Video game voice actors: A complete hiring guide!

Video game voice actors are the talented artists behind Mario’s Italian-Brooklyn accent and Joel Miller’s laconic Texan drawl. It makes their characters and others like them so convincingly realistic to the 3 billion video gamers worldwide. So, as a creator, you need video game voice acting that does justice to the unique personalities you’ve poured your heart into designing. 

At Voice123 – where you’ll find exceptional voice actors for your gaming projects – we’ve got the insights you need to energize your 2024 gaming projects. So, in this post, we’ll explore tips on the best voice actors for hire in different video game genres.

Let the games begin! 

What are video game voice actors? 

Video game voice actors are professionals who voice a video game’s main, supporting, or non-player characters that gamers interact with. They deliver performances in different accents, tones, dialects, and styles that contribute to the accuracy of a game’s environment, which could be apocalyptic like Fallout or vibrant and pixelated like SuperMario. While actors in films and TV shows rely on their facial expressions and body language, video game voice actors typically create likable characters using imagination and self-direction. They’re skilled at transitioning their voice style from heroic to villainous, human to mythical creature while recording lines alone in a studio. 

How to hire video game voice actors for different genres 

Action

1. Look for versatility: For video game voice acting jobs in action genres, look for pros that can alternate from sighs of relief to whoops of joy without breaking from the vocal dynamic. This is especially useful in action games with intense combat scenes.
2. Prioritize clarity: Fighting scenes are loud and chaotic, so you need video game voice acting that cuts through action sound effects. Reading lines clearly and understandably during combat scenes helps guide players through the game’s pace.

Survival

1. Focus on emotional realism: Video game voice acting jobs in survival environments require specific emotions like fear and isolation. So, look for a video game voice over that expresses the raw gravity of surviving a war-torn world.
2. Value dramatic experience: Consider voice actors for hire with experience in dramatic roles. They have experience using theatrical vocal tones to draw out the devastation of a survival environment.

Fantasy

1. You need adaptability: Video game voice acting jobs in fantasy games are for dragons and wise old wizards. So, look for voice actors for hire with tone flexibility so they can transform from Star Wars alien-like voices to Superhero movie styles if necessary.
2. A master of accents: Fantasy worlds use unique dialects and languages like Hylian, a fictional language from The Legend of Zelda. Use video game voice actors who can switch vocabularies without breaking from the player’s game reality.

Role-Playing Games (RPGs) 

1. Character-driven casting: RPGs focus on character development, so use voice actors for hire who can reflect the character’s different personality changes throughout the game, like Kratos in God of War, who progresses from father to vengeful aggressor.
2. Interactive dialogue: Voice actors must deliver lines that feel natural. So, look for a conversational video game voice over that makes player interactions and character dialogue realistic.

Action-Adventure

1. Keep your character voices consistent: Characters must retain their most compelling traits over decades. So, look for voice actors for hire who can maintain consistency throughout their performances, like the X-Men ’97 show. The characters’ voice styles maintained consistent character representation despite the series’ 2-decade gap.
2. Narrative proficiency: Use voice actors with storytelling tones for hire. This helps advance the game’s plot through dialogue and non-verbal cues, creating a story that draws players into the game’s environment.

What to look for when hiring a video game voice actor

1. Versatility in video game voice acting allows you to use a single skilled actor to voice multiple character voices, dialogue, or sound effects instantly, like Rick and Morty, who were voiced by the same voice actor for six seasons.
2. Gaming experience allows video game voice actors to understand game dynamics and player expectations to deliver better pacing, energy, and emotional performances, like Charles Martinet, who’s been the Mario voice actor since 1994.
3. Prioritize passion because working with voice actors who show genuine interest and enthusiasm for your project means they’re more committed to achieving a successful performance. Actor Ryan Reynolds was determined to voice Detective Pikachu because he wanted his kids to have something cool to watch.

How to hire a video game voice actor from Voice123

There are two ways to find video game voice over pros on Voice123 – post a project or search for a pro.  

Post a project: 

1. Complete the project details, like the language, gender, and age.
2. Enter your script information – upload a script if you want custom auditions or opt for related samples.
3. Add your budget information.
4. And any project usage information.
5. Listen to the auditions/samples, and choose and book the voice actor that best suits your project.

Search for a voice actor:

1. In the search bar, type ‘video game’ to bring up voice actors with video game samples on their profiles.
2. In the ‘Filters’ bar, narrow down the selection based on language, voice gender, age, budget, script length, and audience size.
3. Listen to the related samples, and either message the voice actor directly from their profile or hit ‘book now. ‘

Final Thoughts on hiring video game voice actors 

Video game voice actors make characters and game worlds more realistic and enjoyable for players. But you’ll need specific voice styles depending on your game’s genre, mood, and character personalities. The best voices for video game voice acting jobs help bring your characters to life with realistic emotion that stays with players long after they’ve put down their controller. 

Now that you have a complete gaming blueprint, bring it to life with the video game voice over pros on Voice123. Or use our full-scale Managed Services to oversee your entire project. 

Epic adventures and iconic voices – find them at Voice123! 

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