The Stanley Parable (Kevan Brighting)
In The Stanley Parable, the only voice that can be heard throughout the entire game is that of the narrator.
Voiced by Kevan Brighting, a voice actor typecasted for the role of a narrator, The Stanley Parable’s narrator guides the main character, Stanley, on a quest to complete the puzzles that have been set up.
While it may seem somewhat boring at first to just hear one voice throughout the whole game, the way they alter the gameplay and story via this character is brilliant.
Depending on the decisions Stanley makes, the nameless voice in the sky reacts in a few different ways. The narrator can be sad, angry, obnoxious, happy, and confused.
Players can even affect him so much that it’ll change the ending of the game, causing him to sometimes insult you terribly.
“You really are fat, ugly, and really, really stupid.”
Darkest Dungeon (Wayne June)
The Ancestor of the player and former owner of the Estate, the narrator plays a vital role in Darkest Dungeon.
Voiced by Wayne June, who is also the Darkest Dungeon Announcer in Dota 2, this character provides commentary during every vital point of the game.
From the first fight to the last battle, June’s character reacts to it all. Depending on the events, he’ll even act according to the player’s choices.
“Women and men; soldiers and outlaws; fools and corpses. All will find their way to us now that the road is clear.”
While June’s performance in Darkest Dungeon may be a bit bleaker than the other voice actors on this list, it fits the tone of Darkest Dungeon perfectly.
Fallout Series (Ron Perlman)
“War… War never changes.” Even if you haven’t played any of the Fallout series, it is entirely likely you’ve heard that notorious opening line, delivered by Ron Perlman at the start of the Fallout games.
Perlman is a pretty prolific actor, landing leading roles in movies and television alike. Hellboy, Sons of Anarchy, and a handful of other roles make up his resume.
Before he became widely known in film and television, though, Perlman got his start narrating the Fallout series. So far, he has been the storyteller in Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 76 and Fallout Tactics.
Each time he’s served as the narrator, the games are better for it, as his short, impactful dialogue always impacts the story, setting the stage for the players brilliantly.
LittleBigPlanet (Stephen Fry)
There are few voices in the entertainment industry more calming than the dulcet tones of Stephen Fry.
As such, it makes perfect sense that he is the narrator for the LittleBigPlanet series.
Throughout the LittleBigPlanet games, Fry’s role as its commentator has resonated with children and adults alike, adding a specific charm to the platformer that wouldn’t work as well if it was voiced by someone else.
While platforming and puzzling through the games, the narrator is responsible for a lot of memorable quotes.
“On the LittleBigPlanet, you’re a little Sackperson. This one is you. Aw, bless. You’re quite the cute one.”
Battleblock Theatre! (Will Stamper)
“You didn’t even complain about the prison food!!! …Which is shocking because that stuff tastes like Doo-Doo Casserole, with a side of Butt Salad.”
That quote from BattleBlock Theatre! is enough to let you know that Will Stamper’s performances as the game’s narrator is as over the top as it sounds.
The entire way through this comedy platform game, players are treated to a slew of hilarious quips, as the voice of the game comments on every situation Hatty Hattington finds himself in.
At the end of BattleBlock Theatre!, he even treats everyone to a song about buckling your pants. What an insane performance.
Bastion (Logan Cunningham)
One of the few characters on this list that has an actual name, Bastion’s Ruck serves as the game’s narrator.
Voiced by SuperGiant mainstay Logan Cunningham, Ruck instructs the Kid to collect the Cores that once powered Caelondia, narrating his journey from there on out.
“The kid then falls to his death… Just kiddin”.
Interestingly enough, the silver-tongued storyteller was apparently added to the game to provide more of a background to the world, alleviating the need for walls of text or long cutscenes.
Instead of that text, Cunningham’s character narrates in many different ways, including while the players fight waves of enemies, saving time and adding nuance to fights.
Thomas Was Alone (Danny Wallace)
Thomas Was Alone isn’t a complicated game, originally released on Flash browsers, as players control simple colored shapes, using them to traverse levels and solve puzzles.
While this simple gameplay is surprisingly enticing, Thomas Was Alone wouldn’t be nearly as distinct as it is now without its narrator.
As the game progresses, the Danny Wallace voiced narrator describes the personalities and thoughts of each shape, adding comical quips in with almost every thought.
“Christopher took an immediate and deep dislike to the skinny red rectangle. Who the hell did this ‘Thomas’ think he was?”
For a game that is simply about blocks, Thomas Was Alone is one of the funnest platformers ever made, all thanks to its narration.
Call of Juarez: Gunslinger (John Cygan)
Through the voice of John Cygan, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger features a well-loved trick when it comes to storytelling: the unreliable narrator.
Call of Juarez: Gunslinger starts off in a bar, as an old-time Gunslinger named Silas Greaves recants his travels to a couple of patrons in a saloon.
“Legend was he could stop a train by staring it down.”
Each level is introduced by Greaves, as he sets the scene that players will soon inhabit and play through.
As the game goes on, the bar patrons constantly call out holes in his stories, causing abrupt changes in gameplay.
At one point, an entire army appears and disappears after the narrator is challenged on the validity of his statement.
Needless to say, the addition of a narrator to Call of Juarez: Gunslinger turned the game into a standout in the series.
Published: Oct 15, 2019 11:01 am