Silent protagonists VS Heroes who talk

[Dagger Dias]

Every video game has a hero or some sort of protagonist, whether it be a character that the developers designed for you to play as and see the story unfold right by their side, or someone you generate at the new game menu to witness the game as first-hand. The generated heroes rarely talk since they are meant to be "you", although thanks to voice-overs they are not always silent. Then we have the medium between the two: Silent protagonists. A hero, already developed by the game's creators for you to play as, but unlike their, allies they never says a word other than possibly once as a joke (Chrono in Chrono Trigger) or only once or twice due typos (Ryu in Breath of Fire 1).

I always had a pet peeve about the silent protagonists. Everyone else in the game talks, why not them? It's not like the games where you generate your own hero at the beginning. These guys are pre-made and just never say anything. That type of hero is not so common anymore, but they used to be seen in many games. Now that voice-overs are an expected standard in games, silent protagonists seem to have become a thing of the past.

Link from Zelda is more or less still a silent protagonist. He makes noises when he attacks or is hit, etc, but he never says actual words. You talk to people in the game and somehow they already know what you are searching for. This to my knowledge has never been explained. It's amusing to poke fun at, and I doubt the series will ever change to where he talks normally, even in textbox form.


1. Are there any games you have played where the hero never speaks that you wish you could play a version where he/she does? Why or why not?

2. Which do you prefer? Heroes pre-made by the developers who develop on their own and speak normally, or heroes such as the ones you generate to be "you" and the silent protagonists who never speak? Why or why not?


Don't be a silent protagonist, come join in on this discussion!

 

[Paralyzer Z]

Every video game has a hero or some sort of protagonist, whether it be a character that the developers designed for you to play as and see the story unfold right by their side, or someone you generate at the new game menu to witness the game as first-hand. The generated heroes rarely talk since they are meant to be "you", although thanks to voice-overs they are not always silent. Then we have the medium between the two: Silent protagonists. A hero, already developed by the game's creators for you to play as, but unlike their, allies they never says a word other than possibly once as a joke (Chrono in Chrono Trigger) or only once or twice due typos (Ryu in Breath of Fire 1).

I always had a pet peeve about the silent protagonists. Everyone else in the game talks, why not them? It's not like the games where you generate your own hero at the beginning. These guys are pre-made and just never say anything. That type of hero is not so common anymore, but they used to be seen in many games. Now that voice-overs are an expected standard in games, silent protagonists seem to have become a thing of the past.

Link from Zelda is more or less still a silent protagonist. He makes noises when he attacks or is hit, etc, but he never says actual words. You talk to people in the game and somehow they already know what you are searching for. This to my knowledge has never been explained. It's amusing to poke fun at, and I doubt the series will ever change to where he talks normally, even in textbox form.


1. Are there any games you have played where the hero never speaks that you wish you could play a version where he/she does? Why or why not?

2. Which do you prefer? Heroes pre-made by the developers who develop on their own and speak normally, or heroes such as the ones you generate to be "you" and the silent protagonists who never speak? Why or why not?


Don't be a silent protagonist, come join in on this discussion!

Well in not going to be a silent protagnist!....though I am more of an antagonist.

1. The prime example of a chracter that doesnt speak that I wish could speak is pretty obvious;

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Jack ryan from bioshock. HE is one of the most powerful characters (well by the end of the game anyway) you will ever play as. Yet his lack of speech makes the player feel so isolated in rapture, which i guess is what is supposed to happen. If he were to speak it would make the story more interesting even though most of the game your are informed by pre-recorded audio diaries that people did knowing you would arive someday.

2. Protaganist that speak are far more interesting than those that do not. It adds to the personality or in some cases even gives them a personality at all. It allows you to connect more with the character than if you were simlply having your mind read by others. Even if they are generated by you, if you mean by customization there usually is not a lot of choices. Talkative protagnist make for a better game unless the story already does it for them (bioshock).

 

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1. Are there any games you have played where the hero never speaks that you wish you could play a version where he/she does? Why or why not?

