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Voice Acting in Games

135

Posts

  • kedinikkedinik Captain of Industry Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Pemulis wrote: »
    Another classic:

    HA HA HA!
    Cue the people saying that it's supposed to sound forced, etc. etc. :P

    I'm currently in a library, sans headphones and ruing it, but this particular scene is so burned into my memory as an awkward failure of game voice acting that it's almost like I can hear them any ways.

    That whole game was a monument to low-quality VA, in fact.

    kedinik on
    I made a game! Hotline Maui. Requires mouse and keyboard.
  • cj iwakuracj iwakura The Rhythm Regent Bears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Magna Carta: Tears of Blood.

    I can't find a clip of the character I'm thinking of, but anyone who's played it probably knows who I mean.


    For good voice acting, ironically, I think of a game localized by the same company: Digital Devil Saga(both games in the series).

    cj iwakura on
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  • CrashmoCrashmo Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    kedinik wrote: »
    Pemulis wrote: »
    FFX horrible awkward laughing

    I'm currently in a library, sans headphones and ruing it, but this particular scene is so burned into my memory as an awkward failure of game voice acting that it's almost like I can hear them any ways.

    That whole game was a monument to low-quality VA, in fact.

    To this day, when me and my brother are getting pumped up to do anything, one of us will yell SHOOT LIKE CRAZY!

    Crashmo on
    polar-bearsig.jpg
  • ShockwaveShockwave Back In Black Ontario, CanadaRegistered User regular
    edited October 2008
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7qsGVExfAY

    Now, I want to stress that first of all, this is the first game I've returned in 20 years. This came for free with my PS3 and I still wanted my money back.

    Shockwave on
    shockwavesig.jpg
  • BroktuneBroktune Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Enchanted Arm had some of the worst voice acting in the history of ever. The voices were bad enough, but the actual acting, pacing, stressing of words was just horrible. You have to wonder where they cast these voice actors.

    Broktune on
  • never dienever die Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    kedinik wrote: »
    Pemulis wrote: »
    Another classic:

    HA HA HA!
    Cue the people saying that it's supposed to sound forced, etc. etc. :P

    I'm currently in a library, sans headphones and ruing it, but this particular scene is so burned into my memory as an awkward failure of game voice acting that it's almost like I can hear them any ways.

    That whole game was a monument to low-quality VA, in fact.

    Really? Considering some of the examples we've seen in this topic, I don't see how this game is that bad. I figured the acting was decent. But opinions and all that.

    About Haze, was it that bad? That's surpising, cause the VA in all the other Free Radical games I can think of were pretty good.

    never die on
  • Randall_FlaggRandall_Flagg Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    man, you guys are being hella negative

    why don't you think on the positive side for a bit, like

    this

    Randall_Flagg on
  • ThetherooThetheroo Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    man, you guys are being hella negative

    why don't you think on the positive side for a bit, like

    this

    You and I think alike.

    Red Alert is the pinnacle of video game VA.

    Thetheroo on
  • KhavallKhavall British ColumbiaRegistered User regular
    edited October 2008
    If you want to focus on positive voice acting just bring up anything from Bioware ever.

    Khavall on
  • InzignaInzigna Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Antihippy wrote: »
    Suffer like G did?

    Then again, house of the dead's voice acting is hilarious, not bad.

    Vaan from FF12 makes me want to smash squirrels though. Sometimes.

    I'm captain Basch!

    Aargh.
    Noone should diss FFXII's voice-acting. Sure, Vaan sucked sometimes, but hey.

    You had Balthier and Fran.

    Fran.

    Inzigna on
    camo_sig2.png
  • darksteeldarksteel Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    man, you guys are being hella negative

    why don't you think on the positive side for a bit, like

    this

    I and three of my friends got that entire intro sequence memorized, even the timing of the sounds. Sometimes we do it in front of complete strangers just to see how flabbergasted they get when four people suddenly burst into drama.

    darksteel on
    shikisig6-1.jpg
  • belaraphonbelaraphon michiganRegistered User regular
    edited October 2008
    serious business. i think we can all agree that keith david is the best voice actor ever.


