Voice Acting Discussion

[Tashasaurous]

Yeah he confirmed he voiced Cloud in the trailer

Wow, that's surprising. Glad Steve's back in his role as Cloud. I'm still rather surprised that Square has even released a gameplay of the remake already. I was half expecting to wait until 2017 before we even got anywhere near that.

But then again, I'm still not holding my breath for a release date until another 8 years or something. Just you watch; this game will be in development hell like FFXV for a decade.

Still, it's nice that Steve was serious in liking Cloud to voice as. I hope Quinton Flynn will return too. In fact, I'm hoping the rest of the cast(except for Paul Eiding because I'm positive he won't return, and I don't blame him for that reason) will return.

A time gap still doesn't guarantee a recast from SE though (e.g. Aerith's been recast multiple times with titles relatively close to each other in terms of release). And Barret's lines in the trailer were definitely new (and not reused stock lines) and Beau Billingslea's voice. Until there's explicit evidence supporting Billingslea being recast, there's not really reason to be fearful that he won't continue his role.

I guess that's true, but it's not a good idea to fully convince yourself to expect people you like to return in certain games or movies. Not a good idea to think ahead of that time.

 

[Theozilla]

I guess that's true, but it's not a good idea to fully convince yourself to expect people you like to return in certain games or movies. Not a good idea to think ahead of that time.

Sure, it is not a good idea to become so entrenched with a specific expectation to the point of inflexibility. But that doesn't mean one should never have any default expectations, especially when there is recently established precedence.

 

[ForceStealer]

Im hoping for a new VA for Cid and Rufus. I don't understand their thinking behind those voices.

What was wrong with Rufus' voice? I thought it was perfectly competent. I guess I didn't have strong feelings one way or the other, but I did always love the "A good son would've known."

As for Cid, I understand the misgivings, but it's fairly obvious what the thinking was when you look at some of his lines from FF7. Like threatening to "give you a lickin'" and such. I did like him better in Dirge, fwiw. But maybe that's just cause he had more Cid-like dialogue.

 

[Pixel]

Wally Wingert just sounded like a pantomime villain at times. When I was trying to find Rufus for the audiobook, I kept giving people clips of him, thinking I needed that kind of line delivery, but was never satisfied. Its like telling someone to sound like a villain, dont worry about nuance.

 

[Flare]

Im hoping for a new VA for Cid and Rufus. I don't understand their thinking behind those voices.

I always thought Rufus should have an English accent (specifically the cunty sounding kind).

I actually always like Rufus' English VA myself, but giving him a 'cunty accent' would suit him massively as well.

 

[Tashasaurous]

Im hoping for a new VA for Cid and Rufus. I don't understand their thinking behind those voices.

I always thought Rufus should have an English accent (specifically the cunty sounding kind).

I actually always like Rufus' English VA myself, but giving him a 'cunty accent' would suit him massively as well.

I like Rufus' english voice actor, but he'll probably have to be recasted as well, as much I don't want that.

In fact, the only character I have absolute no issues in having a different voice actor is Hojo, because I hate him anyway, and the voice he has....Ugh, cringe-worthy plus. I wouldn't be surprised if Paul Eiding cringed when he heard his own voice forced to be...well, super annoying coming out of Hojo's mouth in Dirge of Cerberus and Crisis Core after he did the recordings.

 

[RedFFWolf]

Also it sounded as though Cloud's voice actor was Bigg's voice over as well

I thought it was Cloud speaking when I first began watching
It had been a while since I've heard his voice, I suppose.


I enjoyed Barret's voice in the trailer. And he'll have his other sides in due time. Same for all of them, at that. So while I haven't been too keen on the voice acting across the compilation, I still look forward to whatever comes out. I'm more interested in line execution than the actual sound (though, of course, there's still a threshold of quality ), and if most of the voice actors are recast, now might be the turnaround time for greater understanding of their characters (in the same way some actors get better in later seasons or movies)

 

[ForceStealer]

Well it's not like Rufus really entered the game as a terribly nuanced character. He came In flat-out saying he was going to control the world with fear.

 

[micknutson9]

Guys... On the issues of VA's both returning or new, who should voice Yuffie? Either Christy Carlson Ramano, who voiced her in both Kingdom Hearts and Advent Children or Mae Whitman who voiced her in Dirge of Cerberus and Kingdom Hearts II? Or would you be open to someone new voicing her?

 

[Tennyo]

To be honest, I think the cast is fine for the most part.

I just hope they don't have Mena Suvari as Aerith again. :/

 

[X-SOLDIER]

Unexpected revelation: When hunting YouTube for clips of Rufus' English VA, it just made me realize that I honestly don't think that I have ever watched the film in English. xD




X

 

[Channy]

To be honest, I think the cast is fine for the most part.

