Silent protagonists in voiced games are dumb. Just look at The Division: every interaction is SO awkward.
The only place where that works is Skyrim—a first person game where you are supposed to inhabit the character and live in the world. You don't live in Hyrule nor as Link.
Except you are supposed to project yourself onto Link.
I will say this, Link shouldn't be a non-talking protagonist. I think as with previous entries in the series, they should imply that Link speaks, but just not give him a voice.
Currently Playing: Steamworld Heist, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Tales of Graces F
Silent protagonists in voiced games are dumb. Just look at The Division: every interaction is SO awkward.
The only place where that works is Skyrim—a first person game where you are supposed to inhabit the character and live in the world. You don't live in Hyrule nor as Link.
Except you are supposed to project yourself onto Link.
Supposed to am I #%$@! How exactly am I supposed to project myself onto a character that goes around and only kills things and solves puzzles? Zelda's just not the kind of game you inhabit.
Besides, projecting yourself onto a character is stupid. Even in Bethesda games—the most ripe for 'living in' worlds—it only goes as far as seeing in first person. I don't project myself onto those characters.
What the heck does that even mean? What possible simulacrum of enjoyment can you get from pretending that you're Link? It's a video game: it's supposed to do the pretending for you!
What the heck does that even mean? What possible simulacrum of enjoyment can you get from pretending that you're Link? It's a video game: it's supposed to do the pretending for you!
I think we're way past that whole "you're supposed to BE Link". That was true for like the first two games. But the 3D games have made him his own character.
Except you are supposed to project yourself onto Link.
I'm unconvinced that you're actually supposed to.
Something that's always puzzled me is why does no-one ever say this about Mario? Mario doesn't have much of a personality either and some of the 3D games have nearly as much adventure and story as some Zelda games do. And yet for some reason, people have just collectively decided that Link is supposed to be an avatar, although to my knowledge Nintendo have never said that, but yet Mario is just supposed to be a quiet character.
Is it maybe because Link is closer to what is perceived to maybe be the average appearance of the audience member (if you ignore the outfit), whereas Mario is a short fat guy with mustache?
Mario IS a quiet character. Even in the role play games like Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi he doesn't say a single word. "It's a me, Mario" doesn't count since Link can say "Come on".
However, the whole discussion wouldn't be here if Nintendo decided that all NPC got voice acting. Nobody needs a speaking Link as long as there is any good voice acting. In Super Mario Sunshine everyone got lines with the exception of Mario and nobody cared that Mario was in silence.
@Dezzy: Yes, you are right (After getting your point, I totally agree with you.)
I am just saying that most people have this discussion since Zelda games seem anachronistic with the text boxes and so on. They just want voice acting.
Nobody really wants text boxes for Link.
Very few games manage to remove text boxes entirely. It's too expensive for a massive game! You either have to just voice the main cutscenes like Xenoblade does or deliberately cut down on how much talking there is. I think one of the Mass Effects did that. It was all voiced but you couldn't talk to everyone. Maybe that was ME2 and ME3.
If people can talk about Oedipus complexes and other games in this thread, I don't see why zelda timeline-stuff should be excluded and frowned upon.
Seriously. It's like some sort of trigger for some people.
The fact there is a "If The Hero Loses" route in the already flawed Zelda timeline... just shows how bad it is.
This is actually quite literally how infinite universe/many worlds theories work. Every possible outcome for every event, no matter how small, exists as its own timeline in its own universe. "Flawed" as it may be, it's a real-world theory with a lot of very interesting writing.
And really, there being a timeline where the hero failed in Ocarina of Time isn't that unlikely of an outcome. We all died in that game when we were kids. Link to the Past is a sequel to you getting wrecked by Ganon when you were 7 and sucked at games.
What the heck does that even mean? What possible simulacrum of enjoyment can you get from pretending that you're Link? It's a video game: it's supposed to do the pretending for you!
Do you even English?
...
You don't? You don't English? Oh, good. Thanks for letting me know. I think your snarky image was a poor way of conveying that, though.
