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

RPG veterans Yuji Horii and Katsura Hashino, creators of Square Enix's Dragon Quest and Atlus' Metaphor: ReFantazio, respectively, recently discussed the enduring—and evolving—role of silent protagonists in modern RPGs. Their conversation, excerpted from the Metaphor: ReFantazio Atlas Brand 35th Anniversary Edition booklet, offers a fascinating look at the challenges and rewards of this classic storytelling approach.

The Silent Protagonist: A Dragon Quest Perspective

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Yuji Horii, the visionary behind the Dragon Quest series, describes his silent protagonist as a "symbolic protagonist"—a blank slate onto which players project their own feelings and experiences. This design choice fosters immersion, allowing players to truly inhabit the game world. The character interacts primarily through dialogue choices, letting the player's decisions shape the narrative.

Horii notes that the simplicity of early game graphics—the limitations of the NES era, for example—made silent protagonists a natural fit. The lack of detailed facial expressions or animations meant players readily filled in the emotional blanks. However, he humorously acknowledges the challenge posed by today's hyper-realistic visuals: "As game graphics evolve and grow increasingly realistic, if you make a protagonist who just stands there, they will look like an idiot."

Horii, whose background includes aspirations to be a manga artist, credits his love of storytelling and computers for his path into game development. Dragon Quest's core, he explains, lies in its dialogue-driven narrative: "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."

The evolution of game technology, with its increasingly sophisticated visuals and audio, presents a significant hurdle for maintaining this approach. The silent protagonist, once a natural choice, now requires careful consideration in a world of detailed character animations and expressive performances. Horii concludes, "That’s why, the type of protagonist featured in Dragon Quest becomes increasingly difficult to depict as games become more realistic. This will be a challenge in the future too."

A Different Approach: Metaphor: ReFantazio and the Voiced Protagonist

Dragon Quest remains a notable exception in the modern RPG landscape, largely sticking to its silent protagonist tradition. In contrast, series like Persona have embraced fully voiced protagonists, a trend that Katsura Hashino's Metaphor: ReFantazio will continue.

While acknowledging the challenges of the silent protagonist in a modern context, Hashino praises Horii's approach for its unique emotional resonance: "I think Dragon Quest puts a lot of thought into how the player will feel in a given situation," Hashino stated, "even when it's to do with a regular townsperson. I feel like the games are consistently created with the player in mind, thinking about what emotions will arise when someone says something."