Most people interested in gaming will have come across Jennifer Hale at some point. She is a prolific actor most noted for her voice over work in a huge number of video games. She has voiced so many characters you're almost guaranteed to have experienced her talent. For me though there are three characters in particular that stand out.
1. Freelancer – Jun’ko Zane (‘Juni’)
Freelancer is an open world space sim with a detailed main plot. It falls on the arcade side of simulation with mouse controlled dog fighting and a static economic model but it is worth playing for the rich, but linear story, and rewarding exploration of an interesting universe.
The stand out element of Freelancer though is Jun’ko Zane. I first played this game when it was released in 2003 during an extremely hot summer. It was so hot my computer kept over heating and crashing, despite my best efforts to clear any accumulated dust. I even installed new fans (it was seriously hot, while everyone was outside enjoying the weather I was sitting sweating in my pants playing a computer game, says a lot really). I wouldn’t be beaten though and I ended up playing only at night, while it was cooler, often until dawn. The reason for my devotion? I’m pretty sure I fell in love with Juni.
I read a lot of books and often get invested in the characters and their stories and can be quite affected by them. But this was the first time it had really happened with a game. It’s a game I regularly go back to and always remember fondly.
2. Knights of the Old Republic – Bastila Shan
Easily my favourite game of all time. A great story of galactic proportions; a diverse range of locations (all should be familiar to fans of the Star Wars universe); and a brilliant cast that gave real depth to a fantastic script. I originally bought it for the Xbox (as at the time I couldn’t afford a new PC and my old one was chugging a bit. I bought the Xbox in anticipation of KOTOR) but later I got it for the PC as well and then downloaded it when it turned up on steam. At one point I owned three copies of the same game, which should tell you something about my devotion. I won’t ever forget the twist in the middle, which although has been thoroughly spoiled over the years I still won’t reveal it here, I am ashamed to say I didn’t spot it coming.
But again, for me, the game was all about Bastila. In KOTOR your character is mute, as in a lot of RPGs of the time. I find this makes my character more of a conduit for the main plot and other characters stories rather than a fully fledged protagonist. The best by far (other than HK47) is Bastila. She is an incredible powerful Jedi, yet there is definitely a sense of vulnerability in her story. I’m pretty sure I fell in love with Bastila…
3. Mass effect. - Commander Shepard
The final chapter has now come out and the epic has been wrapped up. However it all started in 2007. I pre-ordered the collectors edition for the Xbox as soon as I heard that Jennifer Hale played the female Commander Shepard. For me there was no question of using a male character and im so glad I didn't.
So many have missed out on Hale’s hugely superior performance, which is such a shame. Mass Effect really got to me, I guided Shepard through an increasingly desperate situation and watched her try and keep it all together as things fell apart around her. There are times when you read a book that is so good and the story so infecting that you just can’t bring yourself to start another one for a few weeks. The story bounces around in your head and you just can’t stop thinking about it. Mass Effect gave me the same problem. I tried to play Assisin’s Creed soon afterward and couldn’t even get past the tutorial, I was still thinking about Shepard. Im pretty sure I fell in love with her too…
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