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[badcrumble]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX1GFlbICWw

Now, this may just be nostalgia talking - can anyone who hasn't played SH2/3 tell me if these voices sound sort of 'off' to you? I'd like an outsider's perspective. To me, it feels really, really dubbed - like it doesn't fit the models or the mouth movements. But that might just be because I'm overly familiar with the original.

For comparison, the original SH2's intro, with voice samples: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tysvNGGFN3M

 

[ThisWreckage]

It seems like everything is still early. The voice tracks don't even seem like they've been properly mixed yet.

 

[plagiarize]

It seems like everything is still early. The voice tracks don't even seem like they've been properly mixed yet.

hopefully these aren't representative of the overall performances. no sense redoing them if they're still bad.

but people are going to pretend that the voices in the original game weren't as bad... and that's going to make me go crazy.

crosspoasted from the other thread.

 

[Jangaroo]

It seems like everything is still early. The voice tracks don't even seem like they've been properly mixed yet.

I'm actually kind of digging the new voice work.

 

[badcrumble]

Yeah, the original game's voice acting was far from stellar (although Mary/Maria was very well done). I'm not going to laud their quality. But these voices feel like they don't even fit.

 

[Erebus]

James sounds soooooo bad. Sorry, I prefer the original work.

 

[Ninja Kn1ght]

I miss the original Maria. James sounds like it might be an improvement in context with the right mixing. Pyramid Head should be played by Nolan North, he can ad lib some quips.

 

[WickedLaharl]

James' new VA is Troy Baker. Which is awesome!

 

[ScOULaris]

Not too shabby, tbh. I expected more of a clear discrepancy from the original.

 

[Seraphinianus]

who cares, nobody could deliver lines this poorly written.

nobody except Tommy Wiseau.

actually, did Tommy Wiseau write silent hill? honest question.

 

[Futurevoid]

James sounds like it might be an improvement in context with the right mixing

Agreed. It's different and out of context with the mixing not being done. Still, I'm open to it. I replayed SH2 recently and as much as I love the game, the VA is far from stellar.

The original Maria is missed though. She had the strongest performance in the game, IMO.

 

[gatotsu911]

lulz @ all the fanboys screeching about how they want the Resident Evil-quality original voiceovers back.

 

[Wario64]

hopefully these aren't representative of the overall performances. no sense redoing them if they're still bad.

Arent they redoing them to save costs by not paying the original VAs or something?

 

[SolidSnakex]

lulz @ all the fanboys screeching about how they want the Resident Evil-quality original voiceovers back.

The problem is that I associate all these characters with a certain voice, so this just sounds odd even though the voice acting isn't really bad.

 

[Broder Salsa]

Only one that sounds good is Mary. The rest is shit, Eddie especially sounds way worse but James is pretty bad too. I realize after having played through it recently that the original voice acting isn't exactly great the whole way through either but I would much rather have them any day over what I just heard.

Cheap ass konami, just pay your old actors, ffs.

 

[Untracked]

New Eddie sounds less goofy.

Edit: But they don't sound like how they should sound, my brain has trouble with this. Imposters.

 

[Somnium986]

The problem is that I associate all these characters with a certain voice, so this just sounds odd even though the voice acting isn't really bad.

Exactly. It's going to take some getting use to when I actually play it.

 

[Zombie James]

My hype meter is down to zero, this all sounds like garbage. The original voice acting wasn't perfect, but these new voices don't sound good at all.

 

[IdreamofHIME]

Arent they redoing them to save costs by not paying the original VAs or something?

How's that save money? Don't they have to pay the new cast...or have they just got one actor doing all the different parts?

 

[jump_button]

why change them?

 

[atre324]

I don't think it'll sound too bad to people new to the series.

I'm willing to stomach not having the original voices (since I don't think they're done with the audio and I don't think it sounds that bad, just unfamiliar) if it brings new fans to the series and let them experience the games for the first time.

 

[gatotsu911]

The problem is that I associate all these characters with a certain voice, so this just sounds odd even though the voice acting isn't really bad.

