Starfield Main Character Confirmed To Be Silent [IGN]

It will once again be left to players to imagine what their character sounds like in Starfield, with Bethesda confirming via a tweet today that the main protagonist will be silent.

It marks a return to type for Bethesda’s RPGs. While the main character of Bethesda’s Fallout 4 did have a voice, Starfield is following the path carved by some of the studio’s earlier games. Historically, many of the protagonists in popular Bethesda developed games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 3 were silent.

In another reversion, Starfield’s dialogue will also take place in the first-person. Players will not be limited to first-person throughout the game, as Starfield will also include a third-person camera.

Yes, dialogue in @StarfieldGame is first person and your character does not have a voice. pic.twitter.com/A8384m6rGN

— Bethesda Game Studios (@BethesdaStudios) June 13, 2022

Fallout 4’s spoken dialogue was controversial among fans at the time, as it resulted in dialogue choices that some felt were too simplistic. Bethesda appears to have reacted to that feedback by simply returning to what works, meaning more nuanced conversations with NPCs. Earlier this year, we learned Starfield will draw some inspiration for its conversation mechanics from Elder Scrolls: Oblivion.

Today’s news follows a deluge of exciting reveals that were highlighted yesterday at the Xbox & Bethesda Showcase, including a look at combat and the extensive character and ship customization. Last summer, Todd Howard revealed that while customizing your character, you’ll be able to pick your pronouns.

We also got a peek at the game’s narrative in a new story trailer, which gave us a peek at some of the characters you’ll meet. Starfield continues to look like it will contain a huge world, and which is confirmed by the over 1,000 planets to explore.

Casey is a freelance writer for IGN. You can usually find him talking about JRPGs on Twitter at @caseydavidmt.