Famous voices from Baldur’s Gate 3 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as actors in a game? Dead Take is supposed to deliver just that, bringing cross-border horror to Steam.
What kind of game is Dead Take? Dead Take on Steam is an upcoming psychological first-person horror game by Surgent Studios, known for the game “Tales of Kenzera: Zau” and Pocketpair Publishing, which is behind the survival game “Palworld“. Surgent Studios itself was founded by Abubakar Salim, who is famous as the actor of Bayek from Assassin’s Creed Origins.
The acting focus is also felt in the concept of the new game: You take on the role of an actor investigating the disappearance of a friend. In doing so, you explore an abandoned villa, solve puzzles, and uncover dark sides of the film industry. The focus is meant to be on storytelling, atmosphere, and a critical view of fame and media.
In the game, players explore a dark mansion, solve puzzles by piecing together live-action clips, and dive deep into a psychological horror story. To achieve this, the developers have brought in two well-known figures from Baldur’s Gate 3, Final Fantasy XVI, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
“I didn’t want them to hide behind animated or 3D characters”
Whom did the developers bring on board? A new trailer shows which famous voices the studio secured for their horror game. One part of the video features Neil Newbon, who became famous for his role as Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3. His co-actor, and perhaps rival, will be Ben Starr, who is particularly heard as Clive in Final Fantasy XVI and as Verso in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
A central element of the game will be the use of real film scenes with the actors. “You will see Ben and Neil at work as actors on screen,” explains studio founder Abubakar Salim to Eurogamer. “I didn’t want them to hide behind animated or 3D characters. I wanted to show them. We know them as Astarion or Clive – but what happens when you really see them as real actors?”
This decision reflects Salim’s own career – he is not only a developer but also an actor himself, most recently in House of the Dragon. Together with Ben Starr and Neil Newbon, he wants to honestly portray the reality of the industry. That’s why he also deliberately collaborated with friends he gained through the industry:
I have heard – and experienced – many stories of people who would do anything for fame. It’s quite terrifying. We all grew up together, worked together, yet the stories remain the same. That’s exactly what I wanted to show – from an honest, raw space. The game deals with such personal topics that it can only be realized with people you trust – and who are absolutely professional. It’s very heartfelt.
Abubakar Salim to Eurogamer
With Dead Take, the development team primarily wants to prove that they can also cater to other types of games and that they are primarily storytellers.
Ben Starr also plays a role in one of the biggest surprises of this year. He voices protagonist Verso in Clair Obscur. Alongside him, there is also a star from Baldur’s Gate 3. However, that they became part of the game had little to do with their background: Developers of Expedition 33 choose 2 talented voice actors, only later finding out whom they had hired
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