Best Voice Actors of 2019
Second Runner-Up: Norman Reedus as Sam (Death Stranding)
Senior Editor Alex Gibson: When Hideo Kojima and Norman Reedus’ enticing collaboration on the ill-fated PT project was declared canceled, the gaming community let out a sigh so loud it shook the internet. Thankfully, our mourning didn’t last long before the dynamic duo were rolled out anew for Death Stranding.
Norman Reedus has now made his long-overdue appearance in a AAA video game project, and he certainly delivered. What an extraordinary debut Death Stranding was, and it’s to Reedus’ credit that his voice and mo-cap performance is as equally memorable as the game’s bizarre story and setting.
Reedus has an air of nonchalance about his demeanor that he so appropriately injects into Sam Porter Bridges’ character. But the brilliance of his performance is how he manages to convey Sam’s emotional roller coaster throughout his epic journey.
Celebrating this particular triumph is difficult without delving into spoilers, but I was impressed that Sam’s character development wasn’t as cheesy and predictable as I almost thought it was going to be during Death Stranding’s final hours. Reedus’ skill in oscillating between these highs and lows has me hungry for me video game performances from him moving forward.
