The great RPG debate: Defined playable characters or blank slates?
Welcome to Dungeon Master, PC Gamer's regular RPG column, where Online Editor Fraser Brown (and guests) delves into PC gaming's most beloved and enduring genre. Grab a seat in our badly-lit tavern and please ignore the goblin puke.
What's better? An RPG that gives you a pre-defined character with an immutable history and set-in-stone personality traits, or one that lets you just create whatever kind of hero (or villain) you fancy? It's like comparing apples and oranges—by which I mean there's absolutely a correct answer. Clearly apples are the superior choice.
OK, maybe it's a trickier question than I'm making it out to be. When I initially decided I wanted you lot to tell me what you prefer, my own answer seemed to be clear. I want blank slates. I'm an old-school roleplayer, so I like my RPGs to give me the freedom and flexibility of a tabletop game, crafting my adventurer instead of stepping into a pre-existing character's shoes.
These RPGs tend to be the ones with the most extensive roleplaying options and build potential, and they're usually more fun to replay. I'm talking Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, Dragon Age (to a degree), Fallout and Skyrim. Easy, then! That's my choice. Blank slates are apples.
Except, when I actually thought about the RPGs I love the most, with the stories I can't get out of my head, they were just as often the ones with more defined protagonists. Mass Effect, The Witcher, Disco Elysium, Planescape Torment—all games I'm absolutely smitten with.
What these games typically lack in buildcrafting fun, they tend to make up for with more resonant stories and evocative writing. And it's not like we cede control when we play these games. Of the bunch, The Witcher's Geralt is probably the most clearly defined, but the series is known for its gut-punching choices—your Geralt is probably a lot like my Geralt, but the adventures we have with him will still deviate quite a bit.
In Disco and Planescape, it's even more pronounced. Harry and The Nameless One have an established history and relationships, but the moment we take control we're given a great deal of freedom. Playing Disco as a hardcore communist with a side gig in paranormal investigations is a completely different experience from a fascist Judge Dredd-style playthrough.
Do I actually prefer oranges? My whole world has been turned upside down. But wait, Baldur's Gate 3 is probably the greatest RPG ever made, and it achieves so much, and is so full of character, even when you're playing as a blank slate. Oh no, maybe I'm a fruit salad guy? I guess I'll need to make a third option for the poll.
Anyway! While I try to figure out where I stand, exactly, you should start pondering this yourself. Let us know which side you land on in the poll above, and then hit up the comments for a friendly debate.
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