Mute Link Needs to Go

[Mortemis]

Nah, I'm cool with mute Link. Botw was just lacking in overall direction of cut scenes. A more emotive and engage Link with better direction in cut scenes would've made it a whole lot better.

I'm cool with them going back to no voiced lines at all honestly.

 

[Crossing Eden]

but he is not a mute mannequin?

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I dunno, you're really playing with fire there. Remember when they gave Isaac Clarke a voice in Dead Space 2? Fucker wouldn't shut up.

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Giving Isaac a voice and personality was a home run though? He was way better than he was in DS1, as the story moments where we were supposed to feel something resonated much more with a protagonist who was relatable for the audience.

 

[Giga Man]

He should speak in yells and grunts like he always does: the language of his people.

 

[Antoo]

If you are giving everyone else voice acting then I agree he needs to have a voice. I'm sorry but what is more immersion breaking to me is the fact that in cutscenes when people are emoting heavily and having an emotional moment Link is just there with his blank ass expression standing there like a plank of wood. No, I don't feel like he is me at all. No one acts like this. It's irritating when characters like Mipha fawn over this dude when he is a charisma vacuum with nothing interesting going on.

I hate these games where the MC is a self-insert character but portray the character as if he is dead inside. If you want a self-insert character, I better be able to choose the personality of my character and make meaningful choices that shape the story or it's pointless. Link is at his best when he pretty much has a personality. When you add voice acting, this issue becomes a bigger problem. Give Link a damn voice. Keep him mute in the 2D ones that have no voice acting.

That scene a few post above me perfectly encapsulates the issue. Look at how stupid Link looks, especially since Zelda is actually voiced. Yes, the fear is that they choose a god awful voice actor. However, I'd rather they take the risk instead of just never attempting it because it will be a difficult task.

It'd also add a new layer to each installment in which we can have a new VA for Link. Could be fun like seeing who the new James Bond is. Keep core traits of the character but shift portrayal each new installment.

 

[zoodoo]

I am more concern about his lack of expressions and stiff animation. Toon Link is best Link cause he had a personality thanks to some simple facial animation and his quirky attitude. Since Twilight Princess, he went back to being plywood.

 

[Linde]

no thanks

 

[ED Cantu]

I don't need Link to have voiced lines specifically, because as others have said he is not really mute, I like that we can choose Link's answers and he is very expressive when he's interacting with some NPC's. The real problem are the cutscenes, every memory in BotW when one of the champions or Zelda talk to Link he does nothing and just stands there like a doll (for example when Zelda is angry and yells at him or when Revali challenges him), and I really don't know why they chose to go with this, because in past games even if Link didn't talk he was very expressive and you could know what he was thinking or feeling.

Just check this cutscene in Skyward Sword:


You can easily tell he's desperate to stop Zelda and then really sad.
So don't give him a voice but please let him intereact and be expressive with other characters like in Wind Waker, Skyward Sword and other past games.

The voice acting in BOTW sucked. Link being mute was a blessing, and that's how he should stay. It's just a part of his character.

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Like someone else already said, I'm sorry your English dub sucked guys but the Latin American Spanish dub was great and I want future games to have one too and I bet people form other countries would agree to keep their own dubs, just get better voice actors next time.

 

[Deleted member 42484]

No talking please. He is mute and that's fine. People are mute in real life too. Let me choose his answers. Make him more expressive. Focus on the gameplay and world building and NPCs.

 

[Perzeval]

If Vin Diesel voices him. Otherwise I'd prefer he stays mute.

 

[Deleted member 19844]

I like characters that are sometimes just quiet. Sometimes you don't have anything to say. Sometimes you just want to listen. Link is a bit of that, with a dash of playfulness. And he's also pretty awkward! As a character, he is an avatar that provides comfort and strength. He does not need to interject.

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Quiet, sometimes not having anything to say, sometimes just wanting to listen, not needing to interject — all of this would be great even in the midst of voice acted cut scenes, but with Breath of the Wild you have not just a "quiet type," but an outright nearly expressionless mute who doesn't answer questions. Link *should* be the quiet type, but if you're going to go with voice acting, then you're going to need to give him some sparse dialogue to avoid these gaping voids of nothingness in the scenes.

edit: Or it could be like the poster above with the SS example says and just have Link be damn expressive. :-)

 

[HiLife]

I need links voice to be as grizzly as Kratos'

 

[AndrewDean84]

I don't need Link to talk. If I want to play a game with a speaking protagonist, I'll play something that isn't Zelda.

 

[ry-dog]

You wouldn't necessary need link to talk, but I'd be so much more into Zelda if it had a half decent story, collecting shit for dozens of hours just doesn't do it for me

 

[BaconHat]

Would not mind him having a voice, but just emoting is fine enough in my book.

 

[halcali]

mute Link is why I love the character.
It's what I grew up with, not some gabby teenager who say "like, literally" every other sentence.

 

[KCsoLucky]

It's insane to me that people think a character shouldn't be voiced because "the voice acting would be bad". If voice acting would completely ruin games for you, then call on the companies to do a better job of it instead of making up some reason as to why characters not speaking is somehow superior.

The character doesn't have to be chatty like Drake or anything, but cutscenes that are supposed to be emotional where everyone pours their hearts out/talks "at" the MC with no response are just ridiculous as hell.

 

[Apollo]

My preference is for Link to stay as quiet as possible.

