DC Super Hero Character Creator Game

Creating a Character in DC Universe Online

When players first step into the world of DC Universe Online, they will do so in an avatar character of their own creation. Of course, there is no point in being part of a comic book world unless you have powers of your own. DCUO provides its players with a pretty great character creation tool that allows you to mold and shape the hero or villain that you can choose to become for the rest of the game. Those of you with a bit of experience with both the DC comics fandom and with playing MMORPGs will find the system pretty to get around in. But for the rest of you just starting out, here is a quick primer on what you should expect.

Big Decisions, Small Decisions

Hero or villain, light or dark -like the big character shaping moments in an origin story, your character creation process truly begins with this choice: will you fight to for the good of all mankind, or will you use your powers for your own personal gain? Unlike most MMORPGs that instantly places players in the role of a protagonist, DCUO's hero or villain choice gives players a choice. And this matters; sure, you will still meet Superman, Lex Luthor, Batman, Joker, and other major characters no matter which side you choose. What you choice determines is who will be fighting alongside with, and who you will be fighting against.

Once you have decided which side to pick, you will have to choose between various power options, modes of mobility, the general look of your character when you first start out, and of course, your character name. Just note that character name selection may take a while as there is always a chance of having a duplicate name already existing.

Release Date: Released on: 11/01/2011

Available on: PS4, PS3, Windows, PC Download

Critics Rating: 4.0/5

Gameplay & Character Creation Video

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Parts and Pieces

Your character's outfit gets improved as you play the game, but you also have a good choice of starting options to dress up nicely. From head to toe, players get to deck out their characters with gear for the head, face, back, hands, chest, legs, waist, and feet. There are even options for your own emblem.

Speaking of look, your skin and hair are not restricted to normal fleshy Earthling options either (but yes, various regular human skin and hair types are available). You can make your character skin to be made of non-organic elements or go for an alien look. Though do note that despite the big visual change, these are aesthetic factors only and having a stone skin will not increase your natural defense stat.

Well That Looks Familiar

While it is possible to fully customize a player character, those of you who feel inspired by existing characters can choose to go with a preset template. This means that the game already gives you a good set of gloves and boots or a matching cape -saving you the time of having to sort through dozens of options. In fact, we highly recommend taking this route even if you have no specific preference of an existing DC character style.

Note that while the inspired by styles are similar, these are not exactly picture perfect copies. There are still a few tweaks that can be done to either make the player character look a little closer to the original (or a lot more different depending on your preference). The key is in using the color customization tool -tweaking the color of gear will allow you to make certain parts of it stand out or be hidden. Do not be afraid to spend time experimenting with it.

Aside from a character's physical looks and clothing, this preset also has powers, and weapon/armor styles already selected. As templates, these can still be edited to the player's specific needs but at least it provides new users with a rough idea of possible combinations. Available here are Batman, Joker, Catwoman, Bane, Mister Freeze, Flash, Martian Manhunter, Superman, Lex Luthor, Wonder Woman, Beast Boy, Steel, Green Arrow, Deathstroke, and Circe. Other character inspirations are also available via DLC packs.

Going Meta

As expected, your DCUO character will have powers and abilities that make them different from normal humans. In-comics, the heroes and villains rarely ever get to choose what abilities they have; on the other hand, players will have the power of choice. Choosing a power also means determining your role in a combat party -tank, healer, or controller. Depending on the power you choose, you will fall into one of the three possible roles.

Aside from choosing a power, players also have to choose a movement mode and a weapon style. As the names imply, these will determine how you move around in the map and which types of weapons your character will equip. Movement also provides players with varying abilities depending on whether they are acrobats, flyers, or speedsters. For reference, acrobats are based on characters like Batman and Green Lantern, speedsters are like Flash, and flyers are like Superman (no, not like leaflets) -and much like the iconic heroes, choosing a mode grants similar traits (acrobats use gadgets like rockets and gliders, speeders are able to run up walls and more, and flyers are able to divebomb and perform other maneuvers).

A Path Wide Open

Creating your own comic book character with DCUO's system is a fun and intriguing process that is likely to inspire players to try out a wide variety of combinations. With all the choices possible, it is easy to lose hours in it (especially when you mix and match 'attitudes' with various 'mobility' options). Experimentation with the gear and color settings is an addictively rewarding process as well (as it often 'unlocks' new looks that are otherwise not possible in conventional settings). So where does all this effort go to? Well that often leads to the creation of the DC character you were always meant to be -and that makes all the effort worth it.