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Interesting playable races in games

Papa_LouPapa_Lou Member Posts: 263
Hey all.

My re-discovered love of roguelikes brought me to the wonderful world of Maj'Eyal, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. While playing Tales of Maj'Eyal, I've come across several unlockables, mostly classes and small campaigns. However, I've also discovered that there are several races I can unlock to play as with future characters (I play on permadeath mode, in favour of a more traditional roguelike experience, so I'll likely be creating plenty of new characters).

One such race is the yeeks. They're little white-furred yeti-esque creatures, and I thought they were really uniqe and interesting, especially compared to the typical human, elf, dwarf, and halfling setup you start the game with.

In the same breath, yetis are also a playable race, which is something I don't think I've seen in any other game, ever.

And it got me thinking - What other cool playable races are there out there? Many games tend to stick with what people are familiar with, or just make small changes to the norm. Dragon Age, for example, stuck with humans, elves, and dwarves, and later introduced the qunari as a playable race. I think that's pretty standard procedure, and can still make for a really fun game if done right, much like Dragon Age did.

My mind instantly goes to World of Warcraft, which I've only played for a total of maybe five hours. I have to admit, though, I certainly like the idea of playable goblins, as well as pandapeople and blue alien creatures (draenai, I believe they're called).

What fun races have you seen in video games? What are some of your go-to races?
ThacoBellKamigoroshi[Deleted User]Zaghoul

Comments

  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    Oh man, welcome to ToMe! Its super fun and there are many many races and classes waiting for you to discover.
    Papa_LouZaghoul
  • Papa_LouPapa_Lou Member Posts: 263
    @ThacoBell thank you! I'm definitely enjoying it so far, though my only characters have been two cornac bulwarks, and now a halfling rogue, who I appropriately named Montaron. B)
    ThacoBell
  • KamigoroshiKamigoroshi Member Posts: 5,870
    edited August 2017
    My top 10 in no particular order:
    • Thri-kreen of Dark Sun Series' fame are always nice to have around. That's a classic which never gets old!
    • Warforged! How could I ever say 'no' to sentient golems as playable race? They were the very reason I played DDO!
    • The Ursines of Witanlore: Dreamtime lean also more on the unique side. Being humanoid bears as their name suggest.
    • Skaven! And more skaven! Warhammer is a treasure trove of interesting playable races. Did I mention the skaven yet?
    • Argonians of course also need to be on the list. That's a race everyone should be familiar with after all. ;)
    • Goblins and orcs too. Best game with playable gobs was Styx: Master of Shadows methinks. And Of Orcs and Men of course for orcs. Honourable mentioning goes to Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir and its inclusion of full-blooded orcs as playable race.
    • Then there's this mysterious playable race in Project Wight developed by The Outsiders. It will be quite entertaining to experience an RPG through the eyes of an monster species hunted almost to extincion by humans, I'm sure.
    • And how could I ever forget the Goat Simulator with its playable goats? Good times...
    • Anyone still remembers Ecco the Dolphin? No other video game did playable dolphins quite as that series.
    Papa_Lou[Deleted User]ZaghoulThacoBell
  • Papa_LouPapa_Lou Member Posts: 263
    Wow, I remember playing Ecco the Dolphin on my cousin's old Sega Saturn (I think it was a Saturn, anyway). Talk about a blast from the past. :D
    Kamigoroshi
  • WarChiefZekeWarChiefZeke Member Posts: 2,651
    E.V.O: The search for Eden has a cool main character. You play as an evolving fish, amphibian, reptile, and mammal, whose features and attributes are up to you.
    ArctodusThacoBell[Deleted User]
  • ShikaoShikao Member Posts: 376
    From races not yet mentioned the only one that comes to my just awoken mind - Miraluka in The Old Republic (though we get to know them in KoTOR2 already) - blind race that sees through The Force
  • SkatanSkatan Member, Moderator Posts: 5,352
    edited August 2017
    I haven't played that many interresting races actually. I think most game creators are really scared to create interesting ones, maybe due to the difficulty of balance etc. I never played it that much, some friends did though, but I remember the old MMO Dark ages of Camelot had some cool races like trolls and kobolds IIRC.

    Edit: here they are;
    darkageofcamelot.com/content/classes-races
  • ZaghoulZaghoul Member, Moderator Posts: 3,938
    I'm making my way through the Complete Book Of Humanoids (and more) adapting and playing them the best I can to BG.
    Having EEKper and some of the matching paper dolls has been a great help. Lately it has been the Beastman (as a bounty hunter and a feralan). I'm also trying to figure out the lil Fremlin and deal with his immunity normal weapons, so tougher.

    The Ogre WS was a nice run, almost like playing a new game with the role playing involved to give it atmosphere.
    Some take adapting to changes and lower stats, but the ideas they bring are worth every bit. Playing with all the negatives given in the book, and the superstitions, just make them all the more interesting.

    Another favorite is the Kuo-toans, which I see as the Deep Ones from Lovecraft.
    The tiny, the big, and the strange, all good stuff.
    Anyway, so many possibilities and it is freshening up the game for me as well. I can't get it all perfect but who cares, it's mighty fun. :)
    KamigoroshiThacoBellBalrog99
  • KamigoroshiKamigoroshi Member Posts: 5,870
    Come to think of it, another interesting race I vastly enjoyed playing was using the CEP's/PRC's Wemic race in Neverwinter Nights. Playable feline races are as numerous as the stars, especially in JRPG's. But centauric lions?

    Now that's unique!

    SkatanZaghoulBalrog99
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,315
    Papa_Lou said:

    Wow, I remember playing Ecco the Dolphin on my cousin's old Sega Saturn (I think it was a Saturn, anyway). Talk about a blast from the past. :D

    It wasn't released on the Saturn so it might have been the Sega Genesis. Wikipedia (the most trusted source for all things :) ) seems to confirm this as well. That's certainly where I played it anyways.
  • KamigoroshiKamigoroshi Member Posts: 5,870
    edited August 2017
    elminster said:

    Papa_Lou said:

    Wow, I remember playing Ecco the Dolphin on my cousin's old Sega Saturn (I think it was a Saturn, anyway). Talk about a blast from the past. :D

    It wasn't released on the Saturn so it might have been the Sega Genesis. Wikipedia (the most trusted source for all things :) ) seems to confirm this as well. That's certainly where I played it anyways.
    Yeah, it was released on Sega Mega Drive (aka Genesis in case of NA gamers). Loved that console to death when I was a brat. My favourites probably were Shining Force, Phantasy Star II, Lemmings and the Ecco games. Honourable mentioning goes to The Ooze, cause it was so bad that it was funny. :P
  • Papa_LouPapa_Lou Member Posts: 263
    @elminster you're right, it was the Genesis! I also remember he had Vectorman (possibly the second one).

    Makes me want to go buy one of those classic systems. :D
  • DreadKhanDreadKhan Member Posts: 3,857
    Hengeyokai were pretty interesting, having an animal form as well as a 'human' and hybrid. The animals were all smaller and largely non-dangerous, but offered both interesting roleplay (how 'animal' they are) and some gameplay options, mostly from having a form that likely is better at infiltrating/scouting.
    Vallmyr
  • VallmyrVallmyr Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 2,457
    Hengeyokai are a favorite of mine alongside Pathfinder's Kitsune. It's a shame that neither are in any video games as far as I'm aware of. I think the closest would be modded races in Morrowind, Oblivion, or Skyrim.
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