Ive been thinking about voice acting. When its good it can make up for a lot of things but when its bad it can rip the immersion out kicking and screaming (see Oblivion). So I thought I'd see what you guys think. Which games have the best/worst voice acting and how could it be made better?

Typhusoid:
Ive been thinking about voice acting. When its good it can make up for a lot of things but when its bad it can rip the immersion out kicking and screaming (see Oblivion). So I thought I'd see what you guys think. Which games have the best/worst voice acting and how could it be made better?

Rogue Galaxy made me want to turn off the sound and do all the voices with my cat.

Best I've played would be Half Life 2 (including the episodes) and Mass Effect. Worst would have to be Megaman ZX Advent. Go play it. While having your classic Megaman action, you get a lesson on voice acting and how not to suck.

Brace fo it STALKER had an appauling voice acting but it was forgivable seeing as it was translated to english and was an awsome game so much so i even read the book the game was based on

I understand why people are saying Oblivion isn't immersive, but personally I've never felt more drawn into a game. I was close to asking a real priest in real life where I can find a cure for vampirism.

Nivag:
I understand why people are saying Oblivion isn't immersive, but personally I've never felt more drawn into a game. I was close to asking a real priest in real life where I can find a cure for vampirism.

I'd have done it. I always found it funny in RPGs how no one wonders about why there's some demented guy running up to every single person in town and questioning them about their life and stuff.

Oh, and the famous Chaos Wars

Amnestic:

Nivag:
I understand why people are saying Oblivion isn't immersive, but personally I've never felt more drawn into a game. I was close to asking a real priest in real life where I can find a cure for vampirism.

I'd have done it. I always found it funny in RPGs how no one wonders about why there's some demented guy running up to every single person in town and questioning them about their life and stuff.

Ahahah! I've never thought about it like that. That's really funny!

avykins:
Three words. Simon Motherfucking Templeman. That man is a VA god.
Some of the worst VA ever was MGS4 with Otacon "crying" over that wenches death. Dear god it ruined the entire scene. If his acting was any more cardboard then snake could use it to hide in.

HAHAHAHAHA
That was a box joke
Haha.

What is a man?
A miserable little pile of secrets!

Amnestic:

Nivag:
I understand why people are saying Oblivion isn't immersive, but personally I've never felt more drawn into a game. I was close to asking a real priest in real life where I can find a cure for vampirism.

I'd have done it. I always found it funny in RPGs how no one wonders about why there's some demented guy running up to every single person in town and questioning them about their life and stuff.

Oh, and the famous Chaos Wars

That video better be a joke, or I'll just break down right now.

Nivag:

Amnestic:

Nivag:
I understand why people are saying Oblivion isn't immersive, but personally I've never felt more drawn into a game. I was close to asking a real priest in real life where I can find a cure for vampirism.

I'd have done it. I always found it funny in RPGs how no one wonders about why there's some demented guy running up to every single person in town and questioning them about their life and stuff.

Ahahah! I've never thought about it like that. That's really funny!

Also nobody seems to mind you running into their houses and taking anything you find lying on the floor.

It's theft!

Mass Effect probably had the best voice acting in it. Couple big names, too.

Half-Life series had pretty good voice acting. Except the first one. If you only go by their voices, it gets confusing.

"Dr. Kleiner! I don't remember you having those muttonchops when I talked to you in the lobby! And I don't remember you being a black guy after we talked during the headcrap swarm."

Oh, Dr. Kleiner...you crazy guy...

Ago Iterum:

Nivag:

Amnestic:

Nivag:
I understand why people are saying Oblivion isn't immersive, but personally I've never felt more drawn into a game. I was close to asking a real priest in real life where I can find a cure for vampirism.

I'd have done it. I always found it funny in RPGs how no one wonders about why there's some demented guy running up to every single person in town and questioning them about their life and stuff.

Ahahah! I've never thought about it like that. That's really funny!

Also nobody seems to mind you running into their houses and taking anything you find lying on the floor.

It's theft!

Not sure I agree with that one seeing as I always get shouted at and attacked! Even for just picking it up with 'Z'. I'm just looking for christ's sake. That even happens in shops!

Best voice acting ever? Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines. Everything is voiced, even the new lines added to characters you haven't visited for awhile after you do certain key things. I mean, these avatars are sitting in these tucked-away places you'd probably never go back to, and on chance you go back and talk to them, and they have new lines voiced as professionally as the main quest ones. And the cast from that game is pretty much all professional voice actors who know what they're doing, and it definitely shows. The dialogue is actually the main reason most people are still playing the crap out of this old, under-the-radar game.

Worst voice acting ever? Everything out of Japan before the late 90s was terrible, so forget specifics. Can I nominate the Sims? Is that fair? That lunatic babble certainly curdles my blood.

