a resource website for voice and dialogue specialists working in game development and interactive media
GDC 2026 Panel
Dialogue Design Examples
Battlefield I
Battlefield I's approach to performance emphasized physical effort, use of native languages, and had a unique approach to mic use and placement to capture a "head voice" sound for first person barks. Combined with an approach to mastering which preserves natural dynamics gives the dialogue design of the game a gritty cinematic realism which feels like it was recorded on location and completely erases any evidence it was ever recorded in a VO booth.
Baldur's Gate 3
Baldur's Gate 3's sheer scale of player agency and branching is an achievement in managing complexity on it's own, but that they did this with extensive use of performance capture is an incredible accomplishment. This game's dialogues are a testament to what is possible when you bring physicality not only to animations but to vocal performances as well.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Guardians of the Galaxy features one of the best dialogue choice systems I've seen in games, allowing the player to seamlessly interject in conversations between other characters during exploration gameplay with flawless timing and pacing. There's also enormous vocal variety amongst the various aliens both through performances and vocal FX processing as well as constructed languages.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Casting, recording and mastering does an incredible job of capturing both the sound and spirit of the original films. The attention to detail with non verbal content such as Indiana Jones' efforts while traversing or NPC pain/death during melee combat plays a huge part in achieving the matinee action style of the franchise.
Left 4 Dead 2
L4D2 set some solid standards for barks and contextual dialogue in games, including "performed variation" where you plan to use several performances of the same line which helps prevent audio fatigue due to repeating VO.
Not A Hero
The approach to performance, recording and mastering on Not A Hero gives it a distinctive grainy DIY aesthetic which fits the chaotic, pixel art, side scrolling shooter like a glove!
SSX
SSX doesn't have a lot of dialogue but it punches well above its weight, using a fake radio station with a host who calls out your most recent wins and losses during loading screens and gameplay between events. It does an incredible job of making you feel like you're this snowboarding superstar that everyone is talking about. Not a lot of dialogue but very impactful and no repetition.
![UNCHARTED 4 Gameplay Walkthrough FULL GAME [4K 60FPS PS5] - No Commentary](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/d1fFEP9OFPI/maxresdefault.jpg)
Uncharted 4
The Uncharted series represents an excellent example of cinematic storytelling that bounces seamlessly from cinematics to gameplay. The timing and pacing of the dialogue is flawless with numerous storytelling mix decisions around set pieces, and everything has a consistent tone, believability and quality.