I disagree with that too, have you never read a book in a life? There is no voice acting in those either and they conveys emotion through written word and imagery just fine. Video games handle the imagery for you, so you only have to do the half the work lol. It is entirely possible to convey emotion without a single word being spoken, like someone mentioned SotC, there isn't much in the way of standard cinematics, but that game is definitely trying to convey emotion every time you kill some Colossus that was just minding its business :P every time you see the girl, what happens with Agro at the end. It does this without so much as a sound, let alone voice acting. Zelda doesn't NEED voice acting to convey emotion, you WANT voice acting, two very different things.
Link should absolutly NEVER say anything. His grunts and screams and what not are what make Link kick ass.As for the other characters leave them how they are like how a guy might go "Ohhhh" then back to text or stuff like that. Gorons should just make their goron noises and such.
I agree on the fact that link shounld NOT get a VA... on the other hand, VA's for people link usually has conversations with would be better. The thing is... (nd this is just my case) I dont find it so imaginative when the layout and colours and charcters are RIGHT THERE... except their voice. It doesnt fit into imagination as nicely as it would as like a book. So i think VA's for everyone BUT link is a yes :D
I disagree with that too, have you never read a book in a life? There is no voice acting in those either and they conveys emotion through written word and imagery just fine. Video games handle the imagery for you, so you only have to do the half the work lol. It is entirely possible to convey emotion without a single word being spoken, like someone mentioned SotC, there isn't much in the way of standard cinematics, but that game is definitely trying to convey emotion every time you kill some Colossus that was just minding its business :P every time you see the girl, what happens with Agro at the end. It does this without so much as a sound, let alone voice acting. Zelda doesn't NEED voice acting to convey emotion, you WANT voice acting, two very different things. Sepewrath
Course it doesn't need it, it doesn't need 3d graphics/gameplay either and could just be a text based game. But I really like that it's not text based! Maybe it should get rid of music too so we could imagine that too? :P
I disagree with that too, have you never read a book in a life? There is no voice acting in those either and they conveys emotion through written word and imagery just fine. Video games handle the imagery for you, so you only have to do the half the work lol. It is entirely possible to convey emotion without a single word being spoken, like someone mentioned SotC, there isn't much in the way of standard cinematics, but that game is definitely trying to convey emotion every time you kill some Colossus that was just minding its business :P every time you see the girl, what happens with Agro at the end. It does this without so much as a sound, let alone voice acting. Zelda doesn't NEED voice acting to convey emotion, you WANT voice acting, two very different things. Sepewrath
Now you owe some sense. Comparing the story telling of literature to that of video games? For shame... the two are just so different...video games (like cinema) convey emotions through audio and visually. Literature is on a whole other level, they can't be compared. What video games need in order to tell a good story and what a novel needs are completely different. Hence why literature doesn't need voice acting and why some video games do. TP did need voice acting. Many cutscenes relied on spoken monologues from characters, monologues without voice work are very awkward. Shadow of the Colossus didn't have monologues, it told its story in a very unique way that didn't require voice acting. Most scenes in nearly all other Zelda games simply don't need it either, but if Skyward Sword is taking the same approach as TP it will.
Nope. When I play Zelda games I tend to imagine the voices in my head. For example I always thought that the bazaar guy in OOT sounded like Recoome from Dragon Ball Z.
[QUOTE="meetroid8"] Now you owe some sense. Comparing the story telling of literature to that of video games? For shame... the two are just so different...video games (like cinema) convey emotions through audio and visually. Literature is on a whole other level, they can't be compared. What video games need in order to tell a good story and what a novel needs are completely different. Hence why literature doesn't need voice acting and why some video games do. TP did need voice acting. Many cutscenes relied on spoken monologues from characters, monologues without voice work are very awkward. Shadow of the Colossus didn't have monologues, it told its story in a very unique way that didn't require voice acting. Most scenes in nearly all other Zelda games simply don't need it either, but if Skyward Sword is taking the same approach as TP it will. And last I checked video games have been conveying emotion through sound and visuals long before there was voice acting in them. Movies even did it using visuals only for awhile and from time to time, for small sections they still do it. And the reason I compared books to video games is because you insist that it impossible for emotion to be conveyed without voice work. So based on what you said about SotC, you are saying that the way they do Zelda would be fine without voice acting as long as they take the dialogue out right? Where the story is conveyed through body movements, facial expressions, ambient sounds and atmosphere i.e. what they do now.
People just want to hear Link speak out of curiosity, not because it will make the game 'immersive' (whatever that means). This is not a good reason for the long-term of the series.
