Giving a character that's established as being silent a voice and dialogue is a dangerous thing.
I wish Samus Aran had just shut up. I don't think a mute character is somehow better that one that isn't, but I can get immersed in both worlds. Demon's Souls is a good example for an alternative between both choices. You build you character yourself, but he / she is silent in the game (I don't count something like Fallout 3, since you're talking to the NPC's, even despite having a voice).
I'm not sure if I want a screen full of character stats in a First Person Shooter though..
Anyways, for me a game like Portal 2 or HL2 is fine. The atmosphere builds up for me through the music & sound effects largely. So as long as they're done well, I'm satisfied.
Oh, and when I think about the actual writing of most games at all, there could be less talking in general, since (good!) writing has to be flanked by a good director and a tight connection between the two. Games in general lack this almost always imo.
I'd rather go with games like ICO / SotC that are completely silent and deliver their story through showing instead of telling, or games like Portal 2, which wants to be a game that makes you laugh and succeeds thanks to good direction and really good writing.