Transforming Gaming Experiences: Unleashing the Power of Voice Acting in These Epic Video Games

Crafting a world that captures a player's complete immersion is an intimidating endeavor. While captivating visuals, a compelling narrative, and an evocative soundtrack often contribute to this achievement, occasionally, introducing a skilled ensemble of voice actors can be the finishing stroke that transforms a game into an immersive masterpiece.

Admittedly, certain games possess their own charm even without the presence of voice acting, but this isn't always the scenario. In some instances, incorporating a full voice cast could have elevated these renowned titles to even greater heights.

8 Pokemon (Series)

The Pokemon franchise has achieved immense success in both the gaming and anime worlds. Considering the widespread popularity of the anime series, it begs the question why the game series doesn't employ a similar voice cast to enhance its success.

The anime effectively portrays each trainer with their own distinct personalities, which are truly brought to life through their voices. Whether it's an enthusiastic newcomer or a seasoned Pokemon master, the anime captures their uniqueness. While it was understandable to omit voice acting in the earlier Gameboy titles of the 90s, it is surprising that mainline Pokemon games, like Scarlet and Violet, still lack proper voice acting today, except for the voices of the Pokemon themselves.

7 The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker

In the previous Legend of Zelda games, characters would laugh, grunt, or hum a small tune, but it wasn't until Breath Of The Wild that they were given full voice acting. Although this choice matched the overall atmosphere of the games, Wind Waker could have benefited from a fully-voiced cast.

At first, Wind Waker didn't receive much praise, but over time, it became known for its cute and unique cel-shaded style, which brought a refreshing change to the Zelda series. The game showcased a young and lively version of Link, his adorable baby sister Aryll, and the charming pirate Tetra. If voiced cutscenes were added, they would have complemented the cartoonish art style and injected the game with a vibrant and energetic tone.

6 Chrono Cross

Voice acting would have added the perfect finishing touch to Chrono Cross, enhancing its already charming appeal. While older JRPGs relied on text boxes and dramatic soundtracks, the inclusion of spoken dialogue in each cutscene would have alleviated the burden placed on the written text. Although the protagonist Serge does not speak, giving him the same type of characterization as Link from The Legend of Zelda through grunts, sighs, and other expressive noises would have brought him to life and prevented him from feeling like a hollow shell. With numerous emotional and poignant moments throughout the game, hearing the characters voice their own feelings would have created a more sentimental atmosphere for Serge's epic journey.

5 Final Fantasy 8

Fans of Final Fantasy 7 are fortunate to not face this problem, as the FF7 Remake has given the 1997 game a remarkable makeover with stunning graphics and captivating voice acting for the beloved characters. The transition from FF7 to FF8 left gamers astounded, moving from pixelated Lego-like chibi sprites to fully realized character models that closely resembled the cover art. However, fans of FF8 were not as lucky, as the series did not introduce a complete voice cast until FF10.

Although FF8 did feature a remarkable musical score that accompanied its numerous cinematic cutscenes, it lacked any voice acting that could have added a deeper level of personality to Squall and his party. Nevertheless, FF8 fans did receive a small consolation prize, as Squall made a fully-voiced appearance in Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2.

4 We Were Here

While We Were Here indeed emphasizes the players' interaction and collaboration, providing distinct identities to the player characters (the explorers) could have significantly heightened the impact of the surprise conclusion. We Were Here is a puzzle game that hinges on the cooperative efforts of two players, placing a spotlight on their communication abilities. The player characters generally remain silent, facilitating smoother communication during puzzle-solving.

Nevertheless, incorporating brief cutscenes to infuse the characters with additional narrative, vitality, and distinct traits, instead of leaving them as mere vessels for the players, would have immensely enhanced the game's heartrending finale.

3 The Secret Of Monkey Island

Sometimes, due to budget constraints or limitations in technology, it is not possible to have voice acting. The Secret of Monkey Island is a beloved point-and-click puzzle game that revolves around the comical and endearing character, Guybrush Threepwood, as he embarks on his journey to become a pirate. The game is filled with hilarious one-liners and witty remarks that would have had a greater impact if they were delivered through voice acting rather than simple text bubbles.

Although it was unfortunate that the original game, which has a cult following, was not able to showcase the voices of Guybrush and his friends delivering their famous lines, fans were given a chance to experience a remake called The Secret Of Monkey Island: Special Edition. This 2009 makeover of the 1990 game includes a complete voice cast. Now, fans can finally hear exactly how Guybrush's confrontation with LeChuck sounds, down to each beat.

2 Animal Crossing (Series)

Animal Crossing fans may already believe that the game is fully voice acted. However, the truth is that the language spoken by the Animal Crossing characters is not coherent, despite how cute it may sound. The Animal Crossing series has gained popularity for its unique animal dialect that all characters use. Initially, it made sense for the original GameCube version to exclude full voice acting, as it complemented the chibi aesthetic. However, in New Horizons, incorporating all-new animal voices would provide the series with a refresh.

The villagers in the game are divided into personality categories, each with predetermined dialogue. Having multiple jock or snooty villagers can result in them feeling a bit generic, as their conversations become repetitive. Giving each villager their own distinct voice would allow them to stand out from the crowd, even giving the less popular villagers a chance to be adored by players.

1 Cuphead

The captivating art style from the 1930s in Cuphead not only catches the attention of audiences, but also the addition of voices for Cuphead and Mugman would have endeared them to the audience. Although the Cuphead game boasts an amazing soundtrack, it lacks any spoken dialogue, aside from the narrator/announcer.

For anyone who may have had reservations about giving the game a complete voice cast, the Cuphead Show! can serve as the perfect example! The Cuphead Show! did an exceptional job in providing Cuphead and his friends with their own distinct energy, quirks, and personalities, thereby bringing each character to life. Having a voice for Cuphead would have seamlessly complemented the endearing and cartoonish 1930s aesthetic that charmed its way into the hearts of everyone.