If Link ends up speaking I foresee a reaction from the Zelda fanbase similar to the one the Metroid fanbase had when their personal imaginary vision of Samus fell apart when she was given a personality in Metroid: Other M.
If Link ends up speaking I foresee a reaction from the Zelda fanbase similar to the one the Metroid fanbase had when their personal imaginary vision of Samus fell apart when she was given a personality in Metroid: Other M.
Pierst179
I hope you don't mean the whole fanbase... because I particularly loved the way she portrayed. And really, her personality hadn't really been "set" until Other M either, so all that the fanbase assumed she was like was just them projecting their desires for her on Samus' character.
If Link ends up speaking I foresee a reaction from the Zelda fanbase similar to the one the Metroid fanbase had when their personal imaginary vision of Samus fell apart when she was given a personality in Metroid: Other M.
Pierst179
Yup already know this will happen :P ...just waiting for it.
If Link ends up speaking I foresee a reaction from the Zelda fanbase similar to the one the Metroid fanbase had when their personal imaginary vision of Samus fell apart when she was given a personality in Metroid: Other M.
foxhound_fox
I hope you don't mean the whole fanbase... because I particularly loved the way she portrayed. And really, her personality hadn't really been "set" until Other M either, so all that the fanbase assumed she was like was just them projecting their desires for her on Samus' character.
I think the outcry was more in the west. We kind of like to be the character rather than watching them do stuff. Which explains the popularity of 1st person games. Guess thats also part of the reason the Prime series was so well recieved.
If Link ends up speaking I foresee a reaction from the Zelda fanbase similar to the one the Metroid fanbase had when their personal imaginary vision of Samus fell apart when she was given a personality in Metroid: Other M.
Pierst179
I don't really think Other M is where her personality fell apart, they already sort of gave her some personality with the monologue in Super and Fusion, although other M definitely turned it all the way up. XD I don't mind Samus having a personality, I think she's portrayed fine, only two things about her in Other M that annoys me, her current voice, and that mole. I'll pay her 10 bucks to have that surgically removed.... I like her Brawl voice better, it sounds womanly. Other M sounds like a teenager.
[QUOTE="foxhound_fox"][QUOTE="meetroid8"]Also I call bullocks on the constant "I don't need voice acting because I use my imagination" Get over yourselves, real voice acting>>>your imagination any day of the week.meetroid8
I guess you have never played a PnP role-playing game or text adventure I take it? The human imagination is infinitely better than voice acting, especially in games not driven by a "cinematic" experience (i.e. a game like Shadow of the Colossus that uses imagery and subtle gameplay quirks to tell a million more things to the player than any sequence of words could convey). Have you every heard the phrase "A picture is worth a thousand words." by chance? It is true, and in forms of visual media, many more things can be "said" in silence. Hence why i said that Zelda would need voice acting only if it took another TP style cinematic approach to story telling. Obviously Shadow of the Colossus doesn't need voice acting, nor do games like Okami or text adventures. But TP did. It isn't possible to effectively convey the emotions in a "cinematic" esque cut scene without voices. They're a crucial part of communication that can't just be ignored. If Skyward Sword has as many cut scenes as did, its silent characters will seem just as awkward. but SotC has voice acting :/ and all of it in a fictional language that, surprisingly, doesn't sound like gibberish (at least when the humans talk).
If Link ends up speaking I foresee a reaction from the Zelda fanbase similar to the one the Metroid fanbase had when their personal imaginary vision of Samus fell apart when she was given a personality in Metroid: Other M.
foxhound_fox
I hope you don't mean the whole fanbase... because I particularly loved the way she portrayed. And really, her personality hadn't really been "set" until Other M either, so all that the fanbase assumed she was like was just them projecting their desires for her on Samus' character. the whining was mostly a case of "i just don't want to see". because they insist samus became a moaning machine that did nothing but cry about whatever and lost her badass attitude, when in fact it's in other M that she pulls the most badass moves in the entire game, and she [spoiler] BLOWS UP A FREAKING QUEEN METROID FROM THE INSIDE. [/spoiler] yeah, totally not badass.
