The voice of Ralph Ineson may be instantly recognizable to some – especially fans of the UK cult series The Office, of course – but even Ineson himself has been surprised by the response to two of his most iconic video game characters to date.
Ineson says that he started work on two games "three years ago" but had no idea they'd been releasing within weeks of each other. Consequently, a lot of fans who have spent time with both Diablo 4's Lorath and Final Fantasy 16's Cid have noticed a commonality – Ineson's unique voice.
"Thank you for all the kind words about Final Fantasy 16 and Diablo 4," Ineson tweeted.
Thank you for all the kind words about #FinalFantasy16 and #DiabloIV . I started work on both games 3 years ago not realising they’d be released within a month of each other. Cid and Lorath were both great fun and I had some great writing to work with https://t.co/b7mT07PSWyJune 23, 2023
"I started work on both games three years ago, not realising they’d be released within a month of each other. Cid and Lorath were both great fun, and I had some great writing to work with."
"It was always magic having you in the recording booth, Ralph," replied audio engineer, Charlie Thomas. "Every take is always a keeper, an embarrassment of riches!"
"Despite the time and polish, Final Fantasy 16 remains a gamble," we wrote in our Final Fantasy 16 review, in which we awarded the latest instalment of the fan-favorite franchise 4.5 stars out of 5.
"The medieval fantasy is sure to be recognizable to long-term fans keen to see the series return to its roots, though a stripping of RPG elements goes against what plenty desire. You get swifter, more action-focused gameplay that makes the series more approachable to those who haven't played, though whether they do is far from certain.
"It's the kind of gamble that Final Fantasy has happily made in the past so that the series may reinvent itself to execute the type of story its creatives want to tell. Time will tell if Final Fantasy 16 pays off, but history certainly supports it."
Did you see that Final Fantasy 16 players are uncovering references to past games in the series, namely FF4 and 10?
Now that everyone's had a few days to properly sleuth through the new Final Fantasy 16 demo and the full game itself, eagle-eyed fans are discovering references to past games in the series. Or rather, that should be "eagle-eared" fans, as one attentive streamer has somehow recognized a whistle as a reference to the end of Final Fantasy 10...
Check out our upcoming PS5 games guide for a look at all the other exclusives coming to Sony's latest console later this year.
