Recently, our SIDE London game audio studio was featured in the Xbox On web series The Method in the episode “How to Get the Best Video Game Performance.” The in-depth episode takes viewers behind the scenes of what has gone into creating some of the most iconic character performances of the last decade—check it out below:  

A large focus of the episode is Ninja Theory’s Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II and its protagonist Senua, played by Melina Juergens, with insights into the emotional depth required to play that character. But along their journey, the Xbox On crew stops by our SIDE London studio for additional perspectives on how actors and writers come together to create and push characters forward, both for sequels and brand-new games alike.  

Read on for a summary of the key points highlighted in the video, and our perspective on what it takes to bring exceptional character performances to life.  

The studio 

SIDE is an industry leader with over 25 years’ experience working with big indie and AAA studios, providing top-quality voice and audio production for games. In welcoming Xbox On’s host Henry to our SIDE London studio, in the city where SIDE was first founded all those years ago, he shared that “The characters created within these walls are some of the most famous in video game history.”  

From fan-favorite series like Final Fantasy and The Witcher to Alan Wake and many more, we were excited to give the Xbox On team an inside tour of the studio—including the very room where we recorded Alan Wake II. 

The talent 

In their search for expert insights on voice acting in video games, the Xbox team met up with two of the industry’s best. 

Doug Cockle is an award-winning actor and director predominantly known for playing Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher series since 2005 and has been a part of other successful games like Alan Wake II. He was nominated at The Game Awards for Best Performance and won the Golden Joystick Award for Best Gaming Performance in The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt. 

And with him was another talented actor and game developer with a wealth of experience: 

Abubakar Salim is known for playing roles such as Bayek in Assassin's Creed Origins, for which he was nominated for a BAFTA Games Award—alongside his roles in television in series such as HBO Max’s Raised by Wolves and most recently, House of the Dragon. He is also the founder and CEO of the film and video game company Surgent Studios which recently released the indie metroidvania title Tales of Kenzera: ZAU. 

How voice performance works in video games 

One might think that a story and character are pre-built and simply acted out; however, the reality is starkly different. The processes behind script writing and voice acting can change dramatically from one game or studio to the next.  

While some game developers don’t start their audio production until story and script are locked, many must start as things are still being finalized, to ensure the production pipeline keeps moving. This means scripts can sometimes come into sessions very hot.  

In interviewing Doug and Abubakar on the subject at our London studio, Doug relates: “More often than not, I don’t get the script beforehand, or if I do, I get a portion of it—or sometimes you just get a character description or very little information at all. Sometimes, you’re literally walking in, you get a brief from the director, and then you’re sight reading and acting, and off you go.”   

Whether scripts and art are available for prep ahead of time or not, actors come into the recordings ready to adapt their performance choices. As highlighted by Abubakar, creating and portraying a video game character is a highly collaborative process in which everyone involved explores and grows with the character and story: 

“Having been an actor and developer and doing both sides, I find the process of writing a character or writing an idea down is one way of going about it. You then have to bring it to other people. The more collaborative you are on it, the more you get out of it. Especially for Tales of Kenzara: ZAU, when I’m directing someone—once they’re reading the lines, it’s their character.” 

This process of experimentation and growth becomes an even more significant factor when creating sequels, as Doug and Abubakar explore. 

Growing with the character 

Fans of a popular game character may start to think of the character and actor as one and the same. But these personas are never created entirely by one person: there is a whole team coming together to bring a character to life. As actors work on a game, they gradually develop and refine their understanding of the game world and the characters inhabiting it.  

Doug speaks to his experience voicing the protagonist of The Witcher over a period of a decade: “Geralt has grown over time, from my perspective,” says Doug. “As the writers became more confident with their storytelling with Geralt, and as I grew to understand him as a character better, we found that we had a sort of envelope that we all gradually pushed beyond the edges to see where he could go and where was too far.” 

Though playing the same character for such an extended period was a novel experience, Abubakar shares a similar account even for a single game, voicing Bayek of Siwa in Assassin's Creed Origins: “Bayek was interesting because that was the first time I did a job that was going on for two to three years, recording constant dialogue. You do grow with them and evolve with them as a whole.” 

The role a studio plays 

Whereas in television or film studios, actors will perform on fully formed sets, when it comes to voice production for games, the studio is more of a "black box" with little to no props or context. To get in the zone, actors need to rely on their imagination as well as help from their team to create the right environment.  

While standing in one of SIDE’s recording studios, the host Henry asks, “What does a room like this offer to help you deliver a great performance?” 

Doug responds: “A room like this doesn’t really offer the actor anything. It’s not meant to. It’s meant to be a neutral space that allows the actor to engage their imagination as much as possible. The artistry is you as the actor with the help of the director, the engineer, and whoever else is on the other side of the glass—you work together to facilitate the imagination.”  

“It comes down to working with the limitations that you’ve got,” adds Abubakar. “I find, if you’re moving or you’re on a horse, you can imagine how the movement works instead of actually having to be on a horse. Again, even within the performance capture space, you have limited space you can move in. You just have to make do with what you’ve got.” With subtle movements and gestures, he demonstrates how an actor can use their imagination to create a more realistic voice recording: “If you need to sound like you're climbing something, you just have to... Figure it out (*grunting sounds, out of breath*)... As you’re... Moving along.”   

Every project, actor, or director has unique needs and approaches—sometimes playing music, going for walks, or interacting with each other is the key to getting in the zone.  

Capturing the best performances 

As the show reaches its end, Henry asks the actors what some of the keys are to ultimately getting the best game performances.  

Rather than having a single piece of advice, their answers are nuanced, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and authenticity: 

Professional game audio production  

A huge part of creating an immersive experience lies in how believable your characters are and the world your gamers are exploring. This is especially true for the protagonists as they’re the focal point at which games launch and interact with the game.  

While having the right technology is crucial for audio production, the final product depends on the team tackling the project. It’s ultimately a collaborative effort shared by everyone from engineers and directors to writers and actors. To bring out the best performance, you need a strong team with technical expertise and the ability to cooperate to create an environment that promotes high-quality voice acting. 

As a leading game audio provider, SIDE has years of experience working with some of the biggest games and high-profile talent, and has a deep understanding of what it takes to create compelling characters for games of any genre. 

If you’re looking to create captivating game audio or a character that your audience will follow to the ends of the earth, don’t hesitate to get in touch.