My problem with Hawke is that the character just seems so... detached and distant. I can't compare the experience to playing Shepard because I haven't played Mass Effect. Not yet. However, I'm very afraid the same thing will happen.
The Warden is wonderful because it's my character. It gives me just enough ground to build on but a lot of space to play how I want to play, who and how I want the Warden to be. I keep replaying Origins, again and again, because another and another character with a different personality comes to my mind. And, unlike Hawke, these characters are very much of a mixed bag, personalitywise. Each one of them is a little more complex. They're not just nice or just funny or just aggressive or just the combination of these. They have many different traits that even may contradict each other but, unlike with Hawke, it doesn't result in saying one line angrily while following with another said in sweet voice while smiling. At the end of the day, I look at the Warden and feel, very fondly, that "That's my girl/boy." Something I created, built and developed.
With Hawke that's just not possible. Thanks to the protagonist being voiced, the character is more or less set and that causes that I don't know Hawke and, also thanks to the paraphrasing, I don't know how he/she is going to react. I often find myself surprised with Hawke's reactions which is extremelly frustrating and I keep reloading the game just because I want to find the response that actually expresses what I want to express for that particular character. It's probably been said a million times already but I really hate seeing something as innocent-looking as "What happened?" turn into Hawke shouting, "YOU ALMOST KILLED THAT GIRL!" after clicking it in the dialogue wheel. This really breaks the game for me and makes me feel that I don't know and don't understand someone who should be my own character at all.
Less dialogue options often make me feel there's none I'd like to pick for my character, too. I know it's probably pretty much impossible to have as many options as in Origins when you have a voiced protagonist. But one of the things I love about Origins is that I can always or nearly always find a line that expresses how my character feels. In DAII? Not so much.
I'll give the situation when you bring Fenris the book as a gift as an example as I've discussed that with someone just recently. What are our options? To flirt saying that you will teach him to read, which I'm perfectly happy with when I'm romancing him. But what about Hawke that does not but still likes him as a friend? The other two options are to either make fun of him or insult him. I just can't get over that. No helpful or diplomatic responses. Situations such as these make me hate Hawke pretty badly at times and make me think about what kind of despicable person he/she is. Sometimes it just feels that I'm picking the lesser of three evils than a response I really want and that bothers me a great deal.
I must say that playing male Hawke is somewhat easier than playing lady Hawke. Maybe because I'm not trying to identify with the character so much. It definitely doesn't make me feel like he's mine though. It's more like... as jillabender has already stated somewhere, like having another NPC around. I pick and watch his reactions, he's a nice piece of grumpy eye candy, but he basically lives his own life. My roleplaying experience consists of red button, red button, red button, red button, ooh, flirt button, hmm, red button... Then I find a place where I'd really, really like to give a nicer answer and the result is... just awkward.
However, unlike some others here, I must say that, even though I prefer epic stories such as Origins has, the more personal approach of DAII has never been an issue for me and I do like how Hawke's story starts. While I would love to have more origins and a story of epic proportions again, Hawke's makes my imagination going, as well. While there are a lot of things we are told about Hawke's past, I would be able to build around it quite comfortably if only there were space for it. But Hawke's voice and the unexpected lines give the protagonist way too much personality to actually do that. I've said it before and will say it again. I unsuccessfully started the game three times before I was able to get used to the protagonist who'd basically almost never done or said what I'd expected or wanted. The less control I have over my character, the less connected I feel to it. This almost never happens with the Warden. In Origins, that was extremelly rare. I remember how upset I was when my Dalish Warden-Commander was made to kneel before Anora at the beginning of Awakening. It's a small thing, I know. But it's something she would never do and something she had never had to do before. That's a human habit. Sodding keep it! I don't see a reason why a game would or should force you to do something like that, not even asking you whether you want to do it. And yet, with Hawke it happens all the time. Even if you build the character to your own liking as much as possible, at some point its just going to act on its own thanks to paraphrasing and auto-dialogue.
Another thing is that I dislike being called by surname. Maybe it's because of where I come from but that just seems very rude and impersonal. I'd rather be called just "you" or "my friend". "My dear" or "my love" or whatever your love interests usually call you in BioWare games.
As for the voice acting itself, I must say that I think both the actors did a good job. Personally, I can't really blame them for my inability to enjoy the game more. Thought I must admit their voices contribute to the limitations. I do like male Hawke's voice. However, if I wanted to make a sweet and shy male character, I can only dream. There's simply too much personality in a voiced character.
A lot of people say that the Warden was "mute" and I understand why they do. It may sound silly but the Warden has never been mute to me, even if he/she only speaks and emotes in my head. My Warden can have the voice or the way of saying each dialogue option, or the facial expression I imagine for them. Because, again, you have the space for that. Because the NPCs you talk to never even imply that your interpretation is not correct. Because you don't see the Warden's face most of the time. Etc.
Sorry, I'm ranting. I'm just trying to give all the reasons for why I feel the way I feel about Hawke as I find myself thinking about it quite often while playing the game, and I guess I needed to share it as someone who's finished her first DAII playthrough just recently and is full of it. It doesn't mean I don't like the game. There are things like the companions, for example, that make it worth playing even for someone as old-fashioned as me. But Hawke is simply not my character and I will always feel cold towards him/her for all the reasons I've stated. I simply feel I have no control over the character and sorely miss the role play possibilities I had in Origins. I guess that's what I've basically tried to say all along by the horrendous rant above.
Modifié par Vanilka of the Sword Coast, 15 septembre 2012 - 11:14 .
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