Over the previous 20 years or so, online game voice appearing has grow to be a really numerous trade, inviting a wholesome crossover from TV and movie as nicely. Whether or not you are a longtime actor or a newcomer, it takes many voices to deliver a big manufacturing to life, together with key story characters and ancillary NPCs. Nonetheless, regardless of the dimensions of a typical sport’s voice forged, you possibly can generally see actors do double responsibility.
It isn’t unusual for one actor to play a number of totally different characters in a sport sequence or sequence as an entire, however in some instances, the identical voice might seem subsequent to 2 totally different characters within the credit. There are a selection of the explanation why this occurs, whether or not it is due to meta-narrative affect or just since you wish to, nevertheless it’s at all times enjoyable to seek out your self successfully speaking to a personality, and doubly so when the actor in query has sufficient vary to be indiscernible.
Spoilers for a lot of the video games beneath.
10
Ella Lentini
Till Daybreak: Beth and Hannah
One of many oldest film methods is to have twin characters performed by the identical actor, as Lindsay Lohan did within the 1998 remake of The Mother or father Entice. This protects studio salaries and maintains efficiency stability. Apparently, the identical trick works in video video games, at the least those who make intensive use of facial seize.
In Till Daybreak, the voices and movement seize of dual sisters Beth and Hannah Washington are each accomplished by Ella Lentini. Though their voice’s function within the sport is proscribed to the prologue chapter, their impression on the story is essential, as their disappearance on the cliff units off the eerie occasions throughout the lodge throughout the next 12 months’s story, and at the least a part of the Wendigo menace.
By the best way, so far as I can discern, Lentini doesn’t present the assorted noises like growls, shrieks, howls, and so on. that Hannah makes as a Wendigo. I believe it is most likely a inventory sound impact, however it could have been enjoyable to do all of the growls in a voice sales space.
9
elizabeth maxwell
Ryu ga Gotoku ~Saeko and Nanoha~
For those who’re on the lookout for one other instance of the identical actor enjoying twins in a online game, Yakuza: Ryu ga Gotoku options Saeko Mukoda, particularly a serious supporting character and get together member. Saeko has a twin sister, Nanoha Mukoda. Nanoha Mukoda is encountered throughout the sport’s essential story when Ichiban and the others are requested to search for her by their boss on the soapland the place she works.
Within the sport’s Japanese and English dubs, Saeko and Nanoha share a voice actor. In Japanese, each characters are voiced by Sumire Uesaka, and in English, each characters are voiced by Elizabeth Maxwell.
In comparison with Saeko, Nanoha is much less of a serious plot character and subsequently would not have as many strains to voice. Nonetheless, her efficiency is a crucial a part of Saeko’s character arc, so it was positively necessary to make that clear. The outdated twin filming trick was a sensible transfer on the writers’ half to make sure this.
8
michael shapiro
Half-Life 2: G-Man and Barney
Maybe probably the most iconic character in all the Half-Life sequence is the mysterious G-Man. Probably human, maybe alien, in bland fits seem seemingly at random and information Gordon Freeman’s journey by Black Mesa and past. In each the unique Half-Life and Half-Life 2, G-Man is voiced by Michael Shapiro. Shapiro additionally supplied the voices for varied unnamed Black Mesa guards within the first movie.
Apparently, that features former Black Mesa safety guard and fan-favorite Half-Life 2 character Barney Calhoun. Barney Calhoun was additionally the principle character in Blue Shift, an growth of Half-Life. Neither Barney nor G-Man seem ceaselessly in Half-Life 2, however their voices sound very totally different, they usually’re voiced by Michael Shapiro, who clearly has fairly a formidable vary.
So far as I do know, there is no particular narrative or meta-narrative significance to those characters sharing a voice actor. Bernie is not secretly disguised as a G-man or something. He actually could not have accomplished that, as he had a number of encounters with G-Man in Blue Shift. However I could possibly be incorrect. Maybe Valve will know for positive as soon as they get their fingers on Half-Life 3.
