![]() This “protagonist has no personality” problem is not a modern problem for narrative-driven games, either. I’m not saying every game needs its dialogue choices to branch, but that is one example of imbuing dialogue with meaningful personality.) The silent protagonist isn’t even a staple in Fire Emblem as a series-plenty of older FE games had defined protagonists (Ike, anyone?), and even Robin, the player character of Awakening, has personality in their support dialogues. (Although I won’t be discussing Dragon Age in this essay, much to my devastation, that’s a game not only where every choice you make has consequences, but where every dialogue option comes with an explicit personality. At least make the speaking choices different enough to imply a personality, rather than repeat the same thing two different ways! The most we get out of Byleth is the opening decision of being a ghost, demon, or mortal, and the change in music after a certain very sad event pre-timeskip. But when every support conversation between Byleth and another character is about how much Byleth means to the latter, or when the house leaders are driven to actions because Byleth is by their side, then I need something more than a pretty face. I have no problem with Byleth being a total fighting badass and, in many senses, a Mary Sue-if I’m the main character in a game, then I like feeling powerful and important. Why couldn’t we get more moments of that?)ĭespite my deep love of this admittedly flawed game (MAKE THEM GAY YOU COWARDS), Fire Emblem: Three Houses is another example. (There is one notable exception, and it’s my favorite moment in the game. ![]() In a game where the Hero is fated to save the world from darkness and draws together a party from very different walks of life, I have to wonder why these people are willing to follow someone who doesn’t have enough personality to fill a teaspoon. I’ve thought about some games in the last few years with strong narratives, brought down by the lack of the protagonist’s personality. Otherwise, it begs the question of why someone more interesting isn’t the protagonist in the first place. Just as a book usually needs a strong center (a person or setting, for example) to tell a story (keeping in mind that all craft is cultural), a narrative-driven game where the player controls a protagonist needs someone to hook its story into. After all, can a player see themself in someone with a defined personality? Actually, I will argue yes, and even when someone cannot, that does not preclude a game from resonating with a person. Silent protagonists are, often, a space for the player to insert themselves in games. And depending on the role the silent protagonist plays, this can be fine: Does Mario need to say anything more than “woohoo!” or show his nipples? Does the Hunter in Bloodborne need a personality in a story that is so convoluted you need to watch a YouTube video to explain it? (This is, perhaps, a debatable point, but at least one person has argued they do not in regards to Souls games overall.) Silent protagonists have long been a staple, and some of them have stayed silent for decades-Link and Mario being notable examples. In the back of my mind for some months now, I’ve been mulling over the role of the silent protagonist in modern games. The Function of the Silent Protagonist: Do We Even Need This? How does one hook a story on a main character who has no or limited personality? In this essay, I will… argue that Joker, the silent protagonist in Persona 5/Royal, had no right to be silent. If anything, I’d like to argue that for a strong narrative-driven game, a silent protagonist is actually a detriment. A big part of what makes Persona 5 so incredible is its vast and diverse range of characters, with some of them being potential romances for Joker as well! Keeping this in mind, here are some of the best and worst romances present in Persona 5.I should begin by saying this is not an ode to silent protagonists. The combination of excellent JRPG gameplay coupled with addictive life-sim elements makes for an engaging time as players explore every nook and cranny of this amazing title. Updated on Januby Ritwik Mitra: Persona 5 is considered by many to be one of the greatest JRPGs of all time. Related: Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Games To Play Once You Beat It Also, a fair warning: spoilers for the game and the romances are ahead. After reading the thoughts of Persona 5 fans, we created a list of the best and worst romances in the game. Luckily the internet exists, so players can share their opinions and experiences on these romances. It's a long game too, with an average of almost 100 hours to complete the main story! That's a lot of content to get every romance. ![]() ![]() You would need to play through the game about nine times to get through every romance scenario. Persona 5 has a ton of romances to choose from. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |