Summary
Thechoice between silentand voiced protagonists in games, especially in RPGs, is one of the most important, as both have their own fans and skeptics. Many aspects of the game contribute to this essential choice. For instance, such decisions may stem from whether the game is centered around an already well-established character, like one from books or comics, or whether the game features a custom character creator. Such elements can be vital when decidingwhether to let the protagonist speak or not.
One of the most popular arguments against voiced protagonists in RPGs is that players may prefer to associate themselves with the lead character, making it immersion-breaking when the character speaks lines that don’t match the selected text response, sometimes even adding confusion to the choices made. On the other hand, many players prefer voiced protagonists for amore cinematic narrative in dialogues and cutscenes. However, it’s worth remembering that additional voice-over for RPGs with branching dialogues can prove too demanding and expensive for many studios. With that in mind, let’s examine some of the best RPGs with a fully voiced protagonist, often resulting in memorable dialogue interactions with other characters.
For clarity, thefocus is on Western RPGswith a single fixed protagonist rather than JRPGs with multiple playable main characters, meaning party-based games likeClair Obscur: Expedition 33orFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthare excluded.
TheWitcherRPG series is one of the most associated with a well-established, fully voiced protagonist. Heavily drawn from Andrzej Sapkowski’s books, the games feature Geralt of Rivia as the main character, with his rich backstory in a world known as The Continent. In the first two entries, Geralt is amnesiac, allowing players who haven’t read the books to re-discover the world and important characters alongside him. However, in the third entry, Geralt finally regains his memories, which allows the developers to fully capitalize on rich character interactions and emotional connections.
The Witcher 3: Wild Huntnot only presents one of the most emotionally charged and dramatic stories in RPGs, but also boasts a greatvoice-over performance by Doug Cockle. Coupled with strong writing throughout, CDPR delivered a deep and cinematic story, with Geralt ultimately becoming one of the most popular and beloved RPG protagonists ever.
Few voiced RPG protagonists can hope to match Geralt’s charisma, yetCommander Shepard is undoubtedly oneof them. This feat is especially impressive given that Shepard is BioWare’s original character, whom players can create from scratch by choosing gender and appearance to their liking, though many players likely stick with the default looks for Jane and John Shepard.
Throughout the originalMass Effecttrilogy (or the remastered bundle,Legendary Edition), Commander Shepard emerges as a true hero for humanity, deciding the fates of entire species and leading the united forces of the galaxy in the war against the Reapers. Thanks to strong voice acting by Mark Meer and Jennifer Hale, and writing from BioWare at its best, Shepard is remembered as one of the better examples of a voiced RPG protagonist, with plenty of memorable quotes and interactions that have become memes among fans.
Following the success of theWitchergames, CDPR took a bold step forward withCyberpunk 2077, presenting a new sci-fi universe and a first-person perspective to players. Without a doubt, characters and dialogue are the strongest aspects ofCyberpunk 2077, immersing players in a dark future filled with complex individuals, with admirable effort poured into making conversations feel as natural as possible.
Like inMass Effect,players can choose the appearanceand gender of the fully voiced protagonist, V, and shape their personality to some degree. Voiced by Gavin Drea and Cherami Leigh, V may not end up as memorable or beloved as Geralt of Rivia, but is still a strong example of a fully voiced RPG protagonist, used effectively to enhance immersion and the cinematic flow of the narrative.
TheKingdom Comefranchise presents its own fully voiced protagonist,Henry of Skalitz, who now leads two games. The character is entirely original, yet, like inThe Witcher, players can’t change Henry’s default appearance or voice and can only step into his shoes to experience a measured, day-by-day life in 15th-century Bohemia.
Voiced by Tom McKay in both the first entry andKingdom Come: Deliverance 2, one of the best things about Henry is how relatable and ordinary he is — only destined to take part in life-changing historical events. Thanks to Warhorse’s meticulous approach to recreating the feel of medieval existence, Henry proves to be a perfect match for this kind of setting and story, with his voiced nature adding to the immersion rather than detracting from it.
Forgotten for nearly a decade now, theDeus Exseries abruptly ended withDeus Ex: Mankind Divided, leaving fans without a proper resolution to Adam Jensen’s story. While this makes the game a bit hard to recommend, the established, non-customizable protagonist of bothHuman RevolutionandMankind Divideddeserves to be mentioned among the best RPGs with fully voiced protagonists.
Adam Jensen proved to be agreat fit for the futuristic series' evolution, bringing enough personality, complexity, and coolness to the figure of a special agent who never asked for what he got. Unforgettably portrayed by Elias Toufexis, who brought enough nuance to the character, Jensen remains an iconic protagonist in the RPG genre. Years later,Deus Exis still regarded as one of the most painful examples of an iconic gaming series put on ice, with little chance of being brought back anytime soon.
WhileDragon Age: Originsfeatured a silent protagonist, starting withDragon Age 2, the series fully adoptedMass Effect’s approach for enhanced cinematic flair in conversations.After four games,Dragon Age: Inquisitionis arguably the best entry in the series to leverage the advantages of a fully voiced protagonist, avoiding the pitfalls of mixed implementations seen in the sequel andDragon Age: The Veilguard.
As in every other BioWare RPG, players are free to choose the appearance and gender of the Inquisitor, but the game goes even further. Extremely rare for large, sprawling RPGs,Dragon Age: Inquisitionoffers two English voice-over options for the main character: American and British. Harry Hadden-Paton and Jon Curry voice the male Inquisitor, while Alix Wilton Regan and Sumalee Montano provide the female voices. This allows players to truly customize their Inquisitor with unmatched depth not only in appearance, but in voice as well.
For thefirst time in both the long-runningFalloutseriesand Bethesda RPGs,Fallout 4features a fully voiced custom protagonist, commonly known as the Sole Survivor. Players are free to shape their appearance and gender to their liking through a robust character creator, with Brian Delaney and Courtenay Taylor performing the role throughout the story campaign.
Unlike other games on this list, the results of this unusual approach proved rather divisive among fans for various reasons. While some appreciated the modern appeal ofFallout 4, with more cinematic, cutscene-like interactions with NPCs, many argued that Bethesda’s formula works best with silent protagonists, allowing players to fully embody the hero. On top of that, the entire dialogue system inFallout 4was seen as somewhat flawed. As a result, Bethesda seems to have reconsidered this approach,returning to a silent protagonistin its newest release,Starfield, which features more branching dialogue compared toFallout 4.
