Many voice actors have hands-on expertise with the video games they work on indirectly. Genshin Impact’s Zach Aguilar repeatedly hosts streams associated to the sport with fellow voice actors. Brianna White, who voices Aerith in Final Fantasy VII Remake, has streamed informal walkthroughs of herself enjoying the sport. However, in the case of preventing video games, it’s tougher to seek out actors who can actually play, not to mention compete in an precise event.
Alex Gross is without doubt one of the few.
Gross voices Axl Low, British time traveler and resident Guilty Gear zoner. He talked about his expertise as a aggressive Guilty Gear participant at Anime NYC, which is why I reached out to him to speak extra about how his data of the sport affected the most recent iteration of Axl in Guilty Gear Strive. Besides Axl, Gross has additionally voiced Eric from Boyfriend Dungeon, Toru Iwashimizu from Free!, and extra voices in fashionable video games like Persona 5: Strikers. He’s additionally a full-time streamer and Twitch accomplice who goes by Octopimp.
Gross gave me some perception into his historical past with the preventing recreation neighborhood and the way he discovered his voice for Axl. He additionally supplied some useful ideas for newcomers seeking to get into aggressive preventing video games like Guilty Gear Strive.
What did you are taking from previous video games and what impressed your tackle Axl?
I’ve been enjoying Guilty Gear since Sharp Reload, so I’ve been enjoying for a protracted, very long time. The first recreation the place any Guilty Gear characters had English voices was Guilty Gear 2: Overture, however Axl wasn’t in that recreation. The first recreation the place he had an English voice was Xrd Sign, and he was performed by Liam O’Brien.
So I’d heard him doing the English accent. But, after I received the audition, I didn’t need to copy him. I didn’t need to simply do an impression of him, proper? Because within the specs, it stated “we’re going in a different direction,” which I believe sort of meant “we’re just recasting just because we want to try something different.” So I used to be similar to, “Well, I’m just gonna do my best English accent.”
Keiichi Nanba, who performs him in Japanese, goes a little bit larger. His voice is up a little bit bit. So I simply placed on the accent, made it a little bit larger, and you bought Axl proper there.
What sort of really feel have been you going for? Like, sort of lighthearted or goofy?
Axl is a really goofy character. They describe him within the specs as “an optimist all the time, unless he’s losing,” which was actually humorous. That’s the form of the function that I get booked for essentially the most — the lighthearted, roguish goofball, and in order that’s how I attempted to play him. There are characters in that recreation which are extraordinarily severe, and there are characters which are performed for comedy, and he’s undoubtedly one of many extra comedic characters.
How did Guilty Gear change into your favourite collection?
I like that the character design is so off the wall and the story is wild. I truly initially performed extra BlazBlue than I did Guilty Gear as a result of, on the time, BlazBlue was extra accessible on-line than Guilty Gear was, and in order that was actually simply the place extra folks have been enjoying. But, I just like the music in Guilty Gear barely extra. It has that tougher edge to it, and the whole lot’s all rock and roll-inspired, which is cool. I’m all about that.
It’s extra comedic. I believe there’s much more comedy in it than there may be in BlazBlue. So, I simply vibe with the entire aesthetic and the entire really feel of Guilty Gear, and I all the time have. I actually, I actually adore it.
So how did it go once you received the audition? Did someone inform you, “Hey, we’re auditioning for Guilty Gear, and we think you’d do a good job at it?”
It was completely simply by probability. Well, sort of by probability. I knew that the studio PCB had finished the earlier dubs. They did Sign they usually did Overture. I’d labored with them earlier than on Persona 5: Strikers and I’d taken their class.
So I reached out to one of many casting administrators, Val, who’s simply the most effective, and I used to be like, “Hey, I don’t know if you guys are doing the dub for this, but if you are, I would love to audition.” I reached out as a result of, one, we had a working skilled relationship. Two, I’d taken their class, in order that they knew who I used to be. And, you realize, what’s the worst they’re gonna say? “Ah, sorry, we’re not doing it here.” What’s the worst that might occur? They’ll say no, proper? Or they’ll say “It’s already forged, sorry. “
She was like, “Oh my gosh, yes. Here, read for these two parts. Read for Axl and for Happy Chaos.” And so I stated, okay, yeah, certain. So I auditioned for each these components. Two days later, they emailed me and have been like, you booked Axl. So that was loopy. That was insane.
How did your recreation data come in useful within the studio?
I knew as quickly as I noticed sure traces that I used to be studying that they didn’t have to clarify the context of them in any respect. Basically, the one ones they needed to clarify have been for the story after we have been recording the story mode. I needed to say a line that was simply written as “Yahoo,” however I knew what that was as a result of I’d heard [Axl] say it one million instances in Japanese.
I used to be like, “Oh, is this 6H?” And they’re like, “how do you know that?” (laughs) Originally, Axl was imagined to say “Sickle Strike,” however I requested them, as a result of Arc System was on the telephone, “Can I say Rensengeki instead?” Because that’s what it’s. That’s the identify of the transfer in Japanese. And they’re like, “Yeah, sure record it.” So there’s a recording of me on the market someplace saying [Sickle Strike], however they simply stored me saying Rensengeki within the recreation information.
“It’s rock and roll the fighting game, baby. Let’s go!”
So, after I was recording, I knew not solely in regards to the character’s character but additionally in regards to the mechanics of the sport, the place the traces have been in relation, and the context of the sport itself. I knew what all of the animations seemed like. I’ve seen all of them, so I knew what they have been and I knew them by identify. It’s not like they needed to be like, “This is a thing where he runs up and does a clothesline.” They might simply say, “This is Winter Mantis.”