That I can understand, and it was my original reaction too. But I'm really getting a kick out of all the fans screaming about how much worse the new voiceovers are when they actually got professional voice actors this time instead of people grabbed off the street. I've always been baffled as to why the voiceovers in the original games ever received any praise at all. That they contributed to the games' sense of otherworldliness was a purely accidental byproduct of their sheer ineptitude, and many scenes that were clearly intended to carry dramatic impact suffered as a result. Gamers really need to learn to distinguish between people whom they merely associate with a product they like, and people who actually contributed to it.

THAT SAID, the new translation and voiceovers aren't exactly Oscar-quality either. But seeing people hold up the original localization on a nostalgia-based pedestal is just ridiculous.

 

[Zombie James]

why change them?

Konami doesn't want to pay the original voice actors.

 

[Blablurn]

i dont remember the old voiceover.. so i dont really care

 

[fuzzyreactor]

i dont remember the old voiceover.. so i dont really care

this, and going by the videos they both seem average to me. whats the big deal?

 

[Commanche Raisin Toast]

lulz @ all the fanboys screeching about how they want the Resident Evil-quality original voiceovers back.

lulz @ people that don't understand that it's not about the quality it's about the character and the associations with those voices. they even say that these HD remakes are for us to experience them again, suggesting nostalgia.

so why gear the game toward those people and then break something so critical to that feeling? it's one thing if they said they were including an optional mode to use the original VO's but they aren't. it's purely a financial thing. they don't want to pay royalties.

and yet another massive blow to the last few shreds of dignity this series is still holding onto. there's no stopping konami.

 

[Broder Salsa]

How's that save money? Don't they have to pay the new cast...or have they just got one actor doing all the different parts?

Well konami got a pretty bad history with their voice actors and silent hill. For example Lisas voice being removed from SH3 after she sued them. The guy who plays James in SH2 also had some trouble with them, claiming they haven't paid him for stuff they were supposed to.

 

[lifa-cobex]

James sounds soooooo bad. Sorry, I prefer the original work.

Agreed. Still happy for the hd remake though.

 

[Kid Ying]

It sounds a little off... To say the least. It looks like it's a fandub. So strange.

But i liked Maria's voice. The new voice of James is just godawful. The guy sounded like he was tired after running or something. Terribad.

 

[NichM]

I think the new VA is coming off as "wrong" to people because it's not the old stuff that they know. It's not actually bad, and certainly not any worse.

 

[Sheppard]

SO maria is Mary-Elizabeth Mcglynn? I am ok with that.

 

[Rahxephon91]

Well it's obvious all the post work and shit isn't done. But Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as awesome as she is, does not work as Mary. She sounds too old and tough.

 

[Anteater]

They do sound weird, maybe because there's no music/ambient sound, but it doesn't give me the cheesy voice acting feel like the original, it's been a while since I played the originals though.

Yea I guess they don't fit the characters too well, the rest are ok though.

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

Like I said I'm more worried about SH3.
Really enjoyed the performances in that game.

 

[Ellis Kim]

Maria sounds particularly smokey and sultry in comparison to the playful/teasing original. James sounds ok.

I'm speaking as someone who's familiar enough with SH2, owns it, but never played it for more than an hour.

I really wish they'd poney up the cash to pay off the original VOs, though :/

 

[ThisWreckage]

Well it's obvious all the post work and shit isn't done. But Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as awesome as she is, does not work as Mary. She sounds too old and tough.

Hmmm...or like Motoko Kusanagi.

 

[mollipen]

UGGGGGGGGGH.

Why does everybody sound like they're sleepwalking through their dialog? And everybody sounds so dramatic and "serious" now. James' original voice was totally not what you'd expect from a heroic main character, and that was part of his charm. Now he just sounds like Joe Average. Mary and Maria both sound like they're trying to be super-sexy. Eddie sounds like Akihiko from Persona 3.

Blech.

