RPG veterans Yuji Horii and Katsura Hashino, the masterminds behind Square Enix's "Dragon Quest" and Atlus' "Metaphor: ReFantazio," delve into the role of silent protagonists in today's RPGs. Their insights shed light on the challenges and nuances of game design in the face of ever-evolving technology.
Dragon Quest Creator Talks Modern Challenges of Using Silent Protagonists
Silent Protagonists Seem Increasingly Out of Place in Modern Games
image (c) Den Faminico Gamer
In an engaging conversation featured in the "Metaphor: ReFantazio Atlas Brand 35th Anniversary Edition" booklet, Yuji Horii, the creator of the iconic Dragon Quest series, and Katsura Hashino, director of Atlus’ upcoming RPG Metaphor: ReFantazio, explore the intricacies of storytelling in RPGs. They focus on the evolving use of silent protagonists as video game graphics advance.
A cornerstone of the Dragon Quest series, the silent protagonist, or as Horii calls it, "the symbolic protagonist," allows players to project their emotions onto the character, enhancing immersion. These protagonists typically engage with the game world through dialogue options rather than spoken lines, acting as a blank canvas for the player's imagination.
Horii humorously noted that in the era of simpler graphics, silent protagonists were more feasible. "As game graphics evolve and become more realistic, a protagonist who just stands there might look like an idiot," he quipped. His background as an aspiring manga artist and his passion for storytelling and technology led to the creation of Dragon Quest, which revolves around progressing the narrative through interactions with game bosses and townsfolk. "Dragon Quest is all about dialogue with townspeople, with minimal narration. The story unfolds through these conversations, and that's what makes it engaging," Horii explained.
The challenge, according to Horii, lies in maintaining this approach as games become more visually and audibly detailed. The simplistic graphics of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) era allowed for easy projection of player emotions onto the silent protagonist. However, as technology advances, the silent protagonist can seem increasingly out of place. "The challenge will continue as games become more realistic," Horii concluded.
Metaphor ReFantazio Director Thinks Dragon Quest Puts Players' Feelings First
Dragon Quest remains one of the few major RPG series to retain a silent protagonist, limited to occasional reactionary sounds. In contrast, other series like Persona have transitioned to voiced protagonists in battles and cutscenes, a trend that started with Persona 3. Hashino's Metaphor: ReFantazio will feature a fully voice-acted protagonist.
While Horii reflected on the limitations of silent protagonists in modern games, Hashino praised the emotional depth Dragon Quest offers. "Dragon Quest carefully considers how the player will feel in any given situation," Hashino remarked, "even in interactions with regular townsfolk. The games are crafted with the player's emotions in mind, anticipating what feelings will emerge from each conversation."
