Yes, that is why I am definitely going to love infinite. Among other things. I always noticed that few FPS games will let the character talk, while your playing them. Only in cut scenes. Since your a developer I will ask you. Do the game creators think we can't tell who is talking if the main character talks in FPS mode. Is that why usually they only talk in cutscenes? EX Master chief

Judging from the videos, Infinite seems to overdo the voice. The guy never shuts up. If you're going to have the character talking, take your cues from Thief. Less is more.

I always find voiced FPS protagonists awkward. I prefer them mute or I should have dialogue options. It does not make sense to me that you are in control of how this guy moves but not what he says, it just further drives a wedge between story and gameplay. Mute is fine, dialogue is simply outside the scope of the game. Nobody would say this isn't a real sim if you can't do a handstand or drink the sewer water, it is outside the scope of the game.

I've always been a fan of (when the main character has personalization and a character presence in the story) the main character voicing his thoughts during the game. I've never been a fan of cut-scenes, but the aspect of providing background information and insight into the protagonist's current take on the situation has always engaged me.

Nope, I don't think that's much of a problem. I guess that's more a question of design philosophy. Some designers consider that the main character in a first-person game is nothing more than an interface for the player to interact with the game world. In this case, the player almost IS the main character, and that's up to him to figure out how to think/move/react/talk in a given situation. Often this is a point of view widely spread among designers who played (or even wrote) a lot of pen & paper RPG's. That's really the "you are the hero" way to handle it.

The other most common approach in the industry is to consider that the main character in the game - just like any other NPC - has a name, his own background story and behavior. The player only embodies him during "gameplay" sequences, which allows to have more control over the main story plot and a more consistent experience (at least regarding objectives & narration). That might be something inherited from the motion pictures industry, or from video games based on movies with all their constraints (although I'm really not sure about this).

Of course, you can find a lot of examples in-between those two opposing approaches (i.e. Half-Life, the game with no cut-scenes and its carefully written hero... who's mute). Almost each game handles the first person thing in a very unique way... And to me, the most important question is: does it provide players with a cool, consistent experience? I think most of them already proved to work quite well!

I have thought of that as well. The thing is "almost". I know I would be talking. I think the reason I pay attention to it alot, is because story is why I play the games I love. I try to get attached to the characters. It is a little tough to relate to my mute self. But that is just my attempting writer side of me.

Regardless, it seems that Corvo is mute. But that won't stop me buying it one release day I can deal with it,as long as you make your characters great. Even Corvo can be great. Even as a mute. Everything I heard, I like. I am confident in you guys. I am hoping for a story reason for him being mute though. Or characters making fun of him not talking.

Mute characters are over done in gaming making it hard for me to empathise with them in general but I can overlook it if the game makes up for it in other areas.

This is just a matter of game design style. Loved games like Thief, System Shock and Bioshock. Sometimes you aren't looking for empathy with with the character you are playing, however this is important in a role-playing game.

Not it's not. When playing a role-playing game, it's called knowing thyself.