The best RPG games where you can play as different races

One of the best parts of immersing yourself in an RPG is creating your character, down to the intricate details of hair, eye color, and whether you're human or one of the many races that inhabit the environment.

Many of these games play with the fact that you can be any of these races as part of the story. Some of the dialogue options and choices will also change depending on your chosen character. It also determines what kind of skills, abilities and weapons can work for you.

8 The Lord of the Rings online

The Free Peoples of Middle Earth are all mostly featured in the Lord of the Rings MMO experience. You have Hobbits of the Shire, Dwarves of Erebor and Moria, Noldor Alves and Sindarin Alves, Men in general and Beornings, which are skin eaters that can turn into bears.

Along with the different races, you can also choose their home of origin, which can automatically change some parts of their base appearance. Men of the Dunedain would be taller, Elves from Lindon and Rivendell are said to be well-read, which is good for spells, and Shirefolk would be skilled at gathering supplies and tools.

Certain classes also work better for certain racial archetypes, such as Hunter Elves, Champion Men, and Guardian Dwarves.

7 Black Desert Online

This MMO High Fantasy RPG revolves around the war between the Republic of Calpheon and the Kingdom of Valencia. In the conflict, you can choose several classes of characters, and each class represents one of the many races and genders of the people in the world.

Interestingly, compared to most MMORPGs, you don't really choose what race or gender your chosen class is, but you can customize their appearance. Various examples of classes representing different races include Rangers, which are elves, Valkyrie maidens, and Berserkers, which are reminiscent of Conan the Barbarian.

Other interesting races attached to the classes are Dark Knights, who were female elves blessed with the moon, and regular human warriors.

During the beginning of your adventures in Elder Scrolls Online, you are an immortal remnant who takes the form of one of the many races of Tamriel. You can choose the main race and even choose a specific sub-race to give your character a defined background. Humans are common all over Tamriel, and there are many types such as Nords, Redguards, and Imperials.

The other races you can play are the Mer, the elven archetypes of this world. There are Altmers, who are high elves, Bosmers, who are wood elves, and Dunmers, who are dark elves. The classic archetypes of dwarves and orcs are placed in the Mer classification. Both are Dwemer and Orsimer respectively. The Beastfolk include the cat-like Khajiit, and the Lizardfolk are called the Argonians.

5 Dragon Age Inquisition

Dragon Age Inquisition lets you play the Inquisitor, who can be any of the four available races. Each of the four races has a special racial bonus to their stats, which gives details about your chosen classes and playstyle. Whichever of them you play also immerses you in the contextual conflicts they may have with themselves and each other.

Playing as an elf in this universe, for example, will be an uphill battle when it comes to dealing with demonic encroachment and prejudice from people in towns.

Humans are relatively adaptable for all classes. Their racial bonus is 1 bonus point. Elves are good for skilled playstyles and have 25 percent damage resistance from ranged attacks. Dwarves are physical powerhouses with no magical abilities, but they gain 25 percent damage resistance to magical attacks.

The Qunari are playable for the first time in the series, and they are the tallest of the playable races, with large horns on their heads.

4 Final Fantasy 14

Eorzea is populated with tons of people and types of people that you can play as on your journey through a realm that has suffered disaster and rebirth. There are eight playable races divided into two clans of humans. Updates and additions to the game included many things that were not originally there during the launch of Final Fantasy XIV.

Each race takes a cue from the classic selections of races in the Fantasy genre with their names and physical twists. Humans are known as Hyurs, Elves are Elezen, and Miqo'te have feline features such as ears and tails. The childlike lalfels look like a combination of dwarves and halflings. Au Ra are akin to Dragonborns in their draconic qualities, and Roegadyn resemble goliaths from D&D.

There are also rabbit-eared Viera and lion-faced Hrothgar. All races have options for different classes that work for them and different customization options for their unique appearance.

3 World of Warcraft

The world of Azeroth is full of conflicting ambitions between the Alliance and the Horde. There are fourteen playable races, seven for each faction, and they all have special attributes and customization options for you to make your unique hero.

The Alliance faction consists of humans, dwarves, night elves, elves, dranaeis, worgens, and panderans. Residents affiliated with the Horde are orcs, goblins, undead, blood elves, taurens, goblins, and other panderans.

Through the many expansions and additional content, World of Warcraft has included six additional members of each faction. Each is introduced in the many expansions showcased for the ever-changing MMO experience. The Alliance's new allies are the Void Elves, Light-Forged Dranaeis, Dark Iron Dwarves, Kul Tiran, Mechagnomes and Earthens.

The new members of the Horde include Nightborne, High Mountain Tauren, Mag'har Orc, Zandalari Trolls, Vulpera and Earthen.

2 Divinity: Original Sin 2

In Divinity: Original Sin 2, you can choose to either play as one of the six Origin characters presented to you or make your own with multiple race and class options. This is somewhat similar to Baldur's Gate 3, and it is recommended for any player who wants similar customization options.

When creating your own character, you can choose from four distinct races: Dwarves, Lizardmen, Humans, and Elves. Undead technically count as an addition to all of them, but they're just the bone warrior versions of them. Each race has distinct stats and skills that make them effective with certain classes you can choose.

1 Baldur's Gate 3

Because Baldur's Gate 3 uses a lot of Dungeon & Dragons freedom for customization and systems, it's one of the most expansive character creations out there, even without mods. You can customize all basic attributes by race, followed by a sub-race that gives a detailed background to your character. An example of this would be a half-elf who is part of the high elf lineage.

You can choose virtually every aspect of your chosen character's lifestyle and origins, between binary or non-binary genders, aspects of their past that change their affiliation, conversation trees, and how well the dice roll works for you. Every aspect of your experience in Baldur's Gate is highly customized to your wishes from the start.

In many ways, it mirrors how character sheets for D&D would work for players new to the tabletop experience. The race you choose can also affect how certain NPCs respond to you. For example, being a Drow tends to make everyone fearful or suspicious and puts you in a position where you can rise above the stereotype or succumb to it.