There are plenty of video games where you can identify the voices of famous film and TV celebrities playing characters or narrating what happens in a story, and that’s pretty exciting!
I consider voice acting an important component in a video game, mainly for those moments where the characters need to talk and interact with others, participate in a strategy, or state their emotions, frustrations, and desire for justice or domination as protagonists or antagonists.
Voice acting is necessary for AAA and indie games with generous budgets. Famous voice-over artists contribute to the marketing strategy of a game, as they attract lots of existing and new fans who wonder what the voices of their favorite film, TV and previous game sagas’ actors and actresses will sound like in new characters.
- In this post you will get to know about:
- What Is Voice Acting
- Do Games Need Voice Acting
- Most Popular Video Game Actresses and Actors
- Strategy to Practice Game Voice Acting
What Is Voice Acting
Voice acting is the action performed by an actor or a voice-over narrator to play a role in a radio or TV commercial, audiobook, film, TV, or video game. Voice actors can be professional actors or people who have acquired the skills and experience to offer a high-quality performance for a fiction or non-fiction character.
As a narrator and audio producer, I do not use nor promote the use of AI software to replace human voices in a product that requires the talent of a professional performer.
Do Games Need Voice Acting
Games do benefit from a good performance in voice acting, in moments of a story where the characters are immersed in hazardous and challenging situations and interact to analyze multiple variables and choose a strategy. AAA game developer studios do care about casting experienced actors, as it provides an extra marketing boost to their titles.
- The most popular voice actors also have a very good portfolio in films and TV series, and that previous experience keeps loyal video game lovers engaged with a saga. It also attracts new ones who are wondering what their favorite actors sound like in a game.
- Although the majority of the time in which the story develops is full of action, sound effects, and background music, many players enjoy those moments where the characters interact in a conversation
- It’s also true that there are moments in some games where the characters’ voices sound too plain and lack a more dramatic intonation.
- And that is not done deliberately by the performer, but as an indication from the voice director of the game, a person who knows the whole story and most of the time needs the character to sound the way a normal person would sound in an extraordinary situation.
- I find that to be the main reason why many game fans, and game developers think at some point that real voice actors are not needed in a game.
- Although AI voice generating software is used in many cases and provides short dialogues where the majority of players cannot tell the difference, real performers can do a much more convincing job. It’s just a matter of how much of a budget a game studio wants to spend.
Most Popular Video Game Actresses and Actors
This compilation of the most popular video game actors can be useful for you to learn from performing critical analysis: it’s when you learn by listening and analyzing the performance of a voice actor in different games in matters of intonation, speech speed, and those dramatical voice features that make a video game character outstand.
The order I present them in the table below starts with the performers with the highest number of video games in their portfolio. Follow the strategy I use, after the table:
| Artist | Video Games |
| Steve Blum | Kimetsu no Yaiba: Hinokami Keppuutan, Lost Judgment, No More Heroes III, Marvel Future Revolution, Psychonauts 2, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, Star Wars: Squadrons, Marvel’s Avengers, The Last of Us: Part II, Valorant, Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series – Episode III, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Star Wars: The Old Republic – Onslaught, Fortnite: Chapter 2, Tag der Toten, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, and other 438 games. |
| Nolan North | Marvel Future Revolution, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Dirt 5, Marvel’s Avengers, Star Wars: The Old Republic – Onslaught, Fortnite: Chapter 2, Freedom Finger, Tag der Toten, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, Alpha Omega, Artifact, Lego DC Super-Villains, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Destiny 2: Forsaken, God of War, Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire, and other 269 games. |
| Laura Bailey | Call of Duty: Vanguard, Marvel Future Revolution, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, NieR Replicant: ver.1.22474487139…, Jurassic World Aftermath, World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, The Pathless, Marvel’s Avengers, Starfinder, The Last of Us: Part II, Star Wars: The Old Republic – Onslaught, Gears 5, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, Teppen, Days Gone, Catherine: Full Body, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Lego DC Super-Villains, and other 235 games. |
| Jennifer Hale | No More Heroes III, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, Marvel’s Avengers, Marvel’s Iron Man VR, Star Wars: The Old Republic – Onslaught, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, Mortal Kombat 11, Lego DC Super-Villains, World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth, Marvel Powers United VR, Lego The Incredibles, and other 214 games. |
| Kari Wahlgren | Halo Infinite, Psychonauts 2, DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power, Cyberpunk 2077, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Star Wars: Squadrons, Rocket Arena, The Last of Us: Part II, Crucible, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Star Wars: The Old Republic – Onslaught, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Mortal Kombat 11, and other 205 games. |
| Troy Baker | Lone Echo 2, Far Cry 6, The Last of Us, The Lord of the Rings, Mass Effect, The Medium, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, The Pathless, Dirt 5, Ben 10: Power Tip, Marvel’s Avengers, Darksiders Genesis, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Fortnite, John Wick, Mortal Kombat 11, and other 200 games. |
| Michelle Ruff | Kimetsu no Yaiba: Hinokami Keppuutan, Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed, NieR Replicant: ver.1.22474487139…, Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Max Gentlemen Sexy Business!, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020, Persona 5 Royal, Code Vein, and other 176 games. |
