Summary
As gaming continues to evolve, developers have taken storytelling in video games more seriously and shown greater passion for including strong voice acting. From first-person shooters to RPGs, manycelebrities have lent their voicesand likenesses to various video game characters, adding an extra layer of excitement and appeal to the gaming experience.
While iconic voice actors like Jennifer Hale and Troy Baker will always have an important place in the industry, many celebrities have also showcased their talent in video games. Their performances can rival those of traditional voice actors, as they often play main protagonists or take on significant roles that enhance player interaction.
Originally pitched as a big-budget CG animated film,Enslaved: Odyssey To The Westeventually evolved into an ambitious third-person action titleset in a post-apocalyptic world. It mixes platforming, action, and puzzle-solving together as the hero Monkey guides a character named Trip to her home across overgrown cities and forests.
Monkey was portrayed by Andy Serkis, who had already helped revolutionize performance capture in films as Gollum inThe Lord Of The Ringsfranchise, so it was no surprise that he delivered the same dedication withEnslaved. Andy Serkis has also played other famous characters, such as Caesar in thePlanet Of The Apesmovies, Alfred inThe Batman, and Ulysses Klaue in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Survival horror as a game can be traced back toAlone In The Dark, which was rebooted in 2024 to bring back the classic 1930s visuals and gothic horrors, but with a modern style. It even adopted the modern-style third-person shooter camera a laResident EvilorDead Spaceto allow for a more action-packed route while also maintaining the terror.
In thisupdated version of the original game, players can choose between two protagonists: Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood. This time, the characters are brought to life through performance capture. Edward is portrayed by David Harbour, known for his rolesin Stranger Thingsand the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Emily is played by Jodie Comer, recognized for her performances inThe Last Dueland the video game-inspired filmFree Guy.
TheCall of Dutyfranchise has featured many celebritiesin its multitude of campaigns, but inCall of Duty: Black Ops, players get to play from the perspective of Alex Mason, who is portrayed by Sam Worthington. It was hard not to find Sam Worthington in the mid to late 2000s, as he was the star of James Cameron’sAvatar,Terminator Salvation,Clash Of The Titans, and so much more.
As Alex Mason, Sam Worthington was considered a highlight ofCall of Duty: Black Ops, featuring a Cold War storyline in which soldiers are sent to locations like Vietnam, Cuba, and Canada for secret operations. Sam Worthington is joined by other famous actors, such as Ed Harris, Gary Oldman, and Ice Cube, just to name a few.
Supermassive Games has made multiple games starring famous faces that feel like interactive horror movies, such asUntil Dawn. However, they went even further withThe Quarry, which is written like a love letter to classic horror movies of the 80s and 90s, even featuring actors from that era, such as Lance Henriksen, Ted Raimi, and David Arquette.
Other stars ofThe Quarryinclude Justice Smith, Halston Sage, Lin Shaye, Skyler Gisondo, and Brenda Song, in an adventure that forces players to properly think about their choices of actions and dialogue. One wrong decision can lead to a characterbeing killed by werewolvesand other strange terrors lurking in the darkness at night.
As an official sequel to the beloved movies,RoboCop: Rogue Cityalready delivers an authentic experience of feeling like an unstoppable cyborg who can easily eliminate criminals. Crime investigation elements also utilize basic questioning and interrogation in different cases around Detroit, rewarding players with extra content aside from the already fun first-person shooter sequences.
However, the cherry on top is that RoboCop is voiced by and modeled after the original actor, Peter Weller, who also reprised the role just a few years before asa guest character inMortal Kombat 11. While Nancy Allen did not return to voice RoboCop’s trusted partner, Anne Lewis, the character is still modeled to resemble the actress, with Kosha Engler providing the vocal performance.
While fans may never getDead Space 4, the developers were able to give a spiritual successor in the form ofThe Callisto Protocol, featuring many of the same tropes. From the HUD being entirely on the character’s back and weapon to the ultra-violent body horror and gore in a sci-fi future, the DNA ofDead Spaceis present as an incarcerated pilothas to escape a prisoninfested with mutated humans.
The main protagonist is brought to life by Josh Duhamel, who has made a career starring inTransformers,Jupiter’s Legacy, andBuddy Games. Other familiar faces include Karen Fukuhara ofThe Boysfame and Sam Witwer, who some might know as Aiden fromBeing Humanor Darth Maul inStar Warsanimation and video games.
On the one hand, fans were initially disappointed that David Hayter was not brought back to play Snake inMetal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, as he was the definitive voice for the character since the first game. On the other hand, Kiefer Sutherland delivered an iconic performance with the same dedication and talent he also gave Jack Bauer on24, David inThe Lost Boys, and Tom Kirkman inDesignated Survivor.
It also helps thatMetal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Painwas an ambitious leap for the beloved franchise, taking the mix of stealth and action and putting itin a more open-world format. Espionage can be as fun as it is challenging, which, combined with a long and complicated storyline, allows Sutherland to cement himself in the role while still feeling like a continuation of David Hayter’s version.
Like a digital ghost haunting the mind of the main protagonist, V, Johnny Silverhand is there throughout the crime thriller adventure ofCyberpunk 2077. Silverhand became a major part of the appeal as he is portrayed by Keanu Reeves, who has had a long career playing iconic characters, such as Neo, John Wick, Klaatu, John Constantine,and even Shadow the Hedgehogin the live-actionSonicmovies.
Despite its infamously maligned launch,Cyberpunk 2077has since seen many updates that transformed it into the now-beloved RPG it is today, especially thePhantom Libertyexpansion. The expansion would add a pivotal character in the form of Solomon Reed, played by Idris Elba, a star who has been in Marvel, DC,Star Trek, and many other famous films of the last twenty years.
Andy Serkis stars as Renoir in yet another video game role for him alongside Marvel’s Daredevil, Charlie Cox, inClair Obscur: Expedition 33, Sandfall Interactive’s ambitious turn-based RPG. It is heavily inspired by classic JRPG franchises likeFinal Fantasyand thePersonaseries, but given the same love and affection to its execution asElden Ringin terms of gameplay, visuals, and sounds.
In a world where everyone thirty-three years of age is destined to disappear,Charlie Cox portrays the main protagonist, Gustave, in his first-ever video game role, leading the expedition to stop the Paintress, who started the curse. In a time when classic RPGs are a rarity,Clair Obscur: Expedition 33has quickly proven to be a modern classic thanks to its fun gameplay, with the vocal performances being the icing on an already delicious cake.
TheGod of Wargames have had special guest stars since the beginning, but the 2018 soft reboot went even further by featuring Christopher Judge as the older and wiser version of Kratos. He maintains the dark and broody personality that T.C. Carson initially established in the original trilogy. Still, he adds his own flair to make his performance stand out as a father trying to raise his son in a harsh world.
Kratos continues to evolve throughoutGod of War, with Christopher Judge effectively portraying a stoic warrior with a heartfull of anguish and regret. All Kratos wants to do is spread his wife’s ashes, but it takes him and his son, Atreus, across the different realms of Norse mythology, creating an action fantasy RPG that changed the series forever with strong storytelling.
