As a lifelong fan of gaming and pop culture, I can’t help but marvel at the increasingly surreal intersection between these two worlds. From renowned comedians to action movie stars, it seems like everyone wants a piece of the gaming pie these days. And who could blame them? The potential for creative expression and reaching new audiences is immense!
Over time, video games have increasingly intersected with various aspects of popular culture, appearing more frequently in these spheres.
This includes film, television, music, and more than a few professional wrestlers.
Notable personalities from the acting and celebrity world have agreed to take up significant parts in the narratives of various games, as well as brief, attention-grabbing appearances.
However, working in a celebrity in one form or another isn’t always an exact science.
Occasionally, situations can become quite unpredictable. Certain famous figures may pop up in unexpected places, some may play a larger role in the narrative than anticipated, while others seem to have no connection whatsoever.
10 Burt Reynolds
Saints Row: The Third
As the narrative unfolds in Saints Row: The Third, the leader of the Saints gang receives a call from Steelport’s Mayor, asking for help with a particular issue.
Initially, the Boss is dismissive of the unknown politician.
Upon their visit to his office, it turns out that the mayor is none other than Burt “Swearword” Reynolds, a fact that the Boss announces enthusiastically.
Once you assist Mayor Reynolds with his issue, you’ll gain the power to summon him as an ally during battle, enabling you to fight side by side with him.
Additionally, you can ring him up at any time to instantly wipe your notoriety level.
9 “Rowdy” Roddy Piper
Saints Row 4
In Saints Row 4, the Vice President of the United States is actor Keith David, playing himself.
Late in the story, David is captured and placed in a simulation of his worst nightmare.
When you locate him, he’ll be engaged in a brawl reminiscent of the one seen in “They Live,” featuring professional wrestler “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.
After rescuing David, Roddy becomes an ally you can call on at will.
Casually chatting, Roddy inquired from David if collaborating with him on They Live was perhaps the scariest ordeal he’d ever experienced.
David assures that he loved working with Roddy, he just really hated that alley fight scene.
8 Penn & Teller
Borderlands 3
Since the mid-1990s, the magician pair Penn & Teller have occasionally ventured into the world of video gaming, featuring in various children’s and educational computer games in a minor capacity.
The infamous game Desert Bus is actually part of a collection of silly games created by the two.
Their first appearance in a big-budget video game, however, came about in Borderlands 3.
In a different choice of words, Penn and Teller assumed the roles of two commanding figures called “Agony” and “Dread,” who worked for the Calypso twins, mirroring the personalities of their voice providers.
As a gamer, I’d put it this way: “You know, Penn lent his voice to Pain, while Teller gave life to the silent menace known as Terror. Just like Teller himself, Terror rarely speaks.
7 David Bowie
Omikron: The Nomad Soul
In 1999, Quantic Dream released Omikron: The Nomad Soul for the PC.
This… very strange game featured extensive work by the late David Bowie.
Bowie didn’t just create ten unique tunes for the game’s background music, he also took on the roles of speaking and appearing as two of the game’s characters by providing his voice and likeness.
Bowie appears as the lead singer in a band, who sings several of the game’s songs around the city.
Additionally, he portrays a pivotal role as Boz, the digital persona who governs the faction known as the Awakened.
When Bowie passed away in 2016, the game was briefly made free to claim in his honor.
6 Gary Coleman
Postal 2
In the distinctly adult-oriented 2003 game Postal 2, the city of Paradise Falls features a well-liked figure: the ex-child actor Gary Coleman.
He serves a boss encounter at the mall after the police show up to his book signing to arrest him.
In this portrayal, Coleman provides his own voice, but it remains unclear how Running With Scissors was able to obtain his services for the part.
Coleman would appear again in the game’s late-stage DLC, Paradise Lost, released in 2015.
At that time, Coleman was no longer alive, which meant his character was only shown but couldn’t speak in the story.
5 Fred Durst
Fight Club
In 2004, a very late-stage fighting game was released based on the 1999 film, Fight Club.
It wasn’t very good, as was the case with most licensed games of the time.
Somehow, though, that didn’t prevent the presence of Limp Bizkit lead singer, Fred Durst.
It seems that every time Limp Bizkit agreed to let their music be featured in a video game, Fred Durst would consistently demand that they include him as a playable character in the game.
Among the numerous activities Durst opted to participate in, Fight Club was included, along with a variety of World Wrestling Federation (WWF) video games.
4 Leonard Nimoy
Seaman
Throughout his illustrious career, the late Leonard Nimoy has frequently appeared as a character in various video games.
One of his most prominent roles was as Xehanort in the Kingdom Hearts series, for instance.
Among all his experiences, arguably the most peculiar encounter Nimoy had was voicing the narrator for Sega’s unique game, Seaman.
Every time you booted the game up, Nimoy would greet you at the title screen.
He’d provide uplifting comments along with suggestions for nurturing your tiny aquatic companion.
3 Conan O’Brien
Death Stranding
It’s well-known that Hideo Kojima enjoys the company of influential individuals, as evidenced by the numerous celebrity characters and cameos in Death Stranding.
One of those friends, as it turns out, is late night talk host and comedian Conan O’Brien.
In the game, you encounter O’Brien during a side mission. Assisting him rewards you with an adorable otter-themed headgear.
O’Brien recorded his tour at Kojima Productions and the procedure of scanning his face for use in the game, which he later featured on TBS as a promotional ad for the game before it hit the market.
2 Nicolas Cage
Dead By Daylight
Dead by Daylight stands out as a significant horror series crossover, bringing together figures and monsters from various well-known works.
In 2023, Behaviour Interactive added another famous face to its game: Nicolas Cage.
Instead, it’s worth noting that John Cage wasn’t portraying one of his own characters here, unlike how Bruce Campbell embodied Ashley Williams on screen.
It’s just… Nicolas Cage. As himself. He’s a playable Survivor character with several unique Perks based on his career as an actor.
An odd choice, to be sure, though it’s hardly the strangest thing we’ve seen Cage get up to.
1 Kenny Omega
Like A Dragon: Ishin!
Starting in early 2023, Sega enlisted several famous personalities and social media stars to assist with their promotional campaign for the freshly revamped Like a Dragon: Ishin game.
This group encompassed cosplayer Vampy Bitme, actor Rahul Kohli, musician Alex Moukala, streamer Cohh Carnage, virtual YouTuber Nyatasha Nyanners, and notably, professional wrestler Kenny Omega from AEW.
Each individual received a Trooper Card within the game, enabling them to employ attacks and special skills reminiscent of these characters.
With Kenny Omega’s card, Essence of One-Winged Angel, you can execute a powerful sweeping attack inspired by his preferred finishing move, reminiscent of another one-winged entity.
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2024-11-12 17:09