Would Future PMD Games benefit from Voice Acting?

[Marbi Z]

For those who played games like Fire Emblem Three Houses you know how voice acting can really enhance the story experience and give you a real connection with the characters. Now imagine if a future PMD game had full voice acting with the Main Cast imagine having childlike voices for the first stages and more grown up voices for the late evolutions. I'd love to see a PMD game where say when Cinderace gets a critical hit a small animation picture pops up and he says (No Opening I'll make one!) upon getting the hit. What do you think?

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

I really don’t think it will work as the main concept of the series is that you’re a human that transformed into a Pokémon and the adventures you go on are your own. It’s different from a game like LoZ or FF where there is one base main playable character and the main goal is about a set story that is the same for each play through. PMD is literally never the same game twice for the same person. The Dungeons are randomly generated, the Pokémon you recruit can vary greatly, and even leveling up may occur at different times than another play through.

 

[Marbi Z]

I really don’t think it will work as the main concept of the series is that you’re a human that transformed into a Pokémon and the adventures you go on are your own. It’s different from a game like LoZ or FF where there is one base main playable character and the main goal is about a set story that is the same for each play through. PMD is literally never the same game twice for the same person. The Dungeons are randomly generated, the Pokémon you recruit can vary greatly, and even leveling up may occur at different times than another play through.

Of course the Pokémon you play as could not have a voice but I still think it could make for more immersive Playthroughs at the very least I love the idea of Pokémon having Critical Hit Quotes prior to delivering the blows.

 

[Leonhart]

I don't know if the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games would necessarily benefit from voice acting since it doesn't sound like a big selling point, although it's something that I wouldn't mind being added to future installments of that spin-off franchise if it actually enhances the plot.

 

[Spider-Phoenix]

I think it works well.

See how well recieved Persona 5 was. And that game gave Joker, the silent protagonist, a voice. Even if he just said basic phrases and the like.

On "our" side of the field, I've seen people reacting fairly positive for the silent protagonists who have been given voices on Pokémon Masters. I think it can work. Just have our character says a few words (not think to himself for us to read but to actually say) every once in a while.

 

[Bguy7]

Such a random question. I don't think they would benefit from voice acting, in the sense that voice acting is the next logical evolution of the series, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't have voice acting. I'm firmly of the opinion that voice acting is never a bad thing.

The problem is that Mystery Dungeon is not a game that would lend itself well to voice acting. Even if we say that only the main characters get voice lines, there are 20 different Pokémon you can play as in Super Mystery Dungeon (and that's not counting evolutions). A newer Mystery Dungeon game would have at least 26, if we add the Alola and Galar starters. So that's at least 26 different versions of every bit of dialogue for both the player and partner that would have to be recorded. as well as whatever lines all the other main characters have. That's pretty intensive. Not impossible, but I'm not sure they would ever be worth the effort for the developers.

So in short, it would be cool, but doesn't seem all that practical or necessary.

 

[TwilightBlade]

I wouldn't say no to spoken dialogue with voice actors taking the role of the playable Pokemon but it seems like the kind of thing that won't happen in the near future as cool as it'd be.

 

[Zoruagible]

It depends, can they do that and still have all 890 Pokemon in the PMD game? Otherwise the answer is a big fat NO.
We haven't had a new MD game in years and it'd be nice to see all of the Alola and Galar Pokemon get in, none of them got into the remake

 

[Spider-Phoenix]

So that's at least 26 different versions of every bit of dialogue for both the player and partner that would have to be recorded. as well as whatever lines all the other main characters have. That's pretty intensive. Not impossible, but I'm not sure they would ever be worth the effort for the developers.

Not necessarly. The PC character and the partner could have just a set of 2 voices for the male and female option. An alternative would be pulling something similar to IntiCreates' Dragon marked for death and give the player the option of choosing a voice he prefers among some options (that game had 4 for each PC, if I recall correctly).

 

[Bguy7]

Not necessarly. The PC character and the partner could have just a set of 2 voices for the male and female option. An alternative would be pulling something similar to IntiCreates' Dragon marked for death and give the player the option of choosing a voice he prefers among some options (that game had 4 for each PC, if I recall correctly).

But should a, let's say, Tepig really have the same voice as a Chikorita. The starter Pokémon vary widely in size, shape, personality, and design. Putting a one-size-fits-all voice actor over all of them wouldn't work all that well.

 

[Spider-Phoenix]

Does it really, though?

I mean, the partner on Super had the same personality regardless it's a Riolu or a Tepig, so I don't see a problem with the voice being the same no matter the character model. Sometimes the voice looking out of place could be part of the appeal for someone to pick a "unfit" starter.

Let's say people might find appealing to have a female Tepig who speaks like a Chikorita.

 

[Bguy7]

Does it really, though?

I mean, the partner on Super had the same personality regardless it's a Riolu or a Tepig, so I don't see a problem with the voice being the same no matter the character model. Sometimes the voice looking out of place could be part of the appeal for someone to pick a "unfit" starter.

Let's say people might find appealing to have a female Tepig who speaks like a Chikorita.

Okay, admittedly the personality part doesn't matter as much, but that doesn't change the fact that they still have different expectations for what their voice should be, based entirely on their design. A one-size-fits-all voice would just feel forced and sloppy.

 

[Ubermuk]

I think the Mystery Dungeon games are already immersive enough on their own so I dunno if voice acting would offer anything positive. It would seem like a commodity more than something we actually need in the games...

 

[Bolt the Cat]

At best, maybe some of the NPCs can, but in general, games with silent protagonists that are meant to be player avatars really shouldn't have voice acting.

What PMD really needs is co-op. I'm amazed this isn't a thing yet. The game puts a lot of emphasis on the player and their partner in the storyline and the Switch has two controllers built in, so you'd think co-op would be a no brainer at this point.

 

[Marbi Z]

At best, maybe some of the NPCs can, but in general, games with silent protagonists that are meant to be player avatars really shouldn't have voice acting.

What PMD really needs is co-op. I'm amazed this isn't a thing yet. The game puts a lot of emphasis on the player and their partner in the storyline and the Switch has two controllers built in, so you'd think co-op would be a no brainer at this point.

Or even 3-4 player co-op