7
keith david
Saints Row 4: Julius and Himself
Within the first two Saints Row video games, Keith David performs supporting character-turned-main antagonist Julius Little, chief of the Third Avenue Saints, who recruits Playa into his ranks and makes an attempt to kill them with an exploding boat. Julius reappears in a aspect mission close to the tip of the second sport, the place he meets his finish by the hands of a boss.
David will likely be voicing one other main character in Saints Row 4, particularly himself. Though nonetheless a seasoned actor, he performs a fictionalized model of himself who can be the Vice President of the USA alongside the Saints boss who’s now President. At a number of factors throughout the sport, a number of members of the Saints remark that he sounds much like Julius, for apparent causes.
Because the sport takes place in a simulation, there’s a good cause to deliver again characters killed in earlier video games, together with Julius, who could be employed as homies. You probably have Julius and David in your get together, they will most likely have somewhat chat collectively about how all of them look alike and the way they cannot hear it both. That is fairly humorous, particularly since Julius’ voice is not all that totally different from David’s regular talking voice.
6
bryce papenbrook
Danganronpa 2: Nagito And Makoto
Within the authentic model of Danganronpa 2, launched in Japan in 2012, the notorious hope-possessed Nagito Komaeda was voiced by Emi Ogata, who additionally performed the primary sport’s essential character, Makoto Naegi. This was a thematically acceptable alternative, as Nagito deliberately corrupts Makoto’s character and preaches the virtues of hope previous the creepy.
For the 2014 Western launch, it was determined to carry out the identical trick with a British forged. Bryce Papenbrook, who performed Makoto within the first English model of Danganronpa, returned to voice Nagito in Danganronpa 2. On the very finish of Danganronpa 2, Makoto returns to assist the scholars and Papenbrook reprises his authentic efficiency.
Strictly talking, Nagito and Makoto by no means speak in Danganronpa 2. As a result of the previous is already lifeless by the point the latter seems. Nevertheless, Papenbrook voiced the character once more within the English dub of Danganronpa 3, and it was solely then that each characters briefly spoke to one another.
5
Darren Korb
Hades: Zagreus and Skerry
Of the numerous gifted individuals who introduced the unique Hades to life, maybe some of the necessary is Darren Cove. There are two causes for this. First, he was the sport’s composer. Is all of it about nice background music tracks? That is what he did, that is what he did. He was additionally the composer for Supergiant’s different video games, Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre, all of which had nice soundtracks.
Second, Kolb can be the voice of the sport’s essential character, Zagreus, who has maybe probably the most quantity and number of dialogue in an already exceptionally dialogue-heavy sport. He had twin roles as composer and lead voice actor, and each his music and his understated, sarcastic efficiency as Zag have been top-notch.
Apparently, Cove has gone too far. On high of that, he is additionally the voice of the foul-mouthed Skelly, the Zags’ trusty coaching dummy, enjoying a somewhat hilarious dichotomy with the Zags’ calm tone. By the best way, Kolb nonetheless performs Skelly, or somewhat Sheremeus, in Hades 2. It is attention-grabbing if you concentrate on it. Though Melinoe has by no means truly met Zagreus, she technically hears his voice on daily basis.
4
kevin afghani
Tremendous Mario Bros. Marvel: Mario and Luigi
For many of Nintendo’s mascot Mario’s life, he was voiced by the incomparable Charles Martinet. Not solely that, however all the opposite plumber-adjacent characters all through the Mario sequence have been additionally voiced by Martinet, together with Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi. When Martinet retired from the function of Mario in 2023, these necessary duties have been taken over by a brand new face, Kevin Afghani, first heard in Tremendous Mario Bros. Marvel.
Like his predecessor, Afghani supplies the voices for each Mario and Luigi in Tremendous Mario Bros. Marvel. His efficiency is totally different from Martinet’s, however he manages to seize the distinctive essence of each characters, from Mario’s general pleasure to Luigi’s barely extra toned-down vibe.
