I always make a male and female character and give them the same name from my other games if possible (I gave them personality/backstories in my head, dont ask). And sometimes I make multiple characters from different classes, species, races, skin colors etc. and if I feel creative, their back story/bio. Helps if one is a creative person that likes to write stories.
I play female characters because I will get distracted by hot male characters. I routinely get mauled in Silent Hill 2 because I’m too busy admiring James Sunderland’s impeccable form and not the mannequin around the corner. God, I’d let that man smother me