Why did they change all the voice actors?

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Originally Posted by Waliel

They're all the same as before.

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Ser Aymeric is the same, Lucia is the same, Tataru = same and Haurchefant may be the same. Ilberd sounds bloody ridiculous with some kind of heavy accent. Alphinaud's voice is a completely higher pitch as is Urianger's.

so far all voices I like apart from one...Merlywb, she sound way to lady like it just doesn't fit.

Merlwyb's new voice is pretty laughable, like the old voice wasn't really that good, but at least it sounded unique and had a little gravitas. They also spoiled Raubahn's voice a bit, it was excellent before (although the new one isn't inherently bad). Same with Ilberd, but his new one's pretty silly sounding.

I think the worst change is Alphinaud. Whereas before we had Sam Riegel doing a really fitting voice that had some air of intelligence and even a little authority, the new voice just sounds like a stuck-up petulant child to the point that I hate any cutscene he's in and I hope they kill him off. The part where he reacts to the thugs in the brume with that totally posh accent is ridiculous. Totally killed the character, what a shame.

Most of the actual new characters are cast really well though. Aymeric's voice is still the best thing I've heard all year.
I understand that a lot of the VA sucked in ARR, but there was no need for such a huge recast. Most of the old characters might as well be dead for all the familiarity they lost.

ITT: people who can't tell the difference between different British accents and due to them not being RP English, think they're bad/stupid.

This makes for hysterical reading. I like most of the new actors, they're actual British people rather than Americans pretending to be British in the most cringey way!

(FYI, Raubahn/Ilberd are in no way Scottish, nor is Merlwyb "posh".)

I think the new english voice actors are way better than the old ones.

It's a mixed bag for me, I like the old voices but some of the new voice actors are OK.

I guess some contracts got changed, but it's always weird when someone you knew for a while suddenly sounds different. We react as though they are a different person, which makes a whole lot of sense; a lot of the familiarity is gone.

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Originally Posted by lynn_

I like Midgardsormr's new voice a lot more now. To me, it doesn't sound like he has throat cancer or something now. I know he was supposed to sound old, but his old voice was just... too much, imho.

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That's the only one I think is an improvement. Even then, I didn't dislike the old one; I just hated that he. talked. like. this. It was so drawn out.

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Originally Posted by Pandalink

Aymeric's voice is still the best thing I've heard all year.

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Because his VA has not changed. Neither did Yugiri's.

I got to Bigs and Wedge and decided just to change to Japanese voice acting.

Honestly I'm not too keen on allot of the changes made to the voice actors. I liked some of the original ones Cid, raubahn, Alpinaud and the admiral's some of the original I didn't like

And by the 12 give me Balthier's voice actor back for Urianger

Most of these new voice actors speak in mono tone >.> I feel like I'm stuck in college with the one boring lit. teacher.

Im actually pretty upset about Merlwyb. They did her no justice at all. Her original voice was so spot on I really enjoyed listening to her talk. She really sounded the part. A strong female leader that doesn't take any shit that you had mad respect for. This new voice sounds like some hipster chick trying to sound tough and it's just terrible. All of the new voices are terribad but i'm actually really sad they destroyed Merlwyb so badly. Her voice MADE her character and they completely ruined it. Bad job square bad fuckin job.

Mostly disappointed with VA changes. Was a bit confused with the changes...

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Originally Posted by Rannie

And by the 12 give me Balthier's voice actor back for Urianger

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This though. I mean, the others...fine. In fact I don't even notice most of them (I'm glad they changed Tataru's....jesus that high-pitch-)

But I need Gideon Emery in my life, Squeenix.

Personally I much prefer the new VA's, the old ones made me switch too Japanese because I couldn't stand the majority of them.

I think the problem lies in the localisation team wanting to go for British sounding characters originally but only having the resources to hire Americans to play these characters, This leads to one set dialect, something that is strange when you account for everyone coming from different regions. Now we have characters with regional accents, and they seem to have toned down the middle english (thank fuck) a lot. It's all a lot more easy on the ears, especially as a Brit hearing actual Brits speak rather than something that sounds like a Shakespearean play in an American comedy.

Comparisons can be drawn to Game of Thrones actors as they have pulled from varying regions of the UK, although I think this may be the first time other than Fable that I've heard the Yorkshire accent so widely used. (Feels like Hot Fuzz sometimes)

Now there are still some bad voices, Tataru especially is ear grating, The idea that small=/=squeaky is just an annoying stereotype, christ going back to game of thrones one of the deepest voices in the show is Tyrion Lannister (the dwarf), you don't need to add squeak to the squeak so you can squeak while you squeak.

