5. Britt Baron as Tifa in Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
Though not the original English voice actor to portray Tifa Lockhart, American actor Britt Baron assumed the role for Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth. An experienced game actor with lots of triple-A experience, Baron’s performance is one of the highlights of the game READ REVIEW
4. John Eric Bentley as Barret in Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
Eco-terrorist Barret Wallace was first introduced in Final Fantasy VII, and underwent a significant cosmetic redesign for Remake and Rebirth. Although the character is sometimes criticized for being a racial stereotype, the concept of Barret has grown more nuanced. A strong performance by John Eric Bentley helps sell Barret as a mature, almost fatherly figure.
3. Kazuhiro Nakaya as Ichiban Kasuga in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
You might notice that two games dominate our list of great performances this year. The reason is obvious. Both Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth have strong characters. More importantly, those games have big enough budgets to hire amazing actors. Case in point, Kazuhiro Nakaya, who plays the co-lead in Infinite Wealth.
2. Luke Roberts as James in Silent Hill 2
James Sunderland is one of the most famous characters in video game history. Sunderland represents one of gaming’s big leaps forward in terms of character complexity and emotional range. For the Silent Hill 2 remake, Bloober Team hired Luke Roberts to voice the character previously covered by Guy Cihi and Troy Baker.
1. Briana White as Aerith in Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
In 2020, gamers were delighted by Briana White’s performance as the tragic ingenue Aerith Gainsborough in Final Fantasy VII Remake. A vivacious and engaging young actor and streamer, White is perhaps even more captivating in this year’s FFVII: Rebirth. It’s easy to understand why COGconnected has voted Briana White’s performance as the best of 2024.