you and Tom have been entertaining been loving it so far excited to see more and it will be a double celebration because Baldur's Gate 3 will release on my birthday (Sept 6th) Wednesday
I'm watching the stream right now and i love it! Just wondering, do you know why Astarions armour was changed? He had this fabulous blouse in early access. Now with full release his armour looks different, the icon still shows the old model though. Was it TOO fabulous?
I kinda love that Astarion’s voice is Neil’s voice just a bit… zesty lol. The character makes me giggle all the time. Great voice actor, love everything Neil is in.
Even without your userpic, it was a 100% chance you were black. We're the only folks I've heard call it "zesty." But you're not wrong. 😄I love Astarion. ❤
Astarion is like one of my cats. Wouldn't want to miss him for the world, but I do need to yell a lot of 'NO !' when they're obviously considering shenanigans.
not to get all sappy but astarions lines about not knowing how to say no and him setting clear boundaries/standing up for himself means so much to me, as someone who has been through SA and didn’t know how to actually say no or stand up for myself, seeing a character i care so much for having the strength to be open about similar trauma is really nice
I used to also struggle setting boundaries and seeing him breaking free from Cazador was so comforting and therapeutic for me. It's like looking into a mirror a bit. Though in my case I broke free from my family. Not some immortal master. 😅 Love Astarion. :) The game dealt with SA very tastefully.
ngl i hated astarion through most of my playthrough as he was blatantly evil, but the more i learned the more i realised he was that way because of his circumstances and what he'd been put though. As someone who used to suffer depression for reasons, it really resonated with me, just took some time to get to that point. And by GOD that final act, with the cazador resolution. The highlight of the entire game imo.
All the VAs talk about how much they enjoyed the experience, but Neil has a very apparent love and joy towards the game and his role in it that is very heartwarming to see. It's very apparent that this was more than just a job to him
Not only it being a masterpiece of a game, but it seems Larian was just amazing to work with on the project. You can tell they were treated well by how they talk about it, and also by their performance!
100% I think a big part of it was he was already immersed in the D&D world and I don't believe any of the other VA's had much prior experience with the game, where as he was obviously a seasoned veteran. It's so awesome to see this game brought to life on a screen like this
It helps that Neil was already a fan of DnD. There is a video of the BG3 cast played DnD as their characters, and he was freaking out over Drizzt making a cameo.
@@reginadea2821 That's what made it extra amazing and special. Because Neil is a huge fan of D&D and passionate about it. Makes the game THAT much better.
Why does he mean so much to you? I am curious. I enjoy BG3 and am indifferent about Astarion. However, very intrigued by how so many people seem to be obsessed with him.
@@Youwillbejudged I'm an SA survivor who had issues standing up for myself and setting boundaries for a long time afterwards. Astarion's good route touches on this quite a bit.
Well, not all of them - for example, Tim(Gale) was very anxious at first during their DnD session. Obviously it was a new thing for him. The whole session was hilarious still 😂
@@eoftar3192 I cant blame him really, getting put into playing wizard first time live on stream would make most nervous. But I feel like he really got into it a bit into the session
Neil was really great at helping the cast members who hadn’t played much ease into it. By kind of drawing them into the roleplay aspect through their skills as actors. And of course they were well looked-after by the DM.
It's always nice to see video game voice actors really get into the game they were a part of as well as video games in general. Makes the game better in my opinion, it also makes you appreciate it MUCH more.
Neil getting into the character creation screen: “this is going to take a little longer than usual”. This is so funny to me because I’ve spent like 3 hours going through and deciding whether I want Cool tone Blonde 2 or 3 for my highlights 😂
BG3 has me hook, line and sinker but Astarion especially is a character whose story will stay with me forever. Your voice acting is just so amazing - let's just say that the good ending of his confrontation with a certain master had me sobbing. Thank you for your brilliant work!
I literally had to take a break to cry horribly. I also cried when, out of curiosity to see if he would put me in my place, chose the option to basically pressure him into having sex with Tav. It brought back some shit, idk what I expected lmao
The subtleties in Astarion's writing are so fantastic. As someone who has experienced SA I am floored at how accurate the depiction of his trauma and coping is. Hats off to you all.
