The Game Awardsnominations have been revealed, and everyone hasopinions.Hogwarts Legacywas snubbed! Starfield was snubbed! The Lord of the Rings: Gollum was snubbed! My personal hot take is that Hi-Fi Rush has been nominated in far too many categories considering it’s, like, fine, but the world isn’t ready to hear that yet.
Leaving aside ‘I would have picked’ conversations, there are some weird situations with the prestigious awards ceremony.What’s going on with the indie category? Why isDave the Diver in there? Why isn’t The Banished Vault? But the category that has sparked the most discussion isBest Performance.
I haven’t played all of the games on the list, but I have played Baldur’s Gate 3. And I, among dozens of others, was left wondering why only one Baldur’s Gate 3 performance was nominated, and how the jurors choseNeil Newbon. This is the first time since 2018 that one game does not have two nominees in this category, so it’s not unrealistic that Baldur’s Gate 3 could have gotten more. This isn’t a sleight at Newbon’s performance – I’ve travelled with Astarion for the entirety of my playthrough, and the performance is brilliant – but a commendment of the rest of the cast.
That’s why I’m hosting my own category of The Game Awards for The Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Performance, to highlight the multitude of masterclasses on display in Larian’s RPG. Here are your nominees:
Neil Newbon, Astarion
Newbon got that TGA nomination for a reason. The range he shows with Astarion is superb, swinging from the mischievous vampire we initially meet to warmth, sadness, and honesty as he reveals his traumatic past. His range expands further still as you get to the end of Act 3, but I won’t divulge spoilers here.
Devora Wilde, Lae’zel
Lae’zel, and therefore Wilde’s performance, has often been overlooked for a multitude of reasons. Baldur’s Gate 2 writer and Dragon Age creator David Gaider cites the fact that female characters aregranted less sympathy for their flaws than their male counterparts, and I’m certain fewer people picked up Lae’zel as a companion because she’s not conventionally attractive. You owe it to yourself to recruit her in your second playthrough, if only to listen to Wilde’s performance that so many others missed.
Shaun Mendum, Scratch the Dog
This might seem like a joke, but there are incredible performances across the board in Baldur’s Gate 3. I don’t know who provided the barks (pun intended) for Scratch, but if you’re able to Talk To Animals, Shaun Mendum plays the adorable pupper with glee. This nomination goes to Adam Diggle, who voices the Caravan Ox that rants about the state of the world, Beth Park who voices Timber the squirrel, who you definitely kicked, and every other NPC that could be so easily missed. Baldur’s Gate 3 has a terrific ensemble cast, but it’s the efforts of these actors that makes the world truly feel alive.
Editor’s Note: I’m sure Ben would have highlighted the Owlbear Cub here, had he notbrutally murdered itearly in his playthrough. And this is supposed to be his ‘good’ playthrough!
Samantha Béart, Karlach
I haven’t talked to Karlachthatmuch on my playthrough, but my friends and colleagues assure me that Béart gives a masterful performance,culminating spectacularly at the end of her personal storyline. Take this as a personal request to find ten minutes to have a chat with Karlach the next time you log into Faerûn, because I certainly will.
Winner: Amelia Tyler, Narrator
One of the reasons it’s so hard to pick just one voice actor to represent the entirety of Baldur’s Gate 3 is because of the excellent performances of every member of the ensemble cast. Every companion recorded insultsin case you respec them as a Bard, and big names like Jason Isaacs and J.K. Simmons pop up to bring random NPCs to life. But there’s only one person who you’re guaranteed to hear the whole way through your playthrough, and that’sAmelia Tyler.
Acting as a DM for hundreds of thousands of simultaneous playthroughs, Tyler brings Baldur’s Gate to life. In some ways a proxy for your Tav’s voice too, she acts as your inner monologue, your audiobook narrator, and your dungeon master all in one. Her elocution is reminiscent of Neil Gaiman’s in the audiobook versions of The Sandman, and her role identical. For my personal award, I’m giving the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Performance to the only person who we all heard for the entirety of our games. Congratulations Amelia Tyler, you were robbed.
