Sunday's Best Deals: Compustar Remote Start Kit, Buffy Cloud Comforters, XPG Spectrix RAM, and More. save. “Especially as someone who watches anime on occasion—and whenever a black character comes on screen with the wild problematic features and just overall behaviors—I often wonder about how the Japanese portray black characters in general. As a white dude who now works in the game industry as a writer, when I played FFVII as a kid, the troublesome aspects were something I was definitely aware of, but it was also just like “This dude is the coolest, most interesting character in this game, by a mile”. A quick dive into immigration-themed video games, In Defense of Pyre, Supergiant’s Underappreciated Middle Child, 4 Great History Books for Game Masters: How to Expand Your Campaign and Impress Your Friends. Barrett is straight-up the heart of Final Fantasy VII, and one of the best characters in the entire franchise. That was me coming up in a nutshell.”. Directed by Tetsuya Nomura. Game models from Final Fantasy VII Remake by Square Enix Because of his wife's illness Barret decided to advocate co-operation with Shinra in building a Mako Reactor north of Corel. After AVALANCHE disbands, Barret chooses to continue his mission to save the Planet by trying to find a new energy source to replace Mako. He was a dominant young athlete on any given parking lot. John Eric Bentley on creating a voice for Barret Wallace in Final Fantasy 7 remake. In the case of Barret Wallace, the reaction has been mixed. For what it’s worth, the dicey presentation aside, Barrett really is a wonderfully 3-dimensional character: a passionate and intelligent eco-terrorist with a big-time “screw capitalism” bent, an adopted daughter he turns into a big mushy teddy bear around, and Complicated Feelings about the blue-collar mining town he grew up in. When it was first released on the PlayStation in 1997, the game sent ripples through the roleplaying genre and the video game industry as a whole. This article includes voice actors of important character's voice casts. A three-part interview with voice actor John Bentley. Re-imagining of Final Fantasy VII (1997). He is voiced in English by Beau Billingslea in Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus, and John Eric Bentley in Final Fantasy VII Remake. Let’s take a closer look at these new voice actors. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. I want that!’”. With Cody Christian, Briana White, Britt Baron, John Eric Bentley. Biggs , Jessie , Aerith, Barret and Tifa voice actor. In Kotaku video producer Tim Rogers’s analysis of the translation, he points out how the English translation, which he says was done by a single person in two weeks, inserted that characterization after the fact. This is why, even as a kid, John wore his “nerdom” like a badge of honor. Part Two. Aerith & Barret Voice Actors Play Final Fantasy VII (Briana White & John Bentley) It's happening right now! I really hope, the voice issue aside, that they stick the landing with him in the remake’s writing, and a new audience has the opportunity to get to know the gruff tuff hippy gun-hand teddy bear dad I love. This is John Bentley, and this is his story. Photos of the Final Fantasy VII Remake (Game) voice actors. Henry Huggins. He was a reader, thanks to his mom. He has a career’s worth of roles proving that he is an empathetic performer. Yesterday a new teaser for the Final Fantasy VII remake dropped, and players got to see and hear more of the characters as they will appear in the new game. There’s a reason he’s so prominent in marketing materials any time anything related to Final Fantasy VII comes out: because he’s deeply, sincerely beloved by a lot of people. And he was the next big thing coming out of the neighborhood — a growing talent who represented the best of his community. ... (voice of Barret … And then I would kick your butt on the football field, or baseball field, or basketball court, or track. “I remember walking through Sears holding my mom’s hand and I said, ‘Ooh! Thankfully, in his small home right above Leon’s BarBQ on 78th and Cornell, there came a Christmas miracle. When it came out, the PlayStation was my older brother’s console, and I wasn’t allowed to touch it, as he (rightfully) feared I’d break it or mess up his saves. Most importantly, it was a source of joy when the world was at its worst — a way to find happiness when happiness was in short supply. He laughs again as he continues painting a warm picture of those early days and the quaintness of his childhood gaming routine. Some of his more recent works include The Last of Us Part II during 2020, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, in 2019, and Kingdom Hearts III in 2019. In what Tim describes as “the most important text box in Japanese role-playing game English translation