Death is an upcoming psychological horror game about power and corruption in the entertainment industry, with its role led by Neil Newbon (Baldur's Gate 3, Resident Evil Village) and Ben Starr (Final Fantasy 16, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33). While the stories told within Death are fictional, creative director Abubakar Salim (also an actor who is best known for his role as Bayek in AC Origins) explained that it was the collective experiences of these actors that led to the game's stories. These three actors, it's worth noting, have not only performed in video games but also in movies and television, on stage and elsewhere.
Death Located in a Hollywood Hills Herrgård, where players are commissioned to find a friend who disappeared after a party there. Newbon plays Chase Lowry, while Starr plays the missing friend Vinny Monroe. When searching for Vinny, players must solve Fly-puzzle into room-style and divide live-action images to reveal the mysteries in the manor. Players will reveal stories related to cruelty, gossip and shadows that plague the entertainment industry across the line. Game Rant recently spoke with Salim about Death But also about the role and how surgent studios (Salim's studio) has used the world to act beyond performance.
It started with a phone call
As Salim explained, the world is to act in play less than you might think, with different actors without a doubt knowing each other even though they have never worked directly together. It is also important the fact that each casting process is different. Some games have super secret auditions, some games provide direct offers and others are more unofficial and informal. Since the gaming world is small, Salim could call Newbon and Starr in this case, basically just say: “I do this strange psychological horror game and I want you to play the lead.” Together, the trio worked for two days in a studio in London, Salim and others who led Newbon and Starr. Reflected on that experience, Salim said,
“It really felt like guerrilla game creation.”
While Salim knew who he wanted for every character in Death Throughout the writing process, this connection also relies on it between itself, Newbon and Starr. “As an actor in play and then Neil, Ben, and I leaned on each other through some extremely incredible times. We exchanged some of the horror stories that built the foundation for this game,” Salim said.
While the exact situations are fictional, the foundation in a difficult truth in the entertainment industry is a good area for a horror game to explore. It may also have helped with their performances, as Salim praised,
“Not only do they give significant talent to the project as their two joints, but they also helped to create a space where we could all be really raw and honest. I can't wait for you to see caliber for their performances in Dead Take.”
Video games work as a collaboration
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Neil Newbon Playing Chase Lowry
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Ben Starr plays Vinny Monroe
One of the best, but also sometimes the most challenging aspects of video game development is the process's cooperative character. Developers of different disciplines must work together to send a game. However, this is not always the case for actors. They can be introduced at the end of the development sometimes, or much earlier. They can be given all the information that is available to know about the character, or they may know very little in a cold reading. They can work with other actors, except that they are not more often. Actors are not always cooperative in the gaming industry, but there is an argument it should be. As an actor, Salim knew to let Newbon and Starr take the fabric while playing the role of director, which resulted in a strong collaboration for these lead roles:
“I Wish You Could Seen The Energy They Brought On Set Immedialy. It's like Turning on a light switch with them. Maybe we'll release the heed-the-scenes footage someday. One moment they're themselves, and the next. I'm just late to them the night before. As an actor, I WANTED TO BE THE DIRECTOR I See In The World, And For Me, That Means Giving Them Loose Reins To Add What They Feel in the Moment.
Salim also recalled an example where Starr went completely off-script, that he was so caught at the moment and produced a side of Vinny that no one had thought of before-but made the perfect meaning. For those who are curious about this moment, Salim would just say that it scared them a bit, but “you know it when you see it.”
Industry players have their moment
Surgent Studios has a history of exploitation actors' talent in non-performance roles. Salim, of course, founded the studio; Alix Wilton Reggan (Mass Effect 3, Dragon Age: Inquisition/The Vilguard, Assassin's Creed Origins) served as an executive producer for Tales of Kenzera: Zau.
This is of course possible because of how small the world of industry players are, but this is also important because actors encounter many difficulties in the industry. The latest SAFTRA strikes for AI protection, which ended after ten months about three weeks ago, is just one example of that. Beyond DeathBut it seems Salim is hopeful. On the question of utilizing talent in this way, he said,
“I think actors in play have their moment right now. We tied together and support each other more than ever. For me, it also means working together in addition to recording studio, in addition to the Mo-Cap volume. Now it's not just our faces and voices that define what we do, so are our ideas.”
With ideas, faces, voices and names such as Abubakar Salim, Neil Newbon and Ben Starr, Death could form up to something special. And even though the impact these names make on the industry remains to be seen, they have proven themselves time and time again.
