Wuk Lamat is the worst and most annoying character ever in this game

[Mawlzy]

The voice is unnatural, and not in a "oh wow, cool" way. Sounds dopey with that "accent" or whatever we are calling it.

So you've never been to LA?

[Jessica_VS]

So you've never been to LA?

Sure, I've worked in LA. But I'm not sure how an ad hominem (focused on me) and a red herring diversionary statement that avoids engaging with my feelings about the vocal performance has any relevance whatsoever. If you like the vocal performance, great. Someone else has every right to give a critique, too. Please respect others' opinions. There is no need to be rude.

[Mawlzy]

Sure, I've worked in LA. But I'm not sure how an ad hominem (focused on me) and a red herring diversionary statement that avoids engaging with my feelings about the vocal performance has any relevance whatsoever. If you like the vocal performance, great. Someone else has every right to give a critique, too. Please respect others' opinions. There is no need to be rude.

Apologies, my intent was not to be rude. I bristled at your "'accent' or whatever we're calling it" simply because it is definitely an accent and consistent with some I hear in Nevada and SoCal.

[Jessica_VS]

Apologies, my intent was not to be rude. I bristled at your "'accent' or whatever we're calling it" simply because it is definitely an accent and consistent with some I hear in Nevada and SoCal.

I appreciate the clarification and understand the accent might be authentic in some places. I spent many years working in Vegas, too, and have heard many accents from the region. My concern was that the voice sounded unnatural because, to me, the accent sounds "fake". It's a bit like if I were to push my voice into a different pitch (say going from my normal contralto range to a soprano range) while also faking an accent. For example, if I tried to put on a high-pitched Russian accent, I would sound silly. That's how this vocal performance comes off to me. It might be because I have heard similar real accents and my ear just tells me that the performance sounds inauthentic or forced. The voice performance might have sounded better if the writers, audio team, etc. had come up with a fantasy accent instead of trying to mimic a real one, but of course that would have taken a ridiculous effort and might not have been worthwhile for an update.

I am surprised by how much people are talking about this, though, out of the rest of the update. Questionable voice acting in games is nothing new (the classic Resident Evil on PS1, for instance)!

[Merrigan]

Questionable voice acting in games is nothing new (the classic Resident Evil on PS1, for instance)!

The video game industry is placing increasing emphasis on this aspect, which might explain the attention paid to dubbing. When gems like BG3 are released, with voice actors as good as those hired, the comparison can become harsh for games that don't have the means / don't make the same efforts in this area.

(This is not to say that I personally find this actress particularly bad, just to clarify. Let's just say that in a game like FF, where the dubbing is sometimes uneven, it doesn't really stand out. ).

[Jessica_VS]

The video game industry is placing increasing emphasis on this aspect, which might explain the attention paid to dubbing. When gems like BG3 are released, with voice actors as good as those hired, the comparison can become harsh for games that don't have the means / don't make the same efforts in this area.

(This is not to say that I personally find this actress particularly bad, just to clarify. Let's just say that in a game like FF, where the dubbing is sometimes uneven, it doesn't really stand out. ).

Oh yes, the voice performances in BG3 are fantastic overall!

[Merrigan]

Oh yes, the voice performances in BG3 are fantastic overall!

They are ! The narrator is incredible (she also dubbed in Kingsmaker, and in Wrath of Righteous). Such a good actor, I love her.

RDR2 was really good as well in this aspect, even if the game itself has some pretty serious problems IMO. Anyway, to stay on the subject : this is quite new, and since the game industry is becoming more and more cinematrographic in its inspiration, this evolution is pretty normal.

[Mawlzy]

I appreciate the clarification and understand the accent might be authentic in some places. I spent many years working in Vegas, too, and have heard many accents from the region. My concern was that the voice sounded unnatural because, to me, the accent sounds "fake". It's a bit like if I were to push my voice into a different pitch (say going from my normal contralto range to a soprano range) while also faking an accent. For example, if I tried to put on a high-pitched Russian accent, I would sound silly. That's how this vocal performance comes off to me. It might be because I have heard similar real accents and my ear just tells me that the performance sounds inauthentic or forced. The voice performance might have sounded better if the writers, audio team, etc. had come up with a fantasy accent instead of trying to mimic a real one, but of course that would have taken a ridiculous effort and might not have been worthwhile for an update.

I am surprised by how much people are talking about this, though, out of the rest of the update. Questionable voice acting in games is nothing new (the classic Resident Evil on PS1, for instance)!

Thanks for the response. People will like or dislike certain vocal performances and that is obviously fine. And I agree the attention this topic has garnered seems way out of proportion. The very title of this thread baffled me, largely because claiming anything is the "worst ever" after a handful of cut scenes is hyperbolic at best. Characters develop over time, as both the writers and the actors better understand them. Hopefully that evolution will be more pleasing to the community.