In this Asian Women in Games series, we interview women who are currently in the gaming industry to learn more about them, their journeys, and their culture. We want to showcase the amazing women who are already driving change and representation in the industry by being themselves.
For the first time ever, we’re doing a group interview with three voice actors who will be featured in an upcoming game: 1000xRESIST. Made by indie studio sunset visitor 斜陽過客, the game explores how a clone must navigate a world far in the future with its own secrets to unravel. As a hyper-cinematic narrative adventure, the game’s complex world will push you to make difficult decisions that can lead to multiple endings. Sound intriguing? Don’t forget to wishlist the game!
With us today are Jasmine Chen, Stephanie Wong, and Nhi Do—all based in Vancouver, British Columbia. They lend their voices to bring life to several characters in 1000XRESIST and we’re excited to explore the game and their experiences.
Hello Nhi, Stephanie and Jasmine! Tell us a bit about yourself and how you wound up in games!
Jasmine: Since I was a kid, I’ve loved engaging in any and all forms of art. I grew up singing, dancing, and acting, but I never imagined that I might find myself in a video game. I’ve worked as a professional performer for over a decade across Canada. After auditioning for a few different characters, I was invited to voice the character of Knower in 1000xRESIST.
Stephanie: Hey everyone! I’m Stephanie Wong, and I am a multidisciplinary theatre and digital media artist whose practice includes performing, designing, directing, and devising. I grew up enamoured with performing, putting on little plays in the backyard for family and neighbours. I was also raised on the gameboy advance and PS2, and would watch my dad play and replay ResE4 for hours, so I am a huge nerd for video games. Getting to be a part of this game has been a dream come true.
Nhi: Hi folx! I’m Nhi and I’m a second-gen Vietnamese-Canadian triple-threat performer and producer with a passion for socially relevant and character-driven narratives. Growing up I consumed films, tv shows, and video games without completely understanding the English language but was still smitten by the storytelling. So much so that the language barrier didn’t stop me from re-enacting my favourite scenes! I grew up with the original Nintendo console and those formative years turned me into the gamer that I am today so I am absolutely thrilled to be part of 1000xRESIST, as I had only previously voice acted in animation.
Can you tell us a bit more about your characters in 1000xRESIST? (Who do you play? What are your motivations?)
Jasmine: I play the character of Knower, who, I’m sure you can tell from her name, is a knowledge keeper. You can often find her in the library, learning the names of rare plants and flowers, or memorizing history from her many volumes of books. On the outside, she may seem stoic or unemotional, but there is so much going on underneath the surface. She cares deeply about her sisters and works quietly to maintain order and peace. She takes it upon herself to avert danger and disaster at all costs, and sometimes that means advising younger more naive sisters.
Stephanie: I play the character Healer, whose job is to heal her sisters. You can find her in the medbay, tending to her siblings. She can be prickly at times, but there is also an immense well of care, and she holds the trust of her sisters with great reverence. She is fiercely committed to taking care of her sisters, and burdened with the reality that she cannot always save them all.
Nhi: I play Watcher, who is the youngest sister and the character you’ll play as in 1000xRESIST. As the player explores the game, they’ll find that Watcher is thoughtful, naive, sincere, and painfully matter of fact. She takes jokes pretty literally. Her function is to dive into the memories of the sisters’ creator, and to observe and collect pieces of their history. But when Watcher is confronted with a dangerous rumour that shakes her faith, her duty to her function is tested by her need for answers.
What is the difference between voice acting for video games and other projects?
Jasmine: Voice acting is really liberating! As a female performer for stage and screen, I feel the scrutiny of being looked at by the public. Oftentimes, I’m required to wear makeup everyday, and despite the body positivity movement, there are still unhealthy expectations placed on women to be a certain size and weight. When I’m in the voiceover booth, the only focus is on my performance. Is my voice capturing the emotion of this character in this scene? I also think that voice acting requires a laser focus, because you have to imbue your voice with all of the subtext and nuance that you would usually be able to convey with your entire body.
Stephanie: I very much agree with Jasmine in how liberating it is to perform with just voice. Being able to hone in on the voice as an instrument—without the extra challenge of worrying about physical appearance—provides so much freedom and possibility. There is a particular joy to finding varied offers and specific nuance with a vocal performance, so it feels a lot like playing.
Nhi: There’s this strange misconception with voice acting—that anyone can easily do it and without any training. All you have to do is make funny or interesting voices into the mic. Haha, if only that were true! I find that voice acting is like a crystallized version of on-camera/stage acting because you don’t have the assistance of your physical form or your facial expressions to convey emotions or to express meaning. Everything is in the voice. It’s been said that in a conversation, 55% is made up of nonverbal communication so in voice acting, you have to compensate for all of that with only your voice. And within the world of voice acting, there is a large spectrum of style and tone—like from Sailor Moon to Bob’s Burgers. Some of my favorite video games tend to play more naturalistic and mature in tone and a guiding force in my performance in 1000xRESIST was Beyond: Two Souls. I was very lucky to record Watcher’s dialogue in chronological order for 1000xRESIST (as this is not always the case) and instinctually build on her delivery by going through each chapter and each experience.
The voice over cast for 1000xRESIST consists of members who are 95% Asian-Canadian, with 91% of that being Asian-Canadian women. What is it like being on a project with so many other female team members?!
