Jennifer Hale and David Hayter are two of the most prolific voice actors in the industry today. Their careers span decades, with TV, film and video game credits to their names.
Last week, I sat down to chat with them both about their upcoming PSVR2 game, Synapse. This PSVR2 release will see the two actors working together once again (Hale was Naomi Hunter in the Metal Gear series, where Hayter of course played Solid Snake).
Synapse’s action plays out in a twisted mindscape that combines firepower and telekinesis with a striking art style. Hayter plays Colonel Peter Conrad, a once-respected black ops leader gone rogue, while Hale plays handler Clara Sorensen. Clara guides players through the Colonel’s mind, as you (a highly trained operative) are transported into his neuro-synaptic relay, in a bid to stop a devastating global attack.
While Hayter was unable to discuss plans for the upcoming MGS3 remake, the pair were able to talk at length on their characters past and present, the challenges of creating voices for off-screen characters in VR, and much more.
Can you give me a bit more background on your characters in Synapse?
Jennifer Hale: Clara is extremely goal oriented. She is determined to be successful at all costs. She’s a dedicated operative and the Colonel is her number one goal in life – taking him down.
David Hayter [not missing a beat]: The Colonel is unjustly, unjustly persecuted by this person! Maybe that’s just my opinion. He was a black ops specialist, at this point they feel that he’s been driven insane by his career, brutality and deception. It’s similar to Marlon Brando’s character in Apocalypse Now, in that he’s started disobeying orders and taking on missions without clearance.