10 Best Keith David Voice Acting Performances In Video Games

10. Barricade - Transformers: The Game

Barricade Transformers As a kid, there was always something a little more bad-ass about the Decepticons than the Autobots in Transformers. Maybe it was childhood rebellion, but the thought of ass-kicking robots, hell-bent on destruction just dripped in cool factor. Crucial to the success of such evil beings were the voices behind them. The Decepticons simply had to sound menacing, in stark contrast to the mechanical, yet slightly more human, sounds of the Autobot clan. Put plainly, the robots falling on the evil end of the spectrum wanted nothing but the destruction of mankind, and that had to come across in all aspects, whether visual or audio. In the 2007 movie, Transformers, lauded as the best in the reboot series of blockbuster films, Jess Harnell does a sterling job as the Decepticon scout, Barricade, starring in a memorable battle with the Autobot, Bumblebee. For the game, Harnell was unavailable to reprise his role, leading developers Traveller's Tales to lobby for the talents of Keith David instead. Bringing his own stamp to the character, David is clearly a voice actor who studies each part, and captures the gruff smarts of Barricade nicely. The game itself may not be the most critically-acclaimed - many in the gaming media found it sorely lacking in many key areas - but David's vocal performance as Barricade makes sure there's at least some enjoyment to be found in the experience.
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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.