"Welcome, Executor! It's the year 117 After Earth and you have a very important mission. You were awakened to lead the Cell, a secret taskforce assembled to counter the threat of the STROL mutant invasion. Take command of your squad to fight the mutants and find a cure to the virus that threatens to end mankind."
For the sequel to the best-selling The Red Solstice, I play protagonist Executor Ryan and reprise the role of Grunt from Solstice Chronicles: M.I.A.

Rune II is described by developers Studio 369 as "a tale of betrayal, rebirth, and revenge"- a fitting allegory for the game's well-documented development troubles and for the bleak scenario facing the deities of Midgard. I play the mighty Norse god Heimdall with the rumble of wounded dignity, a respected figure brought low by Loki's deception, and coming to terms with a complete loss of control that prompts a desperate eleventh hour move: resurrecting a mortal champion to act in his stead. As well as providing voiceover for various Rune II trailers, I also produced placeholder dialogue for the Gods Odin, Thor and Loki at various stages of the game's production.

“H.P. Lovecraft meets Cyberpunk. Delve deep into a dystopian world and investigate what is happening to you and your friends in a domed city. Solve puzzles, hack systems and plug in to explore other dimensions. Discover a truth that might tear apart your sanity and question your very existence.”
In Stormling Studios' Transient, I portray protagonist Randolph Carter, an outlaw hacker-for-hire who accidentally stumbles across a terrifying truth. I played Carter like his augmented world is always a few decibels too loud, leading to a constant low-key migraine that brings his voice to a hush. This lends itself naturally to the understated protagonists of Tech-Noir classics like Blade Runner and Dark City.

“Beautiful Desolation is a 2D isometric adventure game set in the distant future. Explore a post-apocalyptic landscape, solve puzzles, meet new friends and make powerful enemies, mediate conflicts and fight for your life as you unravel the secrets of the world around you.”
Set in a future South African landscape, The Brotherhood's Beautiful Desolation focuses on two estranged brothers ripped from their original timeline, looking for a way back home. I play four supporting roles. Atum is a zombified drunk whose brain has been commandeered by a worm-like parasite called the Fley. Driven to physical ruin, the host's final stop is an obscure tavern where he encounters player-character Mark Leslie (Julian Casey, Assassin's Creed, Far Cry).
For the performance, I wanted a disparity between the voice of host and parasite to give the impression of two minds in one body. The host is soused, giddy, even promiscuous (and yes Chris, I did have a few shandies for the role, I'm method like that!). The parasite is harsh, desperate, throttled and always in danger of losing control.
I also played zealot-cum-barkeep Bra' Bones, a Cockney publican with a glint in his remaining eye. Grave, a mechanical warrior poet I played as a well-spoken Stratford thespian, which I think creates an interesting dissonance next to his formidable physicality. Finally, there is the chronically depressed creature Narchee: a disembodied human skull effectively enslaved by drones that force him to act as their topographer.

“Ancestors Legacy is a squad-based real time strategy with a strong focus on tactics. Inspired by medieval European history, it brings to life four different nations and their conflicts, usually solved by war.”
I play the first King of Poland, Boleslav the Brave, and the bloodthirsty Viking Truvor; both men are driven by a ruthless, unrelenting aggression. The character performances were wrapped in (physically exhausting) live sessions.

“Battle for survival against waves of Martian mutants in this tactical shooter. Using the skills of your drone companion, make fight-or-flight decisions that drastically alter the threats you face. Will your choices lead you to freedom... or your doom?”
After voicing the trailer for Red Solstice, I was asked by developers Ironward to return for Solstice Chronicles: M.I.A. I play the sole surviving corporate marine caught deep behind enemy lines, whose only hope for survival lies in an unlikely alliance with a rebel drone (Fran McClellan).

In the Winter of 2016, I travelled to the chilly Old Post Office deep in the Arthurian land of Tintagel, for a University of Falmouth production of The Highwayman, based on the 1906 poem by Alfred Noyes. I portray the narrator who bears grim witness to a treacherous tryst. Director Oliver Chater and Producer Henry Isaksen invited me on board after their successful Kickstarter campaign, and to return to the University for additional ADR work.
Highlights include chewing the fat with Poldark and Doc Martin stalwart Rory Wilton, enjoying the splendid National Trust building for the day, and working with a vibrant young crew. The Highwayman was entered into The National Film Festival for Talented Youth among others, and Ben Sutcliffe's excellent score took the runner-up spot at the 2017 LA Shorts awards.