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmRwX2H2fos

    belaraphon on
    belaraphon.png
  • LockedOnTargetLockedOnTarget Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    kedinik wrote: »
    Pemulis wrote: »
    Another classic:

    HA HA HA!
    Cue the people saying that it's supposed to sound forced, etc. etc. :P

    I'm currently in a library, sans headphones and ruing it, but this particular scene is so burned into my memory as an awkward failure of game voice acting that it's almost like I can hear them any ways.

    That whole game was a monument to low-quality VA, in fact.

    I couldn't disagree more. Aside from Tidus and Yuna, I thought the VA work was often quite good. Even those two weren't terrible the whole time.

    LockedOnTarget on
  • EriosErios Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    More mass effect:

    watch?v=VaFo_H34t9s

    Erios on
    Steam: erios23, Live: Coconut Flavor, Origin: erios2386.
  • BeckBeck Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    kedinik wrote: »
    Pemulis wrote: »
    Another classic:

    HA HA HA!
    Cue the people saying that it's supposed to sound forced, etc. etc. :P

    I'm currently in a library, sans headphones and ruing it, but this particular scene is so burned into my memory as an awkward failure of game voice acting that it's almost like I can hear them any ways.

    That whole game was a monument to low-quality VA, in fact.

    I couldn't disagree more. Aside from Tidus and Yuna, I thought the VA work was often quite good. Even those two weren't terrible the whole time.

    Wakka was really good, Lulu, too. I think the biggest problem with FFX is that they're stuck with an absolutely terrible script and an awful director.

    Beck on
    Lucas's Franklin Badge reflected the lightning back!
  • kedinikkedinik Captain of Industry Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    kedinik wrote: »
    Pemulis wrote: »
    Another classic:

    HA HA HA!
    Cue the people saying that it's supposed to sound forced, etc. etc. :P

    I'm currently in a library, sans headphones and ruing it, but this particular scene is so burned into my memory as an awkward failure of game voice acting that it's almost like I can hear them any ways.

    That whole game was a monument to low-quality VA, in fact.

    I couldn't disagree more. Aside from Tidus and Yuna, I thought the VA work was often quite good. Even those two weren't terrible the whole time.

    To clarify, while the voice actors themselves were generally decent, they were clearly forced to read their lines completely out of context. The end product sounds forced and disjointed to me.

    But yeah, opinions lol.

    kedinik on
    I made a game! Hotline Maui. Requires mouse and keyboard.
  • AroducAroduc regular
    edited October 2008
    The main problem with that scene was that the whole idea was "make it sound like they're just forcing it," which they arguably did too good of a job at, or too poor depending on your perspective. It's like trying to tell a high schooler to impersonate a professional actor playing a high schooler. Things just end up bad no matter what.

    Aroduc on
  • The WolfmanThe Wolfman Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Man, aside from that one scene which everybody has already explained to death, I thought the VA in FFX was perfectly fine.

    But as people have said before, direction is everything, and you can tell the direction team behind FFX was a little green around the gills, being the first voiced FF and all. I know I personally get a kick out of people who say they hated Tidus' and Wakka's voice, but then say they loved Jack Sparrow from Kingdom Hearts 2 or Bender from Futurama. Look at the credits, they didn't just grab idiots off the street, they actually got quite a few professionals. But like it was said, most of the work is with the director.

    The Wolfman on
    "The sausage of Green Earth explodes with flavor like the cannon of culinary delight."
  • theSquidtheSquid Sydney, AustraliaRegistered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Let's not forget Deus Ex here.

    Great moments in Deus Ex: Hong Kong

    theSquid on
  • darksteeldarksteel Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    theSquid wrote: »
    Let's not forget Deus Ex here.