history,” the game mis-translates Barret’s expression of empathy to a depressed Cloud. ... John discusses the values that have earned him a long career and continuous progress as an actor. Here’s why I return it. Hardy Boys. One of us, as they say. For the most part, the reaction is positive. And then, one day, he became something new. Coming in as the next on the list of newly revealed Final Fantasy 7 Remake voice actors is John Eric Bentley, who will take on the role of Barret … Video Game: Final Fantasy VII Remake Franchise: Final Fantasy Keeping tight lipped until recently, Square Enix has finally revealed the entire voice acting cast for the FF7 Remake. In the English dub of the Final Fantasy VII remake, John Eric Bentley did the voice of the character. The Story of John Bentley, the Voice of Barret in Final Fantasy VII Remake. Eventually I was old enough to be trusted not to destroy a console, but by then, the game was much harder to find. Bentley made research in order to portray Barret properly. He was married to a woman named Myrna who suffered from an unspecified illness. Tifa Lockhart “I was running around in our one-bedroom apartment. A former soldier joins an eco-terrorist group in a mission against the electric power company he used to work … Instead of telling Cloud that everyone gets depressed, like he does in the Japanese text, Barret says that people only get depressed if they don’t know “what’s going on.” The fact that that line is preceded with the line, “Yo, jes’ think about it… How many people in the world do ya think really understand themselves?” further reinforces Barret as some kind of hyper-masculine cartoon. It kind of breaks my heart to imagine that a single bad creative decision from a localizer in 1997 could, two decades later, prevent others for whom such stereotypes are more distracting and/or personal from being able to connect with his character in the same way I got to. Google Stadia works. That’s how John became a gamer. John Eric Bentley is the English dub voice of Barret Wallace in Final Fantasy VII Remake, and Masahiro Kobayashi is the Japanese voice. Black people want to see themselves in games—not as a stereotype that other people think they are, but as they actually are. People who aren’t gamers, they don’t get it.”. Here is a list of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII Voice Actors from Advent Children, Crisis Core, and Dirge of Cerberus that we would desperately love to see in the Final Fantasy VII Remake: Steve Burton as Cloud Strife George Newbern as Sephiroth Beau Billingslea as Barret Wallace Rachael Leigh Cook as … User account menu. IGN sat down with some of the voice cast for the upcoming Final Fantasy 7 remake and discussed what it's like bringing new voices to such iconic characters. Yes lawd! 204. Many fans were indeed hoping for a modernization of Barret with this remake. The upcoming Final Fantasy VII Remake is bringing a whole lot more than just a modern revamp of the original game’s mechanics and visuals. This page comprises the full verbal transcript of Final Fantasy VII Remake. Bently was born on August 31st, 1969, and has been in a number of larger projects. We all know that Beau Billingslea is capable of handling this character. In the reactions that I’ve seen, fans don’t want to censor or remove Barret from the game; they were just hoping to see a better portrayal of his character this time around. “People laughed at me because I was the only Black kid with big, Coke-bottle glasses who would be able to talk about video games and straight nerd out. Why is he a walking MTV cliche of what people THINK black men are like?” he wrote on Twitter. Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Close. Yet, through it all, he’s still that same gamer who plays for nothing but the simple joy of it. As people. Homework would be delayed as he got his snack on while saving the world in Space Invaders or escaping into any other pixelated escapade that he wanted. There is still so much unknown about this remake. In the trailer for the Final Fantasy VII, the voice acting for Barret really leans into that Mr. T characterization. “There are certain games that took me on adventures, and I didn’t have to worry about the world at the time,” John says. You can follow John Bentley on Twitter and Instagram. Turns out a new pair of sunglasses isn’t the only thing Barrett is getting in the Final Fantasy VII Remake.The entire cast in the Final Fantasy VII remake are getting new English voice actors, with none of Cloud or Sephiroth’s previous English dub actors returning. Kotaku video producer Paul Tamayo put it succinctly in a tweet: I asked Paul how he’d try to modernize the character, and he told me it’s something he thinks about all the time. It’s something that some fans had hoped would change in the process of remaking the game, and they’re frustrated that it didn’t. ". What Were the Best 1980s Video Game Consoles? Barret’s characterization in this version involves an exaggerated black dialect, and his re-translated dialogue now also emphasizes Americanized ideals about masculinity. Dixon’s frustration is on the surface in his tweet, but the plea at its core is simple and understandable. My dad hooked it up and he laughed as he watched my face.”