[QUOTE="Sepewrath"][QUOTE="meetroid8"] Now you owe some sense. Comparing the story telling of literature to that of video games? For shame... the two are just so different...video games (like cinema) convey emotions through audio and visually. Literature is on a whole other level, they can't be compared. What video games need in order to tell a good story and what a novel needs are completely different. Hence why literature doesn't need voice acting and why some video games do. TP did need voice acting. Many cutscenes relied on spoken monologues from characters, monologues without voice work are very awkward. Shadow of the Colossus didn't have monologues, it told its story in a very unique way that didn't require voice acting. Most scenes in nearly all other Zelda games simply don't need it either, but if Skyward Sword is taking the same approach as TP it will. And last I checked video games have been conveying emotion through sound and visuals long before there was voice acting in them. Movies even did it using visuals only for awhile and from time to time, for small sections they still do it. And the reason I compared books to video games is because you insist that it impossible for emotion to be conveyed without voice work. So based on what you said about SotC, you are saying that the way they do Zelda would be fine without voice acting as long as they take the dialogue out right? Where the story is conveyed through body movements, facial expressions, ambient sounds and atmosphere i.e. what they do now. Are purposefully completely misinterpreting everything I say? Please re read my post and respond to what I actually wrote rather than whatever it is you just did. I'm honestly not sure where you are getting anything of this from. Impossible to convey emotion without voice work? Remove all dialogue? When did I say anything like that?
[QUOTE="Sepewrath"]I disagree with that too, have you never read a book in a life? There is no voice acting in those either and they conveys emotion through written word and imagery just fine. Video games handle the imagery for you, so you only have to do the half the work lol. It is entirely possible to convey emotion without a single word being spoken, like someone mentioned SotC, there isn't much in the way of standard cinematics, but that game is definitely trying to convey emotion every time you kill some Colossus that was just minding its business :P every time you see the girl, what happens with Agro at the end. It does this without so much as a sound, let alone voice acting. Zelda doesn't NEED voice acting to convey emotion, you WANT voice acting, two very different things. meetroid8
Now you owe some sense. Comparing the story telling of literature to that of video games? For shame... the two are just so different...video games (like cinema) convey emotions through audio and visually. Literature is on a whole other level, they can't be compared. What video games need in order to tell a good story and what a novel needs are completely different. Hence why literature doesn't need voice acting and why some video games do. TP did need voice acting. Many cutscenes relied on spoken monologues from characters, monologues without voice work are very awkward. Shadow of the Colossus didn't have monologues, it told its story in a very unique way that didn't require voice acting. Most scenes in nearly all other Zelda games simply don't need it either, but if Skyward Sword is taking the same approach as TP it will. Games are a media on their own. They aren't any closer to cinema than to literature and do not have to follow cinema standards. That's a huge misconception born from the over the top concern with graphics and cutscenes over design and gameplay from both devs and gamers.
Since I have a hard time believing that I'd be happy with the voices they would give the characters, I'd rather have them being silent, with those usual weird/charming sounds they make. Zelda doesn't feel like it's being held back at all for me by not featuring voice acting.
no. zelda isnt about story as much as it is about exploring a world, getting lost there, and solving puzzles. Having to read the dialoge might be oldschool and boring, but it makes you use your imagination more, and it puts you more into a game. Besides, bad voice acting can ruin a game(other M) even when everything else in a game is done right. I know someday link will say more then a grunt, but as long as they keep making new zeldas, i will be buying them.
[QUOTE="BrunoBRS"]but SotC has voice acting :/ and all of it in a fictional language that, surprisingly, doesn't sound like gibberish (at least when the humans talk). Indeed. It was a mix of Japanese and Latin, which really sold the "ancient" feel of it. I hope The Last Guardian expands on it and gives us some actual vocabulary and grammar. Zelda could easily do Hylian and do it well.
I think voice acting would enhance the game greatly. I even think that Link should no longer be a mute. It would be nice if he got himself a personality.
No way, IMO Nintendo has done a great job keeping quality games with very little voice acting. Look at Mario games, how much talking do you hear in those? Maybe a few excited noises from Mario but for the most part it's all text. I feel totally comfortable with this formula and really hope they don't try to change it any time in the future.
[QUOTE="foxhound_fox"][QUOTE="BrunoBRS"]but SotC has voice acting :/ and all of it in a fictional language that, surprisingly, doesn't sound like gibberish (at least when the humans talk). Indeed. It was a mix of Japanese and Latin, which really sold the "ancient" feel of it. I hope The Last Guardian expands on it and gives us some actual vocabulary and grammar. Zelda could easily do Hylian and do it well. problem with hylian is that, random glyphs aside, there is nothing that already exists. and that's a whole lot of things to invent (a full freaking language). maybe it's time to use a phoenix down on tolkien.
[QUOTE="BrunoBRS"]problem with hylian is that, random glyphs aside, there is nothing that already exists. and that's a whole lot of things to invent (a full freaking language). maybe it's time to use a phoenix down on tolkien. Fictional languages don't really take much to invent. Al Bhed from FFX was just a rearranging of the letters in English. It would be something I think Nintendo should invest in for Wii U Zelda.
