For anyone with a passing knowledge of me through The Contrarian Corner, you know that I love voice acting. I’ve loved acting in general for a very long time, but I’ve specifically gotten into voice acting in the past few years, picking it up as a hobby that I mess around with from time to time (like giving voices to my characters in my self-created RPG Maker projects). Voice acting is a big focus of mine, and that extends to appreciating, studying, and highly-valuing good voice acting wherever I encounter it.
In that spirit, let’s take a look at my Top 10 Favorite Voice Acting Performances in Gaming. For each entry on this list, I’ll include the name of the actor/actress, the game they performed in, as well as the best YouTube clip I can find to highlight their acting chops (with handy-dandy timestamps for the relevant portions of each clip). Obviously, I’ll also include a short write-up of why I love them so much. (Spoilers will be included for the acting examples, as a heads-up)
Let’s get into it!
(Also, rest assured that about a million incredible examples couldn’t fit into this Top 10, so maybe I’ll do anything iteration of this list sometime!)
10) Wheatley ~ Stephen Merchant ~ Portal 2
Acting Example: LINK (Skip to 5:45)
It takes a lot of skill as an actor to convey a character whose primary trait is being hilariously dumb, and yet can still manage a bit of menace. However, Stephen Merchant manages to do exactly that with Wheatley, a performance that just might have created the most hilariously quotable character in all of gaming. Wheatley is a riot from the start of the game to the finish, never once getting tiresome or annoying even while being perpetually and amusing dumb. Even after his villainous turn he’s still funny as heck, but as I said, every so often he can still be a bit menacing.
In the provided clip, we can see both sides of Wheatley really clearly. He’s his typical silly and dumb self, but there’s also something chilling about his evil laughter as you’re riding the elevator, alongside his near-breakdown after he’s taunted by Glados. It’s great stuff.
9) Rise Kujikawa ~ Laura Bailey ~ Persona 4
Acting Example: LINK (Skip to 39:13)
It was an absolute requirement that Laura Bailey show up on this list somewhere, and I decided to give her the nod through my favorite Persona character, Rise. For all she puts on an act of happiness and excitability through her Risette persona, Rise’s an extremely multi-faceted, vulnerable girl. I think in terms of the sheer emotional spectrum, Rise’s the most varied character in the game, demonstrating to her friends and you the player just about every emotion it’s possible to have, which of course comes as a result of her character finally being free to confide in someone and not having to be the picture-perfect idol anymore. Laura Bailey conveys all of this wonderfully.
In the provided clip, you can see the exact moment that made me cry my eyes out, but more than that you can see that vulnerable side of Rise I mentioned above. It’s a really touching scene of Rise pouring her heart out to someone she trusts more than anyone else, and Laura nails the sobbing mixed with some of that typical Rise playfulness.
8) Handsome Jack ~ Dameon Clarke ~ Borderlands Series
Acting Example: LINK (Skip to 0:57)
This is one of gaming’s most iconic performances, to the point where this man simply keeps showing up because of how much gamers clamor for more screen time for his character and actor. I think on paper a character like this wouldn’t work too well. He’s a man with a hero complex so strong that he’ll do ridiculously vile things and somehow still earnestly believe he’s the good guy at the end of the day. However, Dameon Clarke absolutely kills it in the role, selling Jack’s delusions so charismatically that even we as players start to go ‘hey, maybe he isn’t so bad‘. He is, of course, with child experimentation and attempted genocide just a scant few of his very many crimes.
In the provided clip, we can really see Jack’s hero complex at work, all the way up until his death. It’s an incredibly well-acted breakdown that perfectly encapsulates Jack’s character. Even to the very end he believed himself the hero, and thus feels that losing to ‘dirty bandits‘ isn’t the fate he deserves. He’s insane, but very entertainingly so.