. He’d hurry inside, set up his Atari, and just let the good times roll. There are very few viral tweets about this topic, but the sentiment is there, quietly. Read, read, read, read, read.” And he did. 140. Many are frustrated, annoyed, are laughing at the character rather than with him or saying they just wish the creative team had made a different call. “I lost it,” John shakes his head with a big grin, remembering. But once Final Fantasy VII Remake comes out for PlayStation 4 on April 10, people will have the chance to judge the new voice acting cast for themselves. Something to be appreciated. Find out all the voice actors of Final Fantasy 7 (FF7 Remake, FF7R) Remake. At all?”. Aerith & Barret Remake Voice Actors Play Final Fantasy VII - Briana White & John Bentley The two play through the first major adventure in the game, marveling at the opening cinematic before diving into the assault on the Sector 1 Mako Reactor. Final Fantasy 7 Remake's Barrett Wallace is voiced by seasoned voice actor John Eric Bently. And like a cannon locked into the arm of a legendary freedom fighter, at that very moment, John Eric Bentley and video games were forever bound together. Comic book after comic book. Even then, gaming was more than a hobby to him: it was an occasion to be savored. One fan tweeted the trailer with the comment, “I wish they would Dead the Mr. T voice.” Another said that the trailer looked great, but the voice made them uncomfortable. These weren’t just words on pages, these were John’s first forays into extraordinary stories and heroes. 58 images (& sounds) of the Final Fantasy VII Remake cast of characters. Close. A precursor to the iconic characters he’d play later in life. Final Fantasy VII was one of the most influential games in Square Enix’s history. Considering no one has any idea who they'll be, I thought I would share who I think would be perfect for the job. Barret is a stereotype of a gruff black man in the English translation of the original game. 204. John talks about the beginning of his gaming journey, his methodology for continuous progress in voice acting, and the important cultural responsibilities behind voicing Barret Wallace in Final Fantasy VII Remake. For Final Fantasy VII Remake on the PlayStation 4, a GameFAQs message board topic titled "New interview with Barret English voice actor. The cast of the game is also getting an update, breathing new life to these characters that we all know and love. For the most part, the reaction is positive. An improbable yet intriguing ensemble. Welcome to the unofficial subreddit for the Final Fantasy VII Remake! I didn’t learn that Barret was a pretty egregious stereotype of blackness until long after I had internalized the idea that my video game fandom was incomplete if I hadn’t played Final Fantasy VII. The most aggressive criticism I saw came from Brandon Dixon, the creator of the upcoming tabletop RPG Swordsfall, which is set in an afrofuturist nation. Hallelu. Barret grew up in the small, forested coal mining village of Corel. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts ... Jessie , Aerith, Barret and Tifa voice actor. However, battle dialogue that occurs only during certain battles is included here. share. Video games were new and different — definitely a deviation from Bentley normalcy. 4 min read A three-part interview with voice actor John Bentley. He was a pint-sized inquisitor with bottomless curiosity. “I didn’t think they would get it,” he shrugs as he describes his mother, a staunch educator, and his father, a hard-working man who didn’t quite get the technology. Transcriptions of non-unique battle dialogue are found on Final Fantasy VII Remake battle dialogue. John talks about the beginning of his gaming journey, his methodology for continuous progress in … For Final Fantasy VII Remake on the PlayStation 4, a GameFAQs message board topic titled "Barrett's Voice Actor in the recent trailer" - Page 2. I’ve never played Final Fantasy VII, and because of that, I’m interested in the remake. It was an Atari 2600, beeping and booping on a demo television in all its cartridge-based glory. Press J to jump to the feed. Many things about this game, including the voice acting, could still change. A latchkey kid whose parents worked long hours, he’d grab French fries and a small drink for one dollar at Leon’s before heading upstairs. Also his hand is a