Assassin’s Creed Shadows voice actor Masumi reflects on her first video game performance

Singer-songwriter, actor, and now online game voice actor Masumi shouldn’t be new to taking part in a Japanese murderer grieving the lack of her father. She starred as a yakuza inheritor in 2021’s Yakuza Princess — her “breakout film,” as she calls it. Then, she booked a brand new problem: Naoe, the shinobi murderer protagonist in Murderer’s Creed Shadows, the most recent entry in Ubisoft’s AAA franchise, which was launched Thursday.

Masumi’s efficiency as Naoe is the heartbeat of the sport, alongside that of Tongayi Chirisa, who voices the opposite protagonist, based mostly on the historic determine Yasuke. Within the opening hours of the sport, it’s Naoe’s voice that guides you round as you get your footing in feudal Japan. gamexplore chatted with Masumi over the telephone on Tuesday, only a few hours after opinions of the sport had been revealed right here and elsewhere on-line. We talked about Naoe’s story, voice performing, and the challenges of mocap.

[Ed. note: This interview has been edited for concision and clarity.]

gamexplore: Do you join with the character of Naoe, or did you must enter a unique house for this character?

Masumi: Yeah, truthfully, all the things about Naoe actually drew me in instantly once I acquired the audition. She’s such a strong and layered character. She’s fierce and decided, and I imply, she’s carrying the burden of the world and the previous that she has, and he or she’s additionally combating for her future. So once I first acquired the story and discovered about her journey, I felt fairly linked to her. And he or she’s not only a warrior, however she’s somebody who has to navigate this actually complicated world of loyalty, revenge, after which additionally discovering herself — like, private progress. So there was a whole lot of factors for me to essentially resonate together with her.

One thing I’m actually having fun with about her is that she’s so small, which feels like such a pure alternative for an murderer character, however truly shouldn’t be essentially the case for Murderer’s Creed protagonists prior to now. What’s it prefer to play an murderer?

This isn’t the primary time I acquired to play a feminine murderer character. I acquired to play [one in] Yakuza Princess, and he or she’s additionally an murderer, and that was form of my breakout film. So I really feel like from the start, I’ve all the time [gotten] to play these actually sturdy feminine characters which can be complicated, and so they all undergo this actually emotional journey. So once I acquired Murderer’s Creed Shadows, and Naoe was much more of an pleasure, as a result of she’s not simply anyone who’s complicated and powerful, however she will get to undergo it in Japan on this most tumultuous time. So I really feel actually empowered that I acquired to play her, and I hope gamers additionally come away feeling empowered going via Naoe’s journey.

I do know that is your first online game. How was that have completely different out of your different performing experiences?

The movement seize was a totally new expertise, and it’s such a singular problem since you’re performing in an enormous empty house with no units, no costumes. So you actually must faucet into your creativeness and form of belief your physique to convey the character to life. And in addition trusting your companions, too, to all the time be current with you, as a result of we now have all of those kind of limitations. And in order that was an fascinating problem to have.

I additionally keep in mind we now have little Jiro, in our world, and he was a tremendous baby actor, and for him it was actually tough to get used to the headsets […] as a result of it form of compresses your head a bit of bit. And so he was getting a bit of bit nauseous, and so we needed to navigate that. I’d get nauseous, too, at first, and I needed to get used to that. And so we must take breaks for him to have the ability to settle down with the nausea, after which return into it. You don’t know these challenges till you truly do it.

The voice-over was additionally an entire completely different problem, as a result of with mocap, no less than you possibly can categorical together with your complete physique, however in VO, it’s simply your voice. So you must convey all the things together with your tone and breath and power. And I didn’t understand that I must do, like, 100 completely different breaths, and I by no means had to concentrate a lot on what respiration patterns they’re. In order that was actually fascinating. However truthfully, all of the challenges was actually rewarding. I acquired to study a lot.

That is form of odd to let you know, however within the model I’m taking part in, the breaths come via the controller, so it’s actually immersive as a result of it’s proper there, nearer to your ears than the remainder of the soundtrack. So, relaxation assured these are being put to good use.

Do you’ve a lot expertise with video games?

I’ve by no means actually performed video video games, however my husband performs. So yeah, throughout COVID particularly, we had been doing couple-y video games. I don’t know if you already know the online game Don’t Starve Collectively.

OK, thanks. [laughing] I’m glad you already know this. That was the sport that I used to be taking part in quite a bit, since you don’t actually need abilities in that recreation. However anyway, my husband purchased a PlayStation as quickly as he discovered that I acquired this job, so I’ve to play it. I imply, it doesn’t matter if I’ve abilities or not. I’m desirous to see the world. I hear it’s actually lovely.

You completely ought to. It gained’t be too onerous, don’t fear. Although it’s in all probability a wierd expertise listening to your individual voice. Do you usually watch your individual performances?

Sure, as a result of I began as a singer-songwriter. So I went to music college in LA, after which, earlier than performing, I used to be doing music for an enormous chunk of my life. So in music, you form of must take heed to your voice. That’s the one manner you develop. So I’m used to listening to my singing voice, however this isn’t singing. That is actually speaking and yelling. And generally I’m outraged. Numerous occasions I’m outraged — let’s be trustworthy. So I’ve by no means listened to my voice in that manner.

Do you’ve a particular scene or plot level that you just actually resonated with whenever you had been performing it?

It’s completely different between cinematic and VO, and I’d say there was extra VO periods than cinematic. However in cinematics, it was all the time in regards to the depth of the scene. There was a whole lot of intense scenes. And so I can instantly take into consideration a number of. […] One in every of them would be the second when Yasuke and I come via this — ’trigger we begin as out as enemies, after which there’s a factor that occurs that’s so heartbreaking, and we now have to resolve whether or not we wish to come collectively or half as enemies. And that story, that was one of many hardest tales I’ve ever needed to immerse myself in, to essentially perceive the emotion of what Naoe was going via. And in case you see that scene, then I believe it’s simply tough for anyone to emotionally think about themselves in [it].

After which within the VO sales space, the harder ones was — [gasps] I used to be about to spoil, honey! I used to be so about to spoil. [laughs] […] Properly, there was a scene with my member of the family, and people had been actually powerful as a result of I’ve to steadiness: How a lot emotion would I give it as Masumi, or how a lot emotion do I want to offer it as Naoe, who has already turn into an murderer and has seen so many sufferings via her journey already? In order that balancing was actually powerful. There’s some moments that I actually would love to speak about it, however I can’t. However yeah, it’s round my household. That’s how I would depart it.