Dear God no. Silent Protagonists these days are a diamond few. You rarely see them that much anymore as every character has to be the same badass character who can kill 60 guys in a minute while delivering dumb lines. Personalities can either make or ruin a game for example: Nolan North's voice acting really aided Uncharted with his snappy jokes whereas someone like Raiden from metal Gear Solid 2 with his constant moaning and child like attitude made the game really annoying at times. Characters who speak have worked well in the past with such fine examples like JC Denton from Deus Ex, badass Albert Wesker from the Resident Evil series, Three Dog from Fallout 3(who is just hilarious) and, I can't believe I'm saying this but Victor Reznov from Call Of Duty Black Ops. Yes it was a CoD game and it's multiplayer(Which is what the game is largely played for) was complete and utter shit with glitches, stupid trick shots and irrationally tiny maps but the story was excellent with Gary Oldman providing a great voice for a genuinely intriguing character with great support from Sam Worthington as out brainwashed protagonist. However a lot of characters are just your generic dreary monotonous characters like Markus Fenix from Gears of War, the guy from GTA IV or Jack Carver from Far Cry.

2. Which do you prefer? Heroes pre-made by the developers who develop on their own and speak normally, or heroes such as the ones you generate to be "you" and the silent protagonists who never speak? Why or why not?

I'm going to go with Silent Protagonists here by using as my example the best(And most true to the definition) Silent Protagonist in gamings history & my favourite character from my favourite game series: Gordon Freeman

Gordon Freeman is the best realized character in videogame history, and he is without a single line of dialogue. On Oct 2009, GameSpot users voted Gordon as "All Time Greatest Video Game Hero" Whether the voters were aware or not, Gordon winning is a testament to how strong of an impact Valve's perfected design philosophy of "never pulling the player out of the game" has on you throughout the Half-life experience. Half-life is never a passive experience; you exist in the world. The player is not portraying Gordon Freeman. Gordon Freeman is portraying the player. So you are Gordon, which in itself is a representation of the game as a whole, an embodiment of the experience's entirety.

Look at him! He's a far cry from the muscular machismo and implausibly proportioned heroes who traditionally make up the genre; in Freeman Valve managed to create one of the most unlikely heroes in gaming, while simultaneously one of the most believable. It would be a disservice to Freeman's laconic charm to say he's void of personality due to never uttering a word - or being directly seen, save for the box art and glimpses in sister titles Opposing Force and Blue Shift. In keeping Freeman mute and unseen, Valve cannily laid the groundwork for a character that players can fully embody, enabling each would-be Freeman to shape Gordon's persona themselves.

 

[Darkshot77]

The Silent Protagonist is a lost art these days, though can be pulled off in a few modern games. Honestly I have enjoyed games with the silent protagonist. Mostly because it is different, and can add effects to game unable to be performed otherwise.

I will highlight my 3 favorite Silent protagonists.

Crono from Chrono Trigger- Crono's silence in my opinion did not detract from his character. He came off as a Actions speak louder than words personality. And as a general rule his dialogue wasn't needed. For example, when Crono rose to sacrifice himself against Lavos, no speaking was needed. This act showed plainly his heroism and devotion to his friends. Its mainly a testament on how well the story was done in the game.

Serge from Chrono Cross- Serge got the same effect as Crono, but his silence was a tool used by the developers. At the top of the Fort Dragonia after the Chrono Cross was activated, suddenly our silent hero Serge begins to talk urging Kid to stab Lynx. Now I remember my first play through wondering what on earth was going on. Lynx had switched bodies with our hero and then proceeded to stab Kid. This was an unexpected effect derived from the fact that your hero didn't speak. And it worked.

Mario from Super Mario RPG- Mario's inability to talk is mostly used for comedy. Due to being unable to speak he explains everything in an elaborate game of charades, creating some very funny moments.

The silent protagonist is really a design choice, you can make it work or you can make it boring. Depends on the developer. I prefer a good hero, talking or otherwise.