I just hope they don't have Mena Suvari as Aerith again. :/

Urgh. This. I really hope they bring Andrea Bowen back.

Also, re: Cid and his kinda hillybilly roughneck voice.... perhaps something could be said for the Cid character as a whole? I mean, Cidney in XV has also a southernish accent too.

 

[Splintered]

I liked Mandy Moore as Aerith, but I like Andrea Bowen as well.

I'd take Steve Blum as Aerith before I would take Mena Suvari again.

Also, re: Cid and his kinda hillybilly roughneck voice.... perhaps something could be said for the Cid character as a whole?

Cid's have different accents in general, at the top of my head IV, X, XII, XIII, XIV are all voices (including spin offs like type-0) but they aren't southern, they are all pretty varied.

I always did picture Cid with a southern accent, but the one he has is so hick it's driving me crazy. He can take a southern accent from somewhere else?

 

[X-SOLDIER]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we'll have the ability to choose between English and Japanese Voice Acting -- hopefully the presence of CyberConnect2 will help with that, since they're VERY adamant about making sure that this is an option for all of their Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm series games, as well as with Asura's Wrath.

Also, it makes me extra happy with Aerith specifically, because her VA: Maaya Sakamoto is married to Kenichi Suzumura: Zack's VA. **^^**




X

 

[Splintered]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we'll have the ability to choose between English and Japanese Voice Acting -- hopefully the presence of CyberConnect2 will help with that, since they're VERY adamant about making sure that this is an option for all of their Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm series games, as well as with Asura's Wrath.

Also, it makes me extra happy with Aerith specifically, because her VA: Maaya Sakamoto is married to Kenichi Suzumura: Zack's VA. **^^**




X

Yeah, I tend to prefer subs to dubs, but the exception is Final Fantasy games. I've just always liked their english dubs.

My exception to that exception is VII, everyone in general just fits better in my head, with Tifa and Aerith being massive improvements. And if they suck I can't tell anyway.

Well, I also don't like Type-0's dub. It was garbage, their va budget must have been a shoe and a half eaten sandwich or something.

I hope Jack Fletcher comes in as voice actor director, he really did a fantastic job with his work. I really believe he could save the mediocre mess that is FF's casting.

 

[Tashasaurous]

Guys... On the issues of VA's both returning or new, who should voice Yuffie? Either Christy Carlson Ramano, who voiced her in both Kingdom Hearts and Advent Children or Mae Whitman who voiced her in Dirge of Cerberus and Kingdom Hearts II? Or would you be open to someone new voicing her?

It depends on which either one can return or not. I'd go with Christy Carlson Ramano, but Mae Whitman would (maybe) most likely voice Yuffie again. I like both to be perfectly honest.

I wouldn't want Yuffie to have a new voice, or anyone else for that matter...except Hojo, because even Paul Eiding, his VA, hated voicing him, and, personally, who can blame Paul Eiding?

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we'll have the ability to choose between English and Japanese Voice Acting -- hopefully the presence of CyberConnect2 will help with that, since they're VERY adamant about making sure that this is an option for all of their Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm series games, as well as with Asura's Wrath.

Also, it makes me extra happy with Aerith specifically, because her VA: Maaya Sakamoto is married to Kenichi Suzumura: Zack's VA. **^^**X

I liked the english voice actors of VII. I hope they all return in the english dub. I also recall that Kenichi Suzumura is best friends with Takahiro Sakurai; Cloud's VA in Japanese.

Yeah, I tend to prefer subs to dubs, but the exception is Final Fantasy games. I've just always liked their english dubs.

My exception to that exception is VII, everyone in general just fits better in my head, with Tifa and Aerith being massive improvements. And if they suck I can't tell anyway.

Well, I also don't like Type-0's dub. It was garbage, their va budget must have been a shoe and a half eaten sandwich or something.

I hope Jack Fletcher comes in as voice actor director, he really did a fantastic job with his work. I really believe he could save the mediocre mess that is FF's casting.

Well, I'm probably the only one hoping that most of the english dub voices from the Compilation return to reprise their roles for the FFVII remake. I prefer dub because I grew up watching anime or playing games in dub.

 

[e.suna]

I wouldn't be upset if Ramano couldn't reprise the role for Yuffie. I think Mae Whitman is great and she has good comedic timing (I thought she was really funny and endearing in "the Duff"). She would probably nail Yuffie's funny scenes.

Come to think of it, 90% of Yuffie's lines in the OG were humorous. She's not so much a "funny" character in the KH series, so I just want to make sure that whoever voices her in the remake will get it right!

 

[micknutson9]

But didn't she use an expletive in the OG? I explicitly remember her dropping a suggestive f-bomb towards Cait Sith in Gold Saucer when she and Cloud cornered him. And yes... I did date her in the mini game, it was hilarious. Her line to Cait Sith was: "What the #@*! are you?"