“Private Ranulph Kinny swears his Mongoose- an eight foot-tall powered armor suit- is trying to kill him. Even his sergeant is acting paranoid, invoking the Saints and keeping the platoon battle-ready, just in case. Everything changes when a mysterious broadcast blankets the city and triggers an all-out civil war. Now, Kinny and his power-suited platoon fight for survival as their city crumbles around them. Welcome, Brigador.”
I took on the mammoth task of turning Brad Buckmaster's 2016 novel Brigador into an 7-hour audiobook, serving as a companion story to the video game of the same name. It was the first audiobook to release on Steam, with a 100% user rating and a 4.8/5 rating on Audible. For the performance, I honed what I facetiously call my "Sean Bean" voice. It has become something of a running joke in my household that my performances are often met with comparisons to the world's most famous Sheffield United fan, even when I'm actively trying to avoid them...
The rustic aspect of a Northern English voice seemed appropriate for this visceral military tale (as well as being an accent I could hold for 80,000 words). The challenge came in demarcating the characters from the narration. At one point, I was speaking in a coarsened Northern accent to interpret the grizzled Sergeant Koenig, then a mocking impersonation of it from his own subordinates! The Spacer faction is non-terrestrial, mostly cruel, cold and snobbish. For the marooned Spacer Pilot, I took inspiration from Twin Peaks' The Man from Another Place, and Gman from the Half-Life series, emphasising the wrong words and an unsettling cadence, like he is a chameleon merely passing for human.

“In the distant future, aboard a seemingly abandoned spacecraft, John Maracheck awakes from stasis. He must push himself to new physical and emotional limits and unravel the mysteries around him. John is in tremendous pain, his wife and daughter are missing, and time is running out as the Groomlake plunges further into the swirling blue methane clouds of Neptune...”
Stasis is the acclaimed debut title of South African siblings Christopher and Nicolas Bischoff, aka The Brotherhood. The game was credited with breathing new life into the point-and-click adventure genre. Rock, Paper, Shotgun said, “Stasis punches so far above its weight that I almost can’t believe it exists.” Destructoid said, “There are scenes in Stasis, especially towards the end of the game, that I'm not sure I'll ever forget.”
I play the beleaguered protagonist, a teacher whose ship is waylaid by the unscrupulous Cayne Corporation en route to a family vacation on the moon of Titan. I portrayed John as the 'every-man', but with a softness born of a privileged lifestyle- such a holiday must surely be above the pay grade of most.

To Rafael Serrato of Bit Cultures, I spoke at length about my preparation for the performance: “It is important to internalise the character, reflect on the themes of the story and how the characters attract and oppose each other. Family is the central theme of Stasis, and all three lead characters symbolise this in their own way. John has an arc, which I look for in characters. It was vital that he be vulnerable, uncertain and slow to harden to the horror. If the player can connect with the character, they then consider the uncomfortable question: how would I cope in this situation? That is the essence of great horrors, they shine a light on our own lives.”

Kim at Later Levels asked for my thoughts on the game and its developers, The Brotherhood: “I was an early-bug tester and a beta Kickstarter backer, so I played it a couple of times before release. For a one-man development, Stasis is a minor miracle really, and serves as inspiration to other small teams. It has been spoken about in the same breath as peers like SOMA, which had several team members with years of experience between them. The game has a timeless quality and won’t really age in years to come. Chris should be very proud of what he has achieved."

“In this grim return to the Stasis universe, expectant protagonist, Hadley, wakes up in a facility. Where is she? Why is she there? And, why do they want her baby? Help panicked and anxious Hadley find her feet and brave stomach-churning situations to break free, by solving puzzles in this free horror adventure game. Each step will uncover colorful character stories as you help Hadley find her way out…"

In January 2017, The Brotherhood released a free DLC chapter to the Stasis story, called CAYNE. I played two supporting characters, the nameless man who assists protagonist Hadley (Sarah Anne Williams, Skullgirls, League of Legends) from an unseen location, and Danie Boland- a vulgar engineer who comes to realise he won't be walking out of the facility.

The Old City: Leviathan is described as "an experiment in first-person exploration that focuses entirely on story. All that exists is you and the world. Set in a decaying city from a civilization long past, The Old City: Leviathan puts the player in the shoes of a sewer dwelling isolationist." The Washington Post described the game as an “experiment in literary gaming.“ Known colloquially as a 'walking simulator', the game is my first major credit as a voice actor; I played the protagonist (and sole character) Jonah.

I discussed my experiences in a 2015 interview with Rafael Serrato of Bit Cultures: “It was here I understood the responsibility of the voice artist, in co-ordination with the devs, to form a fleshed-out character that will engage the audience. There was a theatricality in Jonah’s dialogue, so I interpreted him as a worn-down actor of sorts. How many times has he approached that specific brick arch and launched into the same over-rehearsed soliloquy? For how long has he been shambling that facility like a ghost caught in a self-imposed cycle? Surely way before the player arrived. There is a subtle horror to the role.“

To Kim of Later Levels, I went into more detail about the challenges of the role: “Getting into the head space of someone who has spent too much time alone, but has a keen philosophical mind and forms these unique insights into the meaning of life. He comes from a very different place to the average person and therein lay the challenge of making him relatable.
“I put Jonah into terms I could understand, as an actor of sorts. More specifically, someone whose life has become an act, who created Leviathan to avoid the pain of the unknown. Maybe we all create our own personal Leviathan as we get older. Jonah’s life views become his lines, rehearsed to the point of banality, the theatrical pauses more deliberate with the years. Only when he is exposed to the uncertain does the child in him break out. Jonah manages to rekindle a deep ember of childlike curiosity that helps him get off his ass and leave his self-imposed prison.“