The player character in a game can be a point of identification for some players, where the character they play serves as an extension that allows the player to experience the world of the game. However, having the player character be identifiable with the player is not a necessary experience for all players. For some players, there is no need to identify with the player they play as. From reading Shaw, he surmises that the differences may be between the socially interactive aspects of a game versus the narrative aspects of the game. More specifically, social aspects help more to allow players to identify as the character they play as, while narrative aspects help more to allow players to identify with the character they play as.

I think that games that emphasize player freedom and social situations are more likely to create scenarios where players see themselves more as the character they play as, rather than a character separate from themselves. The freedom gives the player character a blank slate in terms of personality and appearance, which the players can impose themselves onto. In a way, it allows players to insert themselves into the story and create the story around them. Meanwhile, games with strong narratives also tend to borrow more practices from stories of other fictional media, where stories from books and films emphasize a protagonist with a fleshed out personality and background. As such, there are narratively emphasized games where the player character already has a story of their own outside of the player. 

However, this does not mean that a player character with an already defined personality and background cannot be identifiable with the player. Like other forms of fictional media, many people have found protagonists identifiable even with differing backgrounds. 

In addition, games with more freedom of customization does not automatically mean that the player will create a character that the player can identify as. I have created characters where I wanted to follow a theme and created based on a backstory I made up in my head. 

Another thing is that some games that are very narrative heavy still contain player characters as blank slates that are meant for the player to impose themselves on and identify as. The example that I can think of off the top of my head is Undertale, where the player character is displayed as racially and gender ambiguous, with no outward discernible personality. However, the story of the game is one of the most important aspects of it. However, I feel that the lack of customization in the game still prevents true freedom from the player to identify with the player character.

There is also the problem where some games that offer player customization do not offer enough design options that allow the player to create a character that they want to play. A key example is World of Warcraft’s customizer for female characters, where for most races, the female versions have similar body shapes. There is also the issue where body shapes cannot be adjusted in World of Warcraft (Brett, 2). 

I think because games are different from other mediums, where the audience can create an embodied experience of a narrative, the subject of identity and representation is important. It allows players to feel represented from their own customization, as well as to push players’ creativity with creating their own narratives.

Sources:

Shaw, Adrienne. “He Could Be a Bunny Rabbit for All I Care!” Gaming at the Edge, 2015, pp. 97–146., doi:10.5749/minnesota/9780816693153.003.0004.

Brett, Noel. Revision of Queer Bodies: Modifications of Sexual Affordances in World of Warcraft.