14 DAY TRIAL // Nolan North, the voice actor behind Assassin's Creed's Desmond Miles, has advised Ubisoft, the company behind the popular series, to borrow some technology and work methods from Sony's Uncharted, in order to deliver that added bit of realism in cut scenes.
Nolan North is probably one of the most active video game voice actors in the business, lending his talent to all sorts of characters, from Uncharted's Nathan Drake to Batman: Arkham City's The Penguin, not to mention Desmond Miles from Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed series.
Now, North wants to make use of the experience he's gained with Uncharted, and advises Ubisoft to at least try to record motion capture as well as voice acting at the same time to deliver that added bit of immersion for the player.
"I wish it wasn't done separately," North said about motion capture and voice recording for Assassin's Creed: Revelations. "Don't get me wrong, the mo-cap actors do a great job, but there will always be somewhat of a disconnect when it's done this way.
"After my experiences on the Uncharted franchise, where the actors do both performance and voice, I can honestly say there is absolutely a difference," he added. "The cut-scenes are shot exactly like a film or television program. The actors interact more naturally and unique and subtle elements to the performances are captured. Don't think for a minute that gamers don't notice. They're a savvy bunch."
North then revealed that Ubisoft pretty much keeps him in the dark about what awaits his character in the future of the series, which probably ends up making things much easier for him, as his reactions are more truthful.
"Desmond and I follow a similar path of discovery during the game," he explained, via CVG. "I learn what happens as he learns what happens. It makes bringing the role to life that much easier for me. I am just as interested as what is going to Desmond as Desmond probably is!"
Nolan North is expected to really push his talent next year, when a new Assassin's Creed game is expected to focus almost entirely on Desmond, instead of his ancestors like Ezio or Altair.