The Three States of the Video Game Protagonist

Welcome back everyone! Sorry about the lack of a post last week. I had this particular one all finished and then the file got corrupted. It's a damn shame but no worries, I've brought the post back for you!

So I've started playing the absolutely lovely Dragon Age: Origins again. I lost all of my previous save files and now need to ensure that I can adequately construct the world I want in Dragon Age: Inquisition. But as I've been playing through this and looking back on The Witcher, Dark Souls, Tales of Xillia, etc. I've started to think more and more about the general outline of the video game protagonist. And I've put this little article together about what I believe the three most commonly presented forms of the protagonist are. It's not just how the character is presented but also how the player is expected to interact with the world and deal with the obstacles in their way that influenced these categories. So, let's jump right in.

The Player as the Protagonist

Found in: Dragon Age: Origins, Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, Dark Souls, Knights of the Old Republic

This seems to be one of the most common trends from the last console generation. The player is given a protagonist to mold and construct as they see fit. They create their character's appearance, fighting style, voice package, etc. and are sent off on a grand adventure. Over the course of the adventure there are events that are out of the player's control yet they are given plenty of reign to act as they see fit. Maybe the player can kill NPCs and lock out certain parts of the game as a result. Maybe certain options are only available if the player has met certain requirements with how they built their character. Usually this protagonist is not actually referred to by name or referred to by a nickname. And the character is generally silent. This way generally allows the player to have greater influence on the story. But in many of these games the story has a high chance of suffering as a result. Making all of those branching pathways is time consuming and in order to allow that freedom there are times where the story can't be very tightly written. If someone is looking for freedom with little to no restrictions this will likely be their favorite option for a protagonist.

The Player Influences the Protagonist

Found in: The Witcher, Dragon Age 2,Mass Effect, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, The Walking Dead

A trend that has been emerging in games is the offering of limited choice to the player. The player is given a set protagonist with their own goals, dreams and motivations and the player gets to decide exactly how they will achieve those goals. Much of the story will likely be set in stone with a few areas here or there where the player can influence the outcome. The player will have some input regarding the players actions and interactions with the world but if the protagonist wouldn't do something, say slaughter a bunch of helpless villagers for example, then the player will be unable to carry out that action. Certain areas and options in the game may also be locked based on the player's actions, just like in the previous choice. This option tends to allow for a tighter story but less freedom. Players that are looking for a good balance of the two will likely favor this option.

The Protagonist Leads the Player

Found in: Tales of Vesperia, The Final Fantasy Series, Tomb Raider, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Metal Gear Solid

Called the "Linear Option" by some in this type of game there is no way for the player to influence the story or the attitude of their character. The protagonist is a fixed person with their own motivations and goals and the player has no input on what those are. The challenges that stand in the player's way will be solely gameplay related: combat, puzzle solving, etc. The story in this type of setup is fixed and its outcomes cannot be changed. There is little to no freedom in this kind of game but it tends to offer players the tightest and most well-written story telling experience. Players that don't care about having an impact on the story and simply want to sit down to a solid narrative and good gameplay will likely favor this option.

When it comes down to it I really don't have a preference. Each option has its pros and cons and can influence the gameplay and narrative in plenty of unique and interesting ways. But what do you guys think? Is there a certain style of protagonist that you find that you favor? How important is choice to you in a video game? Let me know in the comments and I'll see you next time.