Yuji Horii, the creator of the Dragon Quest series, believes that advances in modern game graphics have made the protagonist "look like an idiot" who doesn't speak and doesn't deserve a voice.
Yuji Horii recently discussed the topic of RPGs with Katsura Hashino, the director and producer of Metaphorical Fantasy, and Denfaminicogamer also included an excerpt.
According to Horii, one of the challenges facing the Dragon Quest series is how to depict the protagonist in a world where images have become more realistic – allowing for more detailed and expressive designs.
Dragon Quest games feature silent protagonists, or "symbolic protagonists" in Horii's words, which allows players to see themselves as protagonists and express their emotions. This choice was due in part to the technical limitations of the time.
However, the images are now much more realistic and detailed. Horii joked, "As the game's graphics evolve and become more realistic, if you let the main character just stand there, they will look like an idiot."
On the other hand, the speaking protagonist can have a hard time relating with the player. "That's why as the game becomes more and more realistic, the type of protagonist in Dragon Quest becomes more and more difficult to depict," Horii said. This will also be a challenge in the future. ”
Yuji Horii's review also applies to many large series of games, including The Legend of Zelda and Pokémon, which both feature silent protagonists.
For Link in particular, Nintendo has found ways to make characters expressive within the constraints of visual aesthetics, without the need for words. This is true of both the details of Tears of the Kingdom and the minimalist approach of The Wind Waker.
The upcoming Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D remake will allow players to choose between a male or female protagonist (as in the original) and will now also include voiced dialogue for some of the characters. However, it's all about modernizing the pixel graphics of the original game, so Horii's comments may suggest that the next new game in the series, Dragon Quest 12, could have a voiced protagonist.
The previous game, Dragon Quest 11, did include a voice option for the main character, but this only added mood word sounds instead of full dialogue.
So, do you prefer silent protagonists, or do you prefer all protagonists to talk?