I love creating characters for videogames! A couple of years ago I was asked to portray the 7-foot-tall, pop-culture-quoting cyborg mantis weapons expert named Bob for the game Space Punks from Flying Wild Hog (the game was unfortunately discontinued in 2023). Still, a great character!!

I recently have been fortunate enough to voice the character of Charles Perlman, the bad-guy bureaucrat in the popular game Zenless Zone Zero from Hoyoverse.

 

 

In recent years, Videogames have become an even bigger market than movies, music and TV combined! Not only are they great fun to voice (even if only battle shouts), but they’re just as fun to play! I’ve played several games such as Myst, Infamous, Red Dead Redemption, several versions of Call of Duty, Dishonored, Portal 1 & 2, GTAV, God of War, and LA Noire. I love losing myself in a good game!

It’s incredible how much the gaming industry has grown! The fact that it has surpassed movies, music, and TV combined speaks volumes about how immersive and impactful, as well as a dominant entertainment medium games have become. Some I’ve played myself showcase a fantastic mix of storytelling, open-world exploration, and creative gameplay mechanics. Games like Myst and Portal excel in puzzles, while titles like Red Dead Redemption and GTAV pull players into rich, sprawling worlds. Plus, Dishonored‘s stealth elements and LA Noire‘s detective work add variety to your gaming experiences. Whether playing or voicing, games are an amazing medium for creativity and storytelling!

Voice acting in video games is such an exciting and evolving field! It plays a huge role in making characters and stories feel alive and immersive. Unlike other forms of acting, videogame voice work often involves unique challenges and creative processes:

1. Range and Versatility
   Actors often need to perform a wide range of emotions, accents, and even roles in a single project. From dramatic dialogue to exaggerated combat sounds like grunts, screams, and yes—battle shouts—it’s a true test of vocal control and stamina.
2. Performance Capture
   In many modern games, voice acting is paired with motion capture, where actors physically perform their scenes while recording their lines. This adds another layer of realism, as seen in games like The Last of Us or Red Dead Redemption.
3. Interactive Dialogue
   Games often have branching narratives, so actors must record multiple variations of the same scene or line to account for player choices. This can mean voicing hundreds (or even thousands) of lines for one character.
4. Atmosphere and World-Building
   Even minor characters or background voices help create a game’s world. Think of NPCs yelling, merchants selling their wares, or radio broadcasts in games like GTAV. These little touches make the game feel alive.
5. Improvisation and Creativity
   Sometimes, actors are asked to create sounds or emotions for scenarios that don’t exist in the real world. For example, voicing alien languages, mystical chants, or exaggerated reactions to fantasy or sci-fi elements.