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Originally Posted by JakzChurchill

Comparisons can be drawn to Game of Thrones actors as they have pulled from varying regions of the UK, although I think this may be the first time other than Fable that I've heard the Yorkshire accent so widely used. (Feels like Hot Fuzz sometimes)

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While I agree with all your points, Hot Fuzz is set in Gloucestershire, not Yorkshire =P Trust me, if all the actors in Heavensward spoke in Glos accents nobody would have the English voices on xD

I'm pretty disappointed by this amateurish voice acting. This breaks the game's storytelling immersion. SE needs to do something about it. Stop changing voice actors with every patch.

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Originally Posted by Averax

You clearly didn't listen very well when Alphinaud was speaking.

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I'd wager that he's potentially going through puberty

I don't mind most of the new VAs though the transition is a little jarring.

Except Ilberd. Dude, what the hell even is that accent? Between that and the crazy eyes he gives you when he's pointing a sword at you you'd think he was high on bath salts or something.

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Originally Posted by Hexceed

I'd wager that he's potentially going through puberty

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if alphinaud was going through puberty, his voice would DEEPEN, not go up in pitch. The original voice actor was sam riegel, a pretty well known voice actor if you watch anime. the new one, i don't know who it is, but it is fairly grating to listen to, between the flat tone to almost no emotion when speaking, and badly timed delivery. Honestly, i want to see an explaination from squeenix about why they replaced nearly all the voice actors. A good lot of the new voice actors just are not good fits, like Merlwyb sounding like a more refined lady instead of a rough and rowdy retired pirate, Raubhan's new voice being to soft for a warrior known as the "raging bull'... to the downright cringeworthy... sch as Yugiri's voice when you hear her speak the first time, or alpinaud's awkward pronounciations of words....

-- con't-- in all honesty, i think peopel just had their expectations of what they wanted the characters to sound like, or thought they should, and just didn't like the ARR voices chosen... yes, some were horrible already ( papalymo's high and screechy voice.... *shudder*), but there were alot of voices that were well matched, and i can't understand why the replacements occured, and not even so much as an explaination why to the fanbase....and yes, i realize that life happens, and you can't always get the original VAs back, but come on.... how about at least an explaination SE?

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Originally Posted by Nikkori

if alphinaud was going through puberty, his voice would DEEPEN, not go up in pitch.

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Please calmly understand that we are not talking about a stereotypical Human puberty as we know it. As far as we know this may in fact be the normal stage of evolution for a Elezen child's puberty for his voice to go up a pitch.

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Originally Posted by Hexceed

Please calmly understand that we are not talking about a stereotypical Human puberty as we know it. As far as we know this may in fact be the normal stage of evolution for a Elezen child's puberty for his voice to go up a pitch.

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Come on, lets not go through the mental gymnastic excersises of trying to pretend that this was an intended change to reflect a never once, and probably never will be, reference to a period of growth.

Im sure it's going to boil down to that this was a contract or payment or budget decision, sadly.

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Originally Posted by Vanroe

Come on, lets not go through the mental gymnastic excersises of trying to pretend that this was an intended change to reflect a never once, and probably never will be, reference to a period of growth.

Im sure it's going to boil down to that this was a contract or payment or budget decision, sadly.

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I was just joking around? lol xD

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Originally Posted by Hexceed

I'd wager that he's potentially going through puberty

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Should we all start pooling our gil together to get him a hooker? jk

I'm really annoyed that they replaced Alphinaud's VA. His original VA was by far my favorite, I always looked forward to cutscenes with him. He was one of the few VAs that actually sounded like a real VA. Sam is a great actor and his voice fit Alphinaud's personality perfectly. This new guy just sounds like another generic not-so-great video game voice actor. Uugh.

So I've heard some more of the voice acting now and I have to say I'm still not impressed.

I personally actually don't mind Alphinaud's new voice that much - as good as Sam Riegel is, he always sounded too old to me, more like a thirtysomething with a light voice than an actual young person. It made Alphinaud sound sort of cartooney to my ears. Still, no real reason to change. He was good as he was.

Merlwyb is very disappointing. I kind of like the new accent, it sounds a bit rough, but the voice is just completely missing that awesome badass pirate admiral gravitas she used to have. She sounds somehow more... ditzy? Less mature and in control certainly.

Raubahn is not that much better. Again, I don't really mind the accent, but the voice is just not nearly deep and imposing enough for Raubahn. I mean, it's freaking Raubahn!

