Summary

In the modern age of gaming, voice acting has become a pivotal part of many games. A good video game story is enhanced by the actors involved in the project, who give it their all, especially if the game has an open-world setting.

Open-world games can feature a story with well-done cutscenes and cinematics, but the dialogue and voice acting of the large maps involved in the games are equally important. When the player is forced to endure dozens or even hundreds of main and side quests,the right vocal performancecan save missions and exploration from becoming dull or repetitive.

Talion speaking with Eltariel in Middle-Earth Shadow Of War

Monolith Productions put a lot of care into the way characters speak inMiddle-Earth: Shadow Of War. The franchise’s characters speak the dialogue in J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy universe in a specific way. The sequel toShadow Of Mordorshowcases the developers' love and respect for both the novels and Peter Jackson’sThe Lord Of The Ringsmovies.

Thanks to Monolith’s patented Nemesis system,Shadow Of Warfeatures thousands of unique Orc characters that are procedurally generated as the player progresses, thus making every playthrough different from the last. Combined with famous voice actor Troy Baker as the voice of the hero Talion,Shadow Of Warfeaturesvoice acting that keeps the player immersed in the world of Middle-Earth.

Deacon St. John on his motorcycle in Days Gone

With veteran voice actor Sam Witwer as the protagonist Deacon,Days Goneisone of the more underappreciated zombie gamesin an already overused genre.Days Gonetakes a more grounded approach to the characters, with everyone sounding and feeling like everyday people trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic Oregon.

Every character manages to stand out inDays Gone, but it’s Deacon that brings it all together. Sam Witwer’s Deacon is constantly making remarks and comments about his situation, reports on the radio, and on the different missions he endures. It all results inDays Gonehaving memorable storylines and character arcs.

Bayek and Aya in Assassin’s Creed Origins

Voice acting has always been a standout aspect ofthe manyAssassin’s Creedgamesover the years, and they have shown improvement in that regard over time. However, it is arguable that the voice-acting peaked with the ancient Egypt-setAssassin’s Creed: Origins following the story of Bayek of Siwa.

InAssassin’s Creed: Origins, Ubisoft allowed the players to focus almost purely on Bayek’s story of revenge and justice. Abubakar Salim puts his heart and soul into Bayek as a man who lost his son to the predecessors of the Templars. On top of that, the voice acting from random civilians to side characters in Egypt assists in keeping the experience genuine.

Screenshot of Batman and Poison Ivy in Batman Arkham Knight

From the legendary Kevin Conroy as Batman to John Noble as Scarecrow and Troy Baker as multiple characters,Batman: Arkham Knightwas the pinnacle of theBatman: Arkhamseries in terms of voice-acting. Every previous entry excelled in the voice acting department, but sinceArkham Knightwas supposed to be the finale, every actor put in 100% effort.

It’s not just the heroes and the villains; even the random thugs and mercenaries that Batman fights throughout the game have moments where they shine just talking to each other. It showcased how much Rocksteady cared about their game and whyBatman: Arkham Knightwould become one of the best superhero games out there.

Screenshot of Nefika and Etuwa speaking with the Sarentu in Avatar Frontiers Of Pandora

James Cameron’sAvatarand the world of Pandora are audibly iconic in film, so Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment had to take proper care of their take on the franchise withAvatar: Frontiers Of Pandora. Thankfully, that is one of the game’s strongest suits, as every performance sounds and feels straight out of the blockbuster movies.

Nearly every Na’vi character inFrontiers Of Pandoramanages to stand out thanks to good actors, combined with proper writing. Even a minor Na’vi character being frustrated about educating children or a major one teaching the main protagonist about their tribe’s ways helps the game feel like a genuine entry in theAvatarfranchise.

Johnny Silverhand with his feet on the table in Cyberpunk 2077

While there were plenty of issues with the rocky launch ofCyberpunk 2077, the performances in the open-world game were not. There was the main character V,the famous action star Keanu Reevesstealing the show as the digital anti-hero Johnny Silverhand, and the many characters they meet throughout their adventures in Night City.

The voice acting even showed improvement whenCyberpunk 2077was overhauled with thePhantom LibertyDLC, which included Idris Elba in a pivotal role. Everyone down to the NPCs' voice acting helped in making the game’s world seem more alive and believable, despite the many exaggerated elements.

Screenshot of Miles Morales and Peter Parker at the Raft in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

A superhero whose life is as chaotic as Spider-Man’s needs the right voice acting and, thankfully, Insomniac excelled with every entry in theMarvel’s Spider-Manseries.Marvel’s Spider-Man 2goes above and beyond the previous games with Yuri Lowenthal and Nadji Jeter proving to be top-tier actors for Peter Parker and Miles Morales.

In addition to the titular heroes forMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, there is Laura Bailey as Mary Jane Watson, Tony Todd as Venom, Mark Rolston as Norman Osborn, and Graham Phillips as Harry Osborn who all excel in their performances. In many chapters, the actors bring as much emotion, rivaling some of the best performances of the MCU.

Aloy, Varl, and Erend kneeling in the snow in Horizon Forbidden West

Fans of the Horizon games tend to agree thatHorizon: Forbidden Westimproved on the formula in nearly every way, including voice-acting. Ashly Burch as Aloy proved to be a great protagonist, but Aloy’s journey in the sequel takes her even further as a character with even more depth and nuance than before.

The apocalyptic sci-fi world ofHorizon: Forbidden Westis a unique one, with robots that have evolved into animals and humans have become tribal with their own cultures and lore. So, having actors who can fluently speak as if they fit in the Horizon worldas the many NPCs Aloy encountershelps sell the universe to the player.

Geralt Of Rivia and Ciri sitting under a tree in The Witcher 3 The Wild Hunt

For many reasons,The Witcher 3: The Wild Huntis considered one of the greatest games ever made and voice acting is one of them. Doug Cockle’s performance as Geralt of Rivia is so famous across the whole trilogy that it served as the inspiration for Henry Cavill’s Geralt in the Netflix live-action series.

Side quests are a big part of a massive RPG likeThe Witcher 3and CD Projekt Red treatedevery contract and side questwith just as much effort as the already stellar main quests. Thanks to talented voice acting across the board, simple hunts evolve into complex stories that keep players invested from beginning to end.

Screenshot of Arthur Morgan and the Van Der Linde Gang on their horses in Red Dead Redemption 2

The many characters ofRed Dead Redemption 2have become iconic among gamers for a reason. The actors portrayed characters such as Arthur Morgan, Dutch Van Der Linde, and even the despicable Micah Bell so realistically that they turnedRed Dead Redemption 2into arguably the most immersive Old West simulator.

InRed Dead Redemption 2, the player also encounters hundreds of unique characters across the many towns, settlements, andopen fields of the fictionalized Old West. Many stand out thanks to great performances that make the fun or bizarre characters have an impact.