Characterizing Silent Protagonists - “Baroque” and Externalizing Interiority
6So, this is definitely a topic that exceeds the scope of a minute-long video, and so I’ll be revisiting/expanding upon this at a later date, but for now I figured I’d get this out there.
Not only was it a good excuse to talk about Baroque, but also the differentiation between “silent protagonists” and “blank slate protagonists,” two terms I often see used interchangeably. However, I’ve long been fascinated by the differences between the two, and so jumped at the chance to cover it. They are, to be fair, qualities that often go hand in hand. But that’s exactly what makes it so fascinating when they don’t.
For another example (that may end up a video at some point) look at Link from The Legend of Zelda. Dude’s got tons of personality in many of his games, not to mention backstory and motivations. But that’s a whole ‘nother essay.
Anyway, Baroque. One of the most fascinating games no one has ever heard of. The footage used here is of the Wii/PS2 remake, but the original game was actually PSX/Saturn. That one never (officially) released in English though, so this is the one I’m most familiar with.
And on the topic of it characterizing its silent protagonist, it actually does a lot more than this. But I figure I’d avoid the more spoilery methods, and plus this one was a fun realization/writing trick.
The game itself is also interesting in general for just how ahead of the curve it was; being a story-focused survival-horror roguelike over a decade before the genre got popular, and even further before it the big names started dabbling in big stories within the genre. Plus the game’s just an absolute vibe. Definitely recommend playing it, but at the very least check out the soundtrack and animated OP.
And with all that said, I think I’ll call it here this week. Thanks, as always, for your time. And till next time, take care out there.
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