Poll: Which Commander Shepard has the better voice acting?
- Thread starter Zhukov
- Start date
Recommended Videos
Mark Meer is one of this generation's worst voice actors, delivering every single line in a dull, lifeless monotone and raising his voice with all the authenticity of a kindergarten stage production of Robin Hood. He's saved from being the worst voice in the Mass Effect franchise only by the presence of an uncharacteristically hammy and subpar turn by Gwendoline Yeo in both games as Shiala and Sha'ira. What the hell happened to you, Gwen? You were so good in Final Fantasy X-2.
Jennifer Hale, on the other hand, is pretty much a shoe-in for the video game voice acting hall of fame. Every single thing she shoots for is a roaring success, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the Mass Effect series, where regardless of Shepard's alignment, she is unquestionably believable.
Jennifer Hale, on the other hand, is pretty much a shoe-in for the video game voice acting hall of fame. Every single thing she shoots for is a roaring success, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the Mass Effect series, where regardless of Shepard's alignment, she is unquestionably believable.
i prefer male shep all the way, idk how to exactly describe it, but i love the strength of his "military" voice and how he delivers it..some of the lines he has said in the mass effect games have given me massive shivers up and down my spine, while that has yet to happen once with female shep.
jennifer hale is amazing in all her other roles in other games, but i just really don't care for her in the shepherd role, it just doesn't..."fit"
jennifer hale is amazing in all her other roles in other games, but i just really don't care for her in the shepherd role, it just doesn't..."fit"
I found FemShep's delivery strained, monotonous and just uncomfortable. ManShep's "average joe" voice is likeable and believable for paragon options, and his deadpan-delivered renegade options are almost always perfect.
FemShep, on the other hand, has one voice, and it's an unnaturally, forced husky "bad ass chick" voice that sounds way too firm for the reasonable/calming/comforting lines that come from paragon options. Meanwhile, it sounds way too emotional & angry for the renegade options. Whereas ManShep's renegade voice comes across as though it might damage the Normandy with the sheer weight of all the shits it doesn't give, FemShep sounds all too often like a bullied young woman taking revenge and trying to force a badass veneer over it.
FemShep, on the other hand, has one voice, and it's an unnaturally, forced husky "bad ass chick" voice that sounds way too firm for the reasonable/calming/comforting lines that come from paragon options. Meanwhile, it sounds way too emotional & angry for the renegade options. Whereas ManShep's renegade voice comes across as though it might damage the Normandy with the sheer weight of all the shits it doesn't give, FemShep sounds all too often like a bullied young woman taking revenge and trying to force a badass veneer over it.
Jennifer Hale is a better voice actor, but I can't stand her voice in Mass Effect for some reason. So as far as ME is concerned, Mark wins. But other than that he's not a very good voice actor. He sounds kinda flat and unconvincing at times.
I am going to have to go with this in the end.Fredvdp said:
My main FemShep is a redheaded, green eyed Paragon of the Galaxy with minor Renegade choices thrown in during cutscene's. My first male Shepard is the same, but I far more enjoy my mirror Renegade version of him for the "to the point" dry sarcasm and snideness his voice actor manages to envoke for those particular dialogue options.
That said, Jennifer Hale isn't bad at Renegade dialogue.. she just doesn't have the same deadpan delivery as Mark Meer (however, his issue is that he is deadpan a lot of the time without even seeming to realize it, which makes female Paragon so much more real).
In the multiple play throughs of both ME1 and 2 and playing as both male and female Shepards I found myself enjoying Jennifer Hale's performance more. I can't put my finger on exactly why or what made one more enjoyable to me than the other (both are good in their own rights as has been said before) but I just prefer Hale over Meer.
So yeah, I voted for Jennifer Hale.
So yeah, I voted for Jennifer Hale.
I just hate the male Shepard. Its not his quality of voice acting, which is Bioware level great, its just him. He's just such an asshole, even if you pick the "good" lines. It just bugs me. I'm one for silent protagonists, because I fill in the lines with my own voice reading them in my head. I want the character to be me, a vessel in which I carry out actions, learn information, and interact with others, and nothing is more of a disconnect than a voice actor you don't like.
Femshep. I have to admit, I really do find Meer's voice annoyingly flat, it's just not something I can listen to for an entire game. I actually had similar issues with Kaiden, Liara and Jacob, they all just had something... off and unpleasant. Liara was interesting enough otherwise to not suffer too much for it, but it was the final nail for the other two and I almost never used them.
And while Hale does have some narmy/poor moments, overall, I absolutely adore how she portrays Shepard, and nine times out of ten I get just the right emotion I'm hoping to hear from a line.
And while Hale does have some narmy/poor moments, overall, I absolutely adore how she portrays Shepard, and nine times out of ten I get just the right emotion I'm hoping to hear from a line.
I prefer real Shepards voice.
Male Shepard sounds like he knows how to handle himself. He knows he could ruin your entire day if he had to so does not need to try threatening people.
Female Shepard sounds like a Legacy of Kain reject. Every line with her is done in high drama. And she sounds like a little girl trying to sound tough to bluff her way out of a fight. And really, people just don't talk the way she does. It would be cool in a fantasy game but in Mass Effect its just so forced and out of place.
Male Shepard sounds like he knows how to handle himself. He knows he could ruin your entire day if he had to so does not need to try threatening people.
Female Shepard sounds like a Legacy of Kain reject. Every line with her is done in high drama. And she sounds like a little girl trying to sound tough to bluff her way out of a fight. And really, people just don't talk the way she does. It would be cool in a fantasy game but in Mass Effect its just so forced and out of place.
I hated the FemShep's voice. I restarted as a male halfway through Eden Prime I hated her voice so much.