Horror Games With The Best Character Customization

Highlights

Horror games often limit player input, but titles like
Vampire: The Masquerade
allow for character customization and choice in gameplay.
Resident Evil 4’s
customization options go beyond typical horror games, offering players the ability to dress up characters and change outfits.
Dead by Daylight
sets itself apart with a vast array of cosmetics and crossovers, allowing for unmatched character customization in the horror genre.

I, a seasoned gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, have seen it all. From the simple pixelated characters of yesteryears to the photo-realistic monstrosities of modern games, and from the linear narratives of early titles to the open-ended stories of contemporary releases. Yet, nothing quite compares to the thrill of a well-crafted horror game.

In the realm of horror games, a more structured approach is typically adopted compared to other genres. The experience is predominantly scripted, with a predetermined protagonist leading the way. Occasionally, there may be branching paths for additional collectibles or encounters, but these deviations are limited. This uniformity extends not only to gameplay mechanics but also to the character assumed by players.

Some games offer more equality than others in the gaming world, but amongst them lie horror games that allow players to choose which character they will lead through frightening experiences. Usually, this choice is limited to selecting different outfits for the characters, but there are a select few titles that take it a step further.

8 Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines

Players Determine What Kind of Vampire They Want to Be

Horror Games With The Best Character Customization

In the role-playing video game “Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines,” fans were allowed to explore the world of the tabletop RPG in an interactive format. As a newly turned vampire in Los Angeles, players find themselves amidst the ongoing power struggle between the Camarilla and Anarch factions. The city’s Prince grants them a chance for mercy by assigning them various missions. Many of these tasks revolve around a cryptic sarcophagus, which adds to the intrigue and complexity of the game.

In the immersive world of this RPG, much like a Tabletop Role-Playing Game (TTRPG), I get to decide on my character’s gender and clan membership. These choices significantly impact which disciplines I can harness. While I can’t alter my character’s physical appearance, I can express myself through the clothes I wear, discovering new armor sets scattered throughout the game. Additionally, I can invest points into enhancing my attributes, skills, and mastery of those disciplines.

7 Resident Evil 4

The Remake Allows Players To Dress Up Leon And Ashley

In the thrilling role of Leon S. Kennedy, the renowned Resident Evil hero tasked with rescuing the President’s daughter from a dangerous cult, one might assume little customization is possible given a predefined protagonist and a highly linear storyline. However, Resident Evil 4 distinguishes itself in this genre by offering:

Instead of wearing the default Leon and Ashley costumes, players who have pre-ordered the game or bought the specific DLC have the option to clothe these characters in more relaxed or romantic attire. Additionally, there are extra hero and villain skins for Leon available as bonuses. Other outfits can be earned by finishing the game with a certain achievement level.

6 Fallen London

The Freedom To Choose One Of Many Faces And Fates

In contrast to what one might expect from a free-to-play browser game, Fallen London, set in an alternate Victorian London, could be quite unexpected. The majority of this city has submerged beneath the earth, forming vast caverns around a peculiar bazaar. This intriguing marketplace is home to numerous enigmatic occurrences that are masterfully crafted with horror elements through skillful writing.

In this game, players have the freedom to select a preferred character representation, or avatar, from various options available. With sufficient in-game funds, they can also modify their avatar’s facial features at their own pace. Through gameplay, players have the power to influence the direction of their character’s narrative and adjust attributes. This free game permits brief interruptions, yet offers intricate details that might surprise you.

5 Content Warning

Players Can Set Themselves Apart By Customizing Their Face

**Note:** This content contains elements that may be distressing or frightening. **\*New Horror Game Alert:\** In this exciting new horror game titled Content Warning, a band of friends are on a mission to create the next viral video sensation. Armed with just a camera, they delve deep into the unknown, braving the dark and ominous depths of an ancient subterranean location known as The Old World. But what makes their footage so terrifyingly authentic? It’s all thanks to the real-life creatures that inhabit these cavernous spaces, waiting in the shadows for unsuspecting explorers like our intrepid players. Players can rewatch their harrowing experiences in-game as they relive every heart-stopping moment captured by the game itself.

Players don clothes resembling vintage scuba attire for their avatars in the game, but have the ability to distinguish one another through facial modifications. They have freedom to select suit colors and create messages using letters or create emojis with symbols. For tech-savvy players, there exist further customization possibilities by accessing the game’s files.

4 Lethal Company

Mods Allow Players To Cosplay As Famous Characters

In this chilling multiplayer game, Lethal Company, as many as four hapless workers are given the assignment to venture out to perilous alien planets and collect as much scrap as possible before succumbing to the hazardous environments, menacing creatures, or when their spaceship sets sail on its own at midnight, abandoning those left behind.

At the company where we work on space projects, it’s logical that staff members need to don orange hazmat suits as part of their job. However, this uniform might lead to confusion among team members, especially when they need to communicate silently to avoid alerting monsters. Fortunately, players can acquire various alternative suits by spending in-game money for a distinct appearance. Alternatively, there are mods available that allow users to customize their suits with designs inspired by Kirby, Mario, Knuckles, or even Minions.

3 Bloodborne

In Typical Soulsborne Fashion, Players Can Customize Their Hunter

In creating Bloodborne, FromSoftware excelled at designing frightening monsters and atmospheric environments, resulting in a gothic horror game brimming with Victorian influences. The city of Yharnam is plagued by a curse transmitted via blood, turning residents into grotesque beings. Players must uncover the source of this affliction and eliminate it, but they’ll be pushed to their limits as they encounter nightmarish creatures that are both terrifying and lethal.

As an excited fan, I’d recommend this: Before embarking on our epic journey, we first need to design our unique character. We get to choose their gender and craft their physical appearance, from the color of their eyes to their hairstyle. Additionally, we select their origin class that will grant them special skills and shape their combat style.

2 The Outlast Trials

Customize Characters’ Gender And Appearance

Initially introduced as a solo horror game, Outlast later expanded into the realm of multiplayer horror, leading to the creation of The Outlast Trials. Once again, Murkoff is up to no good, recruiting supposed “volunteers” for their sinister brainwashing experiments. The hapless participants will face perilous and frightening trials designed to push them to their mental and physical breaking points. Players have the option to face their fears alone or seek comfort in numbers.

In place of being limited to a single predefined protagonist, players now have the freedom to design their own character. They get to select gender and customize facial features, as well as acquire new clothing items throughout gameplay. Additionally, they can personalize their in-game quarters with decorative purchases. Furthermore, players can configure which abilities, referred to as “Rigs,” their character carries into the challenges, introducing RPG aspects to this terror-filled adventure.

1 Dead By Daylight

An Unparalleled Amount Of Cosmetics

The most popular asymmetrical horror game currently on the market is Dead by Daylight. Other games have tried to capitalize on its success, such as V/H/S, Friday the 13th, and Killer Klowns from Outer Space, but no game has managed to offer any real competition, even those based on legendary IPs. One of the secrets to its success is the number of crossovers, bringing in characters from famous games and movies such as Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, Halloween, Alien, and even Dungeons and Dragons.

In addition to a rich cast of licensed characters, BHVR offers an abundance of unique ones, each with distinct appearances, backstories, special abilities, and costumes. The game developers are consistently creating new cosmetics to enhance their look. Impressively, the selection of clothes for characters surpasses that of any other game. Players may even find themselves spending as much time customizing their characters’ attire as they do participating in the trials.

2024-07-23 03:34