Far Cry 6: Why A Voiced Protagonist Is A Better Choice
Not every game or movie needs to focus on character, but in the case of Far Cry 6, giving the protagonist a voice could make the story more profound.
Ubisoft has finally revealed concrete information about Far Cry 6, including the fact that its protagonist, Dani Rojas, is fully voiced throughout the game, regardless of whether players choose a male or female version. Games and movies don't always need a vocal protagonist to succeed, but in the context of Far Cry 6, it will almost certainly provide a better experience.
There are several reasons developers might not want to have a voiced protagonist, the most basic being cost. A studio has to devote resources to writing and animating every voiced character, then hire a strong actor to speak hours of dialogue. But even with those as givens, a voiceless character can be easier for people to identify with. Gamers playing Far Cry 6 may have different feelings than what the writing assumes; this is a common complaint with dialogue-driven RPGs like Mass Effect. Voiced characters also tend to lock in a specific history or background for the character, which means players can't project their own.
That said, history is exactly what Far Cry 6 needs. The game's setting, Yara, is a none-too-subtle reference to Cuba and its Communist Party regime. Dani is trying to overthrow a similarly oppressive government, apparently because they witnessed a massacre, as referenced in a recent trailer. Hearing this sort of anecdote explains why Dani would want to take up arms as a guerrilla, giving the player not just better motivation but Dani a more defined story arc. It would be harder to achieve these things if the player was just silently completing mission objectives without Dani's voice in their ears.
A talkative character also creates more opportunities for storytelling. By their nature, action games are usually busy with fighting, jumping, running, and driving, which doesn't leave much chance to soak in story through non-verbal means. In Far Cry 6, Dani can provide running commentary at any time, and the way NPCs react to them will hopefully improve the depth of the game's plot and themes.
If Far Cry 6 hopes to achieve the sort of storytelling seen in prestige TV shows, it should remember one of the things that helps shows like The Wire and True Detective is the willingness to have characters challenge sacred assumptions. Giving Dani a voice in Far Cry 6 should make these conflicts possible - whether or not Ubisoft can follow through, of course, remains to be seen.