As if I needed any more reason to want to play Elder Scrolls Online, Bethesda has announced some of the actors lending their amazing talents to the project. The ensemble case will include such greats as John Cleese (“A Fish Called Wanda,” “Monty Python and the Holy Grail“), Bill Nighy (“Pirates of the Caribbean“, “Shaun of the Dead”), Kate Beckinsale (“Underworld“, “Much Ado About Nothing”), Alfred Molina (“Raiders of the Lost Ark“), Michael Gambon (“Harry Potter“), Malcolm McDowell (“A Clockwork Orange“, “Fallout 3”), and Lynda Carter (“Wonder Woman”).
The Elder Scrolls Online is the first time that player will be able to explore the world of Tamriel in a multiplayer setting. Every player will be able to choose how they want to play, whether that will be to quest on their own, join with a few friends, or participate in massive PvP world events. Elder Scrolls Online is bringing MMORPG game play to the world of Tamriel and if you ask me it is going to be awesome.
Bethesda is not new to casting top talent in their games. For Fallout 3 they cast Academy Award nominee Liam Neeson (“Schindler’s List”, Star Wars Episode I: Phantom Menace”) and Golden Globe winner Ron Perlman (“Hellboy”) in key roles. Clearly Bethesda understands how talented actors can really help in making a game a truly engrossing experience.
John Cleese will play Cadwell, the “cheerful and endearingly mad lost soul who is not afraid of anyone, even a Daedric Prince”. Bill Nighy has been cast as the High King Emeric. Kate Beckinsale takes on the role of Queen Ayrenn, leader of the Aldmeri Dominion and Queen of the High Elves. Alfred Molina takes on the role of Abnur Tharn, the head of the Empire’s Elder Council, and the power behind the Ruby Throne. Lynda Carter returns to reprise her role of Azura, the Daedric Princess of Dusk and Dawn from Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Michael Gambon will voice The Prophet, the blind man who acts a guide for the player on his/her quest to retrieve his/her soul; and Malcolm McDowell will play Molag Bal, an evil Daedric god that has played a role in other Elder Scrolls games and whose main goal is to enslave mortal souls.
Quoted from the official press release:
“The Elder Scrolls Online cast also includes:
• Peter Stormare (“Fargo”) plays Jorunn the Skald King, an unexpected monarch who led his people into an unlikely alliance.
• Jim Ward (“WALL•E,” “Despicable Me 2“) voices Mannimarco, a renegade High Elf wizard exiled from the realm for raising the dead and the world’s most powerful necromancer.
• Jennifer Hale appears in the role of Lyris Titanborn, a Nord half-giant, who, along with the Prophet, aids the player on their journey..
• Kevin Michael Richardson rounds out the cast as Sai Sahan a noble martial artist and master swordsman.”
Seriously, though, how much talent can one game have? I am ridiculously excited by all this. The gameplay and story already had me sucked in, but knowing that my some of my favorite actors are on board really seals this for me as my most anticipated game of 2014.
*Elder Scrolls Online is set to release April 4, 2014 for PC and Mac and June 2014 for Playstation 4 and Xbox One*