Recording a major video-game cast does not always mean sharing a studio. Much of the voice work for Final Fantasy VII Revelation was completed separately, leaving performers to respond to previously recorded lines and maintain a scene’s emotional momentum.
At a New York City Comic Con panel hosted by Lucy James, members of the cast discussed the co-stars whose performances helped them find their own characters. Their answers ranged from comic timing and contrasting personalities to emotionally demanding scenes.
The panel offered an interesting look at the collaborative process behind a modern role-playing game. For readers who enjoy the wider world of games and machines, more industry coverage is available in the RETROCADE arcade blog.
Max Mittelman and Matt Mercer praise their scene partners
Max Mittelman, who voices Red XIII, said he regularly asks for one of Paul Tinto’s Cait Sith recordings before performing. Cait Sith’s accent has made Mittelman request the line roughly 20 times in the booth.
Matt Mercer, the voice of Vincent, highlighted Vincent’s scenes with Suzie Yeung’s Yuffie. He enjoys the contrast between the two characters: Yuffie brings energetic momentum, while Vincent can act as the restrained counterbalance. Yeung said she loved the pairing too, recalling that she messaged Mercer to say their scenes were going to be special.
Barret’s voice actor hints at new character interactions
John Eric Bentley said Barret often functions as a point of contact for the rest of the cast, so he was eager to hear the performances of the characters he responds to. He mentioned conversations with J. Michael Tatum, who plays Cid, Mercer, and Paul Tinto’s Cait Sith.
Bentley also suggested that Barret has material with several characters that was not part of the 1997 original game. He said the new interactions with Cait Sith and the exchanges that balance Barret against the female characters were particularly enjoyable, while avoiding details that could spoil the story.
Cloud, Tifa and Aerith bring out the cast’s best
Britt Baron explained that the performers usually record alone, meaning she often does not hear her colleagues’ work until the finished game is released. When Cody Christian’s Cloud recordings were played for her during a later session, she was struck by how grounded, honest and realistic his performance felt.
Baron said Christian’s work made her want to revisit more than the single line being recorded because Tifa’s response needed to match the quality of Cloud’s performance. Christian, in turn, praised Baron’s interpretation of the Cloud and Tifa relationship, pointing to the subtlety and nuance she brings to their interactions.
Christian also singled out Travis Willingham’s Sephiroth. Hearing Willingham’s voice helped Christian access the intense and truthful emotions Cloud needs when confronted by Sephiroth, whom Christian described as a powerful trigger and driving force for the character.
Briana White said Baron’s Tifa combines softness and strength at full intensity. White felt that Tifa’s outwardly balanced qualities complemented Aerith’s more inward expression of similar traits, making their shared scenes a joy to perform. She added that the cast enjoys the Aerith and Tifa scenes as much as the audience does.
Caleb Pierce, who plays Zack, also praised White. Pierce said his naturally chaotic energy can settle when he hears White’s Aerith recordings, helping him feel grounded before bringing his own ideas into the booth.
Red XIII and Sephiroth earn special mentions
Willingham jokingly claimed Mercer was “phoning it in” before giving Mittelman his genuine praise. Willingham had played both the 1997 original and the Remake and Rebirth titles with his son, who especially loved Red XIII. When the character’s voice changed, his son observed that Red XIII sounded young like him. Willingham joked that they might get matching back tattoos.
Mercer said he had been a longtime Final Fantasy VII fan and had worried about whether the remake series would handle the material properly. He remembered being delighted by the cast’s warmth, care and respect for the characters before he became substantially involved, aside from performing some small voices in a Walmart setting. He later contacted cast members on social media simply to tell them they had done excellent work.
Yeung recalled being surprised by Mercer’s direct message, while Mercer said he had felt compelled to send the compliment immediately.
Cid’s actor discovered the cast from the outside
J. Michael Tatum said the original Final Fantasy VII was part of his childhood and that the franchise had unexpectedly influenced his life for years. He watched his husband play the first game and listened to the cast’s performances as an actor, admiring how grounded they were and how rarely they took the obvious approach.
Tatum never expected to join the cast. After winning the role, he felt the pressure to match the standard set by his colleagues. Because he often recorded late in the production, he heard roughly 90 per cent of the other performances first. That suited his process: Tatum said he commonly discovers a character through the way others react to them, and the cast made that relational approach easy.
Christian teases emotionally heavy material
Before the panel ended, Christian returned to White’s performance and said some of his favourite work appears in this third game. He described their scenes as extremely heavy and said recording them was cathartic. Christian also suggested that the material would leave a strong emotional impression on players.
Final Fantasy VII Revelation is scheduled to launch on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Switch 2 on 8 April. While the cast’s comments focus on performance rather than hardware, players comparing platforms may also enjoy RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide and browse the latest arcade machines. Those planning a custom setup can explore DIY arcade kits as well.
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