Summary

• Video games can have incredibly captivating narratives and with stunning performances that are more than comparable to those we see in TV and film.
• Some of these iconic performances are from established stars like Mark Hamill's Joker.
• All of them showcase exceptional acting talent, whether they're voicing a cowboy, a superhero, or a fire lookout.

Video games have come a long way from the days of 💝Pong and Pac-Man on arcade cabinets. With each passing year, game developers are el🐠evating their craft and delivering truly captivating experiences.

Games can now deliver well-crafted and layered narratives, and with motion-capture and highly-talented performers taking on roles, the level of performances can sometimes rival that of television and film. It's important to recognize the brilliant video game performances that delivered an experience well worth an Oscar award or two.

Updated February 28, 2024 by Jack Nachwalter: Throughout the decades of evolution in the gaming industry, we’ve seen a plethora of superb voice performances. As technology advances, it seems as if the amount of quality voice acting continues to grow, even with the threat of AI looming over the videoꦚ game land💝scape.

There are hundreds of performances in video games which all have their own state as being the best of the best. Yet in the conversation of the cream of the video game voice acting crop, there will always be a handful of performances and characters which are highlighted more than others as pure masterworks.

20 ✃ Batman And Joker

Batman Arkham Series

Few voices are as synonymous with their characters as Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill. These two juggernauts of voice acting have brought these characters to life in several mediums including the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:critically acclaimed Batma🌺n Animanted Series. One shining example of their superb work is Rocksteady's Batman Arkham series.

Kevin Conroy is as great as ever, but Mark Hamill totally steals the show. Being allowed to go absolutely off the rails and dip into the inherent campiness of the character, Hamill likely brought us the best Joker p𓄧erformance of all time in this series.

19 🍨 Vaas Montenegro

Far Cry 3

Many fans of Breaking Bad know Michael Mando as Nacho from the prequel Better Call Saul. It appears the man can act in a mocap suit just as well. The iconic character Vaas was beautifully portrayed by Mando to 🅠amazing effect.

His unnerving demeanor, dangerous outlook, and straight-up instability made for an amazing character. To this day, his monologue on the definition of insanity is one of the best in gaming. The c𝕴haracter was so intriguing he was even brought back for Far Cry 6.

18 Lara Croft 💝

Tomb Raider (2013)

It's really hard to give life and depth to a character that hasn't been more than a few polygons as the protagonist. It's doubly hard when said character has been portrayed by the one and only Angelina Jolie on the big screen. Despite the challenge, though, Camilla Luddington gave us yet another iconic Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider series.

With the reboot of the series back in 2013, it was crucial to have a version of Lara Croft that was deeper and gave players more to connect with. With a great performance, Luddington gave us the quintessential modern Lara Croft. She was so great in the game that the live-action film Tomb Raider, released in 2018, based its depiction on Luddington's portrayal.

17 Max Payne

Max Payne Trilogy

A hard-boiled retired cop seeking revenge or justice is hardly a radical character archetype. Still, that didn’t stop Remedy Entertainment and, later, Rockstar from featuring a man who is both savage and miserable, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Max Payne.

Throughout the third-person shooter trilogy, the titular retired co꧃p was voiced by James McCaffrey, who gives a tour de force-level performance. With McCaffrey’s tragic 20🐎23 passing, his legacy as Max Payne is even more revered, exemplary, and unrivaled.

16 🍷 🔥 Trevor Philips

Grand Theft Auto V

168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Trevor is a creature of chaos. No matter how ready you are for the wacky side of GTA 5, Trevor still manages to catch you off guard with his antics and violence. That is largely thank🥃s to the amazing portrayal of Steven Ogg.

When you have a character so violent, random, and unhinged, it's essential to have that feel real and raw. Steven Ogg manages to do just that. He gave us a character so iconic that many people know him from screenshots and memes, even if they haven't played the game.

15 Max & Chl⭕oe ꦗ

Life is Strange

Life Is Strange is a game that balances fantasy elements and human emotion perfectly. That crucial balance requires loveable characters you can empathize with, of course. Thanks to Hannah Rebecca Telle and Ashly Burch's portrayals of Max and Chloe, we got just that.

Few duos in gaming manage to pull at your heartstrings like these two young women. With a game that shines through its na𓃲rrative more so than its gameplay, such as Life Is Strange, great characters and acting were necessary for success. Luckily, these two amazing actors delivered just that.

14 Kratos

God of War (2018)

When the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:God of War soft reboot was announced, fans immediat🍎ely became interested in the new 𓃲approach to Kratos as a character. With Christopher Judge playing the titular character, the game showcased a sense of depth the ruthless killer had always lacked.

The game focuses on the relationship between Kratos and his son Atreus. Judge delivers an emotionally impactful performance that expertly showcases the nuances of Kratos as he navigates parenthood via the balance of his true nature versus what he's tried so hard to become in this new life.

13 GLaDOS

Portal 1 and 2

Valve’s critically acclaimed Portal 2 is rightfully held in high regard by their fan base. In terms of Portal’s cast of characters, it’s hard to choose just one as the standout. It’s perhaps Ellen McClain’s role as 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:GLaDOS which is the most iconic.

Stephen Merchant’s turn as the traitorous Wheatley is also phenomenal, but McClain’s voice work is not only amazing, but recognized ou💫tside the gaming sphere. Most famously, her role in Portal 2 inspired filmmaker Guillermo del Toro’s casting her as the 🍰computer AI in 2013’s Pacific Rim.

12 Booke꧃r Dewitt And Elizabeth

Bioshock Infinite

The Bioshock franchise is often considered one o𒅌f the greatest video series ever made. As such, it’s no stranger to fantastic voice acting. While Andrew Ryan, Frank Fontaine, & Augustus Sinclair are all👍 exceptional characters, it’s the leading pair from Bioshock infinite which takes the crown.

Voiced by Troy Baker and Courtnee Draper, respectively, Booker Dewitt and Elizabeth have a mesmerizing dynamic bolster🤪ed by two magnificent actors. Even with its polarizing ending, it’s hard to argue that Baker and Draper didn’t bring their A-ga๊me in the recording booth.

11 ꧑ Nathan Drake

Uncharted Series

Since the first Uncharted title, actor Nolan North has brought the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:main protagonist Nathan Drake to life. With each new game in the series, his familiarity wit꧋h the character and the writing team took the character to new heights.

Despite the games functioning as blockbuster fun with huge set-piece moments, it's the character interactions, specifically in Uncharted 4, that provided North the opportunity to show Drake in a different light. Having the benefit of experience and development in technology also elevated this performance in particular.