100% THIS!
Funny enough the main protagonist is voiced in childhood flashbacks... Just weird.
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Why do silent protagonists still exist
- Thread starter Revolsin
- Start date
Funny enough the main protagonist is voiced in childhood flashbacks... Just weird.
This is how i feel about dead space 1 and 2. He seemed cool and bad ass in the first game and then just seemed like a cheesy dork and not as badass in the second game and not how i envisioned his voice and personality.
Of course, and those stylistic decisions can be moronic. Like they often are. Have you played BF4 campaign or Metro Exodus? Silent protagonist actively destroys immersion.
yep. it's super funny how it annoys many people tho, i hope it continues.
at least to me, most of the time i prefer a silent protagonist over some bozo who won't shut the fuck up. even worse is the protagonists who talk to themselves like lunatics while they walk around.
You are using a Zero avatar. Do you really need Zero to talk in order to play with him?
I even disable voices in most RPGs, I prefer the written format.
So to answer your question: Not everything needs to be spoken.
I haven't, but "immersion" is completely subjective. I personally find silent protagonists way more immersive, they just work for me. I also usually prefer games with no VA because I feel more immersion when reading text boxes, like if I was reading a book. Having characters speak sounds cheesy for me most of the time, I can't really explain why.
That too. Elma exists as the main character of the story while your avatar is the main character of the sidequests. It's harder to imagine Elma doing all the different sidequests you do because she has a set personality and so some of the choices you can make would be really out of character for her.
I feel like this misses the entire point of a silent protagonist. Making the character mute in-universe creates something entirely different from what a silent protagonist is supposed to be.
The justification for your protagonist being silent is that they aren't silent at all. They do speak. Rather you speak through them. You're supposed to imagine yourself through them, which I would argue is far more immersive than watching a protagonist that isn't you speak on their own behalf.
You literally say this about anything. Most things can work if it's done well.
I don't like silent protagonist too.
It breaks immersion for me. Persona 5 made me angry because of it.
And people saying it's better than terrible character with bad voice acting, sure. But that doesn't mean silents protagonists are good, just that it can be worse.
However, sometimes, it can work but it's rare. For example Link in the Wind Waker. But it works because he is a kid, it's cell-shading and he has very strong expressions.
EDIT : It's a really divisive topic I see. It's interesting to see the reasons of why people like silent protagonists. Personally, when I play a silent protagonist, I don't imagine myself talking through him. I never feel like I am the character. I just see a guy who can't talk but who still end up being a leader and having his way, so it doesn't makes sense to me. I feel way more immersed and caring about the protagonist if he talks.
It breaks immersion for me. Persona 5 made me angry because of it.
And people saying it's better than terrible character with bad voice acting, sure. But that doesn't mean silents protagonists are good, just that it can be worse.
However, sometimes, it can work but it's rare. For example Link in the Wind Waker. But it works because he is a kid, it's cell-shading and he has very strong expressions.
EDIT : It's a really divisive topic I see. It's interesting to see the reasons of why people like silent protagonists. Personally, when I play a silent protagonist, I don't imagine myself talking through him. I never feel like I am the character. I just see a guy who can't talk but who still end up being a leader and having his way, so it doesn't makes sense to me. I feel way more immersed and caring about the protagonist if he talks.
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You should play them and see them change your mind.
"How are you doing my love?"
.........
"Anyways, Miller wants to talk you"
Great emotional bonding with my wife there.
OP
OP
I mean protagonists who don't talk at all, not voices. Like when a character asks you a question and you nod or pick super basic responses.
And on that note, yeah Zero talking was pretty cool in his series. Like it kind of would've worked otherwise, but we got to actually see the dude build relationships and develop as a character instead.
I still remember the infamous quote from the last game "I never cared about justice, and I don't recall ever calling myself a hero... I have always only fought for the people I believe in. I won't hesitate... If an enemy appears in front of me, I will destroy it!"
Now that shit's badass.
I don't know if this character would work so well with voice acting. I can see the point for a game like Persona, though.
I wonder how Pokémon with voice acting would be like. It could work very well or very bad. For some reason, I don't see a middle ground with that one.
It's already been said in this thread, but the silent protagonist is supposed to be you. When other characters are talking, they're talking to you.
It's a stylistic choice, and it's not going anywhere.
It's a stylistic choice, and it's not going anywhere.
Silent protags are fine as long as they have plenty of dialogue choices, like in Fallout New Vegas.
It's the shit where there's no dialogue choices and characters decipher your blank silence, ellipsis, and nods are actual dialogue, that pisses me off. At that point, you're not role playing as a silent protag, you're just watching a mute who can somehow psychically tell everyone what they want to say.
"Hey MC, what did you say?"
"...."
"Oh, you think I did the right thing by lying to my parents? Thanks, your the best friend ever."
No, I think you're a piece of shit.
It's the shit where there's no dialogue choices and characters decipher your blank silence, ellipsis, and nods are actual dialogue, that pisses me off. At that point, you're not role playing as a silent protag, you're just watching a mute who can somehow psychically tell everyone what they want to say.