Since beginning his profession with Marvel, Afghani has additionally taken on the roles of Wario and Waluigi, the previous beginning with WarioWare: Transfer-It and the latter beginning with Tremendous Mario Get together Jamboree. He has some huge challenges, however I would say he is doing a fairly good job with them.
3
roger craig smith
Staff Sonic Racing: Sonic and Omega
Since 2010, Roger Craig Smith has been the official online game voice of Sonic the Hedgehog, taking up the function from Jason Griffiths with the discharge of Sonic Free Riders. In comparison with Griffith’s characteristically “too sluggish” portrayal, Smith provides the character a bit extra of a well-rounded vibe, making him appear a bit extra laid again and sarcastic whereas nonetheless being his amiable self.
Moreover Sonic, Smith solely performed incidental roles in Sonic video games for some time, reminiscent of an announcer who spoke in Sonic colours when utilizing the Wisp means. However beginning with the discharge of Staff Sonic Racing in 2019, he bought one other main function. That is the function of E-123 Omega, who has a weapon and hates Eggman.
Omega has performed a number of totally different voices over time, however the longest-serving one was Vic Mignogna from 2010 to 2019. Since Staff Sonic Racing, Smith has voiced Omega in each look, significantly in Sonic x Shadow Generations and Sonic Racing: Cross World, at all times including a particular robotic filter to his voice. Omega is such a easy character that it is fairly arduous to mess with him, so I am unable to think about layering Omega’s strains on high of Sonic’s was additional work for Smith.
2
haley joel osment
Kingdom Hearts 3: Sora and Vanitas
Haley Joel Osment supplied the only voice of Kingdom Hearts protagonist Sora within the first movie launched in 2002. He was solely 14 years outdated on the time, so it is protected to say he grew up with the character. That is additionally why Sora’s voice grew to become deeper in Kingdom Hearts 2.
For a lot of the sequence, Osment solely performed the function of Sora, however that modified with the discharge of Start By Sleep in 2010. Within the sport, Osment performed Vanitas, the darkish counterpart of Ventus, one of many sport’s essential characters, who additionally occurs to bear a placing resemblance to Sora when unmasked. Though you possibly can hear similarities to Sola in Osment’s efficiency, Vanitas’ voice has a deeper, edgier high quality to it.
Vanitas was briefly voiced in Kingdom Hearts 3D, however a extra distinctive instance of Osment and Sora doubling will seem in 2019’s Kingdom Hearts 3. This was the primary time Osment performed either side of an entire dialog between the 2. Additionally, there appears to be a cosmic cause why Vanitas seems like Sora, however that is all Hearts and Darkness and stuff, so I do not absolutely perceive it.
1
Johnny Younger Bosch
Persona 4: Yu Narukami And Tohru Adachi
Johnny Younger Bosch is one in all my favourite voice actors within the gaming and anime trade. A part of that’s as a result of he was such a formative a part of my childhood as Adam on Mighty Morphin Energy Rangers. Nevertheless, as well as, he performs each the protagonist and antagonist in one in all my favourite JRPGs, Persona 4.
Bosch supplies a little bit of voice appearing for the sport’s protagonist, together with varied grunts and persona calls. He additionally supplies the voice of Toru Adachi, a slipshod detective turned psychic serial killer, and his efficiency ranges between good-natured slacker and free-spirited madman. Bosch once more voiced each characters within the English dub of the Persona 4 anime, and it was right here that the principle character was given his official identify, Yu Narukami.
Enjoyable truth: the unique Japanese dub of the sport had two totally different voice actors for Yuu and Adachi. I am unsure if there was a selected cause why Bosch was chosen to voice each voices within the English model, nevertheless it creates an attention-grabbing dichotomy when you think about that the characters are imagined to be polar opposites in Izanami’s little plan for humanity.