Spoken

I feel like when done right a spoken protagonist is almost always more preferable to a silent one.

Actions speak louder than words.

Yeah, its been interesting how close the poll has been so far as well

Definitely a vocal protagonist, when playing a video game I like to bond with the characters in the game like I do when I read books, it can turn a game with moderate gameplay into a really good game because of the the liability of the characters.
What's even better than a vocal protag though, is a vocal protag in which you control some of the dialogue like mass effect.

They both serve different purposes for different stories, so I guess I can't say I prefer one over the other. A silent one can just be awkward in a really story-heavy game, but then in a lot of games having the main character talk would be a little weird. Nintendo games fit the silent type perfectly.

Third option:

Both

I'm not one of those people that hates silent protagonists, but a talking one is almost always better i found.

Why? Because it furthers the plot and gives emotion to your character. Also, because the logic of the silent hero is to make you feel like you are living in that world yourself and i think that is a misinterpretation of what players want.
I personally want to be that character is that world and influence it that way. I dont want to be myself on that world. It isnt imersive for me.

So glad I got into collecting before the PS2 used game price hike. One of the gems that I can't wait to get to.

and I definitely prefer spoken protags. Having a silent MC just seems lazy, and should be backed by something thematic to justify it imo.

I prefer talking protagonists...

Kat (Gravity Rush) was really cool, had a great personality and funny stuff to say always
Jak (Jak & Daxter) got so much better after he started talking *I'm gonna kill Praxis!!!*
Ratchet (Ratchet & Clank) had a great fun personality!