| Grey Griffin (Grey Delisle) | DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, Star Wars: Squadrons, Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time, Star Wars: The Old Republic – Onslaught, Marvel Dimension of Heroes, Lego DC Super-Villains, Destiny 2: Forsaken, Star Wars: Battlefront II, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, Destiny 2, and other 162 games. |
| Cindy Robinson | Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny, Puyopuyo Tetorisu 2, World of Warcraft: Shadowland, The Lord of the Rings Online: War of the Three Peaks, Wasteland 3, The Last of Us: Part II, Final Fantasy VII Remake, The Lord of the Rings Online: Minas Morgul, Shenmue III, and other 147 games. |
| Tara Strong | MultiVersus, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power, World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, Ben 10: Power Trip, Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time, Star Wars: The Old Republic – Onslaught, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, Dark Deception, Lego DC Super-Villains, Them’s Fightin’ Herds, and other 143 games. |
| Courtenay Taylor | Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, Deathloop, The Artful Escape, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, Cookie Run: Kingdom, Twin Mirror, World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, Bugsnax, Star Wars: Squadrons, Rocket Arena, The Last of Us: Part II, Blade & Soul Revolution, Gears Tactics, and other 123 games. |
| Kim Mai Guest | Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, Ghost of Tsushima, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Girls Mode 4: Suta sutairisuto, World of Warcraft: Legion, Heroes of the Storm, Final Fantasy Type-0 HD, Diablo III: Reaper of Souls, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Saints Row IV, and other 98 games. |
| John DiMaggio | MultiVersus, Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!, Ben 10: Power Trip, Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Freedom Finger, Gears 5, Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled, Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion, Destiny 2: Forsaken, World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth, and other 94 games. |
| Mark Hamill | Squadron 42, Kingdom Hearts III, Lego DC Super-Villains, Let It Die, View-Master Batman Animated VR, Batman: Arkham VR, Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Master of Orion: Conquer the Stars, Lego Marvel’s Avengers, Lego Dimensions, Batman: Arkham Knight, DC Universe Online: The Last Laugh, Batman: Arkham City Lockdown, Marvel Super Hero Squad: Comic Combat, and other 31 games. |
| Claudia Black | Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Destiny 2, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, World of Final Fantasy, Gears of War 4, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Killing Floor 2, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, Destiny, Diablo III: Reaper of Souls, and other 18 games. |
| Patrick Stewart | Felix the Reaper, My Memory of Us, Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, Lego Universe, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Star Trek: Legacy, X-Men: The Official Game, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse, X-Men Legends, Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone, Star Trek: Elite Force II, and other 11 Star Trek games. |
| Samuel L. Jackson | LEGO Marvel Avengers, Disney Infinity: 3.0 Edition – Starter Pack, Disney Infinity: Toy Box 2.0, Disney Infinity: Edition 2.0 – Marvel Super Heroes, Heroes of Newerth, Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars, Iron Man 2, Afro Samurai, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – Special Edition, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, The Incredibles: When Danger Calls, The Incredibles. |
| Elijah Wood | Psychonauts 2, 11-11: Memories Retold, Broken Age, God of War III, The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II – The Rise of the Witch-king, Happy Feet, The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. |
| Gary Oldman | Squadron 42, Flying Horse, Lego Dimensions, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Call of Duty: World at War, The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon, The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night, The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning, True Crime: Streets of LA, Medal of Honor: Allied Assault – Spearhead, The Fifth Element. |
| Seth Green | Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Portal Power, Lego Dimensions, Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff, Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse, Mass Effect 3, Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect, Family Guy, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch: Make My Video. |
| Hayden Panettiere | Until Dawn, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+, Kingdom Hearts II, The Mark of Kri, Kingdom Hearts, A Bug’s Life. |
| John Goodman | Lego The Incredibles, Rage, Cars Race-O-Rama, Cars Mater-National, Bee Movie Game, Monsters, Inc. Scream Arena, Mike’s Monstrous Adventure, Pyst. |
| Kiefer Sutherland | Black Ops 4: Dead of the Night, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Call of Duty: World at War, Call of Duty: World at War – Final Fronts, 24: The Game. |
| Eliza Dushku | Fight Night Champion, Wet, Saints Row 2, Ryû ga gotoku, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds. |
| Yvonne Strahovski | Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, Mass Effect 3, The 3rd Birthday, Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect: Galaxy. |
| Sean Bean | Hitman 3, Hitman 2, Civilization VI, Kholat, Papa Sangre II, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. |
| Christopher Walken | True Crime: New York City, True Crime: Streets of LA, Ripper, Privateer 2: The Darkening. |
| Keanu Reeves | The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience, Cyberpunk 2077, Enter the Matrix. |
| Denis Hopper | Deadly Creatures, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Black Dahlia, Hell: A Cyberpunk Thriller. |
| Liam Neeson | Fallout 3, Batman Begins. |
To see more games titles in each performer’s bio, go to www.imdb.com
Strategy to Practice Game Voice Acting
- Play the games on your game console and start your analysis.
- Watch videos in Youtube to find gamers who have played and completed the entire game, so you can appreciate all its stages (initial context of the story, action scenes, conversations, narration throughout the story, etc.).
- Start by choosing one character
- Listen to the first scene where the character speaks and then record yourself immitating the same intonation, speech speed, and emotions
- If you aren’t sure how accurate you sound in your recording, play it to someone else who enjoys video games, to tell you if that voice sounds identical and convincing as the original one