Jasmine: It’s an amazing feeling, to be part of such a rockstar team. On other projects, there may only be one, two if you’re lucky, roles that are written specifically for an Asian woman. Which means that often, Asian women actors have to be in competition with one another for opportunities. In 1000xRESIST, we’ve been invited to create this world together. We’re playing a full range of characters, rather than the tired or harmful tropes that were historically written for Asian women in western media.
Stephanie: It’s a dream come true. I am such a fan of all the folks involved on this project, and it’s a real honour to be a part of a cast of largely Asian-Canadian women. Oftentimes, Asian women are relegated to playing a token role, which doesn’t allow for the complexity or subtleties of authentic representation. With this game, there is a full cast of characters that are embodying such unique backgrounds and motivations that feel fully realized.
Nhi: Woohoo! It’s an absolute treat because unfortunately working with a mainly Asian-Canadian cast is not the norm for our industry. However, I am genuinely pleased to say that this is not my first time acting with a cast 95% Asian-Canadians and I know it’s not the last! Authentic representation is starting to happen and I am here for it! The last handful of roles I’ve recently done were either specifically written for Asian women or were changed to Vietnamese to reflect my heritage. Real change is made through tangible actions, like committing to a 91% Asian-Canadian female cast, so a heartfelt thank you to Remy Siu (creative director), Natalie Tan (producer), and Conor Wylie (narrative designer) for making that a reality for all of us. The complicated themes within the game could not have been told authentically without an Asian-Canadian cast so I am so thankful and in awe of my fellow castmates!
What do you hope players take away from their experience after playing 1000xRESIST?
Jasmine: I hope that players will be inspired by the story in 1000xRESIST. I hope it encourages people to question the dominant narratives they may have learned and accepted their entire lives. I feel like there are many underlying themes in this game that relate to current events that could help people to reflect upon what is happening in the world. I would love it if players felt like they could relate and empathize with the characters and see themselves reflected in the game.
Stephanie: I hope players are able to see the themes in 1000xRESIST and consider how they are inspired by current day events. Although this game is a work of sci-fi, the challenges and truths that are being revealed are very much apparent in our present societies. Witnessing dystopian futures can help identify and orient ourselves back to our values, and hopefully will inspire change.
Nhi: Well, I got to playtest the chapters prior to stepping into the booth for my recording sessions and each playtest spurred so much thought and self-reflection in me. I really hope 1000xRESIST will make players examine the constructs of identity, memory, and inherited history. How much do we accept at face value and when is it appropriate to question? Where is the line in which we let our environment affect us and when is it losing your identity completely? Science fiction has always been an effective tool in highlighting current societal struggles by placing them in the not-so-distant-future to incite caution and provoke change. I saw myself, both the dark and light sides of me, in several characters and hope that players will be able to see themselves within the game too.
What is the performing arts scene like in British Columbia?
Jasmine: It is diverse and ever evolving! What I love about the performing arts scene here in Vancouver is that the majority of artists are multidisciplinary. Most artists I know are skilled in many different facets of art-making, whether that is writing, directing, producing, or performing. I feel there is an openness to trying different things and that one can take many different roles within the industry. It’s rare to meet someone who doesn’t dabble in another discipline or medium.
Stephanie: Incredibly expansive! As someone who comes from a theatre background, it has been a joy to experience my practice take me from theatre to opera, to VR, to stop motion, to video games, and more. I’m seeing a lot of cross pollination between artforms and industries, and I only hope that the cross-sector collaborations continue to grow in this province so that more artists are able to learn and grow from one another.
Nhi: I was pretty scared that the performing arts scene here would deeply suffer from the pandemic and require years of rebuilding, but I’m finding that the scene here is alive and well! I think with the arts potentially at risk with the pandemic, it lit a fire in all the artists here to create and try new things. There is a reignited hunger and I think that hunger is driving the cross-pollination between performing art industries as well as the need to financially survive in Vancouver.
What is one thing from the Vietnamese, Hong Kong, or Chinese culture that you want to share with everyone?
Jasmine: There are many aspects of Chinese culture that I love. I’ve recently been studying Chinese holidays, and I love that many of these holidays mark the changing of seasons and encourage the appreciation of nature. Mid-Autumn Festival is a holiday celebrating the moon at its fullest, and moon gazing is actually part of the custom!
Stephanie: I’m proud of my Hong Kong heritage, for how complex and unique its culture is. The Cantonese language is important to Hong Kong’s identity, as is its convergence for various cultures and peoples. Of course, the complicated history of foreign influence and colonialism in Hong Kong has led to its establishment as an international city, so the fusion of cultures and identities has made for a rich society.
Nhi: I grew up in a small town on an island made up mostly of Anglo-Canadians and unfortunately, did not have many opportunities to share my Vietnamese identity and culture. So as an adult, I’ve been finding so much joy in sharing Vietnamese customs and traditions. One thing I’ve always loved is that Vietnamese is a monosyllabic language with six different tones so if you change the tone, you can completely change the meaning of a word!
Where can people continue to follow you and your journey?
Jasmine: You can find me on Instagram @hausofchen for up-to-date news. I also have a website: msjasminechen.com, but I admit, I desperately need to update it (haha)!
Stephanie: You can find me on Instagram @wongchoices!
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