People like video games that are engaging, part of which is due to the interesting characters these games have. These characters have distinctive features and design, which make them memorable and popular. Some of the popular video game characters, like Mario, Link, Geralt and others, all have this in common. Their character design is unique and relevant to the world they belong.
Designing a video game character that people will remember, love and relate to is no easy task. Apart from giving them a distinctive personality, you also need to give them a distinctive look. This comes from several trial and error. It is possible that no popular video game characters you know of got their design in the first try.
To make things slightly easier for you, here are some tips on designing a memorable video game character.
Design Accordingly
When designing a video game character, first you need to analyze the type of game and the world the character belongs. The type of game will also help you in understanding your game’s target audience, which is another important factor to consider. For example, Mario is aimed at younger audience. The world of Mario is colorful and fun, which is reflected in Mario’s character design. Similar, Geralt belongs to a world that is dark, gritty and violent. The game, The Witcher, is aimed at adult audience. This is reflected in Geralt’s character design.
Make Your Character Distinct
Since there are so many video game characters out there, it is not easy to create a character that is different from others. This difference can be brought by giving your character a distinctive design. All popular video game characters have some distinctive feature in their character design. For example, Mario’s unique design characteristic is his mustache and cap. Either of these two design elements is enough to recognize the character. If you want to make your character recognizable, you need to give them some unique design characteristic as well.
Decide on Colors
Colors are another key design element that makes a video game character likable. Colors help in communicating the personality of a character. For example, dark colors, like purple, are mostly associated with characters who are an antagonist in a video game. Whereas, light colors like blue, are mostly associated with protagonist characters or those who have a good personality. You can check out character designs of Mario and Wario. Both have contrasting colors and personality. Mario and has red and blue color theme, while Wario has yellow and purple color theme.