Same. The game lived in my brain rent free since it came out. And I'm not mad about it. Even consider applying to Larian because triple A studios have been a huge disappointment lately. They be legit releasing incomplete games whereas BG3 not only is complete but also has no in-game purchasable items. That's what games should be like but often no longer are.
@@DM-nw5lu I'm actually about to start an IT degree with a sprinkle of game development, course orientation is in two days and there is a Larian branch here in my city and I'm heavily considering applying to them once I've graduated
@@Ar_Tank Depending on your university I wish you good luck! Mine purged the student pool right away. Long nights for a whole month... if you didn't commit... you were out. I legit sat in our PC rooms until 11pm in the first two weeks. Only 21% passed the "computer science I" exam. Still wish you good luck if your uni isn't as cut-throat, hah. And hope you'll enjoy your uni and work life regardless of where you end up working :)
Seeing neil talk about all of the little details and stuff they decided to included is so wholesome because you can genuinely tell how proud he is, and hell, so am I! Nothing but props to you and the folks over at Larian mate💙
Neil! You're like, the entire reason why Astarion is such an incredible character. I don't want to take away from the writers and artists but your acting and mannerisms as Astarion are perfection. I thought I'd sideline him and wouldn't bother because I wasn't playing an evil character, but I had him around so much early on that he became my character's best friend within act 1, and continues to be their best friend through act 3. Thanks for breathing life into my favourite vampiric twink.
How did you become besties with him as a good character? 🤯 I’ve never left him in camp through the entirety of area 1, and he’s always just upset that I keep helping people, so he’s still neutral with me. I am sadness.
@@DenvaProbablyDraws You can still gain overall approval even if Astarion disagrees with you a lot early on - I'm playing a fully good character and have his approval nearly maxed out in act 3. If you're patient with him and make sure you are sensitive to him not wanting to be forced to do anything, it works out. Good luck =)
Sadly, I was working when these streams happened but VERY happy to see it released on TH-cam! Astarion is VERY difficult to annoy enough to make him leave, I'll say. He tolerated a lot. Even my goodie two shoes paladin that absolutely dragged him to save every burning village. Just don't be an asshole to him. Seems more then reasonable lol Astarion has been my favorite character since EA and I knew I would adore him to the finale scene. Neil Newbon's performance was a huge part of why his character was so wonderful! Int isn't a huge loss to a non wizard. Astarion is the brains of my party anyway.
I learned if you befriended 'Us' the Inttellect Devourer and keep them alive during the intro of the game, you can find them in Act 2 and acquire them as a once-per-rest summon! It's pretty strong by that point in the game, WAY stronger than during the intro
I don't know if you will read this message. But I wanted to say a big thank you for your wonderful voice acting, for the game that you and your colleagues gave to us and the players. Astarion’s story turned out to be very interesting and even educational, and from his example I realized that I myself couldn’t say “no” for a long time to one person who almost pulled me into an abusive relationship, but today that changed. And now, after breaking up, I can focus on creativity, fan fiction and making my dreams come true, so that one day I can see another world, outside my conservative and cruel country. Thanks again and wish you a pleasant journey :)
I cant express how well Neils talent made me connect with Astarion. I too was in an absuive relationship that I struggled to cut ties with and playing out Astarions storyline was such a close to the heart emotional rollercoaster to me that actually brought a tear to my eye at its conclusion. Neil, you probably wont see this, but in over 20 years of gaming Ive never been anywhere near as invested in a character as I was to Astarion. That is down to your incredible talent. Bravo, Darling
Astarion has become one of my favorite characters in anything ever. You made me laugh cry and chuckle so thank you darling for such a wonderful experiance.
Mine is Solas from Dragon Age. But Astarion is incredible. Too toxic, manipulative, narcissistic and arrogant to my taste, but I support him in his path to becoming a better person and I loved they changed the ending in the new patch so companions can show him the love and support he deserves. Neil Newbon is such an adorable and passionate person and incredible voice actor though. I love he's sharing this energy and the love and support towards marginalized communities. He's the GOAT. 🫶 Spoilers: Fork ascended Astarion though. He's evil!! 😹
Astarion is one of the best romanceable companions of any game I've played. The voice you did for him is divine... it's literal audio seduction every time he opens his mouth. I'm running a cleric of selune now (2nd playthrough) and am romancing Shadowheart. But... my eye (heart) keeps wandering back to Astarion. Damn Elves. First Zevran, then Fenris, then Solas and now Astarion. lol
@@ashildrtheswift3028 You can easily romance him as morally grey or even a completely good character. If you're in dialogue with an npc, don't outright tell them you'll help them, just finish the conversation but do the quest anyway- then you'll still br good and helping but you're not getting the disaproval from Astarion. Or even better, seperate him from the group and make him stand far away out of earshot and sight, if he cannot see or hear you being helpful to others you won't get disaproval.