 

[Lex]

Because FF games are such visual spectacles (especially this, by design apparently), I fear subs but I think I'm going to have to use them.

I too would prefer a dub. If it was a good dub, and it almost never is. The only really good dub of anything from Japan I've ever seen is Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. I don't want to spend my time reading subtitles, but if that's the better experience then I'll take it in a heartbeat. I find Advent Children completely unwatchable in English. I know it's apparently not the worst dub in the world, but I think the direction is terrible and I'm embarrassed to listen to it. It sounds like a movie for really young children.

Crisis Core and Dirge I had almost zero problems with on the other hand. The Japanese was still far superior, but I at least found it easy to enjoy those in English.

 

[SomethingWithTheR]

Also, re: Cid and his kinda hillybilly roughneck voice.... perhaps something could be said for the Cid character as a whole? I mean, Cidney in XV has also a southernish accent too.

Eh, he doesn't really need an accent, especially something that sounds so put-on. I've always thought Richard McGonagle (Sully from Uncharted) or Scott McNeil would be a good Cid.

As for my thoughts on the trailer, it doesn't really sound like Steve Burton really improved and he's doing more of the same dreary type of reads. Really like Barret, though. But, yeah, we might be getting Bob Bucholtz for voice directing for this one. Oy. I hope it comes out alright in the end though.

Count me second on hoping they would put in dual audio.

 

[Pixel]

The perfect Cid IMO

 

[Theozilla]

As for my thoughts on the trailer, it doesn't really sound like Steve Burton really improved and he's doing more of the same dreary type of reads. Really like Barret, though. But, yeah, we might be getting Bob Bucholtz for voice directing for this one. Oy. I hope it comes out alright in the end though.

Count me second on hoping they would put in dual audio.

Well, to be fair to Steve Burton, Cloud during the very first mission even in the OG does kind of come as rather dreary/a bit of a prat.

 

[Pixel]

Ugh they seriously need to break off ties with Skylark Studio. Bob Bucholtz's work on Dissidia was embarrassing. Especially with directing Steve Burton. Hopefully the localisation team have put thought into the awkward pauses, and ironed that shit out before it gets fucked up in the studio.

 

[ForceStealer]

People need to figure out their demand priorities when it comes to dual audio and lip syncing. You're not going to get both, only one. They're not going to put two versions of every cutscene in the game, that's crazy. So you'll either get dual audio with the lips synced to one language (Japanese), or you won't but get English lip-syncing.

As has been well-documented, I have very few problems with the English voices, and I'll always prefer a dub unless it's truly abysmal. Yes, Suvari was awful, but why are people wasting their time fretting about that, she was merely brought in to have some level of "star power" on the film. They're not gonna bring her back for this. I'd bet good money it's Bowen. Which is fine.
As for Yuffie, I actually preferred Romano's, but Whitman's was perfectly fine. I always liked Romano's "That Cloud's a royal pain in the ass..like always," in Advent Children.

FMA is the only one you like, Lex? Have you never seen Cowboy Bebop or Trigun? Honestly, those two are famous examples simply because they were the exception - having a good dub in the 90s. But now almost all anime is good. It's a much more serious industry now.

Cloud had precisely one line in the trailer. And like Theo says, Cloud IS dreary at that point. That said...I really DO wish Fletcher would be the director...please don't use the Dissidia director.... XIII's dub was very well directed, Dissidia was terrible. Surely they know this.

 

[SomethingWithTheR]

As for my thoughts on the trailer, it doesn't really sound like Steve Burton really improved and he's doing more of the same dreary type of reads. Really like Barret, though. But, yeah, we might be getting Bob Bucholtz for voice directing for this one. Oy. I hope it comes out alright in the end though.

Count me second on hoping they would put in dual audio.

Well, to be fair to Steve Burton, Cloud during the very first mission even in the OG does kind of come as rather dreary/a bit of a prat.

Cloud had precisely one line in the trailer. And like Theo says, Cloud IS dreary at that point. That said...I really DO wish Fletcher would be the director...please don't use the Dissidia director.... XIII's dub was very well directed, Dissidia was terrible. Surely they know this.

Fair enough. It is two lines, and I admit what I said earlier was kind of fueled by the fear that he'll be doing those types of reads all the time, like he did in past performances. ; I just wish he wasn't directed by someone who makes their actors speak so slow, make them do weird pauses (though to be fair, that's partially the script writers' fault, though as you guys said, hopefully they put the lip sync to account this time) and doesn't know the proper way to portray characters like Cloud. What makes it worse, this is their go-to guy for voice directing for most of their stuff. Good lord, I wish Jack Fletcher was on this. ._.;