    Great moments in Deus Ex: Hong Kong

    Every time I fire up Deus Ex, I modify the voice volume settings to hear the "I spill my drink!" voice clip. It's hilarious every time.

    darksteel on
    shikisig6-1.jpg
  • halkunhalkun Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Pemulis wrote: »
    Another classic:

    HA HA HA!
    Cue the people saying that it's supposed to sound forced, etc. etc. :P

    For fun, watch the original Japanese version of the scene subbed in English. (The scene picks up at 5:46) You would notice a few things...

    1) The Japanese voice acting a on a whole level better.
    2) The scene collapses somewhat into "normalcy" at the end

    は は は!

    Japanese voice acting is always going to be (within reason) better. Music isn't played on the radio there, and so it mostly has talk-shows and radio dramas. Because of this, the amount of professionally-trained voice actors are numerous.

    halkun on
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  • Gorilla SaladGorilla Salad Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    theSquid wrote: »
    Let's not forget Deus Ex here.

    Great moments in Deus Ex: Hong Kong
    Nope. Can't take this seriously.

    Way to many bad accents in Hong Kong.

    Gorilla Salad on
  • GyralGyral Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    kedinik wrote: »
    kedinik wrote: »
    Pemulis wrote: »
    Another classic:

    HA HA HA!
    Cue the people saying that it's supposed to sound forced, etc. etc. :P

    I'm currently in a library, sans headphones and ruing it, but this particular scene is so burned into my memory as an awkward failure of game voice acting that it's almost like I can hear them any ways.

    That whole game was a monument to low-quality VA, in fact.

    I couldn't disagree more. Aside from Tidus and Yuna, I thought the VA work was often quite good. Even those two weren't terrible the whole time.

    To clarify, while the voice actors themselves were generally decent, they were clearly forced to read their lines completely out of context. The end product sounds forced and disjointed to me.

    But yeah, opinions lol.

    Yeah, I can't blame the voice actors, because both Billy West and John DiMaggio did major voices for the game and both have proven in other shows (Futurama to be specific) to be great voice actors.

    Gyral on
    25t9pjnmqicf.jpg
  • admanbadmanb unionize your workplace Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Thetheroo wrote: »
    man, you guys are being hella negative

    why don't you think on the positive side for a bit, like

    this

    You and I think alike.

    Red Alert is the pinnacle of video game VA.

    It's not voice acting...

    admanb on
  • LunkerLunker Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    halkun wrote: »
    For fun, watch the original Japanese version of the scene subbed in English. (The scene picks up at 5:46) You would notice a few things...

    1) The Japanese voice acting a on a whole level better.
    2) The scene collapses somewhat into "normalcy" at the end

    は は は!

    Japanese voice acting is always going to be (within reason) better. Music isn't played on the radio there, and so it mostly has talk-shows and radio dramas. Because of this, the amount of professionally-trained voice actors are numerous.

    You forgot:

    3) (skip to 7:40) CAW CAW CAW CAW CAW

    Lunker on
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  • cj iwakuracj iwakura The Rhythm Regent Bears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
    edited October 2008
    For good voice acting, have to show V:TM and Smiling Jack some love:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aa8B7hIynE

    Though all the VA in that game is excellent.

    cj iwakura on
    y3H3Fa4.png
  • mxmarksmxmarks Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Now that I'm home I can add this for all to see:

    Locke, from LOST: Via Domus.

    Ugh

    There's WAY worse, but I can't find it, nor do I have the patience. Its even WORSE voice acting because the actor has a REAL LIFE PERSON he should be trying to emulate, and obviously doesn't even CARE. It's one thing to think you have some really awesome take on an original charecter's voice, and its dumb. It's another to be hired to copy a guy's voice, and just not even try.

    And as a bonus, fucking Charlie's singing:

    Leperchaun

    For anyone who loves the show and hasn't played this, don't. But if you must, at least know Michael Emerson does Ben's voice, so that's still sacred.

    mxmarks on
    PSN: mxmarks - WiiU: mxmarks - twitter: @ MikesPS4 - twitch.tv/mxmarks - "Yes, mxmarks is the King of Queens" - Unbreakable Vow
  • TransporterTransporter Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    TEAR INTO PEICETEARINTOTEAR INTO PIECES.

