Behind the Scenes of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 – A Unique Acting Challenge

Acting in video games is a completely different experience compared to film or television, as Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 actors Tom McKay and Luke Dale reveal. McKay, who portrays the protagonist Henry, described his time working on the game as one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences of his career. In an interview with the BBC, he shared that the role required an enormous amount of voice acting, spending over 500 hours in the sound booth due to the game's extensive branching narrative.

Unlike traditional acting, McKay explained that recording lines for the game involved navigating complex decision trees. He often had to record multiple variations of the same scene to accommodate the player's choices, sometimes backtracking and re-recording lines to ensure a seamless narrative flow. This non-linear storytelling approach presented unique challenges that are rarely encountered in TV or film.

The role of Henry required McKay to adapt his performance to various scenarios, allowing players to shape the character as a noble hero, a cunning thief, or even a ruthless villain. This dynamic storytelling required a flexible approach to voice acting, with McKay delivering lines in a variety of tones and emotions to suit the many potential player decisions.

Luke Dale, who plays Hans Capon, echoed McKay's sentiments, highlighting the collaborative environment on set. With multiple directors and creative team members offering feedback, the actors had to constantly adjust their performances. Despite the intensity of the work, the cast developed close bonds, spending years together in the motion capture studio wearing head-to-toe lycra suits. Dale compared the camaraderie to slipping into a comfortable pair of clothes, a feeling of ease despite the physically demanding motion capture process.

The secrecy surrounding the project added another layer of complexity. Working on Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 for nearly nine years, the actors were sworn to confidentiality, unable to discuss their work even with close friends or family. McKay humorously compared the level of secrecy to working for an intelligence agency, as they had to be extremely cautious about leaks. When fans spotted him in Prague, he had to invent excuses to avoid revealing the project, jokingly claiming he was just a frequent tourist.

All the hard work paid off as Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 achieved remarkable success, selling over a million copies within 24 hours of release and surpassing its predecessor's peak concurrent player numbers. The game has cemented its place among the top 50 most-played games on Steam, thanks to its immersive narrative and the dedicated performances of its talented cast.