Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was one of the surprise releases of 2022 for the Nintendo Switch. It got shown to gamers in February, and it came out in July. Nintendo had a lot of faith in this game, and by all accounts, the faith paid off. Critics loved it, gamers couldn’t stop playing it thanks to all the content, and streamers praised the game left and right. While we don’t know the sales numbers for the title just yet, we can get some insight into what it was like making the game from one of the key people behind it. No, not one of the development team, but one the voice actor behind the main character of Noah.
In the English Dub, he was voiced by Harry McEntire, and he recently talked about what it was like voicing the character for Xenoblade Chronicles 3. If you were curious whether he had ever played the franchise before, he didn’t. He admitted that he hadn’t played JRPGs during his gaming life. As a result, he found himself amazed at all the depth that the title had:
“Working on Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was a real education; not only is it by far the biggest role I’ve ever had in a game, but it’s also the first time I’ve worked as a voice actor on something with such vast emotional range.”
That last line is critical. Because the story of the game was not just your typical “we have to save the world!” kind of plot that most MMORPGs are known for. The characters, like Noah, all had deep backstories, nuanced ways of looking at things, and different views on life itself. That’s part of what made the title so grand in the eyes of fans and critics. The game didn’t have a cookie-cutter story. Instead, it made you feel for these characters throughout the plot from start to finish.
Returning to McEntire, he was so moved by the game and all it showed him that he instantly became a “convert” to JRPGs. He even said in the interview that he joined Twitch to show himself playing Xenoblade Chronicles 3.
In terms of doing Noah’s scenes, McEntire reveled in the fact that he was allowed to portray such a range of emotions. Stating that “normal life” doesn’t often give you the chance to play into these extremes, so for him to get the opportunity to showcase his acting ability across this array of scenes and moments was very enticing to him.
Finally, he noted that if he were asked to come back, he would:
“As for a further life for Noah, I would love to continue or add to his story if Nintendo ever thought that was worth pursuing.”
Source: Nintendo Everything
