As a longtimeAssassin’s Creedplayer who’s been disappointed with its recent games and hopeful thatAssassin’s Creed Shadowswill revitalise the series, I’ve been reading a lot of reviews ahead of launch. That includesour own George Foster’s, of course.
So far, it seems like my optimism about the newest title may not have been entirely unfounded – while it does still suffer from the bloat and repetitiveness of pastUbisofttitles, and its storytelling isn’t perfect, it might be one of the better games the company has put out in recent years. Obviously, I’ll only know how I feel about it when I play it for myself.
Assassin’s Creed’s Voice Acting Is Rarely Amazing
But one thing that’s also been going around is criticism of its English voice acting. On social media, this is largely overblown – cherry picked scenes of strange vocal performances are being spread, as if these small instances are indicative of the game’s overall quality. George’s review did highlight that Naoe’s voice acting was “occasionally wonky”, but that she nails the “gut-wrenching moments”.
I’ve also read that if you choose to play in Immersive Mode which opts for the Japanese language option, voice acting is broadly pretty good.
But this points to a larger trend that I’ve noticed in Ubisoft’s games, and especially Assassin’s Creed, that many fans broadly seem to agree with. The voice acting hasn’t been stellar.
There are a few exceptions: Abubakar Salim’s performance as Bayek inAssassin’s Creed Originswas excellent, and earned him a well-deserved BAFTA Games Awards nomination.Assassin’s Creed Odysseywas generally alright – I particularly enjoyed Melissanthi Mahut’s performance as Kassandra, andsome fans even saidthey played the female protagonist specifically because they preferred her vocal performance. She was nominated for the same award back in 2018.
But we haven’t gotten many performances worthy of awards, and that’s strange considering the budgets these games have. In fact, many fans thought that the voice acting inAssassin’s Creed Miragewas downright awful. Why aren’t we getting incredible performances out of these actors who are very experienced?
What’s Holding Assassin’s Creed Back?
I don’t think this is really the actors’ fault. I can’t help but think back toSkull & Bones, Ubisoft’sincredibly mediocrelive-service pirate game. As a Southeast Asian, I was interested to see how Ubisoft Singapore represented the region, but the voice acting of its one obviously Southeast Asian character wasbizarre, to say the least.
It didn’t sound like anybodyIknow, and I was born and raised here. What’s weirder is that the voice actress is a local Singaporean, and clearly speaks with a real Singaporean accent – I see her TikToks all the time. It seemed like the voice direction and writing were the issue, and not the actress.
We’ve gotten so many games out of Assassin’s Creed, and considering how they’re all character-focused and cast practiced actors, we should have more great performances, but they’re far from the norm. I think this is the series’ wider problem, and I can’t help but wonder if they’re being held back by Ubisoft’slack of attention to character writingand performances instead of creating worlds chock full of shiny collectibles and boring side quests.
Is Shadows a turn for the better? Maybe. Without playing the game ourselves, it’s hard to say if we’re seeing an upward trend in the quality of the series’ performances. But it shouldn’t have gotten this way in the first place.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
WHERE TO PLAY
Experience an epic historical action-adventure story set in feudal Japan! Become a lethal shinobi Assassin and a powerful legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open world in a time of chaos. Switch seamlessly between two unlikely allies as you discover their common destiny. Master complementary playstyles, create your shinobi league, customize your hideout, and usher in a new era for Japan.• Explore the captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments.• Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles. As Naoe, use stealth to avoid detection and agility to confound your enemies. As Yasuke, strike your foes with lethal precision and power. Unlock new skills, gear, and progression independently for each character.• Make information your weapon as you explore the world, and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions.• Create a fully customizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s layout, decorations, and accessories.
