Bethesda also says Starfield’s silent protag was partially inspired by fan reaction to Fallout 4
Bethesda also says Starfield’s silent protag was partially inspired by fan reaction to Fallout 4
Starfield is a big game with hundreds of planets to explore and many sandwiches to collect. But while all the NPCs you’ll meet in Starfield have voices, the game’s main character doesn’t. Bethesda already confirmed this was the case last year, but has now shared more details about why it made this choice, revealing that originally Starfield had a talking protag and that ultimately cutting the main character’s voice helped the game grow in size.
I find talking protagonists in RPGs with customizable characters a two edged sword. It can work out great, but if your voice not fit the character you're playing, or is even highly dislikable for you, then it becomes a real big issue in regards to immersion and enjoyment. Silent protagonists allow you to use a specific headvoice for your character.
I think it all depends on what sort of game you have, specifically if it is story driven or immersion/exploration driven.
Halo Reach is story driven and would have absolutely benefitted from a voice. Mass Effect was primarily story driven and the voiced protag worked great.
Fallout 4 is the opposite and a silent protag would have been better as silent, like in Fallout 3 or Elder Scrolls games.