Were you all the time a preventing recreation particular person?
I’ve performed preventing video games since I used to be very, little or no. My cousin had me play the Ranma 1/2 preventing recreation for the SNES. I keep in mind enjoying loads of that at his home. And, you realize, Street Fighter II for the SNES, Mortal Kombat, all that stuff. So I’ve all the time been concerned with them, however I didn’t actually begin taking them critically till Street Fighter IV. Street Fighter IV was the primary time I used to be actually like, oh, I need to discover ways to play these video games. That’s after I began actually practising, going to tournaments, enjoying on-line so much, and competing with different folks.
What was it about Street Fighter IV that was particular?
A detailed buddy of mine introduced it over, and he simply wiped the ground with me. I didn’t even know what was taking place. It lit a fireplace underneath my ass, so to talk, and I used to be like, I need to truly discover ways to play-play, not simply mash buttons.
It was actually motivating to only try to be higher. You get to these steps and also you see your progress, and it actually does make you be ok with studying this ability. So it was simply eager to compete and beat my buddy, who actually made me need to attempt extra.
You additionally participated in Evo and Arc Revo earlier than, proper?
Yeah. I certified for ArcRevo the World Tour in 2019.
How did your expertise go along with these competitions?
This previous 12 months at EVO was the most effective I’ve ever finished. I believe I received 48th or one thing like that. Previously, in 2017, I made it at Pools, however instantly received bopped out of Pools. But that was for Rev. I did fairly effectively and I misplaced to 2 actually good gamers, so I don’t really feel too unhealthy about it. In the Winners Final of my pool, I needed to battle Lord Knight, who made Top 8 at EVO, and he’s only a actually good participant basically. So I didn’t really feel unhealthy about shedding to him, and it was very shut.
“This is good advice for any fighting game, but don’t focus so much on learning combos right away.”
I’ve made Top 8 in some regionals. I received like third at SCR Saga in 2018. I made Top 8 at NCR again in 2017. I play loads of tournaments. I imply, I’ve made Top 8 fairly persistently at Wednesday Night Fights. It’s been a minute simply because I’m enjoying different stuff, and I’m actually busy proper now, so my gameplay isn’t fairly as sharp because it was when the sport was newer. But yeah, I like competing. I like being in tournaments.
What sort of recommendation would you give to individuals who need to compete in Guilty Gear?
Learn motion and spacing first — don’t be taught combos. This is sweet recommendation for any preventing recreation, however don’t focus a lot on studying combos straight away. That’s such an enormous pitfall that lots of people coming into preventing video games fall into. They instantly begin studying combos, however then don’t be taught the sensible functions of the place their normals are going to hit so you can begin these combos. So after they encounter these conditions, they’re not doing the combos that they discovered as a result of they’re simply swinging randomly, or they don’t know spacing or impartial very effectively.
So it’s actually essential to be taught: How does your character transfer? What’s what are their leaping normals? What’s the spacing on these leaping normals? Some characters have totally different stroll and run speeds, in order that sort of factor is simply superb to know first. Then, as soon as you work that out, be taught the system mechanics, be taught what you are able to do with RCs, and Drift RCs, and all that sort of stuff. It’ll all begin coming from there, after which you can begin studying combos.
When you have been studying your self, have been you the sort of one who simply stored enjoying till you bought it proper, or did you lookup specific tutorials or one thing?
I did it absolutely the improper approach and simply began enjoying, after which picked up a bunch of unhealthy habits, after which had to enter the lab and eliminate these habits. I mainly labbed a little bit bit, after which went on-line and began enjoying randos, after which began profitable and was like, “I’m good,” then performed somebody who’s truly good and received my ass beat. And I used to be like, “Oops, never mind, I’m bad.” (laughs) Then I had to enter the lab and unlearn all of the dumb stuff that I used to be doing.
Don’t be like me, youngsters. Don’t be like me.
So mainly, lab? (laughs)
Yes, sure. Learn loads of issues in a managed setting first, after which play folks at your ability degree and step by step enhance from there. Play folks higher than you, too! Playing folks worse than you doesn’t get you something. But, in the event you play folks higher than you, you’re gonna enhance actually quick.
I get that. If it’s not someone you may be taught from, then it’s not gonna actually do you a lot.
Plus, they’re gonna fall for issues that good gamers gained’t. They’ll fall for very simple setups and that doesn’t actually trigger you to assume very laborious. Some of essentially the most thrilling matches I discovered essentially the most from are those that have been actually shut. The ones that have been similar to, I gained by a pixel. I had like one hit left, and I gained. It actually compelled me to play the most effective that I might, or to the most effective of my capability, somewhat than simply completely wiping the ground with someone. It appears cool, however it doesn’t actually make me really feel higher or train me so much as a participant.
If you needed to get folks into Guilty Gear, how would you promote it to them?
It’s rock and roll the preventing recreation, child. Let’s go!
If you’re concerned with following Alex, yow will discover him on Twitter, Twitch, or YouTube. Maybe even watch him at Guilty Gear-centered event Frost Faustings, which takes place by January 28 to 30, or soar right into a neighborhood event.
Guilty Gear Strive is accessible for PC, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. It additionally gained Fighting Game of the Year on the 2021 The Game Awards, which rocks.
This interview has been edited for size and readability.
Editors’ Recommendations