Why Paz In Metal: Hellsinger Sounds Familiar
"Metal: Hellsinger" mixes heavy metal, brutal shooting, and rhythm mechanics, giving fans a chance to blast demons to the beat of rock music in a journey through Hell. On this short but sweet adventure, Paz, the floating skull, serves as the narrator and occasional companion to the player. Paz even performs dual duty as a weapon — a useful feature in the right circumstances (per IGN).
A persistent presence, Paz functions as the only friendly (if fleshless) face the player encounters during their travels. After hours of listening to the skull, players may notice that his distinctive Southern drawl strikes a familiar chord. It turns out that one of the biggest video games voices brought Paz to life: Troy Baker. Anyone who has spent much time with the hobby will likely recognize his other work (and name), with his credits spanning multiple genres, including action-adventure and RPGs.
Troy Baker played villains in Arkham City and Mass Effect 3
Baker's career kicked off in the mid-'90s and he has racked up an impressive list of credits over the years. Providing voices for dozens of movies, shows, and games, some of his biggest roles landed in the 2010s.
In 2011, Baker joined the cast of "Arkham City," the follow-up to the hit "Batman" entry "Arkham Asylum." Baker voiced Two-Face, the first major villain Batman defeats in the game with the help of Catwoman. He later returned to the "Arkham" series to take on the immense task of filling Mark Hamill's shoes as the Joker in "Arkham Origins." Baker praised Hamill's performance and admitted to VG247 that he was nervous when he found out he'd be taking on the role. He went "from petrified to more electrified" as he worked with the writers to explore a younger version of the Joker.
Just a year after playing Two-Face, Baker portrayed another villain in a popular series when he joined the universe of "Mass Effect" as Kai Leng in the third installment. Leng serves as a foil to Commander Shepherd in the last chapter of their story and Baker brought this character to life, giving him a cold, callous personality.
Baker got to be the hero in Bioshock Infinite
After playing multiple video game villains, Baker got to be the hero as Booker DeWitt in "Bioshock Infinite" in 2013. Joining yet another established and venerable series, Baker expressed great appreciation to "Bioshock" creator Ken Levine for helping him get into the character of Booker and deliver a memorable performance. He later told IGN's Up At Noon show that it was a completely new experience for him as an actor.
"Bioshock Infinite" also allowed Baker to showcase his skills as a musician. During the production, to prepare for a scene where Elizbeth sings as Booker plays the guitar, Baker, who is also a musician, played guitar in the studio while voice actress Courtnee Draper sang along. This moving moment was caught on video and made it into the game's soundtrack. "Bioshock Infinite" proved to be a big hit but it wasn't Baker's most iconic role. This came later the same year.
Baker hit it big as Joel in The Last of Us
"The Last of Us" released in June of 2013 and features Baker as protagonist Joel in the exciting and emotional story of two traumatized individuals forming a bond as they make their way across a post-apocalyptic United States. The title was celebrated for its gameplay as well as its narrative and is still often ranked as one of the best video games of all time. This success is due in part to the performances of Baker and the rest of the remarkable cast.
Baker returned to "The Last of Us" to say goodbye to his character in "Part 2" seven years later. He told Revog that it was a bittersweet moment when he performed his final motion capture scene with actress Ashley Johnson, who played Ellie. While he may be done with the character of Joel, Baker isn't finished with the setting just yet. As Deadline reported, both Baker and Johnson appear in the "The Last of Us" HBO series. While they don't play their original characters, they are still a part of the new chapter in the franchise, joining two other voice actors who returned for the TV show.
Baker landed more major roles in Uncharted 4 and God of War
Since "The Last of Us," Baker has voiced characters in other major titles. In 2016, he joined Nolan North in "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End." Just as Baker said goodbye to Joel in "The Last of Us," North was bidding farewell to Nathan Drake. Baker played Samuel Drake, the brother of Nathan, in a family reunion that capped the Drake story.
Baker also appeared in 2018's "God of War" as Magni, one of Thor's sons and an antagonist to Kratos. "God of War" was a hit with fans and critics and, apparently, with Baker as well. Ahead of the game's release, he tweeted that he was looking forward to playing it himself and expressed his gratitude for being included in such an "incredible experience."
With these massive hits under his belt, it's not surprising that Baker's voice would stand out in "Metal: Hellsinger." It's also appropriate that, as both an actor and a musician, he would be a part of a title which makes music a core part of the experience. Now that his work on "Metal: Hellsinger" is finished, expect him to pop up in plenty more games in the future.