A fairly recent trend, and only in the AAA budget space, but it takes me out of it when we use 3D models of real actors to play roles. In other mediums, we use prosthetics and make-up and CG to make actors look like different. Makes perfect sense, since the entire point is that they sell you the illusion that they are someone else. Not video games though. For some reason we need to make sure everyone knows they were able to get that actor. It's the most important to us that their likeness is captured and advertised. It's not as important to think of that character as an original character, as it is to evoke that celebrity. The limitless potential of having to create a model anyway is reduced to the least creative, and most cynical option we have. In the case of Death Stranding, they don't even necessarily have those celebrities use their voice and performance, just the likeness suffices. I know Quantic Dream weren't the first to do this, but they are the studio I associate the most with this stuff. It feels like a practice for devs that are insecure about the medium, and wish to mooch perceived prestige from other ones.
Semi-related but I also I don't like it when I recognise voice actors immediately. I assume the problem wouldn't be so bad if the pool of actors was greater, but I feel like I keep bumping into the same 5 people over and over again who do roughly the same voice each time. Making the issue even worse is that I know for a fact that these people have a recent range, but for some reason they're asked to limit themselves. Last generation Nolan North's prevalence became such a meme that a game (Saint's Row?) added "Nolan North" as an option during the character creator. Troy Baker, Laura Bailey and Ashly Burch are just as over-played imo. None of this is on the actors themselves of course. They do a good job, and that's why they're getting re-hired. I do wish the folks doing the casting and direction expand their horizons though. Then we won't have to cast Laura Bailey to play a black woman any more.