7) Spider-Man/Peter Parker ~ Yuri Lowenthal ~ Insomniac Spider-Man Series
(VERY SPOILER HEAVY) Acting Example: LINK (Skip to 1:00)
Let’s make one thing clear: Yuri Lowenthal is no stranger to playing Spider-Man, having done so in far more than just this PlayStation trilogy. Even still, I think this is his strongest work. Obviously the writing talent at Insomniac Studios is a big part of this, but you really can’t undersell under unequivocally Yuri evokes pure Spider-Man/Peter Parker energy. Whether he’s quipping at villains, bantering with his friends, being earnest and vulnerable with Aunt May and MJ, or pouring his heart out to the mentor who betrayed him, Yuri’s work in this game is immaculate.
In the provided clip, we get to see Spider-Man at his most emotionally vulnerable, which I also feel is when he’s at his most Spider-Man, if that makes sense. Spider-Man stories have always been about his selflessness and sacrifice, and Yuri really sells that raw emotion when making a life-changing decision in the clip. It’s a tear-jerker, for sure.
6) Nathan Drake ~ Nolan North ~ Uncharted Series
Acting Example: LINK (Entire Scene)
Another exceptionally iconic performance in gaming, and I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that the Uncharted franchise is carried hard by Nolan North’s work as Nathan Drake. Nolan turns what would’ve been a bland and cliché character into someone millions of gamers across the world love. Instead of being tropey, Nathan Drake comes across as a witty, relatable everyman (maybe a bit of an adrenaline-junkie) who stumbles his way through one escapade after another. It’s easy to not even fully recognize this performance just because of how effortlessly Nolan makes Nathan sound…well, like a normal guy!
In the provided clip, we get to see an angle of voice acting that often goes overlooked in gaming, which is just some really solid and simple slice-of-life work. Again, credit where credit is due to the writers of the Uncharted series, but this scene is still probably the best example of humans just being humans that I’ve ever seen in gaming, and Nolan’s work here is a big part of that (alongside Emily Rose as Elena). Everything just feels so natural and cozy!
5) Lara Croft ~ Camilla Luddington ~ Tomb Raider Reboot Trilogy
Acting Example: LINK (Skip to 0:54)
There’s been a lot of Lara Crofts in the history of the Tomb Raider series, but in my opinion none of them come close to matching Camilla Luddington’s work in the reboot trilogy. She embodies everything about Lara so strongly that I truly can’t see anyone else in the role except for her. Lara’s confidence, her bravery, her survivor’s strength, her snarkiness, her passion…it’s all her, throughout the entire trilogy. And on top of that, it’s lovely to see the subtle ways in which Camilla evolves her performance of Lara in tandem with the character’s own growth. Camilla really understood who she was playing, 100%, and absolutely brought her A-game to each installment.
In the provided clip, we get to see the excellent performance given in one of the most dramatic moments of Rise of the Tomb Raider, wherein Lara learns a trusted friend isn’t actually someone she can trust after all. Even in this brief glimpse we see multiple sides of Lara, as she angrily processes this betrayal while still managing a bit of that biting British snark. The high-quality facial/motion capture technology also really sells Camilla’s subtle micro-expressions. I particularly enjoy her mocking head-tilt when questioning if her ex-friend ever truly loved her father.
4) Komaru Naegi ~ Cherami Leigh ~ Danganronpa Ultra Despair Girls
Acting Example: LINK (Skip to 51:26-1:02:08)
I mean, she literally ranked as my #1 protagonist in all of gaming, so it was practically a given that Komaru would show up somewhere on this list. I think the best thing about her is how she changes as the story of the game progresses, far more radically than most other gaming characters. To say that Komaru goes through the wringer throughout Danganronpa Ultra Despair Girls would be a gross simplification, but this isn’t a Komaru analysis. Regardless, because of all that trauma and growth, we get to enjoy Cherami taking her performance from a bubbly teenager, to a frightened and lost girl, to a brutal cynic, and back to a hardened warrior. Seeing that much variance but having it all feel so brutally realistic is excellent praise for Cherami’s masterful work (and, I mean, she’s one of the greats in voice acting to begin with, having played Lucy in Fairy Tail).