"Hey MC, what did you say?"
"...."
"Oh, you think I did the right thing by lying to my parents? Thanks, your the best friend ever."
No, I think you're a piece of shit.
All games dont need to be the same, options are a good thing. Also...
I HATE THIS TROPE EXCEPT THE TIMES I DONT
Yikes at some of the opinions on here. Also thought saying devs were lazy could get you in trouble but on multiple occasions people have done it.
Also characters with dialog options are not silent having any issues with that is more about them being voiced or the writing done for them. Also the metro series is hard to count as a silent protagonist because he's talked in every loading screen for the series
Silent protagonist work in the same sense that the mad max series work. While max is not silent he says very little. What makes them similar is a lot of times you are just an observer to the world and characters around you. You are an integral part of the story but it's not solely about you.
Characters don't need to add dialog to moments that have already said what needs to be said and sometimes actions will say a lot more than words.
Also characters with dialog options are not silent having any issues with that is more about them being voiced or the writing done for them. Also the metro series is hard to count as a silent protagonist because he's talked in every loading screen for the series
Silent protagonist work in the same sense that the mad max series work. While max is not silent he says very little. What makes them similar is a lot of times you are just an observer to the world and characters around you. You are an integral part of the story but it's not solely about you.
Characters don't need to add dialog to moments that have already said what needs to be said and sometimes actions will say a lot more than words.
I played BotW, does that count? Like, I do understand how awkward it can feel to some people to have a silent protagonist when everyone else talks, but it only bothers me when there's VA involved, which is why I hate that BotW had it. I don't want Link to start talking next game, but I also don't want this mishmash of silent Link and voice acted characters because I know it's awkward, just keep everyone silent like before =P
Edit: Actually, on second thought, it depends on the game for me. Portal 2 had VA but I was totally fine with Chell being silent.
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I prefer silent protagonists
When protagonists have a voice there's far more Asbels then there are Yuri Lowells
When protagonists have a voice there's far more Asbels then there are Yuri Lowells
A sister trope of this that really bugs me is the concept of characters without a canon name (ie, a player-specified name) that leads to ridiculous dialogue situations where your character is only ever addressed by title, even when talking to their romantic interest or close friends. The companion conversations that I had with Hawke or Shepard where people actually referred to me by name were infinitely more naturalistic than everyone who referred to me as The Hero of Fereldan, Inquisitor, or freelancer.
What happens when you're not a straight white dude or whatever else the character is when the game doesn't offer customisation options?
Like for me, it's kind of hard to think say Link as myself when I'm not a man.
I'm not against silent protagonists as I've said before in this thread, but I do really feel the reasoning of "it's meant to be you" falls flat when a lot of these games don't even bother to give you options to customise who it is.
Honest question, because I really find the concept bizarre: for people who view silent protagonists in this light, are you role-playing to the degree that you come up with your own responses? Do you talk to to the TV screen in an Elizabethan dialect?
For me, it tends to depend on what sort of game it is. There's certain genres or styles where I don't question my character not having a voice. I actually like first-person (or isometric) RPGs when the player-character isn't voiced. I guess I don't really expect to hear my dialogue options read out loud back to me after I select them. Immersive sims or FPS I could go either way on (I guess it depends if it has third person cutscenes or not). Third-person games feel the weirdest when the protagonist isn't voiced. All just personal preference, I guess.
I think attributing not providing a voice as merely a budget concern is a little silly though.
I think attributing not providing a voice as merely a budget concern is a little silly though.
I don't see the point of having silent protagonists in a game like Persona. I appreciate you are given the opportunity to self-insert whatever you want the character to be in some scenes but for the main plot, the storyline is driving whatever actions and dialogue you make.
It's fine for other games though, especially in cases where full customization of the player's avatar is in the player's hand.
It's fine for other games though, especially in cases where full customization of the player's avatar is in the player's hand.
I would imagine that most people here are saying that silent protagonists are protagonists that don't have VA
If you let me create myself, give me dialogue choices.
If there's a fixed design and name, give them a personality and voice.
If there's a fixed design and name, give them a personality and voice.
Pretty much. The New Vegas protag may not have a voice actor deliver their lines but they're still a CHARACTER.
Dead-eyed robots who never react to anything or respond to anyone even when being directly spoken to are the problem specifically, not characters without voice actors.
Generally I prefer non voiced protagonists in RPGs if they're allowing for a bunch of character customization and so on. But I also think there is a misnomer for some games having main characters labeled as "Silent Protagonists" as opposed to being non voiced. In something like New Vegas or Dragon Age: Origins, your playable character isn't silent- they're speaking to characters and communicating within the game world via dialogue options, its just non voiced. To me , that's fine and often preferable in RPGs with dialogue options. I like being able to see all of the dialogue options presented to me, so that I know what all of my options are, even if I don't pick certain choices. Its better than the BioWare style dialogue wheel with the sometimes inaccurate paraphrases that lead to your character doing something unexpected.
