Don't say much, do ya?
In a year where it seems like there are atleast 1-2 must buy games being released each month, Rage has been on my radar since it made its debut at E3 last year and is shaping up to be a hell of a time. For those you you haven't been keeping track, its basically Borderlands but with way smarter enemies and visuals which will make you cream your pants. Yes, cream, nothing else. While you were reading this a baker snuck a cake into your pants which will explode in creamy goodness when you play it. But only then.
Wow, tangent. Anyway, I was watching an interview by one of the dudes from Epic, who are making the game, and he talked about the decision to keep the protagonist "classic Epic" which mainly means that he/she doesn't have a character but, as the player, you're led to believe that you "are" this fella going about the wasteland turning wrongs into rights. You go about and "talk" to people, but you don't hear yourself speak and rather the other characters react to you. This is not a new convention, but it got me thinking about the role of main characters, as alot of different games use them in varying ways, each with differing results.
This method, the silent protagonist, can definitely work and make you really feel wrapped up in the story. You don't speak a word in Bioshock, but there was never a second I felt disconnected from the events in Rapture. That was me running from the Big Daddy, and it scared the crap out of me. Fallout 3 is another good example that, while not done as perfectly, aimed to make you feel that you are simply you in the game, rather than just some random joe. This gave you even more control of the actions, letting you decide what to say, but you never really heard it.
My only beef with this approach is that sometimes its just downright frustrating not having a voice, literally. In Homefront(which you shouldn't play 'cause it blows) there is one part where you are separated from your pack and they're looking for you. You can hear them calling for you over the radio, but you don't say anything back. I was saying something, yelling on my couch, but the game couldn't hear me and translate my voice, which made me kinda hate the silent protagonist. Maybe I need to buy Kinect(Chuckle). If that's the route the programmers are going to take, fine, but don't put in situations that a mime shouldn't be in.
Don't ask me, man. I has no voice!
The opposite end of the spectrum is games that have a static main character and gives us the reins during the gameplay and make us simply sit back during the cut scenes. This certainly has its pitfalls, especially when you hate the main character (I'm calling you out Raiden! You pu$$y!). But there are still the Nathan Drakes, the Niko Bellics, the Solid Snakes etc. who are just so well-rounded and interesting that they should be nominated for some video game best actor oscar. We don't get to be them, but we care about them enough that we want to seem them through to end. I actually think I prefer this method more actually. Not that I don't want to be me sometimes in games, but I like exploring characters and seeing what they do vs. what I would do.
I think Bioware actually has found a nice mix between the two, with games like Mass Effect and Dragon Age II where you control a character to the utmost degree, deciding if they look like you or someone completely different and basically how you want them to respond in given situations. In these games, you can be you - look, act, etc. - or you can create your own character that would set a barn full of nuns ablaze, even if you wouldn't.
It's cool, it's just my character burning them alive
In the end, there are just alot of different ways to skin a cat. Which way do you like your games playing out?
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