We Need To Talk About The New Final Fantasy Voice Actors

It's been two years and I'm still not over it :(

Timestamps:
Intro: 00:00 - 01:21
The Reason for the Recast: 01:22 - 02:58
Zack: 02:59 - 05:04
Sephiroth: 05:05 - 07:35
Tifa: 07:36 - 08:59
Barbie Tangent: 09:00 - 09:27
Kingdom Hearts Tangent: 09:28 - 09:47
Conclusion: 09:48 - 10:34

Music

♪ Piki - Ocean Tour

Here Come The Raindrops · Reed Mathis

Cloud Vs Sephiroth AC Remaster:

[anatoliasmercenary.]

Zack’s original voice really makes you FEEL like he’s from Gongaga.

[owljaygames]

The comparison of "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO ANGEAL?!" made me realize how much the casting affects the game

[Imps]

I have to say, Brianna White as Aerith is the absolute definite right choice

[MyNameJefff]

Zack’s original VA really killed it. That comparison of the “What the hell did you do, Angeal?” line really does show how important inflections and tone are. Reunion doesn’t have that depth and emotion that the original had. One feels like a friend feeling betrayed, the other feels like a guy reading off a script.

[anthonyf]

The original voice of Zack really made you FEEL like he was a puppy

[RiiLove]

George's voice for Sephiroth was such high quality. So terrifying yet alluring.

[reicherwallace]

The voice acting from Zack and Sephiroth specifically are so perfect that I felt like I watched a dog get shot when I realized that they changed their voices for no discernable reason.

[TheAwesomeDarkNinja]

The loss of George Newbern still hurts me to this day. It's like you found the literal reincarnation of Sephiroth in real life, yet recasted him for the sake of recasting.

[envynoson]

Me before the video: The change can't be that bad.

Me after the video: Yeah, Sephiroth's and Zack's voices actually hits different.

[makisbizarreadventure]

The Moment I heard the new actor says The Price of Freedom is steep I knew I wouldn’t get passed it. Rick put so much weight behind those words and that journey. He’s my fave ff7 character and it’s because the original Crisis Core.

[natehawthorne]

When it comes to the VAs, I like the new voices for Aerith, Tifa, and Barret over the originals. I'm either way with Clouds VAs. I prefer Sephiroth and Zack's original VAs over the new Zack's.

[animeheadshot]

I am SO GLAD I'm not the only one who feels this way.

And I got chills when I heard Zack yell, "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO, ANGEAL?!" for the first time. That was solid voice acting. The new VA's rendition of that scene just doesn't cut it.

[ivanatinkle]

WOAH another perfect video with perfect narration, examples, and coordination and I can't stop laughing at you putting a clip of Zack when saying "to be fair"

[MariusBoss]

I strongly Disagree about Tifa. Now, while I was playing OG, I felt like Tifa was childish in a way. But Remake Tifa is more Mature. But I like that change. You could argue that Aerith is more even though she's older than Cloud and Tifa is more Mature. I like this Mature version of Tifa.

[everythingBLUE]

I love that we're having this conversation. I'm 32 and grew up with these characters. Even so, I never really loved the voice cast outside of George and Rick. I've always thought that Cloud deserved better than Steve Burton. Not to say Steve's awful, but hot take, it takes a better performer to bring out the more colorful shades of Cloud's personality and Cody just... he just nailed it. I immensely enjoyed the performances of the main quartet (Cloud/Aerith/Tifa/Barret) in Remake.

Zack... Zack hurts me. You're so spot on with your analysis of Rick Gomez and what he brought to the character. Warmth, strength, conviction, maturity. I'm convinced that Zack's current western fanbase wouldn't be half as large without Rick's original interpretation. No shade to the new actor, but it's a dire miscast and lackluster direction imo.

[mckyzo]

Personally I prefer Britt's voice for Tifa because it lends itself to her contrasting switcharoo narrative with Aerith. Those two characters were designed with the idea that one acts more like how the other looks(Aerith looks more timid and shy at a distance, but once you get to know them, those traits fit Tifa). Tifa's voice sounding more assertive lulls you into believe she's spunky and headstrong(when those traits are more akin to Aerith), only for it to be revealed throughout the game that she has more depth to her than just her design(I like to think this peaks in the garden scene). To each there own, though, your Zack and Sephy take is essentially unanimous.

[MelaniAlarcon]

im scared about Vincents new upcoming voice actor, i think no one will be better than Steve Blum

[microwraptor]

im soo nervous because Zack's voice over the course of CC changes as he gets older/goes through more traumatic shit, by the end of the game he not only has changed entirely as a character but also *sounds* so much more mature and less naive than he did at the beginning of the game. to me it was something really important that i noticed and made me emotional. i would like for the remake to at least include that but 😬😬😬😬

[hauntedhills]

Good note on how Zacks new VA sounds like a 4kids version. I got a chuckle out of that one. To me, it just sounded like hes just there for a paycheck and performed the bare minimum. Rick Gomez nailed it in the original. First time hearing Zack in the remake I was laughing on how abysmal those lines were said. Especially towards a scene that's supposed to be emotional.

[HumanDevilTV]

Cody Christian somewhat grew into the role of Cloud to me, as he really sounds like a younger Steve Burton to me. Briana White was a perfect new cast for Aerith, she really fits the character well and sounds so natural. Tyler Hoechlin as Sephiroth is still strange to me, especially since George Newbern delivered this character so iconically over the past years in different media. He does a decent job, though. There are some in betweens that are good enough that they don't stand out negatively. However, the voice cast of Crisis Core Reunion really has two major problems. First, Shaun Conde as Genesis. The main "villain" of the game, who has a lot of lines throughout the game. Oliver Quinn really gave the character some depth, a concealed anger and hatred, while still maintaining this gentle and elegant tone. Conde just makes him sound like an average arrogant rich kid. And second, of course, is Caleb Pierce as Zack. How in the world can you screw up your main hero's voice like that, while Rick Gomez defined this character with such emotional power and vocal range 14 years ago? Pierce just sounds too flat, too emotionless and just like a bad imitation of Roger Craig Smith as Sonic the Hedgehog. I can understand that Square Enix wanted a new direction with the remake continuity and thus changed the voice actors. However, sometimes, changes are not always for the better, but for the worse.