You can't get anywhere in the game without choosing a character. Here's a guide to your choices. There are nine character types to choose from.
Hunters are close combat experts.
Rangers are proficient with guns and other distance weapons. It may take some experimentation and even restarting from scratch once or twice, but it shouldn't take long to find a character type that fits your playing style. However, they also cannot be poisoned or paralyzed, and they can see traps without the use of Trap Vision. It's important to keep this in mind when selecting your character. The standard human hunter.