According to Matt Ryan, the actor who portrayed Edward Kenway, the job isn’t just about going into the studio and recording lines.

Matt Ryan, who portrayed the sword-wielding Edward Kenway in the 2013 game Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, recalls that motion capture (mocap) for video games was still in its infancy when he landed the role. Various forms of motion capture have been used in game development for decades. In the 1980s, for example, Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner filmed his brother running through the woods to create the prince’s animations. In the 2000s, Capcom filmed stunt performers in tight-fitting suits for Devil May Cry 3‘s cutscenes.

However, it’s only recently that game actors have begun delivering fully realized performances within the confines of the motion capture studio. Their voices, movements, and subtle facial expressions all make their way into the game. Ryan admires how much more detailed big-budget games have become since he played Kenway and calls Troy Baker’s portrayal of Indiana Jones “f*cking awesome.” This improvement in fidelity may explain why game actors today feel a stronger connection to their characters and have received more attention. Just think of Ben Starr in Final Fantasy XVI, Neil Newbon in Baldur’s Gate 3, and Maggie Robertson in Resident Evil 8.

Technological advances have also made it easier for actors to imagine themselves in their characters’ shoes, even though they have to wear full-body Lycra suits. Ryan mentioned that, when he returned to do new motion capture footage for Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced, his helmet was much more comfortable than the one he wore in 2013; it made him feel as if his head were clamped in a vise.

“When I got the job, I didn’t know it would be motion capture. I thought it would just be voice acting. But I loved that it was motion capture. It’s another medium for me to work in. I love theater and TV, but I also like to change things up. I think that, in terms of the media’s vernacular these days, it hasn’t quite caught up. They still say ‘voice actor,’ but there’s a whole medium out there. In the games I play, you can see the performances, and they’re good. It’s amazing how the performance can come through even after they’ve painted over you with the game character’s skin. The details in the eyes blow me away. With today’s technology, I can come through even more.

I think that, as games become more actor- and story-driven, actors bring more of themselves to the game. Players and audiences get to engage with that, and they recognize it. They spend more time with you than they do with a TV show, theater, or anything like that. They’re with you for a long time. I love that it’s become an actor’s medium. We need to rethink the terminology to describe what the medium has become,” Ryan said.

Technology is advancing, and with it, their work.

Source: PCGamer