Great voice skills

bobgreenwade · October 2016

I just want to take a moment to point out some of the voice acting that I've particularly enjoyed in this game.

Of course, the top of the list goes to the one person whose identity I've been able to determine: Minsc, voiced by the ever-delightful Jim Cummings (who also voices Winnie the Pooh, Darkwing Duck, the Tasmanian Devil, and many others). His voice gives great life to my second-favorite line in the game: "Evil, meet my sword! Sword... MEET EVIL!!!"

My first-favorite line comes from the actor who does Makos in the Dread Ring: "You're back! And with all your original parts!" It sounds like that character has been done by at least three different actors, and while the others aren't at all bad, this one has real believability.

Two others that I really enjoy listening to are Bowen Brandt and Artus Cimber. Like Minsc, they sound terribly familiar, but I haven't been able to identify them.

Joe Lyford's Sgt. Knox has also been a very interesting listen, and I hope he can make it back to the team some day. (The replacement, however, does quite a decent impression.)

On the women's side, the one voice that prompted this post in the first place is Xuna. She is becoming my favorite NPC to interact with, and a big part of it is the voice actor's skill with her lines. Xuna almost seems like a real-life person!

The Linu Le'narel whom we meet in the Well of Dragons is also a lot of fun. The woman who voices her in the Maze Engine is also good, but doesn't have quite the same "feel." (In this case, it's probably just familiarity prejudice; I know that others have expressed other preferences.)

I've also noticed some great work from Harper Boward. This is another compelling and extremely believable performance, which is saying quite a bit for a character who just gives out assignments in the game.

And of course there's Sandesyl Morgia. I'd very much welcome having her show up somewhere else in the game, whether as a contact or a major villain. This actress' reading of every line is simply dead-on.

I also totally love the Master of Coin, enough that I rarely skip through her dialogues -- especially when I'm completing Dread Ring Support. She is quite a character, who wouldn't be the same without fun writing and an outstanding performance.

There are plenty of other good performances too, of course, but I wanted to touch on those specifically. Good job, people!

sockmunkey · October 2016

I would be shocked if they actually got Jim Cummings to voice Minsc here. But that, to me, makes his voice work doubly good. Because whoever they did get, nailed it!

I also agree with Makos, love the character. Even if his voice has changed slightly from module to module. Although last module gave me a case of the feels.

All the others you mention on the list are all fine. But you missed a clear favorite. The lich from the Lich's Lament quest. I always felt the voice had a superb Tony Jay quality to it.

bobgreenwade · October 2016

I missed that one because it's been ages since I played that scenario. But you're right -- now that I remember it, it was quite a fascinating performance. I thought of it as a sort of cross between Tony Jay and Hans Conried. Another thread on the board here credits Sam Mowry with it; I wish we could get some other adventure with him on the same character. The performance is brilliant!

kvet · October 2016

The NW incarnation of Minsc was NOT voiced by Jim Cummings. Cryptic tried to get him, but could not. He did voice the original Minsc character in Baulders Gate, but not in Neverwinter.

bobgreenwade · October 2016

Well, darn. sockmunkey is right, though, in that whoever took this over has really nailed Jim's original take (which I've heard on video).

sandukutupu · October 2016

While Minsc is a funny character indeed, I have to say my ALL time favorite voice over is done by an unknown artist in Neverdeath's "A Lich's Lament" where you find the Phylactery of Zarifrax. Instead of having an "epic battle of wills" he hires you to find a nice safe hiding place for a few centuries. The full dialog is done in a wonderful voice over by someone who sounds a lot like the late Tony Jay. Tony was a British actor credited for doing; the narrator in "The Bard's Tale", Shere Khan, Megabyte in Reboot, and the live performance of Lex Luthor's evil minion Nigel St. John in "Lois & Clark". Since his death (2006) predates the game, I serious doubt the doomguides sanctioned his resurrection.

I only wish more creative quests as this one were present in the game.

kvet · October 2016

It WAS a lich's voice..............

Or perhaps is was nod to him that they mimicked his voice as a lich looking for a resting place?

bobgreenwade · October 2016

sandukutupu said:
While Minsc is a funny character indeed, I have to say my ALL time favorite voice over is done by an unknown artist in Neverdeath's "A Lich's Lament" where you find the Phylactery of Zarifrax. Instead of having an "epic battle of wills" he hires you to find a nice safe hiding place for a few centuries. The full dialog is done in a wonderful voice over by someone who sounds a lot like the late Tony Jay. Tony was a British actor credited for doing; the narrator in "The Bard's Tale", Shere Khan, Megabyte in Reboot, and the live performance of Lex Luthor's evil minion Nigel St. John in "Lois & Clark". Since his death (2006) predates the game, I serious doubt the doomguides sanctioned his resurrection.

I only wish more creative quests as this one were present in the game.

As I mentioned above, that performance is credited to Sam Mowry.

Great voice skills

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