The great RPG debate: Defined playable characters or blank slates?

What makes a better RPG: a pre-defined protagonist with an immutable history and personality, or a blank slate you can mould? Blank-slate games often offer broader roleplaying options and replay value—Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, Dragon Age (to a degree), Fallout and Skyrim are given as examples.

Still, some of the most memorable stories come from titles with more defined leads, such as Mass Effect, The Witcher, Disco Elysium and Planescape Torment. These games may trade off some buildcrafting freedom, but they repay that with resonant stories and evocative writing.

You don't completely cede control: The Witcher's Geralt is clearly characterised, yet the series' gut‑punching choices ensure different players' Geralts diverge in their adventures. The contrast is even starker in Disco Elysium and Planescape Torment.

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