3. Jennifer Hale (Mass Effect)
There is no female voice actor who has had a career as prolific as Jennifer Hale, who is perhaps best recognsied for her turns as Bastila Shan in Knights of the Old Republic and Dr. Naomi Hunter in Metal Gear. However, it's her performance as the female version of Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect series that is, for my money, her best to date, especially considering how wooden and distractingly bland the male equivalent of the character is. So strong is her voice performance that it in fact affects play; I actively decide
not to play as the male Shepard despite usually preferring to play as the guy over the gal - because, you know, I'm a guy - just because her performance has so much gravitas. The difficult decisions that have to be made, and the connections you form with the characters throughout the epic journey are related far more convincingly by Hale. Furthermore, games can always do with having more strong heroines, and with Hale's steely turn, her Shepard is unquestionably one of the most impressive and memorable to date.