I think the new VA is coming off as "wrong" to people because it's not the old stuff that they know. It's not actually bad, and certainly not any worse.

I'll totally admit a lot of it is nostalgia for me, but come on - there's no emotion in any of the lines of dialog in that video.

 

[fuzzyreactor]

lulz @ people that don't understand that it's not about the quality
and yet another massive blow to the last few shreds of dignity this series is still holding onto. there's no stopping konami.

lol, sad post.

 

[Commanche Raisin Toast]

yeah if they were going to pay the original voice actors for the HD remakes they would have to pay them all the other stuff they owed them or go to court. so they're going to just sweep it under the rug and hire new people and pay them less than they would the original cast.

i'd rather not support a company like this, at least knowingly.

lol, sad post.

for correcting the misconception that SH2 fans are complaining about the quality of the voice overs instead of their originality? sounds like you still don't get it, which is the real sad thing here.

 

[ULTROS!]

The one that I really like is Maria's. In fact, it seems better than the original IIRC.

 

[AppleMIX]

Outside of Mary, the original voice cast of Silent Hill 2 was pretty mediocre.

So, I really don't have a problem with the changed voices.

 

[gatotsu911]

Konami doesn't want to pay the original voice actors.

I guarantee you that these experienced, professional voice actors are being paid better than the C-list actors they grabbed off the street 10 years ago.

so why gear the game toward those people and then break something so critical to that feeling?

Because the original voiceovers were hilariously inept, a fact that will be instantly apparent to any new players going into the game without nostalgia goggles. And, make no mistake, of course they want to draw in new players - never mind that the old players already have the original version of the game, drawing in new ones is half the point of re-releasing old games in the first place, a fact that seasoned gamers tend to completely overlook.

 

[Kabuki Quantum Lover]

I'd prefer if they had a "mute dialogue/subtitles on" option. I wished they had done it for the original SH2 as well. Distractingly bad.

 

[NichM]

James' original voice was totally not what you'd expect from a heroic main character, and that was part of his charm. Now he just sounds like Joe Average.

I... did you just write that with a straight face?

 

[Zombie James]

Original version of the jail scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ9zCMBNmx4

 

[Rahxephon91]

Hmmm...or like Motoko Kusanagi.

Well I mean she was so good there that it's hard to not see her as the Major. Maybe the finished product will be good. All the va's here are very good.

 

[Kid Ying]

Outside of Mary, the original voice cast of Silent Hill 2 was pretty mediocre.

So, I really don't have a problem with the changed voices.

I agree. It wasn't that good of a cast, the biggest problem is that we already played the game and we are already used to those bad voices, so, a new cast always sound a bit off.

Specially when the new voice cast is actually worse than the original, which if we go by the trailer, it's what it sounds like.

 

[mollipen]

I... did you just write that with a straight face?

Absolutely. When I first heard the original voice actor for James before SH2 was released, I hated his voice. Playing the game, it totally grew on me. He had this slightly goofy, effeminate quality to his voice, and it gave his character more personality. It was a voice that, when I heard it, I instantly knew whose voice it was.

This voice, meh. It's so boring! BORING!

 

[plagiarize]

Arent they redoing them to save costs by not paying the original VAs or something?

i've heard this, but they're still using the performances and likenesses of the original VAs.

i don't know that it's saving them money. i think at this point it's just a bitter dispute and they'd rather pay out more money to other people than to the original VAs.

but yeah, i don't think this solves anything *really*. hopefully once properly mixed these won't sound 'off' like the original voice work sounded. currently they sound odd and stilted somehow for the most part.

the Maria/Mary performance at the end is very good though.

and i say this not as a SH2 nostalgia monkey, i say it as someone who has maintained that the voice acting in it was terrible, and who was happy to hear it was being redone.

 

[BlazingDarkness]

This is a shame! The old VA was kinda goofy but for me it worked, they were like off-beat and unpredictable sounding, here they sound too polished for a horror experience, especially Maria, she sounds nothing like she should do ;(