@@ashildrtheswift3028 Give it some time. I thought the same way at first! There's very good reasons and he might not be what he seems. This is coming from someone that has huge issues hanging around with most evil aligned characters or doing evil playthroughs. :)
Neil, from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for putting your amazing voice acting in the game! Astarion's not exactly my kind of guy, but i love how everyone's so fleshed out and with a distinct personality and complex backstory.
Nice char. - By the way, fun fact: Bowie did not have 2 different eye colours but one of his pupils has always been dilated after a fight in his youth. The muscles in his one eye didn't work properly anymore. He mentioned it once and you can see it in a close up in the ballroom scene of the movie "Labyrinth" from the 80s. Like your work, Mr Newbon, keep on making us all smile. Thx!
I love how Neil sits up real straight whenever he uses Astarion's voice. Joining in with lots of other folks, Astarion's existence has been really cathartic and healing for me as a survivor and PTSD sufferer.
my good friend and i have been doing a playthrough and we have Astarion in our party. Every little quip like "be careful darling, I bite." we just always comment on it. Such a good character and your voice matched with the writing and design of the character is so good. It's one of the focal points when showing this game to people to prove how good it is.
Hey man, just wanted to say Astarion meant a lot to me. I went into the game blind and ran with him a lot since he was attractive and funny, but the more he opened up the more I related to his story. Your voice acting in the more intense parts was amazing, especially towards the end of his personal story. Your work is so skillful ❤
Hi Neil! It’s fun watching you play BG3, you did an amazing job with Astarion! All the different little inflections and tiny details you can get from his speech alone, just how he talks, it’s so cool. In my playthrough he’s gone from being quite disdainful and suspicious of my character to being quite fond of them, and I can tell that just from how he talks to my character.
Astarion and Shadowheart have the best companion stories to me. The amount of complexity Astarion has throughout BG3 was absolutely incredible. I actually thought he'd leave as I played my folk hero character because he didn't like 90% of the decision I made, and to my surprise by the end of the game, Astarion liked my character a lot. And I realized that had everything to do with the trauma he faced, how he saw my character interact with the world, the reflection he goes through and the wisdom he gets from his own experience as he adventures with you, and realizes that he does have a choice now of who he wants to be. And the climax of all of that when you finally confront his master, was honestly awesome. I mean that in the literal since of awesome. I was in awe, because despite how stubborn or evil Astarion can come off, once you get to know him, the constant battle he has with his nature verses his conscious is just so well written and acted. If it weren't for Karlach coming into my life as a wrecking ball, Astarion would have been my first romance choice. I look forward to more streams, I've really enjoyed the interviews you and others have done, and to see so many of the actors want to play the game they were in for years and they want to share that with their fans, its pretty cool! Thanks to your and everyone else, BG3 had an instant place in my heart.
Astarion has the most fleshed out character development, and your voice work is absolutely outstanding! All the work you've done to make to essentially create two characters depending on how you play his story is just baffeling to me. You really are such a skilled VA, Neil!
Astarion is my favourite character of Baldur's Gate 3 and he is a fantastically deep character. Actually, I cannot name him a "character" because he is a person who through sarcasm and irony tries to hide his vulnerability and trauma and moving forward through his story I feel nothing but constant goosebumps because through your voice acting I could feel how he changed, transformed and realised what he actually wanted in his life. And in the end of his storyline I burst into tears because it touched me deeply. He means to me a lot and will always have a huge part in my heart. Thank you for incredible work you've done for Astarion ❤
Astarion is now one of my favorite characters of all time. This game has me in an absolute chokehold and I couldn’t be more happy about it. I wake up and my immediate thought is “I can’t wait to go hang out with Astarion”. ♥️ Neil thank you for all of your incredible work over the years. You are truly a once in a generation talent and just a delight of a human.