Dynasty Warriors, Crimson Sea, in fact all KOEI games have terrible voice acting.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm7Ap9yEYTg

Take a listen.

Amnestic:

Nivag:
I understand why people are saying Oblivion isn't immersive, but personally I've never felt more drawn into a game. I was close to asking a real priest in real life where I can find a cure for vampirism.

I'd have done it. I always found it funny in RPGs how no one wonders about why there's some demented guy running up to every single person in town and questioning them about their life and stuff.

Oh, and the famous Chaos Wars

That was only 3 minutes and 44 seconds...but it felt like an eternity.

the .hack G.U. series had some good voice acting but some of the characters voices could have been better

Amnestic:

Nivag:
I understand why people are saying Oblivion isn't immersive, but personally I've never felt more drawn into a game. I was close to asking a real priest in real life where I can find a cure for vampirism.

I'd have done it. I always found it funny in RPGs how no one wonders about why there's some demented guy running up to every single person in town and questioning them about their life and stuff.

Oh, and the famous Chaos Wars

Oh...oh god...I forced myself to watch all of that just so I could laugh my ass of at them.

To all those asking if Chaos Wars dub is in fact real: I believe so, yes. The wiki page for the game has the following to say: "The North American release is best known for its atrocious voice acting (many of the voice actors were friends and family of the CEO)." Thus I believe that Chaos Wars is in fact that bad.

Worst...

That might be Spiderman 1-3, except for Bruce Campbell's excellent work in the games.

Best might be Mass Effect, or something along those lines.

Chaos Wars loses the greatest Patheticism of Shame award. I must now gouge my ears and clone new ones.

James Arnold Taylor has part of my vote, mostly due to Ratchet & Clank.

Oddworld's voice acting was awesome and hilarious.

EDIT: Wait, his name's Nicole?!

Fallout 3 impressed me, just with the big namers tagged onto it. Liam Neeson, Malcolm McDowell and someone else who i forget :(

Let's see:

Psychonauts had a great script and acting.
No More Heroes ditto(even though the script tried to be too clever at parts)
The first release of Metal Gear Solid.
007 Nightfire had pretty decent acting.
Timesplitters 2&3.
Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2&3 and KOTOR(even though I didn't like KOTOR)
One Piece: Unlimited Adventure(no more 4kids, hello FUNimation! I'm a little biased, though)
Simpson's Hit and Run
SSX Tricky(don't know how good the acting is in the other ones)
I thought the Kingdom Hearts games had decent voice work.
Dragon Quest 8 entertained me with all the British actors.
Mercenaries had an expansive cast that really made the environment feel alive.

I've also thought a lot about voice acting and I have made it one of my career goals. These were games that I thought were made better with the voice work.

I have to say that even though the voice acting to Lunar and Lunar II: Eternal Blue (Playstation) were not that stellar- the addition of an outtake real after you beat the game more than made up for the bad voice-acting. I think that all games that include voice acting SHOULD include an outtake real after the end credits- it makes for a much more enjoyable experience.

Yes, that is indeed the real voice acting in the English version. A friend of mine actually bought a copy because he didn't believe the video. That IS the real voice acting. The video isn't shitting you, it really is that bad. Oh, and Chaos Wars' voice acting is done by the children of some of the team that worked on the English version. It is a lesser-known company and they were trying to save on voice acting, I think. Well...you get what you pay for...

In general the voice acting in Japanese games, especially JRPGs, are hit or miss when translated to English. Sometimes they are decent enough. Sometimes they are below average. Every now and then you get the ear rapeage that is Chaos Wars. Same applies to dialog too.

One of the best- sorry for the double post- ARMED AND DANGEROUS.

How those guys said half of that dialog while watching the screen and not going bat-^&^% bonkers is beyond me.

Also, whoever did the cut-sequences of the Rabbids from Rayman (being able to communicate so much with just grunts and screams) gets an A from me as well. Remember, all the stuff you laugh at in games, someone has to record the dialog WHILE watching the scene.

Worst: Oblivion, Thief: Deadly Shadows, Jedi Academy's Jaden Korr and Warcraft III: Frozen Throne's bonus campaign.

I think voice acting is pretty good in most games.

Where regards Oblivion, as Ken Rolston put it: "Kids today don't want to read anymore." Rolston himself knows that bad voice acting breaks immersion far more than text boxes do.

SimuLord:
Where regards Oblivion, as Ken Rolston put it: "Kids today don't want to read anymore."

True... but that don't mean they have to substitute text for bad voice acting. Mercenarys 2's NPC voices is a good example of bad acting. One review i saw (can't remember which) said they sounded bored out thier minds or something to that extent .

Amn, I have to say.

after hearing that, I probably will never complain about another game's voice acting.

Altorin:
Amn, I have to say.

after hearing that, I probably will never complain about another game's voice acting.

I live to serve.

Hmmm....original Resident Evil.

Or Project Owl.