[QUOTE="foxhound_fox"][QUOTE="BrunoBRS"]problem with hylian is that, random glyphs aside, there is nothing that already exists. and that's a whole lot of things to invent (a full freaking language). maybe it's time to use a phoenix down on tolkien. Fictional languages don't really take much to invent. Al Bhed from FFX was just a rearranging of the letters in English. It would be something I think Nintendo should invest in for Wii U Zelda. i meant a decent language. one that doesn't sound like gibberish and can actually be learned (at least learn how to write in it, given it already has all those glyphs). if i wanted gibberish we could have stayed with midna talk :P
I think the silent protagonists is what Nintendo does best. While more and more games have voice acting these days I think Link's silence is what makes him cool. Just like how awesome, symbolic, and strong Samus was before Other:M.
No way, IMO Nintendo has done a great job keeping quality games with very little voice acting. Look at Mario games, how much talking do you hear in those? Maybe a few excited noises from Mario but for the most part it's all text. I feel totally comfortable with this formula and really hope they don't try to change it any time in the future.MegaMantis85
Mario has very little story or characters tho, it's just abstract worlds. Zelda is set in a much more "real" setting with different races and lore and stuff. It's fine in Mario cos we know it's all just colourful nonsensical madness for us to platform thru, but I like to be a bit more immersed in Zelda worlds :)
I think the silent protagonists is what Nintendo does best. While more and more games have voice acting these days I think Link's silence is what makes him cool. Just like how awesome, symbolic, and strong Samus was before Other:M.
Sniper-Gamer
It wasn't the voice acting that hurt Other M, it was the writing and directing.
NO. If Super Mario Sunshine and Metroid Other M have showed me anything is that no Nintendo developed or published game has any right to have full voicework. Metroid Prime 3 is pushing it, although the voiceovers are rare enough it rarely becomes an issue.
The way I see it, I honestly couldn't care less. But if I had to pick, I would probably say that it would be nice if everyone else talks except Link. I mean, it would be a pretty good thing if I didn't have to read every single time I need to talk to someone to find out what I need to do next, and in a Zelda game, you have to talk to people a LOT, weather it be to get an item, to do side quests or just to find out where you are going next. But I don't see the the good in Link talking back to people. Whats the point? What matters is what the NPC characters say, not how Link would respond unless a "Yes" or "No" question pops up, and for that all you need are two simple confirmation buttons to press. Link doesn't need to parrot "Yes" or "No" every time an NPC asks him something. Also I feel that he would lose some of the charm I have grown accustomed to all these years growing up on Zelda games. I think we all can agree on that point at least. And lets not for get the Zelda CDI Games. Link talked in that and look how that turned out. I don't think we want that mistake repeated twice.
Yes, everyone talks but Link remains silent. I chose that one because I suppose I'm sympathetic to the arguments made by people who say that Link remaining silent helps them identify with the character better in that they can really feel like they are Link when he remains silent. Although I wouldn't be opposed to Link talking if what he said were based on a dialogue choice tree that you can choose from like in the Mass Effect series. That way you can still feel the immersion like you are the character since what the character is saying is based on your choices and not totally something random. If Link were given voice for such a thing as a dialogue tree fans other fears about voice acting possibly making Link sound ridiculous could be put to rest if they just use the guy who does Link's fighting and rolling sound effects. Problem solved.
One simple reason really: Zelda has always been a game where you get to name your own hero. Sure there are those of us who go traditional and name the hero Link, but the option is still there and its part of what makes a Zelda game. You can't really get around the fact that if you include full or even partial (Link doesn't talk) VO into the mix you'd have to cut this out.
Ok, not gonna lie: I just skipped to the last page of this thread so i'm sorry if this has already been said.
The game is better off with no voice acting. It gives me more room to imagine how the characters sound like. More room to imagine the characters personalities. It's one of the games "stronger factors" and losing it would probably kill the game off for me.
It's a characteristic of the Legend of Zelda franchise, one of the things that make it unique if you will. I find the games much more interesting because, like a book, I can imagine what the characters sound like. Nowadays, we're given grunts and some small words, but that's about as far as I'd ever want to see it go.
I really don't mind that Zelda titles offer no voice acting. Like another poster said, I would prefer they focus that effort on actual gameplay or the development of an extra dungeon. But if they do decide to voice Zelda games at some point, Link needs to stay silent.
No, I can read faster than an actor can talk and I don't want to have to listen to someone talk while I am trying to read. Also, unlike games like Mass Effect, Zelda conversations just fill in back story and add color. They don't change the direction of the game and they are not the main focus.
Log in to comment