Summary
The video game industry has grown to become one of the most dominant forms of entertainment in the world. With this success comes growth in both graphics and storytelling. Many large studios can now bring in some of the best actors in the world, using their skills to bring digital characters to life. Many of these games have become classics in the genre, with high-level performances helping to elevate their games to new artistic levels.
With the advances in technology, most notably with motion capture, many games have become cinematic in style, creating interactive experiences that have the depth and scope of Hollywood movies. As these advances continue, more and moreHollywood actorsare going to see video games as genuine avenues in which to hone their craft, blurring the line between traditional Hollywood and the games industry even more.
The action-adventure gameAssassin’s Creedwas a breath of fresh air on release. Taking players back in time to the Crusades of the Holy Land,the open-world stealth game follows Assassin Altairas he is tasked with killing off the scheming Templars. The game is rich in detail and heavy on lore.
Set both in the future and the past, the game features the voice talents of actressKristen Bell, who also lends her likeness to the character. Bell is most known for her TV work onVeronica MarsandThe Good Place, and the hit comedy movieForgetting Sarah Marshall. In the game, Kristen Bell plays the minor role of Lucy Stillman, who would go on to feature in two additional sequels to the game.
Bethesda often brings in well-known actors to feature in their vast open-world games, andOblivionis no different. This fantasy role-playing game allows players to explore a huge open-world map, filled with different characters and monsters.
In the game, Emperor Uriel Septim VII is voiced by actorSir Patrick Stewart, well-known for playing Professor Charles Xavier in theX-Menfranchise, and Jean-Luc Picard inStar Trek: The Next Generation. Joining Stewart in the game, playing Martin, the heir to the throne, isfantasy mainstaySean Bean,well known for his roles as Boromir inLord of the Ringsand Eddard “Ned” Stark inGame of Thrones. Both these actors bring gravitas and personality to these small roles, ensuring the characters are remembered throughout the game.
Theclassic action role-playing gameFallout 3introduced a wide audience to the vast, irradiated wasteland of post-apocalyptic America. In the game, players explore a large open world, meet various strange characters, and fight against the mutated creatures and bloodthirsty raiders that roam the land.
Of all the characters in the game, the one that has the most impact on the story is the player’s father, played expertly byThe Phantom MenaceandTaken’sLiam Neeson. Neeson is the first character the player will meet in the campaign and brings a paternal warmth that lasts throughout the game. In the short time his character is featured, Neeson’s talent prominently stamps his presence on the game.
For the ninth entry in the long-runningMetal Geargame franchise, Hideo Kojima brought in the considerable voice talents of actorKiefer Sutherland. The game follows Sutherland’s Punished “Venom” Snake as he fights the evil organization Cipher across various battlefields in Afghanistan and Africa.
The Phantom Painis primarily a stealth game, where the player needs to plan an attack without being seen as much as possible. Kiefer Sutherland is well known for his action roles, most notably in the TV series24. This pedigree makes him the perfect choice for the character, who is an expert in espionage warfare. Sutherland brings histrademark no-nonsensegrit to the role, voicing the character perfectly in the absence of long-time Snake voice actor David Hayter.
Much of the promotion aroundCyberpunk 2077featured Hollywood superstarKeanu Reavesplaying Johnny Silverhand, a central figure in the narrative and lore. The popularity of the actor only added to the hype of the game, which unfortunately suffered one of the rockiest releases in gaming history. Riddled with bugs, the game was near-unplayable on previous-generation consoles.
Cyberpunk 2077has gradually made up for this since its release and has grown in popularity, with the recent DLC,Phantom Liberty, gaining critical acclaim. In addition to Keanu Reeves, actorIdris Elbawas added to the game inPhantom Liberty, playing Solomon Reed. Both actors are used for their voice and likeness, with Keanu Reeves’s background in sci-fi bringing a high level of credibility to the game.
TheMass Effectseries is one of the mostbeloved franchises in gaming history. It tells the story of Commander Shepard’s fight to save the galaxy from the unstoppable Reapers. Set over three games,Mass Effectis epic in scale and features a wide variety of characters and enemies for players to interact with.
Throughout the series, one of the central antagonists, who is known only as The Illusive Man, is played by the brilliantMartin Sheen. The actor, well-known for his roles inApocalypse Now, The Departed,and TV seriesThe West Wing,brings his long years of experience to the role, lending his voice to an intimidating and mysterious character who easily commands every scene he is in.
Until Dawnis an interactive horror game from developers Supermassive Games, known for their cinematic narrative-based titles. InUntil Dawn, players make choices and experience quick-time events, which can decide the fate of the characters. Anyone can die in the game, and it’s up to the player to decide who lives and who dies a gruesome death. Like many low-budget horror movies,Until Dawnfeatured a cast of up-and-coming actors who lent their voice talents and likeness to the game, specifically through motion capture.
The then largely-unknown actorRami Malekstarred in the game, who would go on to find success in movies likeBohemian Rhapsody, No Time To Die, andOppenheimer,as well as the iconic TV seriesMr. Robot. Also lending her voice and likeness to the game wasHayden Panettiere, perhaps the better-known actor at the time, having appeared in TV seriesHeroesandNashville,as well asScream 4.The game enjoyed critical success, becoming a best-selling title. A remake is set to release later in 2024.
Seen as the spiritual successor toUntil Dawn, Supermassive Games does it again withThe Quarry, another interactive horror game that uses a cinematic style to tell its story. The game uses common horror tropes as its core but has an impressive 186 possible endings.
Featuring an assortment of well-known actors, who lend both their voices and likenesses to the game,The Quarryuses quick time events and player choices to decide the fates of the characters. Anyone can die in the game in various horrific and often bloody ways. Genre legendsLance Henrikson, ofAliensandThe Terminatorfame, andTed Raimi, brother ofEvil DeadandSpider-Mandirector Sam Raimi, bring added horror prestige to the game, while the rest of the cast, includingScream’sDavid ArquetteandInsidious’Lin Shaye,put ingreat performances all around.
Hideo Kojima’s return to gaming after his split with Konami,Death Strandingfeatures an all-star cast led byTheBoondock SaintsandThe Walking Dead’sNorman Reedus. The game features some great performances, using modern technology to capture the skilled actor’s nuanced performances.Death Strandingis set in a post-apocalyptic open world which players traverse as Reedus' Sam “Porter” Bridges, delivering goods between settlements.
Death Strandingis a big-budget game advertised much like a movie, with its stars front and center providing voices and likenesses for the characters. In addition to the main cast of actors, includingSpecterandNo Time to Die’sLéa SeydouxandCasino Royale’sMads Mikkelsen, several film directors were also featured in the game, most notably Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro (in likeness only) andDrivedirector Nicolas Winding Refn.Death Strandingis a stand-out example of the games industry and Hollywood collaborating successfully to create new art.
Beyond: Two Soulswas a groundbreaking game on release. It was one of a few titles that attempted a more mature experience for players, pushing a cinematic style that has become more prevalent in recent years. It even premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, raising itscredibility as a serious artistic piece.
Featuring actorsElliot PageofJunoandInception,and the legendaryWillem Dafoe, the game revolves around two playable characters that have been psychically linked since birth. The game is an action-adventure title where the actors involved not only voiced the characters but performed on set using motion capture technology. This technique allowed for greater creativity from the actors, who could react in real-time to each other. Although technology has moved forward since its development, this game still stands as a benchmark for narrative-based games of this style that use real actors to bring digital characters to life.