 

[Rodney McKay]

Hey hey, ho ho, mute Link has got to go!
Hey hey, ho ho, mute Link has got to go!


Honestly I can take it or leave it. My favorite Link was Wind Waker since he was able to emote so vividly and at least react to stuff with gasps and yells.

 

[Inugami]

I was afraid before I clicked on the poll, I'm glad to see era is on the right side this time.

 

[Chaos2Frozen]

Johnny Yong Bosch as Link in BOTW2, LET'S GO!

BLAST!
SLAM DUNK!
GO GO CRAZY!

 

[Nanashrew]

Johnny Yong Bosch as Link in BOTW2, LET'S GO!

BLAST!
SLAM DUNK!
GO GO CRAZY!

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Nah, we need some Zero lines.

MIKAZUKIZAN
DANCHIEN
DENJIN
HADANGEKI

 

[cw_sasuke]

I prefer mute Link since im supposed to be the Character/Hero and i want them to keep designing the game/story with that in mind.

 

[Leo-Tyrant]

Sorry. I dont want him to talk. He can keep shouting and that's just perfect.

 

[ShadowFox08]

Nah, because by giving him a voice, you're giving him more of his own personality, and in that regard I'm just too concerned about Nintendo screwing it up.

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Nintendo needs to take a risk just once and see where it goes. In general a lot of Nintendo 1st party characters are mutes, and it really bothers me. Link isn't even a create a character. He's a protagonist and the only creative control you have over him is the occasional name change (not in botw) and changing costumes. But he already has a defined look and build and is supposed to have some kind of personality.


At the very least, give him some speech text or something. Link

 

[Fuchsia]

No thanks. The VO was so bad in the English version of BOTW that I don't trust them to get Link right. Zelda's VO made me switch things to Japanese.

 

[Peru]

The mystery of the character disappears completely once voiced, regardless of quality of voice acting. He should remain the fluid vessel of legends in this universe.

 

[Dogenzaka]

Link is expressive and emotive enough that him being a silent protagonist is fine. He doesn't need a voice.

 

[SMD]

.

 

[Lusamine]

Johnny Yong Bosch as Link in BOTW2, LET'S GO!

BLAST!
SLAM DUNK!
GO GO CRAZY!

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Where do I sign the petition? JYB needs to be in more things nowadays.

 

[rude]

An MGSV Snake approach would work. Just enough talking to let you know he's there.

 

[Untzillatx]

I think Link being silent during cutscenes was not really an issue as they very often were monologues or dialogues between other characters. I think it was much more awkward in Fire Emblem Thee Houses and in Astral Chain.

 

[Saucycarpdog]

Lean in on his muteness and make him talk in sign language.

 

[oofouchugh]

Fuck no, he is the last character in any of the stories that has anything important to say and it can stay that way. We don't need more snarky game leads voiced by Nolan North or Troy Baker.

 

[Chaos2Frozen]

Nah, we need some Zero lines.

MIKAZUKIZAN
DANCHIEN
DENJIN
HADANGEKI

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You don't want to hear Link call Ganondorf a "fucking asshole"?

Where do I sign the petition? JYB needs to be in more things nowadays.

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ZELDDDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

 

[Numberfox]

Well, seems like the majority opinion runs counter to the thread's premise.

 

[Pazee]

It will happen inevitably

 

[Sou Da]

There is no good reason to not do this in voice acted besides 'tradition'.

This weird fantasy of Link turning into a Playstation character where he's constantly gabbing to himself is nonsense.

 

[Xeontech]

Mute protagonists are the worst.

 

[Ramsay]

Nah. Mute Link isn't particularly interesting, but he's at the very least passable. I'll take mute Link over an insufferable brat such as Corrin or Rex any day of the week.

 

[El Sabroso]

being mute is best, I don't want to deal hearing bad translations / localizations when doing in other languages

 

[Kain]

Hell fucking yes. Mute protags are a relic of old times and need to go

 

[Quacktion]

WELL EXCUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-

how about no. They already made being mute his actual character trait, no need to toy with my boy.

 

[MarcelRguez]

Y'all asking for VA: if you get your wish, you better get ready for Nintendo to turn Link into Marth, aka the most vanilla JRPG protagonist with a stoic and dry as hell personality that pleases Japanese audiences.

 

[Tagyhag]

Nah, I like mute Link.

Just have Zelda be a protag instead.

 

[Quacktion]

If Vin Diesel voices him. Otherwise I'd prefer he stays mute.

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I can accept this as a compromise.

Nah, we need some Zero lines.

MIKAZUKIZAN
DANCHIEN
DENJIN
HADANGEKI

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WHAT AM I FIGHTING FOOOOOOR

 

[Deleted member 59109]

I have much bigger issues with the game than that. That isn't even actually an issue for me, I think it would be awkward for him to talk in BotW.

 

[andresmoros]

If Link starts talking, I'll start walking.
Away.

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Jean-Ralphio?

 

[Wane]

Honestly, as somebody who just started playing Red Dead 2 Online, these pseudomute protag characters that burdens the sidecharacters with doing all the talking, needs to effing GO. It's painful to watch.
I really like the idea of Link being very quiet and reserved, and the idea of Link being actual mute seems interesting.
These pseudo-mute protags are a relic of the past, and they don't make sense anymore.

 

[Galkinator]

It'd be nice to give him personality but I can't see Nintendo ever doing that

 

[Raonak]

Everybody should talk, or nobody should talk.

OR, they should just make him mute canonically.