Yugiri is just mostly weird. She sounds likes she's affecting some kind of Japanese-like accent, but I'm not sure that it works.

And then Urianger.... That is just an abomination. If there was one actor who did not need to be replaced it was him. Gideon Emery has such a unique and distinctive voice and style, and this new guy sounds absolutely nothing like him. At all. It may as well be an entirely different character. And the best part? Emery is actually a Brit! He works mostly in the US, but that's more or less his natural accent we were hearing there. No reason, no reason at all to replace him.

Honestly, I'm not even sure I want to see the rest of the Scions again at this point. It could only ever be disappointing.

The English voice acting in ARR and now in Heavensward is really bad. Version 1 voice actors were pretty good. Go to version 2 and every one's voices change, go to Heavensward and it happens again. Come on SE. There are a lot of good English voice actors. And do not tell me to listen in Japanese. I speak 1 language and if I can't understand what they are saying it defeats the purpose of voice acting. I don't understand, you can design a great game like this, but can't pick good voice actors?

i didnt mind, but midgardsormr sounded weird.

Another Japanese allusion that we English speaking folks are too dumb to not appreciate what good voice acting is, on this side of the pond. Too many games and anime do this to us, and it's an insult to us, every bloody time.

Almost if not for all the money they think we have over here, no aspect of Japanese entertainment would be over here at all. Ugh.

I think a majority of the VA improved. It took a bit for me to get used to Alph, but I think it fits better. Ilberd is... better.. I think? Merlwyb is a slight step down but not bad, Raubahn is improved, and Kan-E is mostly the same. Urianger is the only, only one I 100% hate. Why get rid of Gideon Emery?

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Originally Posted by sydh

Yea... Some of these are not fitting to the images the 2.0 VA's gave to the characters. Alphinaud's is sorta ok but it was growing on me with the finishing of FCoB. Tataru feels off and almost too modern if that's a thing. Then Merlwyb's is just all wrong! Everything that made her is now gone... From the voiced perspective that is. An that's far as I have gotten so far.

I hope that they didn't change someone like Y'shtola. :/

Oh gods Ilbred's is so bad.

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I totally agree with you : (
I was so disappointed to hear Merlwyb's new voice - it just doesn't have that matron-like strength to it.... Seven hells : (

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Originally Posted by Averax

You clearly didn\\\\'t listen very well when Alphinaud was speaking.

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Puberty is tough on boys.

The loss of some real big names(Jean Gilpin for Merlwyb, Gideon Emery, Richard Epcar, Sam Riegel) says to me that contracts couldn't get rewritten in time or something like that. Which is understandable, I don't think Square has the same hold over english voice actors as it does japanese. But man...

The only voice change I really dislike is icantsaytheirnamebecauseofspoiler. Her old voice was spot on. I thought she was leagues above the japanese voice as well, seeing that they took her into a completely different direction in the inglish VA. Now she is just... there.

Alphinaud's new voice actor is excellent, I also like the new outfit they gave him. I wasn't into his taste of tacky platform boots.

Overall I'd say the VA was much more of an improvement. In 2.0 I got the impression a bunch of people turned up, recorded their lines with no real care for the character and then left. There were a few moments which felt poorly executed in HW such as when Iceheart shows up near the end.

I'd like SE to challenge ESO with the voice actors, they have John Cleese, Bill Nighy, Kate Beckinsale, Alfred Molina, Malcolm McDowell, Peter Stormare, and Professor Dumbledore. I'm not saying because they're famous that it works, the voices suit the characters and they've put every bit of passion they have into their work. It just felt like they were more professional and nothing was forced.

Also there are few posts in this thread stating that English VA isn't taken that seriously compared to those in Japan. Tell that to Frank Welker, John DiMaggio, Dan Castellaneta, Mark Hamill or Mel Blanc.

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Originally Posted by Ortamus

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ESO also spent something like $100 million on voice acting, TOR spending something like double that. The only VA I really disliked was Yugiri, who sounded like she was trying to be Japanese and British at the same time. I'll definitely miss Gideon Emery, but the others are at least tolerable. Y'Shtola sounds super familiar to me, but I can't place it.

Steve Blum's someone else you forgot to mention. :p

I think that it's moreso that businesses do not respect voice acting nearly as much as Japan does. I mean, in Japan, it's a big deal to change a character's voice actor. Sometimes characters are even "retired" if their voice actors die. Here in America, well... essentially, I love the prospect of voice acting and I just don't feel like they're paid enough for the excellent jobs they do. It's a job you have to love, because the paychecks aren't going to keep you alive unless you're tenacious and really, really get around.