Actual Silent Protagonists like Gordon Freeman or Isaac Clarke in Dead Space 1 are ok too. Those are characters that literally just do not speak in their games and are acknowledged as not speaking in the game world by other characters. To me, it kind of just depends on how chatty the characters are if you're going to voice them. Voicing Isaac Clarke in Dead Space 2 and 3 didn't add that much to the game and ended up making those games less scary when Isaac was just chattering all the time.
But games like The Witcher or Alpha Protocol work just fine with voiced protagonists because in the case of the Witcher you're dealing with a more set protagonist in Geralt and Alpha Protocol worked great because it actually evolved BioWare's dialogue wheel into something that felt more natural.
Actual Silent Protagonists like Gordon Freeman or Isaac Clarke in Dead Space 1 are ok too. Those are characters that literally just do not speak in their games and are acknowledged as not speaking in the game world by other characters. To me, it kind of just depends on how chatty the characters are if you're going to voice them. Voicing Isaac Clarke in Dead Space 2 and 3 didn't add that much to the game and ended up making those games less scary when Isaac was just chattering all the time.
But games like The Witcher or Alpha Protocol work just fine with voiced protagonists because in the case of the Witcher you're dealing with a more set protagonist in Geralt and Alpha Protocol worked great because it actually evolved BioWare's dialogue wheel into something that felt more natural.
I'll just copy & paste my posts from previous threads:
If you don't know what people are thinking and assume that means they're dumb, your life must be astoundingly stressful.
It doesn't increase immersion at all!?
Have you ever played Dead Space?
It does increase immersion if it's done right. If a game tries and fails by design then...
Honestly I'm more immersed with a silent player character than one that is voiced (especially when they act very counter to what I would). Not that I mind voiced characters either, I just find I am more immersed (as in I feel like I'm there) when they are silent. And it's more like I'm playing a storybook with cool game elements when they talk.
There's "it's meant to be you" and there's also "you're meant to be them."
In the case of Link, you're supposed to be Link rather than Link being you. When it's a customizable avatar, then it's more that the avatar is you.
Sure, yeah. When a character says or does something in a game, I definitely have a thought or feeling on it. I mean, don't most people? I think the difference is with a silent protagonist I'm more likely to feel like things happen to me while with a voiced protagonist, I feel things happened to a character. It's a feeling a compartmentalize differently.
I don't speak out loud most of the time though, I think it in my head. If you think I'm trying to have actual coherent conversations with the game, no, but I do "respond." It's about the feeling rather than actually trying to act out a conversation with characters in a game. I don't need to do that because it's for me, not for you, the onlooker.
While I generally prefer not to have a silent protagonist, it can be done well.
But I think a lot of places where other people think it's done well, are not examples of that at all. Like Half Life. In the first game, Gordon's locker has a picture of a baby in it. Gordon went to MIT. There are pieces of his history. People react to him like he's been working there for at least a while, yet aren't wondering why the hell I don't know where the hell I'm going, or who the picture in my locker is. Like... Gordon is treated like an established character but he's a blank slate to me.
Samus in Metroid Prime. There's a game where it works perfectly.
Metro Exodus gets it very wrong.
First of all, your character narrates events during loading screens, so he has a voice and a personality. But inbetween the cutscenes it goes really wrong. Like a character asks you to go and convince another character that you should let a lady come along on the train, and you just go and stand their silently, while someone else makes the case, then the person who asked you to do it, thanks you, as if you'd done it.
That stuff is much more distracting to me, than a character shouting out something at a time I wouldn't have.
But I think a lot of places where other people think it's done well, are not examples of that at all. Like Half Life. In the first game, Gordon's locker has a picture of a baby in it. Gordon went to MIT. There are pieces of his history. People react to him like he's been working there for at least a while, yet aren't wondering why the hell I don't know where the hell I'm going, or who the picture in my locker is. Like... Gordon is treated like an established character but he's a blank slate to me.
Samus in Metroid Prime. There's a game where it works perfectly.
Metro Exodus gets it very wrong.
First of all, your character narrates events during loading screens, so he has a voice and a personality. But inbetween the cutscenes it goes really wrong. Like a character asks you to go and convince another character that you should let a lady come along on the train, and you just go and stand their silently, while someone else makes the case, then the person who asked you to do it, thanks you, as if you'd done it.
That stuff is much more distracting to me, than a character shouting out something at a time I wouldn't have.
I like them. With the horrible script writers in the game industry, it's better when the charecters talk less.
Voice acting has been something of a curse on player choice and storytelling because its so expensive to voice everything versus just having text. As a result, a lot of stories become much more linear and take less advantage of the medium. All in pursuit of "playing a movie"
As for JRPG style silent protagonists, well, you could try projecting some personality onto them rather than being a completely passive observer. Engage with the medium
As for JRPG style silent protagonists, well, you could try projecting some personality onto them rather than being a completely passive observer. Engage with the medium
