Pl4t0
Active Member
Welcome one and all to the first day of the Team9000 Game of the Year Awards nominations, during which each judge will list their top pick for one of the ten categories we will be judging!
The "nominators" are:
-rsmv2you
-Hawke
-Vorsprung
-mcfar45
-Zakkon
-Giftednarwhals
-that_taco_guy
-moondoggy23
-Pl4t0
We're kicking things off with Best Voice Acting. What may at first seem to be one of the minor categories on our list proves to be one of the most important: while videogames have always been able to express excellent stories, it's in the past few years that the power of the human voice has really been put to use, and it quickly became apparent that without a good voice behind a character, the character fell flat and the suspension of disbelief went out the window. A game with good writing is only as good as its voice actors can deliver those lines - in a word, they are quintessential to our adventures.
Accordingly, we judge voice acting on the game as a whole, not on individual actors or sequences - the game with the best voice acting is the game that can enhance the experience and broaden the immersion to the greatest extent, and that extends to the entirety of the product.
So, without further ado, I present the nominations for Best Voice Acting in 2011:
Portal 2
The characters in portal 2 are what make the game, so they have to be near flawless. And they are. Each character is remember able in every sense of the word and also was voiced with the perfection of those that a Hollywood actor would try to do.
Batman: Arkham City
Mark Hamil as The Joker. Enough said.
Portal 2
The characters in Portal 2 are fun and refreshing, each with their own unique character. While we do see GLaDOS come back, Ellen Mclain is still a fresh new character in her acting.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
In The Old Republic, every dialogue is fully voiced. That's quite unique to an MMO. The voice actors are plenty, some you may know from other games/movies, and you rarely run into a voice you recognize from other in-game characters. All conversations can be participated by other players, each who may impact the way the conversation turns out.
Portal 2
The voicing for this game is simply mind blowing. Valve was pin point perfect to making voices seem almost exact to each and every character.
Portal 2
Continuing her role from the previous game, Ellen Mclain offers the perfect voice to such a
character. Even with a robotisised modification to her voice, done by a computer in order to fit
the role, you can hear the dark undertones and the dry humour coming through making the perfect
addition to this already great game.
Bastion
I loved Ellen McClain as GlaDoS and particularly Stephen Merchant as Wheatley... But I'm going to have to say the Narrator from Bastion. I mean, I could fall asleep to his 'sexy narrator voice'. But in all seriousness, the game was made so much better for the narration. Might have to call a tie between Wheatley and The Narrator.
Saints Row: The Third
Sasha Grey voices a character in this game. Yeah, I'm not joking. No, I'm not telling you who. Yes, she actually does an awesome job. It isn't so much that the voice actors in SR:TT are really good as they just bring the writing to life. Comedy is all about timing and the control of your voice - if that's any measure of good voice acting, then this game should be given a standing ovation because at points I was practically rolling out of my chair (literally) from sheer laughter. As a result, the characters are likable and sympathetic, made more real by the casual and straightforward delivery of lines in a believable voice. The voice is not just a voice, it becomes the character, and on that note it certainly succeeds.
Portal 2
Portal 2 The voice acting in Portal is PERFECT, and gives the game its own comedic charm, with Cave Johnson’s speeches being of the cherry on top of the chocolate cake.
-----------
And there you have it. Tune in tomorrow for Best Narrative!
The "nominators" are:
-rsmv2you
-Hawke
-Vorsprung
-mcfar45
-Zakkon
-Giftednarwhals
-that_taco_guy
-moondoggy23
-Pl4t0
We're kicking things off with Best Voice Acting. What may at first seem to be one of the minor categories on our list proves to be one of the most important: while videogames have always been able to express excellent stories, it's in the past few years that the power of the human voice has really been put to use, and it quickly became apparent that without a good voice behind a character, the character fell flat and the suspension of disbelief went out the window. A game with good writing is only as good as its voice actors can deliver those lines - in a word, they are quintessential to our adventures.
Accordingly, we judge voice acting on the game as a whole, not on individual actors or sequences - the game with the best voice acting is the game that can enhance the experience and broaden the immersion to the greatest extent, and that extends to the entirety of the product.
So, without further ado, I present the nominations for Best Voice Acting in 2011:
Giftednarwhals said:
Portal 2
The characters in portal 2 are what make the game, so they have to be near flawless. And they are. Each character is remember able in every sense of the word and also was voiced with the perfection of those that a Hollywood actor would try to do.
Moondoggy said:
Batman: Arkham City
Mark Hamil as The Joker. Enough said.
taco said:
Portal 2
The characters in Portal 2 are fun and refreshing, each with their own unique character. While we do see GLaDOS come back, Ellen Mclain is still a fresh new character in her acting.
Zakkon said:
Star Wars: The Old Republic
In The Old Republic, every dialogue is fully voiced. That's quite unique to an MMO. The voice actors are plenty, some you may know from other games/movies, and you rarely run into a voice you recognize from other in-game characters. All conversations can be participated by other players, each who may impact the way the conversation turns out.
rsmv said:
Portal 2
The voicing for this game is simply mind blowing. Valve was pin point perfect to making voices seem almost exact to each and every character.
McFar said:
Portal 2
Continuing her role from the previous game, Ellen Mclain offers the perfect voice to such a
character. Even with a robotisised modification to her voice, done by a computer in order to fit
the role, you can hear the dark undertones and the dry humour coming through making the perfect
addition to this already great game.
Vorsprung said:
Bastion
I loved Ellen McClain as GlaDoS and particularly Stephen Merchant as Wheatley... But I'm going to have to say the Narrator from Bastion. I mean, I could fall asleep to his 'sexy narrator voice'. But in all seriousness, the game was made so much better for the narration. Might have to call a tie between Wheatley and The Narrator.
Pl4t0 said:
Saints Row: The Third
Sasha Grey voices a character in this game. Yeah, I'm not joking. No, I'm not telling you who. Yes, she actually does an awesome job. It isn't so much that the voice actors in SR:TT are really good as they just bring the writing to life. Comedy is all about timing and the control of your voice - if that's any measure of good voice acting, then this game should be given a standing ovation because at points I was practically rolling out of my chair (literally) from sheer laughter. As a result, the characters are likable and sympathetic, made more real by the casual and straightforward delivery of lines in a believable voice. The voice is not just a voice, it becomes the character, and on that note it certainly succeeds.
Hawke said:
Portal 2
Portal 2 The voice acting in Portal is PERFECT, and gives the game its own comedic charm, with Cave Johnson’s speeches being of the cherry on top of the chocolate cake.
-----------
And there you have it. Tune in tomorrow for Best Narrative!