In the provided clip, I tried to highlight just one of Komaru’s many incredible moments, though it’s difficult given the length of the game’s cutscenes and the sheer breadth of emotional spectrum Cherami Leigh covers all throughout the game. Whenever I close my eyes and think of Komaru, this is the moment I think of, where she just completely succumbs to remorseless despair and desperation (even if only for a moment). It’s such a powerful performance, but then again so is practically every performance in this gem of a game!
3) Shulk ~ Adam Howden ~ Xenoblade Chronicles
Acting Example: LINK (Entire Scene)
Xenoblade Chronicles was many “firsts” for me back when I first played it in 2012, and one of those “firsts” would be the first time I started paying attention to voice acting in gaming. And, obviously, a large part of that had to do with Adam Howden’s work as Shulk. From the moment you’re two hours into the game and Adam unleashes a powerful scream to the heavens, you know you’re in for a special acting treat. Shulk is already one of the best heroes in any video game, and so much of that is owed to Adam’s nuanced and multi-layered performance. From analytical inner monologues, to awkwardly joking around with friends (‘I’m really feeling it‘, anyone?), to powerful cries of vengeance, Adam can do it all.
In the provided clip, we get to see several sides of Shulk, including the most important side: Adam Howden’s goosebumps-inducing ability to let out horrifying screams. Poor Adam had to scream a lot during this game, and this instance here is easily the most chilling. The guy really sounds like he’s dying, which is some serious commitment. But hey, we also get to see those other sides of Shulk I mentioned, like his analytical mindfulness and his relationship with his friends.
2) Noah/N ~ Harry McEntire ~Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Acting Example: LINK (Skip to 15:35-19:52)
Rest assured, I don’t love Shulk or Adam Howden any less now that I’ve played Xenoblade Chronicles 3, but I simply have to put Harry McEntire’s work as Noah on a higher place on this list for one major reason: he isn’t just Noah, but also Noah’s evil self from a different time, N. And I don’t consider this cheating, as the two are literally the same person just having experience different upbringings (to massively simplify it). But whether he’s the more quiet and thoughtful Noah, or the menacing and unhinged N, Harry puts in phenomenal effort into each and every scene. Seriously, I could listen to this man talk for hours without getting bored of his voice, and I was sold on his acting chops before I was even two hours into the game on my first playthrough. All of his scenes are gold.
In the provided clip, we just see Noah (though if you want to hear some of N, you simply have to watch a little further into that exact same video), but this scene alone should be enough to convince you of Harry McEntire’s acting skills. It’s a lot harder than you might think to force yourself to cry as an actor (trust me, I’ve had to do this very thing back in my theater days), and yet Harry does it effortlessly while trapped within this soul-crushing prison. It’s enough to make you yourself cry just listening to it, even without the full context of the scene itself!
1) Shania ~ Louise Stewart ~ Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Acting Example: LINK (Skip to 27:05-28:56, then 31:28-33:06)
Look, I tried. I really did. I tried to put someone else at the top of this list, and no matter my efforts, it just didn’t feel right to give the top nod to anyone other than Louise Stewart’s Shania. No other acting performance in gaming gives me this much joy to listen to no matter how many times I re-watch her scenes. I feel like it’s my first time seeing the scenes every single time I watch them, including getting goosebumps at her chillingly fantastic performance all over again. Even putting aside my immense love for Shania as a character, it’s a career-defining performance that knocks my socks off every time I hear it, blowing me away at just how incredibly Louise pulls off every facet of Shania and her many amazing scenes.
And you know what the craziest part is? Louise Stewart hasn’t done any other voice acting work, at all! Some live-action acting, but that’s it! How does one get this talented?
In the provided clips…I mean, come on. Do I need to go into detail? Just…how does Louise Stewart sound so good? So angry, so distraught, so agonized, so hopeless? The voice cracks, the little strain when she laughs or yells, the sheer despair in her final moments…it’s just so perfect. I don’t think I even have anything else to say, it’s just flawless! It’s evocative, it’s stunning, it’s emotional, and it’s a performance I’ll treasure the memory of for the rest of my gaming life.
But hey, that’s just my opinion!
The Contrarian Corner 