Anyway, text boxes are fine. The point is that—in a 2016+ AAA game where the story is going to be neutered anyway—everything you have to do for yourself in D&D, like role-playing your character and giving them a voice, the game should do for you. It's called production value and 'generally not being a two-cent indie game where the devs couldn't or didn't even bother to voice anyone.'
The RP element in D&D and other games of that sort isn't just because lack of AAA production values. It's because that kind of make-believe stuff is, you know, kinda fun. That's what's made it so enduringly popular even with the rise of computer games. It's a very healthy industry.
So Anakin kneels before Monster Mash and pledges his loyalty to the graveyard smash.
You guys are explaining it all wrong! You're not supposed to pretend to be Link, you're supposed to be yourself! (Actually, you're not supposed to do anything like that; if you were, it would say so in the manual or in the game)
Of course you're not supposed to BE Link, because Link is hardly a character. If there IS is any pretending going on, it's usually replacing Link with yourself, and adding your own dialogue. You're able to do that so well because Link has no dialogue, has no character, and can be named anything. It leaves room for yourself. That's how I do it anyway.
Link is reserved for the odd file where I can't think of any other name to use. Or the "community" file, the one open for anyone to use and mess around with.
I have never once used my own name on a Zelda game. I always name my character 'Link,' because that's canon. (3D) Zelda games are really thorough action-adventure puzzlers with a notable story to experience. Why would I insert myself into that? I'm not fool enough to think I have a damn thing to do with the Temple of Time, Windfishy, or Waifu!Zelda.
I have no interest in Zelda voice acting until NOA localizes a game with voice acting that is of Zelda worthy quality. Until that happens, this is a non-discussion.
And if they do pull it off that well someday, great, but I'm not exactly gonna be disappointed if it never happens. And I wouldn't want it to happen in every Zelda game regardless, as it's almost become part of Zelda's style in some weird, unintentional way. The fact that Zelda U almost certainly won't be voice acted despite being a big budget, open world, heavily marketed game in 2016 is pretty novel.
@Haru17: that's ok too. The option is there, you can use it or not, and that's completely fine.
Though I wouldn't say I actually believe I'm the character or anything like that (not even as a child). I just like my name, and using it makes the save files "mine".
I think we're way past that whole "you're supposed to BE Link". That was true for like the first two games. But the 3D games have made him his own character.
but you're still controlling him.. essentially making you link
Except you are supposed to project yourself onto Link.
I'm unconvinced that you're actually supposed to.
Something that's always puzzled me is why does no-one ever say this about Mario? Mario doesn't have much of a personality either and some of the 3D games have nearly as much adventure and story as some Zelda games do. And yet for some reason, people have just collectively decided that Link is supposed to be an avatar, although to my knowledge Nintendo have never said that, but yet Mario is just supposed to be a quiet character.
Is it maybe because Link is closer to what is perceived to maybe be the average appearance of the audience member (if you ignore the outfit), whereas Mario is a short fat guy with mustache?
because zelda was their adventure game, a virtual world for you to get lost in. it's about imagination, intelligence. super mario is about how good you are navigating the plumber through levels, how good you are with your hands. dexterity, reflexes. i'm pretty sure this is how nintendo viewed them from the start, in essence.
Anyway, text boxes are fine. The point is that—in a 2016+ AAA game where the story is going to be neutered anyway—everything you have to do for yourself in D&D, like role-playing your character and giving them a voice, the game should do for you. It's called production value and 'generally not being a two-cent indie game where the devs couldn't or didn't even bother to voice anyone.'
the game should do for you? lol that is sucking so much imagination out of your gaming experience that i don't even understand what you're left with - an interactive movie? production value is so far down the list of what makes a good video game - part of what made zelda brilliant is that it never relied on hollywood actors providing their voices or any of this.
how do you suppose gamers in the mid to late 80s got lost in the world of the first zelda? because it's all about imagination. you didn't need individual blades of grass in high definition to know you were in a field, the green indicated that and your imagination did the rest.
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