Games aren’t just brought to life by the developers, but by the actors that bring their likenesses and performances to the characters in the game. The technology that allows actors to do full performance capture has continued to expand, and 2019 was another landmark year of incredible performances across a number of genres. Death Stranding gets two nods, but it’s far from the only game with phenomenal performances this year. It was tough to narrow this one down to the nominees, and even more tough to pick a winner, but only one performance can win the award for the year. Here are the PlayStation LifeStyle nominations for Best Performance in a Game in 2019.
- Ashly Burch (Parvati) – The Outer Worlds
- Courtney Hope (Jesse Faden) – Control
- Norman Reedus (Sam “Porter” Bridges) – Death Stranding
- Sam Witwer (Deacon St. John) – Days Gone
- Tommie Earl Jenkins (Die Hardman) – Death Stranding
Best Performance in a Game 2019 Winner
Norman Reedus (Sam “Porter” Bridges) – Death Stranding
Norman Reedus is a fantastic actor that accompanied every player their own individual journey through the world of Death Stranding. He discovered the mysteries along with us. We had to push through the difficult trek with him. And we came to be emotionally attached to the legacy he carries as we reach the game’s conclusion. He is the connection through which all other characters flow, and while there were tons of great performances in the game (look at you Tommie Earl Jenkins), we connected most deeply with Norman Reedus as Sam, our own avatar and window into this great world.
Reader’s Choice Winner
Norman Reedus (Sam “Porter” Bridges) – Death Stranding
Our readers once again agreed with the staff vote, choosing Norman Reedus’ fantastic portrayal of Sam “Porter” Bridges in Death Stranding as their favorite performance. Whether it’s the moments of quiet contemplation and solitude or his interactions with the rest of the cast, Norman Reedus helped us all care about Sam in a way that would have been difficult with anyone else behind the mo-cap suit.
Don’t miss our full lineup of nominees for the PlayStation LifeStyle Game of the Year awards. We’ll be revealing more winners all throughout the week, leading up to the Game of the Year on Friday December 20.
