Games News

5 Times Mark Hamill’s Voice Improved a Video Game

It’s amazing what a simple farm boy from Tatooine can achieve with nothing but his voice.

Most of us would know him as Luke Skywalker, but there’s more to Mark Hamill than the conflicted farm boy from Tatooine with a tricky relationship with his father – he’s also an incredible voice actor in video games! With Star Wars: The Last Jedi screening all over the world, we thought now is the perfect time to check out the outstanding performances of Mark Hamill in gaming.

Let It Die – The Narrator

Let It Die is a hack and slash game from the creative minds at Grasshopper Manufacture. After a massive tectonic disturbance splits Japan in half, a huge spire bursts out of the ground in the middle of South Western Tokyo, extending up into the clouds. As a newcomer to the area, players are tasked with a single goal: make it to the top. However, before this even begins, Mark Hamill introduces you to the world through a harrowing narrative using dark and gravely tones. Though his role in the game is limited, it’s one of the best examples of voice acting in the game.

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep – Master Eraqus

Every gamer who owned a PlayStation has, at some time, experienced the wonder of a Kingdom Hearts game (or if not, they absolutely have to). With the amount of characters that populate the world of Kingdom Hearts, it should come as no surprise that a character was voiced by the supremely talented Mark Hamill. Taking on the role of Master Eraqus, Hamill expertly gave life to the Master through voice alone, and helped create an emotional moment between Terra and Eraqus that players will not soon forget.

Squadron 42 – Lt. Cdr. Steve “Old Man” Colton

Though Star Citizen is still baking in the proverbial developer oven, there is a lot of excitement about how it’s looking. What’s truly incredible is that the team over at Cloud Imperium Games aren’t just settling for 3D animation and voice over for their characters, they’re going the whole hog with full-body motion capture.

To add to this impressive feature is that they managed to hook Mark Hamill for a pivotal role: Lieutenant Commander Steve “Old Man” Colton. This character is what’s known as a “lifer”, someone who’s only ever been in their chosen career and is the sole survivor of terrible battle. What’s really exciting is that Hamill’s character will be the protagonist’s sidekick – which means he’ll be your sidekick! Hamill’s involvement in Star Citizen, specifically Squadron 42, is going to be game-changing.

While it might be a long time until we actually get our hands on the Squadron 42 single-player part of Star Citizen, it will be exciting to finally hear Mark Hamill’s performance in full. With a headset like the Elite Pro with the Tactical Audio Controller, you’ll be able to hear not only Hamill talking to you, but all the intense combat happening around you. It’s going to be incredible.

Darksiders – The Watcher

Another fantastic title that Mark Hamill appeared in was the original Darksiders that released back in 2010. For the uninitiated, Darksiders introduces the character of War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and the Armageddon-ruined Earth. Mixing Devi May Cry action with The Legend of Zelda dungeon puzzles, Darksiders was a surprise hit.

Not only was the gameplay engaging, but the voice acting within the story was of the highest calibre. Mark Hamill took on the role of The Watcher, an otherworldly being charged with watching over War, with the ability to end War’s life if he rejects his mission.

Because there are so many areas to visit, dungeons to explore, and skills to unlock, Mark Hamill’s character pops up continually, blessing us with a mixture of venomous hatred, needle-sharp comebacks, and surprising humor.

Batman: Arkham Asylum – The Joker

The gaming world has never been the same since the Batman: Arkham series first appeared on the scene, and a lot of this is thanks to the unforgettable performance of Mark Hamill. One of the very first times Mark Hamill voiced The Joker was back in 1992 in Batman: The Animated Series, and again in some of the earlier Batman games of the 90s and early 2000s, so it’s only appropriate that he reprised his role as the insane clown for Batman: Arkham Asylum.

Mark Hamill’s performance of The Joker in this latest series is lauded as one of the greatest versions of The Joker, and anyone who’s played any of the titles can see why. He’s able to capture the raw insanity and villainy of the character while also ensuring none of the humor is lost, an element that makes The Joker a favorite among DC fans.

Voice acting is a notoriously difficult profession. Instead of having an entire body with which to act, actors are instead limited to their voice. But the likes of Mark Hamill make it look downright easy. The cackling laugh of The Joker, the hard-as-rock guidance of Colton, and even the raspy threats of The Watcher, all of them will stick in our minds thanks to Mark Hamill’s voice acting talent. We just have one request: get him in more games!