big gun. Notes This transcript contains cutscene dialogue and mandatory gameplay dialogue. Gulliver’s Travels. In the trailer for the FFVII remake, though, he sounds like he’s about to start speaking in tongues in church. The user even took swings at Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts designer Tetsuya Nomura and claimed that Barret’s portrayal by a black voice actor was equivalent to “black people that think coonskin [the 1975 animated blaxploitation film] is a good movie.” Many fans were indeed hoping for a modernization of Barret with this remake. After showcasing Final Fantasy 7 Remake at its E3 2019 press conference, Square Enix confirms the game's voice cast, revealing that Cloud Strife has been recast. I honestly struggle to think of many black characters in pop culture / children’s media that get to have anything approaching his level of agency, depth, and heroic spotlight moments, aside from maybe the cast of Black Panther. Most gamers understand that. Naturally, a remake is on the way for the PlayStation 4. A.J. “Do [they] ever talk to PoC? 20 comments. In the case of Barret Wallace, the reaction has been mixed. His Japanese voice actor is Masahiro Kobayashi. Running around with the Atari box in my hand. In Barret’s case, I feel like just not having to resort to this like slick-talkin’, smooth ‘accent’ that could’ve probably been handled much better on the writer’s side and the performer’s side too,” he said. Welcome to the unofficial subreddit for the Final Fantasy VII Remake! But as that starry-eyed kid in Sears saw Pong for the first time, he feared one thing: that being in a family that loved reading would disqualify video games as appropriate entertainment. If anything, he looked to excel at being a nerd just as he looked to excel at everything else he did. Archived. Barret’s voice actor, Beau Billingslea, is a wonderful actor, most famous for having played Jett in the English dub of Cowboy Bebop. Log In Sign Up. “I’ll never forget,” John describes with playful awe. As a kid growing up in the South Side of Chicago, John Bentley was a lot of things. ‘Final Fantasy VII’ Remake Might Not Just Ignore SJW Complaints, But Spite Them Seeing these two characters—Tifa and Barret Wallace—in their new versions gives me … “I was always told to read. Not a fully realized person, but a Mr. T facsimile full of weak bon mots. If they do insist on keeping this iteration of Billingslea’s performance, though, I hope they let me summon the Holy Ghost in battle. Press J to jump to the feed. By the time I was in high school, I had already heard many stories from my friends about how this game had such a strong emotional impact on them. Yesterday a new teaser for the Final Fantasy VII remake dropped, and players got to see and hear more of the characters as they will appear in the new game. From the Windy City to football at the University of Minnesota to starting his own family while building a decades-long career in acting and voice acting, that kid from Chicago has “come up” a lot since unwrapping his Atari. The original Final Fantasy 7 has been improved and expanded on in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, including the portrayal of Barret Wallace - the Avalanche leader of the Midgar cell known for his fiery passion that comes off as both inspiring and brash.His aggressiveness has been known to rub some people the wrong way, but his reasons behind this hostility help rationalize them. It just makes me wonder how many black producers/writers/directors are involved (if at all) when these characters are made or how they could’ve been ‘modernized’ responsibly in the right hands.”. This depiction plays into racist assumptions people make about black men: not seeing them as full people, but as hulking masses of muscle that sometimes provide folksy wisdom. This was his time. says: 'It's almost inevitable that the newly announced remake of Final Fantasy VII will include voice actors. “When I came out of the game, the world didn’t seem so tough. Posted by 10 months ago. His childhood friend, Dyne, disagreed at first, but Barret convinced him to agree. “Can a game, for fucking once, just make the black guy NORMAL. In his mind, if you’re going to be something, why not be the best version of it? During localization of the game, Bentley did not know the exact media in which he would portray Barret but was sure it had to do with the remake. This is just how John’s gaming journey started. Abandoning your game and moving on — Indie dev reflections. Nancy Drew. All its cartridge-based glory his Story face. ”, Buffy Cloud Comforters, Spectrix. Start speaking in tongues in church represented the best version of it that the newly announced of. Way for the Final Fantasy VII ( Briana White & John Bentley and... 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