A lot of different factors need to come together to create a good video game. A team of amazing artists needs to create a world that is visually attractive and complements the themes of the game, and characters have to be designed to appeal to gamers while standing out from the hundreds of other characters in the gaming world. Programmers need to ensure that gameplay is engaging yet accessible, and voice actors and actresses have the daunting task of making characters come to life. In the world of voice actors and actresses, there have been a few names that stand out thanks to how frequently they pop up in hit games.This includes Ashly Burch, Laura Bailey, andTroy Baker.
Many might not even notice it, but Troy Baker has lent his voice to a startling number of video games and animes. He also has a long music career in the alternative rock scene and was a lead singer for the band Tripp Fontaine. According to Troy, his voice acting career began with him doing radio commercials in Dallas. Eventually, he found himself working for Funimation, where he did English dubbing on a number of anime showsincludingDragon Ball Z,Fullmetal Alchemist, andOne Piece. Without Troy, some of the most beloved characters in gaming may have sounded very different.
RELATED:Ashly Burch Leads Some of the Biggest Games of 2022
Troy Baker’s Role in Recent Blockbusters
Some of the bestselling and highest-rated video games in the last few years have featured Troy in a lead or supporting role. However, thanks to his talent in voice acting, he manages to sound different enough for it to not always be obvious that a character’s voice is his. Some of his most successful roles have come from his work with Naughty Dog, which is a PlayStation first-party studio. Most notably, Troy has served as both the voice actor and motion capture actor for Joel inThe Last of UsandThe Last of Us 2. This role highlights Troy’s ability to display complex emotions through his voice acting, and it also shows off his singing talents. Troy has also lent his voice acting talents to theUnchartedseries where he plays Sam Drake, who is Nathan Drake’s brother, inUncharted 4: A Thief’s EndandUncharted: The Lost Legacy.
He has done voice acting in quitea fewCall of Dutygamestoo. His first role was in 2009 where he was featured inCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The next year, he lent his voice acting talents toCall of Duty: Black Ops, and in 2011, he did some voice acting forCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. In 2012, he was heard inCall of Duty: Black Ops 2, but this would not be the end of his work in the series. He returned toCall of Dutyin 2014 where he voiced Jack Mitchell inCall of Duty: Advanced Warfare. In 2019, he worked onCall of Duty: Modern Warfare.
Other notable roles Troy has under his belt include Simon inSpider-Man Miles Morales, Bruce Banner inAvengers, Magni inGod of War(2018), and Delsin inInfamous Second Son. His good work has earned him several nominations and awards in the gaming world. These include a NAVGTR Award for Lead Performance in a Comedy for his Rhys inTales from the Borderlands, a BTVA Voice Acting Award for Voice Actor of the Year, and both a VGX Award for Best Voice Actor and a NAVGTR Award for Lead Performance in a Drama for hiswork inThe Last of Us.
RELATED:Troy Baker’s Most Iconic Video Game Voice Acting Roles
Troy Baker Has Acted in Several Japanese Games
Some of Troy’s most interesting roles can be found in the Japanese games he has worked on. While some of these titles may not be so popular in the West, they are certainly worth trying out, not just for Troy’s voice acting but also for the unique stories they tell and the eccentric gameplay they offer. Troy has worked with Atlus quite frequently. He takes a lead role inCatherineandCatherine: Full Bodywhere he voices Vincent Brooks, a regular guy who is haunted by nightmares after finding himself in a love triangle. He also voices Kanji inPersona 4. Kanji is a mean-looking bad boy who ends up having his softer side revealed.
Troy has had a long working relationship with legendary video game auteur Hideo Kojima. Consequently, he has found himself in plenty of Hideo Kojima games,including theMetal Gearseries. His voice can be heard inMetal Gear Solid: Peace Walkerand he voices and does motion-capture acting for Revolver Ocelot inMetal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Troy also shows up inDeath Stranding, where he is the voice actor and motion capture actor for the villain Higgs Monaghan.
He has had multiple roles intheResident Evilseries. This includesResident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, andResident 6where he voices Jake Muller, who is the son of Albert Wesker. His voice can also be heard in other Japanese games, includingFullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel, Naruto Shippuden: Legends: Akatsuki Rising,White Knight Chronicles, severalFinal Fantasygames, andNinja Gaiden 3where he does voice acting for protagonist Ryu Hayabusa. He voices Ryu once again inDead or Alive: Dimensions. His voice can also be heard inTales of Vesperia, where he plays Yuri Lowell.
It would be an exhausting task to coverTroy Baker’s entire career, and the discussed roles represent just the highlights. Through Troy, numerous video game characters have had life breathed into them and have become memorable figures in gaming history. Despite the extensive amount of work he has done in the realm of video games, it seems as though he has no plans to stop any time soon. On social media, Troy has posted images of himself and Roger Clarke, who playsArthur Morgan inRed Dead Redemption 2. Although details on the project they are working on have yet to reach the public, anything involving the two industry veterans is sure to be exciting.
MORE:Troy Baker’s 7 Most Iconic Video Game Roles (& 8 You Didn’t Know About)
