Games don’t have to be based on movies or sports teams to feature real humans. As 3D rendering technology advances, more and more developers turn to flesh-and-bone actors, and models to give life to their protagonists and antagonists.
In the case of Far Cry 3′s Vaas Montenegro (top image), Ubisoft hired Canadian actor Michael Mando to portray, voice, and provide motion capture for the sadistic madman as well as star in promotional material. Vaas’s appearance (combined with Mando’s performance) give the title an extra layer of realism.
I made a list of 20 celebrity sightings in modern video games with side-to-side images of their in-game models next to their real faces. Hover the cursor over the image below to launch the gallery.
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Ellen Page as Jodie Holmes (Beyond: Two Souls)
The young Canadian actress was handpicked by director David Cage to star in Quantic Dream's upcoming supernatural thriller.
Source: Samir Torres
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Tim Phillipps as Dante (DmC: Devil May Cry)
Ninja Theory modified Dante's face to resemble that of Tim Phillipps, his voice actor.
Source: Samir Torres
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Camilla Luddington as Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)
Crystal Dynamics got Tomb Raider fans worried when it announced a complete redesign of Lara Croft, but TV actress Camilla Luddington seems like a good choice for a more realistic explorer.
Source: Samir Torres
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Michael Rooker as Mike Harper (Call of Duty: Black Ops II)
When Michael Rooker isn't shooting "walkers" in the head as Merle Dixon in AMC's The Walking Dead, he's kicking your ass as Harper in Black Ops II.
Source: Samir Torres
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David Bateson as Agent 47 (Hitman: Absolution)
The Hitman series debuted 12 years ago, and David Bateson has been the face and voice of Agent 47 all along. Don't look now, but he's standing right behind you.
Source: Samir Torres
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Sonita Henry as Ellie Langford (Dead Space 2)
After dismembering hoards of disgusting creatures for so long, Isaac Clarke must think Ellie Langford is the most beautiful entity in the universe. Actress Sonita Henry is not too bad herself.
Source: Samir Torres
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James Vincent Meredith as Prophet (Crysis)
I don't know how Laurence "Prophet" Barnes survived that little incident with an M12 Nova gun at the beginning of Crysis 2, but the Mayor is back in part three. James V. Meredith once again provides the voice and likeness of the hardened, Nanosuit-wearing veteran.
Source: Samir Torres
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Gideon Emery as Henry Blackburn (Battlefield 3)
The British actor is no stranger to video games. Besides portraying and voicing Staff Sergeant Henry Blackburn in Battlefield 3, Emery has worked on titles like Assassin's Creed III, Street Fighter X Tekken, and Final Fantasy XII.
Source: Samir Torres
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Alésia Glidewell as Chell (Portal 2)
Chell's unique appearance comes from Alésia Glidewell's mix of Brazilian, American, and Japanese heritage. That's quite an exotic genetic cocktail.
Source: Samir Torres
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James McCaffrey as Max Payne (Max Payne 3)
McCaffrey has been the voice of Max Payne since the beginning of the series, and for part three, Rockstar Games finally put his face on the troubled detective.
Source: Samir Torres
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Francisco Randez as Desmond Miles (Assassin’s Creed)
Fashion model Francisco Randez has exactly the face with Mediterranean features that Ubisoft needed for Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad and Desmond Miles.
Source: Samir Torres
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Will Yun Lee as Wei Shen (Sleeping Dogs)
Korean-American actor and martial artist Will Yun Lee stars as Chinese-American undercover detective Wei Shen in Square Enix's Sleeping Dogs.
Source: Samir Torres
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Jacqui Ainsley as Madison Paige (Heavy Rain)
For a woman who suffers from chronic insomnia, Madison has quite a lovely face. That's all thanks to English model Jacqui Ainsley and her killer good looks.
Source: Samir Torres
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Kyle Gass as Kage the Kannonier (Brütal Legend)
Anyone familiar with the metal band Tenacious D recognized Kyle as Kage the Kannonier the moment he appeared in Brütal Legend. Nonfans of heavy metal or Jack Black have no business playing Double Fine's musical adventure.
Source: Samir Torres
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Ilkka Villi as Alan Wake (Alan Wake)
The creepy atmosphere of Alan Wake is heightened by the fact that characters look like real people. Just like Alan Wake, Finnish actor Ilkka Villi has experience with writing and journalism.
Source: Samir Torres
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Michelle Van Der Water as Sheva Alomar (Resident Evil 5)
All I could think about while playing Resident Evil 5 was how pretty the female characters are. Then I discovered they're all modeled after real women, including actress Michelle Van Der Water.
Source: Samir Torres
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Mark Vanderloo as Commander Shepard (Mass Effect)
I was halfway through Mass Effect 2 when I saw a photograph of Mark Vanderloo on the Internet and thought it was a doctored image from a fan. Turns out Commander Shepard is real as are a bunch of other characters from Bioware's sci-fi series, like Morinth and Liara T'Soni.
Source: Samir Torres
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Andy Serkis as King Bohan (Heavenly Sword)
Watching Andy Serkis give life to characters such as Gollum (The Lord of the Rings) and Caesar (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) is a joy. The folks at Ninja Theory are super smart for hiring him.
Source: Samir Torres
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Tricia Helfer as Veronica Dare (Halo 3: ODST)
Captain Dare looks like a ghoul compared to Battlestar Galactica's Tricia Helfer, but soldiers from the UNSC Navy need to kick ass, not win beauty pageants.
Source: Samir Torres
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Johnny Knoxville as Nathan Drake (Uncharted)
Yeah, I don't see the resemblance either. Richard Lemarchand, Uncharted's lead designer, told IGN that Drake's appearance was based on Jackass crazyman Johnny Knoxville, mixed with a bit of Harrison Ford and Bruce Willis. He looks more like Castle actor Nathan Fillion to me.
Source: Samir Torres
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