Video Games have certainly come a long way since games like The Legend of Zelda or Super Mario Bros., where the story could only be told in through textboxes and in instruction booklets. Now, with all new technologies and computer processing capability, video game developers can convey their stories and information in flashy cut-scenes with voice acting and brilliant visuals.
And with these higher production values mirroring Hollywood productions, it was only a matter of time before famous Hollywood talents became involved with video game development. Some, like horror legend John Carpenter and British actor Andy Serkis, have helped in the development of the story and the plot of their games, while other’s likeSteven Spielberg, have worked on the creative process of a video game from concept to completion. But there has definitely been a rise in the market and opportunity for famous Hollywood actors to lend their voice talents to big budget video game projects. Gary Oldman, Ed Harris, and Sam Worthington, for example, have acted in Call of Duty: Black Ops game, while Ellen Page (pictured above) lent her voice and visage to David Cage’s Beyond: Two Souls. And these are only two examples in a list that is dozens of entries long. Let’s take a look at some big name actors who will lend their talents to upcoming video games.
Credit: Jennifer Graylock/INFphoto.com
[ new page = 10. Camilla Luddington in Rise of the Tomb Raider ]
10. Camilla Luddington in Rise of the Tomb Raider
Luddington, also known for her work as Dr. Jo Wilson in Grey’s Anatomy, played the capable survivalist Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider reboot that was released last year. While not all reviewers were thrilled with the game, most reviews were generally positive, seeing the reboot as a modern and gritty reboot of a dying intellectual property. Luddington’s voice acting and motion capture, however, caught large acclaim, capturing the naïve yet hardy Croft’s personality with skill and making players sympathize and relate to the young explorer. Luddington will return as Croft for the game’s sequel, Rise of the Tomb Raider, expected to release in late 2015.
[ new page = 9. Kelly Hu in Battlefield: Hardline ]
9. Kelly Hu in Battlefield: Hardline
Hu has been voice acting for years, in addition to live action roles in television shows like Arrow and Warehouse 13 or movie roles like “Lady Deathstrike” in X-Men 2. She has even appeared in several video games in the past, such as her role in Afro Samurai alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Ron Perlman and Batman: Arkham Origins as female ninja and assassin “Lady Shiva.” Hu has recently been confirmed for a voice role in the open world crime game Battlefield: Hardline, although what her role would be has not been mentioned. Players will be able to figure out Hu’s role when the game is released on October 21, 2014.
[ new page = 8. Freddie Prinze Jr. in Dragon Age: Inquisition ]
8. Freddie Prinze Jr. in Dragon Age: Inquisition
Prinze Jr.’s career has taking a strange and slightly nerdy turn since his pretty boy roles from the late 1990s. Prinze played a millionaire hiding his nerdy hobbies from his attractive wife in an episode of Psych, and has voice acted in a major role in Bioware’s Mass Effect 3, where he played muscle-bound Latin soldier Lt. James Vega. Prinze Jr. and Bioware’s relationship continues in the upcoming Dragon Age: Inquisition (the latest installment of the medieval fantasy Dragon Age series) where he will be playing a character known as the “Iron Bull,” a one-eyed, muscle-bound mercenary who the player can romance in the game. Players can meet and romance Prinze Jr.’s character when the game comes out on October 7, 2014.
[ new page = 7. John Noble in Batman: Arkham Knight ]
7. John Noble in Batman: Arkham Knight
John Noble made quite the splash in nerd culture with his appearances in the Lord of the Ring’s film as the mad king Denethor and as the kooky but brilliant scientist Walter Bishop in Fringe. He also made an appearance in video games in the past with a voice and motion capture performance in the game L.A. Noire, where Noble played a real estate tycoon in 1950’s Los Angeles. Noble will play the “Scarecrow” – one of Batman’s most formidable villains – in the upcoming conclusion to the Arkham video game series. The Scarecrow will play a significant role in the game, holding all of Gotham City hostage with a series of fear toxin bombs that could cause the city to tear itself apart in fear. Scarecrow also received a significant visual makeover in response to Noble’s casting. Arkham Knight is slated to release in 2015.
