (2013)
Rockstar Games has cemented itself with the height of Grand Theft Auto but the fifth and online installments, which were released concurrently, were slightly different in the way they allowed for character customization. Built into early drafts of the online system, a family tree concept was put in place, so that it was possible to change the look of the characters based on their very DNA.
It might have been an innovative idea, but it wasn't a good one. When trying to build the best GTA protagonist possible, how closely they looked like their grandparents might just be too much information. It was clunky, overstuffed, and needed to be changed. Future installments moved away from that Online system, but it's easy to argue that even those suffer from some of the same interface issues.
2 Injustice 2 (2017)
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Injustice 2 from NeverRealm Studios and Warner Bros. capitalized on the gorgeous storytelling and fighting mechanics of the original entry but added something a little more special. It brought in a character customization suite, which saw the ability able to adapt gear on a hero, based on classic looks from the comics and wider media.
There were different colors and cool armor sets, but the very simple system stopped Injustice 2 from fulfilling its design potential for Injustice's powerful video game fighters. The most frustrating element of the character customization suite was the use of skins. It was possible to get new characters by equipping a skin with pre-existing ones, like swapping out Hal Jordan for John Stewart, but the looks of these additional figures couldn't be changed.
1 Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014)
BioWare and EA's Dragon Age: Inquisition is a pretty competent entry into the series. When it comes to its character customization system, however, it makes one big error. To put it simply, there are just too many options. It's one of the worst because of its sheer scale and the amount of time that can be lost attempting to use it.
New Dragon Age players will want plenty of tips when beginning on this journey and one of the crucial ones is to not spend too long sorting through custom options. The fact is, so many looks actually appear identical and seem to be added for the slightest difference, which results in an overall unsatisfying and needlessly long experience.
Source:gamerant.com