Too bad he didn't add some democrats to the list (Obama's, Clinton's, Biden's ect). Keep it fair, lol. They all suck (republicans and democrats alike). Not that any of them would watch anyway, they're far too busy running the country into the ground. 🤣
I cannot even properly say how much Astarion hits me as a character, I saddly have more in common with him than I would ever want to (and not by personality), but the way how his story went made me smile a lot. That dude is amazing and with your voice he’s just pure gold 😊 I’ll gladly watch how you guys play!
1:06:25 Wow. I just now noticed the smallest but coolest detail. The man in the chair with his brain exposed has tears dripping down his face. I know hes PROBABLY dead already, but its like you can see the pain he was in before he died. Or- the pain he is *currently* in if he really is still alive at this point. 1:12:16 This brain is so fucking cute for no good reason and it is my favorite creature in the history of creatures. Why is it so cute? Why?? 😭
Astarion was the thing that pulled me into the game. I'm not a big gamer, especially not really long ones, but i saw him and went "ah! That's the one!" And then i saw a few of the cutscenes, very specially a few of the ones about feeling used and abuse and some of the less sassy, more serious dialogs, and I ended up in tears because it was intensely relatable. I absolutely LOVE the emotion pulled in by all the actors, as well as the animation team because the tiny expressions are so lovely. And as a cosplayer i IMMEDIATELY decided that Astarion was a necessity. So I'm thrilled~
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart Neil, for all your hard work as Astarion. He has helped me more than you could ever know and I’m so grateful for your hard work. You and the team did amazing ❤
I also have no words to express how beautifully you gave Astarion life, Neil! He means so much to me and not many game characters do-- thank you, thank you for everything!
Astarion gave me so much every time I've listened every pause, every giggle, every time he lost his minds away while he was trying to find relief from his past. Ty Sir, your character is alive, and I'm proud everytime I feel part of his growing path ❤
I'm so effing excited about this! Just started watching, so I don't know what happens yet, but after he said Astarion will be a permanent companion I thought, firstly, that's SO AWESOME (I love Astarion), and secondly, if Astarion propositions Neil's PC I'm going to die 🤣 How weird would it be to hear your own voice coming on to you? Hilarious 😂
When i started learning more about Astarions story, I'm like "that's.... like me? Oh no." Every aspect of his personality, emotions, to some extent -I've felt myself. Helping him find peace is helping me find peace, in a weird way. Also, he's babygirl. Yeah...
Neil has such a genuine enthusiasm for the game and the artistry that went into making it that makes this absolutely delightful to watch! I can already tell this is what I'll be binging in my background for the next few weeks while I catch up!
Man did i dislike Astarion in the beginning. Now im always excited when i get in dialogue with him. You (and everyone in the team) did an incredible job. Hands down best game i ever played and, as far as i can remember, the best actingperformance i have seen in gaming.
You single-handedly convinced me to buy the game (and spend all my time playing instead of studying) and I just wanted to say THANK YOU and I can’t wait to watch this playthrough!!!
The game is like playing a really great novel and Astarion is an incredible character. He goes with me 100% of the time and I’m madly in love with him and his story. I’m putting off his big city quest because I can’t imagine playing without him and I don’t know how it’s going to turn out. Thank you so much for giving him life.
Your voice is really unique tbh. Anyone could just recognize you. You really suited the Astarion character as someone that is so elegant and antique, also seeking power this is really suitable voice nicely done by you mate.
Barely 12 minutes in and I already love how this guy just doesn't mince words. From the discussion on Twitch's nudity policy to naming who is in fact not welcome, I'm cracking up xD
Found it a bit hypocritical for a guy who's all about 'inclusion.' Sad that all voice actors (actors in general) are woke. He's very talented though and I love his character. That nude bit had me dying though, guy is funny.