[ new page = 6. Elijah Wood in Broken Age: Act 2 ]
6. Elijah Wood in Broken Age: Act 2
Wood has done a ton of voice acting in the past, such as his performance as fan favorite character "Spyro the Dragon". The upcoming second act to Broken Age will be his second appearance as Shay, a young man who lives in a space satellite with an artificial intelligence that coddles him like an infant. Shay yearns for adventure and danger, and he will most likely get his wish, for better or for worse, in the second game. Wood’s voice role was one of the benefits to the game’s hugely significant Kickstarter campaign, making millions over its original goal. The game is slated to be released near the end of this year.
[ new page = 5. Patrick Warburton, Chris Hardwick, and Sam Witwer in Tales from the Borderlands ]
5. Patrick Warburton, Chris Hardwick, and Sam Witwer in Tales from the Borderlands
Tales from the Borderlands is a prequel to the very popular first-person-shooter Borderlands franchise. The game plans to be more dialogue and story focused, and thus has to include some big names and unique voices to keep the player interesting and invested in the characters they will be interacting with. Warburton, Hardwick, and Witwer are all no stranger to voice acting and video game roles. Warburton has made a significant living off voice acting with his deep voice, particularly with roles as Brock Samson in The Venture Brothers, as well as small roles in the Call of Duty games and the Tak series of the the early 2000s. Nerdist CEO and @midnight host Hardwick has voice acted in shows like Back at the Barnyard, The Batman (as Green Arrow), and his own created show, Sanjay and Craig. Witwer, known for his live action roles on Being Human and Smallville, voiced main character "Starkiller" in the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed series and was praised for his performance, making the best of the game’s poor writing and character development. The game is slated to release sometime this year.
[ new page = 4. Kiefer Sutherland in Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain ]
4. Kiefer Sutherland in Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain
Sutherland’s casting in the Metal Gear series as main character and super soldier “Punished Snake” caused quite the stir, for he was replacing longtime voice actor David Hayter, who had voiced Snake for more than ten years. Sutherland gave gamers a taste of his voice talents in the short game Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes, but will have to truly give show his talents in the upcoming Phantom Pain, where he will have to portray a Snake who wakes up from a coma after nine years and devolves quickly into despair and madness. As we reported, the trailer for Phantom Pain, which currently does not have a release date, received huge acclaim from Hollywood directors and producers.
[ new page = 3. Peter Dinklage in Destiny ]
3. Peter Dinklage in Destiny
Dinklage seems to be on top of the world right now. The actor has received enormous acclaim and popularity for his role as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones. Since then, Dinklage has been cast as "Bolivar Trask" in X-Men: Days of Future Past and the upcoming Adam Sandler film Pixels that is about 1980s video game characters attacking New York, based on an online short film. In the game Destiny, Dinklage will play "Ghost", an sarcastic and poetic AI who accompanies the player character in their journey. The game has some significant public hype behind it, since it is the first game from developer Bungie – who created the massively successful Halo series – after the studio has moved on from the series that brough them fame. Whether Dinklage can help bring the game to glory and ease everyone’s wariness will have to be seen when the game releases in September.
[ new page = 2. Kevin Spacey in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare ]
2. Kevin Spacey in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
Spacey’s performance in House of Cards rocketed the actor to back into the public eye, and the rumors that he would be appearing the next Call of Duty game, a series that has quickly become exhausted with yearly installments, were met with much wariness from caustic and jaded gamers. When the trailer finally released and featured Spacey’s amazing acting and dialogue alongside breathtaking visuals and interesting technological design, even the most jaded of gamers were completely enthralled with Advanced Warfare. Whether this change in opinion was worth it will be revealed on November 4th, 2014.
[ new page = 1. The cast of Alien in Alien: Isolation ]
1. The cast of Alien in Alien: Isolation
The fact that this reunion is happening at all is newsworthy , but the fact that it will be happening in an survival horror game like Alien: Isolation gives us hope that we will finally be able to have the Aliens video game experience that we have wanted ever since the film graced the big screen all those years ago. What this downloadable mission will entail and how it will involve the player is unknown, but regardless of the game’s content or quality, the fact that they were able to put the crew of the Nostromo, including Sigourney Weaver, back together for one more time is something that needs to be lauded. We’ll have to wait until October 7th to see if the return to the Nostromo was worth the wait and excitement.