Ten Great Voice Performances In Games
You'd be surprised at some of the folks who you can listen to after pressing "start".
We are pretty dedicated gamers here at ScreenGeek, and after going into spasms of excitement over today's release of Skyrim, we got to thinking about how some of our favourite screen faces have made the switch into pixel form. Read on to see some of the games where we don't dare to skip a single cut scene, for fear of missing some gems from this lot...
Patrick Stewart (Emperor Uriel Septim VII in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion)
Starting any Elder Scrolls game is a daunting prospect, just choosing the hair colour for your silent protagonist can take ages – after all, you’re going to spend the next 80 hours or so in their company. So when you first boot up Oblivion, only to hear the majestic tones of Captain Picard himself guiding you through the early stages, it just feels like everything is going to be alright. It’s a real shame he wasn’t in the game for longer, although Sean Bean steps in for the bulk of the game, and we are treated to some Terence Stamp at the end.
Gary Oldman (Sergeant Reznov in Call of Duty: World at War)
One of the finest actors working today, Oldman brings the required degree of gravitas to the games early Stalingrad level. The tone of the fascinating conflict is nailed on, thanks in no small part to the deep Russian tones of the vengeance-driven soldier who guides you through. One of those voice performances that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, as you creep through the wreckage of the once-great city, Oldman captures the defiance and determination of the Russian army perfectly.
Danny Trejo (Raul the Ghoul in Fallout: New Vegas)
In a game that features a huge array of quality voice talent (Matt Perry as Benny is wonderfully sleazy), it is Machete himself who stands out as player companion Raul. A useful enough character in his own right, but many players will eschew more powerful colleagues in order to hear Trejo’s world-weary Mexican ghoul bemoaning their every choice. The intimidating action star brings an intriguing mix of blue-collar toughness and grounded pathos to this role, along with the essential touch of humour the Fallout games always serve up.
Michael Dorn (Marcus in Fallout: New Vegas)
The second on our list from this game, reaching Jacobstown can be an intimidating moment – a long, long trek through the critter-infested mountains to reach the settlement leads to the sight of a town populated entirely by hulking super mutants. When their leader sprints up to you, you instinctively hit the “draw” button, only to be greeted by the booming yet calming tones of Commander Worf himself. Giving the monstrous character a keen intelligence is a tough ask, and the man who also appears in the Mass Effect series is just the actor for the job.
Keith David (Sergeant Foley in Modern Warfare 2)
The almighty Keith David, who memorably played Childs in the perfect 80’s sci-fi horror The Thing, takes over the voice duties for your section commander here, and reels off a list of commands (The notorious “Ramirez to do list”) which you instinctively follow in double time. David is one of our favourite actors, having also appeared in They Live to great effect, and so it feels like an absolute pleasure to follow the great man’s leadership.
Eliza Dushku (Rubi Malone in Wet)
Although the game is pretty limited, it couldn’t be accused of being dull, thanks in no small part to Dushku’s tough, sexy voiceover, which is perfect for the dangerous Rubi. Sounding just the right side of psychotic at times, slicing through hordes of goons with a samurai sword and assorted firearms is given a fresh appeal when you realise that this is Joss Whedon favourite Eliza in the title role. Taking a character which is entirely one-dimensional, and giving her the sort of vengeance-crazy direction that the actress does is a great fit, and you can insert predictable joke about gamers being able to play with Eliza Dushku here.
Odette Yustman (Amata in Fallout 3)
Once again returning to Bethesda’s mammoth sci-fi series here, and an entry which is so in-depth that it actually begins with your player being born. An impressive sense of scale, intuitive combat system, and an immense story are all second, however, to the fact that the game lets you swap “flirtatious” (read: creepy) asides with Cloverfield’s gorgeous Odette Yustman. It’s a shame she only appears in the early stages of the game, unless, like us, you are a proud 100%er, thus unlocking the hidden side-quest featuring the reluctant young leader.
Malcolm McDowell (President Eden in Fallout 3)
Just after exiting the Vault, and saying goodbye to Amata, we head nervously down a barren hillside, scanning the scorched earth for signs of life, when we hear... Linderman from Heroes? Yes, the man in possession of one of the finest voices in acting can be heard drifting across the wasteland, as part of presidential addresses issued by automated robots. Sinister, compelling and straight down-the-line serious, it’s a great turn from the veteran.
Samuel L Jackson (Officer Tenpenny in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas)
The GTA series has thrown up so many memorable voices in the past, including Michael Madsen, Ray Liotta, Peter Fonda, and even Jenna Jameson. Probably our favourite, though, is the man himself, Samuel L Jackson wading in as corrupt cop Officer Tenpenny. It’s a role obviously written with Jackson in mind, and he takes it on with aplomb – the sequence where the player finds Tenpenny sampling some extra-strong ganja in uniform is one for the ages.
Billy Dee Williams (Redmond Boyle)
OK, OK, so it’s hammy, over the top and laugh-out-loud funny, but that cannot take away from the fact that your briefings in Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars come from none other than Lando Calrissian himself! As the histrionic GDI director Boyle, Williams chews on every pixel as he impores you “For every man, woman and child on the planet, do the right thing...” priceless stuff. If Williams weren’t so untouchably cool we’d be slaughtering this, but we can’t help thinking he misses his grounded screen partner Nien Nunb.
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