    MIRROR SLICE.

    Transporter on
  • AshtonDragonAshtonDragon AKA The Nix Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    TEAR INTO PEICETEARINTOTEAR INTO PIECES.

    MIRROR SLICE.

    Oh god, Claude when the computer controls him. TEAR INTO TEAR IN-TEAR INTO PI-TEAR

    Alternatively:
    POISON PILLS! POISON POISON PI-POISON PILLS!

    AshtonDragon on
  • MinionOfCthulhuMinionOfCthulhu Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    When Tidus laughs in Japanese, he sounds like Gilbert Gottfried.

    MinionOfCthulhu on
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  • Blue mapBlue map Hello darkness, my old friend. Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    I would just like to point out that no matter how bad the voice work in Mega man 8 and X4 was it can always take pride in the fact that they are not Mega man X7, ladies and gentlemen i present to you Flame Hyenard.
    (skip to 3:20 the boss)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njhVmL05RgQ]
    Whats happening here is that during the fight the boss clones himself, but rather than having giving only one of the clones a voice or simply having all of them playing the clip in unison, they each have there own voice meaning you're hearing an already annoying voice clip roughly three times more often than you should

    Because there is funny bad, and then there is painful bad.

    Blue map on
    My Steam profile thing: http://steamcommunity.com/id/Blue_map/ Battlenet: BlueMap#1493
  • PemulisPemulis Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Wow, that is annoying.

    Burn to the ground. BURN!! Burn to th- BURN BURN!

    Pemulis on
  • EriosErios Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    I'm personally a big fan of Shadow Hearts: Covenant's voice work, especially Joachim and Yuri.

    Erios on
    Steam: erios23, Live: Coconut Flavor, Origin: erios2386.
  • MasoniteMasonite Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    belaraphon wrote: »
    serious business. i think we can all agree that keith david is the best voice actor ever.


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmRwX2H2fos

    I don't know, I have a pretty serious man crush for Michael Bell.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlGJ8yymkRM
    e. And I just now see the ouroboros. lol symbolism.

    Masonite on
  • XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Not the actual original sequence, but...

    Incredible.

    And let's not forget, from the same game:

    "Watch out, Graham! A POOOOISONOUS SNAKE!"

    HAHAHahhahahaa

    oh wow, I'd forgot that.

    Xaquin on
  • PikaPuffPikaPuff Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    example where everything being bad = so fucking good

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KObyZVFTDwo

    PikaPuff on
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  • Johnny ChopsockyJohnny Chopsocky Scootaloo! We have to cook! Grillin' HaysenburgersRegistered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Eternal Darkness had some great VA work.

    http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=dulfJo-NmWU

    Johnny Chopsocky on
    ygPIJ.gif
    Steam ID XBL: JohnnyChopsocky PSN:Stud_Beefpile WiiU:JohnnyChopsocky
  • Eight RooksEight Rooks Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    See, EDF is more the Dynasty Warriors school of "bad" voice acting, when it's not really incompetent, more hilariously OTT.

    Eight Rooks on
    <AtlusParker> Sorry I'm playing Pokemon and vomiting at the same time so I'm not following the conversation in a linear fashion.

    Read my book. (It has a robot in it.)
  • The_ScarabThe_Scarab Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Mass Effect probably has the best VO of any game.

    Eternal Darkness is also quality.

    The thing is, good VO can be ruined by bad dialogue. Too Human has ostensibly perfect voice work, but a lot of the lines were really crass and cliche.

    The_Scarab on
  • Dr SnofeldDr Snofeld Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    darksteel wrote: »
    man, you guys are being hella negative

    why don't you think on the positive side for a bit, like

    this

    I and three of my friends got that entire intro sequence memorized, even the timing of the sounds. Sometimes we do it in front of complete strangers just to see how flabbergasted they get when four people suddenly burst into drama.

    "We Romanovs have our legacy to consider!"

    Dr Snofeld on
    l4d_sig.png
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