6 Best Actor Cameos And Performances In Video Games
The most exciting video game performances by familiar faces.
The moment Keanu Reeves stepped out onto the Microsoft Xbox stage on Sunday was - well, breathtaking - and will go down in E3 history. His unmistakeable likeness had just been teased on the Cyberpunk 2077 game trailer, and though it's unclear how significant his character will be in the plot, his involvement has just launched a highly anticipated game into the stratosphere of popularity.
Keanu is not the first well-known actor to feature in a video game, however. Over the years, advances in motion capture technology has enabled production studios to nail the likenesses of well-known faces. What's more, the use of high-profile actors in video games has been proven to enhance desired themes and concepts, give opportunity for humorous references and gags, and in some cases, allow the actors to apply their talents to deliver some heart-rending and memorable performances.
6. Sean Bean As Mark Faba - Hitman 2
Sean Bean's appearance in Hitman 2 was first announced through a live-action teaser trailer in which his character speaks to his ill-fated therapist. His performance in the game stems from a long-running joke about Bean's acting career (spoilers ahead - for, er, many shows and films): his character always dies.
In Hitman 2, players control Agent 47 as they achieve the ultimate honour - killing Sean Bean themselves. Or his character, at least, ex-spy Mark Faba - a man who has been (wrongly) confirmed dead by various assassins a whopping twelve times, and is appropriately nicknamed 'The Undying'.
The references are not subtle, but that's what makes it fun. Faba is a violent, disgraced agent - a departure from the roles of bravery and sacrifice Sean Bean has been recently associated with - and so players needn't feel guilty dispatching the character.