MGS4 (and other offenders) Voice Acting

Okay, so firstly, I love the game, but on my second play through (to get the stealth suit which I can't use in my third play through to get the Foxhound emblem), I really noticed the voice acting. And, then I recalled how many reviewers commended it. And so, I need to ask, why?

Firstly, why so many dramatic pauses. About a tenth of the script must be ellipses. At many times, this is like playing Final Fantasy VIII with voice acting. And then, there are the shocked, grunt, interested, or whatever those noises are supposed to be. I am unaware of any human being who makes those noises at any point in their lives, let alone trained military men. And David Hayter emphasising "Liquid" every single time he says it, like suddenly he turns into Ross from Friends and has to over-emphasise every single syllable.

Anyway, as a result of this, the third play through to get pointless badge might be delayed, possibly indeterminably (even if I have to skip most the cutscenes). But, more importantly, MGS4 isn't the worse offender in this regard. XIII has some bad moments. And both of these games are very story driven. Compare them to the work in Uncharted (original, getting around to the new one), Ratchet & Clank, and Stephen Fry's work in LBP, which are all non-story driven, and one has to wonder why video games have to have such over-the-top ridiculous voice acting whenever the story has drama.

Very random rant, but seriously, it makes no sense.

I thought the voice acting was pretty good, though I know what you mean about the grunting. Do you really need to grunt all the way up the ladder? I know Snake's an old man and all...

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Originally Posted by Del Murder

I thought the voice acting was pretty good, though I know what you mean about the grunting. Do you really need to grunt all the way up the ladder? I know Snake's an old man and all...

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Otacon was bad with sighing noises. He actually reminded me of the male Vanille. My other criticism of MGS is that they sometimes REALLY drilled in a point. Like 10 minutes of dialogue about the bleeding obvious.

My guess is the English cast is taking cues from the Japanese and just not pulling it off accurately. Or there was a Japanese voice director, directing the English cast. As I've learned over the years, Japanese media has very little scope in subtlety. So everything generally has to be over the top. Sometimes its done on purpose for one reason or another. It just doesn't translate well to those of us who know real drama and believable voice acting

Unfortunately I haven't played any of these games. So I'm just surmising

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Originally Posted by Vyk

My guess is the English cast is taking cues from the Japanese and just not pulling it off accurately. Or there was a Japanese voice director, directing the English cast. As I've learned over the years, Japanese media has very little scope in subtlety. So everything generally has to be over the top. Sometimes its done on purpose for one reason or another. It just doesn't translate well to those of us who know real drama and believable voice acting

Unfortunately I haven't played any of these games. So I'm just surmising

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Both of these are Japanese games. The others I mentioned are all Western games. Probably very plausible.

I liked the ingame noises Old Snake makes. It does make you feel like an old man and most of all; human.

I can agree on some of the cut-scenes. The scene where (SPOILER)Naomi dies comes to mind.

Btw, XII is very guilty of this aswell.

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Originally Posted by champagne supernova

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Originally Posted by Vyk

My guess is the English cast is taking cues from the Japanese and just not pulling it off accurately. Or there was a Japanese voice director, directing the English cast. As I've learned over the years, Japanese media has very little scope in subtlety. So everything generally has to be over the top. Sometimes its done on purpose for one reason or another. It just doesn't translate well to those of us who know real drama and believable voice acting

Unfortunately I haven't played any of these games. So I'm just surmising

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Both of these are Japanese games. The others I mentioned are all Western games. Probably very plausible.

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The Japanese voices in MGS4 aren't trying to sound anything as dramatic as the English ones (aside from the pauses after every few words). Or at least not to our ears.

The voice acting and writing in this game provided me with a good many laughs, so I can't fault it for that. I get what you're saying though.

The script in MGS4 scales new heights of pisspoor, and while the voice acting on the whole is adequate, David Hayter ruins it. In MGS1, and to a lesser extent, MGS2, he voiced Snake well. MGS4 Snake was just an overdramatic fuzzbox who spent half his lines repeating what the other character said in a dark voice. I'm pretty sure I've ranted about this before.

I LOVED how Snake emphasized Liquid. It was hilarious and awesome. I slightly dislike you for wanting the game's voice acting realistic. Its way overblown voicing works with its way overblown story. :colbert:

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Originally Posted by Old Manus

The script in MGS4 scales new heights of pisspoor, and while the voice acting on the whole is adequate, David Hayter ruins it. In MGS1, and to a lesser extent, MGS2, he voiced Snake well. MGS4 Snake was just an overdramatic fuzzbox who spent half his lines repeating what the other character said in a dark voice. I'm pretty sure I've ranted about this before.

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for me it were the parts of the story that were written by Michael Bay and JK Rowling (basically everything after Act 4) that ruined it. Like Goldenboko said, there was something awesome about David Hayter's corny voice acting.

*moving to gaming forum cause its mostly about game VA work*

Let me tell you right now, MGS4's VA work is the smurfing holy grail compared to some older games I can show you, like...

*MAJOR SPOILERS!!!*

XENOGEARS!!! BEHOLD THE CHEESE AND THE INABILITY TO SYNCH VOICES!!!

So the next time David Hayter's overly dramatic grunts and groans get on your nerves, remember Xenogears and the original RE1 and be forever grateful people actually give a damn nowadays. ;)

You forgot Tidus and Yunas' laugh scene. That probably was the bottom of voice acting forever. Although, strangely, Tidus' voice (for me) was much better at the end. I thought I had got used to it, but then I went New Game +, and he really (to me) just sucks at the beginning.

The whole David Hayter repeating obvious stuff - that really grated my nerves to no end.

1) The dramatic pauses are there because the facial expressions were on such a sophisticated level that they, by themselves, could convey what the character had to say.

2) As far as the noises, that's a Japanese thing if I'm not mistaken, using sighs, gasps and grunts a lot.

3) Didn't really have a problem with Liquid being overemphasized.