Talking protagonists in first person shooters used to be a laughable idea. Very few characters were able to pull off strong, silent protagonists, with Doom's leading marine and Gordon Freeman of Half-Life immediately coming to mind.
However, in more recent titles, talking protagonists have started appearing and in BioShock: Infinite, the bar may be set even higher with Booker DeWitt.
The emotional connection between the hero and his charge can be very powerful. The Sony titles, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus are great examples of that strong bond. In BioShock: Infinite, the bond between Booker and Elizabeth will be a driving force for the narrative and also serve as emotional motivator to save the girl. Irrational Games creative director, Ken Levine, Troy Baker (Booker DeWitt), and Courtnee Draper (Elizabeth) discuss the process of playing the characters and what their motivation is in part 1 of 2 in a series of videos focusing on the voice actors.
While the focus of the trailers has been on the gameplay, especially with the latest one from TGS 2011, there hasn't been much hinted at regarding the relationship between Booker and Elizabeth, up until now. Although, the importance of Elizabeth has not been something to be understated, as she will serve as both Booker's companion, charge, and motivation throughout the campaign.
Watch the video below to get some insight regarding both characters straight from the actors playing them.
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Certainly, there are many fans of the BioShock games who are looking forward to the release of Infinite. Sales predictions mark the third game to become one of the highest selling games of 2012 and rightfully so - if the E3 2011 gameplay trailer is any indication of the final title's quality. Irrational Games is creating another fully realized world with its own characters, history, and aesthetics as they did with the original BioShock and it looks incredible.
Do you think the characters of BioShock: Infinite are more interesting than what you usually see in first person shooter games?
BioShock: Infinite will be releasing in Q1 2012 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.
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