Skyrim was generally an excellent game, but it proves that the next Elder Scrolls desperately needs more voice actors. When one is playing for an extended period of time, it is almost impossible to ignore the limited pool of voices on display. With Elder Scrolls 6 sure to be a major title, more available voices would be a reasonable expectation.
Skyrim had a lot of NPCs for the player to interact with, many of which had their own stories and roles to play. However, when one is busy exploring the vast world of Skyrim, it will not take long for them to realize that many characters share the same voices. Even just a couple of hours of play will likely lead the player to encounter several sound-alikes. While some restrictions, such as not letting Skyrim players make Skooma make their own kind of sense, the small voice selection is far harder to accept. It can be an awkward situation, especially when characters have similar lines and designs as well as voices, making some NPCs feel like copies.
One downside of Skyrim's lack of voice variety is its effect on immersion. Skyrim is a game that more or less demands for the player to get immersed in the world in order to achieve its full impact. The villages, landmarks, and ruins that the player can explore all add to that sense of adventure and mystique. However, once the player starts encountering multiple NPCs that sound the same, that immersion starts to break. It's especially bad when the player picks up a companion or hooks up with one of Skyrim's best characters to marry, only to meet someone with the exact same voice as their new friend or partner minutes later.
Skyrim Has Too Many Characters Who Sound The Same
In addition to messing with the game's immersion, Skyrim's voice acting limitations make many of the game's characters feel less special. A distinctive voice can make a character stand out just as much as a memorable design can. When an NPC who plays an important role in a quest happens to sound almost exactly like a random villager in the local tavern, it tarnishes the former's aura of importance. That is not to say that every character in the game needs a unique voice, particularly in a game as large as Skyrim. However, significant characters such as followers or those who appear in one of Skyrim's best quests should have their own voices. Bethesda has long been loyal to the talented voice actors it routinely works with, but too much similarity (over too many modern Elder Scrolls games) might make Bethesda want to reconsider and expand its options.
There is only so much that a relatively small team of voice actors in a big game can do. With more voice acting talent at their disposal, the world of Elder Scrolls 6 could feel more complete. With more NPCs having unique voices, their personalities will be able to shine through more effectively, helping to build their characters. While there are other games that deserve remasters more than Skyrim, it never hurts to muse about what the game could do better. A big world like those found in an Elder Scrolls game needs to make its characters stand out, and voice acting is a great way to do that - especially over the hundreds of hours of play many find in Skyrim.
