Dragon Quest and Metaphor: ReFantazio Creators Discuss Silent Protagonists in Modern RPGs

RPG veterans Yuji Horii and Katsura Hashino, directors of Square Enix's “Dragon Quest” and Atlus' “Metaphor: ReFantazio,” discuss the use of mute protagonists in games amid advancing technology and the evolving landscape of game development.

Dragon Quest Creator Talks Current Challenges of Using Mute ProtagonistsMute Protagonists Seem Increasingly Out of Place in Modern Games

Yuji Horii, the creator of the iconic Dragon Quest RPG series, delved into the topic of RPGs with Katsura Hashino, director of Atlus’ upcoming RPG, Metaphor: ReFantazio. This discussion was featured in a recently published excerpt of an interview found in the "Metaphor: ReFantazio Atlas Brand 35th Anniversary Edition" booklet. The RPG directors covered various aspects of storytelling in this particular video game genre, including the challenges faced by franchises like Dragon Quest as video game graphics become more realistic.

One of the foundations of the Dragon Quest series is its use of a silent protagonist, or as Horii described it, “the symbolic protagonist.” Using silent protagonists allows players to project their own emotions and reactions onto the main character, which could help elevate one's immersion in the game's world. These silent characters typically serve as stand-ins for the player, interacting with the game world primarily through dialogue options rather than spoken lines.

Horii elaborated that due to the simplistic graphics of earlier games, which didn't display detailed character expressions or animations, utilizing mute protagonists was logical and sensible to determine on. "As game graphics evolve and grow increasingly lifelike, if you make a protagonist who just stands there, they will look like an imbecile," Horii joked.

Horii mentioned he originally aspired to be a manga artist, and said that his love for storytelling and captivation with computers compelled him to enter the video game industry. Dragon Quest was ultimately born out of Horii's passions, along with the game's premise of story progression through game boss interactions. "Dragon Quest basically consists of dialogue with townspeople, with very little in the way of narration. The story is created using the dialogue. That’s what’s fun about it," he elaborated.

Horii acknowledged the challenges of maintaining this approach in contemporary games, where lifelike graphics can make a non-reactive protagonist seem out of place. In the early days of Dragon Quest, the modest graphics of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) era meant that players could easily imagine their own emotions and reactions filling the gaps left by the unresponsive protagonist. However, as games' visuals and audio—apart from other factors—become more intricate, Horii admitted that non-communicative protagonists become increasingly difficult to depict.

"That’s why, the type of protagonist featured in Dragon Quest becomes increasingly difficult to depict as games become more immersive. This will be a challenge in the future too," the creator concluded.

Metaphor ReFantazio Director Thinks Dragon Quest Puts Players' Feelings First

Dragon Quest is one of the few notable RPG series that continues to feature a silent protagonist, who, apart from making a few reactionary sounds, remains mute throughout the game. On the other hand, other RPG series like Persona have introduced voiced lines for its protagonists during battles and cutscenes, notably since Persona 3. Meanwhile, Hashino's upcoming game, Metaphor: ReFantazio, will feature a fully voice-acted protagonist.

While the Dragon Quest creator contemplated on the constrained affective power of silent protagonists in contemporary games, Hashino commended Horii for the distinctive and emotionally-attuned experience the game offers. "I think Dragon Quest puts a lot of thought into how the player will feel in a given situation," Hashino told Horii, "even when it's to do with a typical townsperson. I feel like the games are consistently created with the player in mind, thinking about what emotions will arise when someone says something."