Holy shit. This is gonna be a riot. Thank you, Neil for being SUCH a gem in the game along with all the other voice actors. The game is phenomenal and so memorable thanks to you and the others' efforts. SO LET"S GOOOOOO
When i seen theres a full playthrough of one my all time favorite voice actors playing one of my all time favorite characters you know i had to subscribe and binge watch 😂
It's great to have it here too! thanks for sharing, can't wait to see how your playthrough continues! you guys are great! Neil, Tom, Blue, twitch chat mods, discord mods, all the people involved in this wonderful journey
It’s so neat to learn that you did the mo-cap for all the intros! I never would’ve noticed because it’s very like their in-game performances. Well done on getting those mannerisms down so precisely! (Side note: I’m also playing a Guild Artisan Druid [Tiefling though] with a similar name - Bettie. 😂 When I found out I could be a bear there was no other option for me. 😄🐻❄️)
I came across this and was so excited to see this❤ can't wait to watch your responses to your own delicious genius! You geeking out on the game just makes it even better ❤ your performance of Astarion was just an emotional ride from laughter to tears
Attempting to free Shadowheart was my first roll of the game. Rolled a nat 1 on the DC 2. I had to screenshot and send it to my home table. My dice curse persists. So excited to listen to you play through the game during my workdays!
Ok, this game has taken over my life! Fishing line, sinker and hook but Astarion! Astarion's (Or Goostarion) story will be with me forever! Neil, your work is FANTASTIC! You did a bloody brilliant job on this character and the ones before so, yeah. Also, belated congrats on the release for this game.
Astarion is my favourite BG3 character and that’s largely in part due to his personality and voice and now I see where it came from. I’ve checked out a little bit of Neil’s other work and I am soooo blown away by the range and versatility. All this to say I am now a big fan XD absolutely brilliant and I can’t express how much your work means to everyone who appreciates Astarion ❤
I love to play with Astarion as a companion, such a lifeful, charismatic, and complicated character! And I'm very pleased to see Nail's avatar choice also :) Thank you for the stream!
Astarion is my favorite character in the game, you really brought him to life, if they ever make an anime of this game, I sure hope you'll voice him again. What's nice is that he could be brought back for later games if his canon ending has him survives, and if it's in his good route too. You really were perfect to voice him.
Wow! Just stumbled on this video at the perfect time! I just spent a very long time reloading Astarion’s Cazador quest. I kept making choices that just didn’t seem right with the character arc that Astarion was developing in my playthrough. None of them felt right after playing them out. Then I finally got the one that fit right in with his arc with the storyline I am playing- “good guy”. I was completely blown away at how brilliantly it was done. The acting was amazing. I could feel Astarion’s emotions. I could feel how absolutely confused he was. You, sir, are an amazing actor. You have given life to Astarion. Thank you.
I really love the fact that voice actors are getting the attention they deserve. Astarion is one of my favorite characters, and he'd not be nearly as good a character without your efforts. Voice actors are just as important to the characters they help create as traditional screen actors, and as people of my generation get older, the financial demand for video games may very well eventually supplant movies.
I am SO excited to catch up on your playthrough! ✨ Completely losing myself in Baldur‘s Gate 3 was not on my bingo card, but man, Astarion‘s unmatched sass instantly got me hooked; the way you play him is absolutely to die for, what an incredibly multifaceted & nuanced performance! Chapeau Neil & much love! 💖
All of the companions in BG3 are amazing but Astarion really punched me in the SOUL because he's very similar to a personal dnd character I've had for years now and I am so in love with his story and how well he's been written and acted and voiced. You and Larian did a fantastic job on him and I cannot thank you enough for just how well you've handled his entire character and story arc. I missed a chunk of this stream because it was late but I'm excited to watch it now! Thankyou so much for sharing these and streaming.
As entertaining as the explosions were, I'm glad Neil reloaded to get the flame sword with command - it's exactly what I would've done. Great work from chat too ofc
The crisis of whether to watch this or continue playing BGG myself 😂 I guess I’ll do both at the same time! Neil, you’re such an amazing voice actor (Astarion is one of the best parts of the game imo) and I can’t wait to laugh along with you playing this game!
2:02:37 holly sh... that explosion!! and it didn't even kill the guy, only the ally!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 so happy to see you play this Neil. and thank you for the most amazing portrayal of one of the best game characters ever. I can't explain with words how much I love Astarion!!!!!!!!! 🥰
Thank you for that stream and HUGE thanks for Astarion. That character has grown on me soooooo much that I just can't express it with normal words I think I'm in love 😭😭😭 I'm so grateful for finding BG3 and most of all - your incredible work with playing Astarion. Can't wait for the next video, keep up the good work ❤
Apologies folks on the initial audio issues as well as the subtitles getting cut off. We've solved this moving forward, so hope you enjoy!
That's how life be; sometimes, you gotta crash the ship to get the story started! 😂
Audio issues happen, alls good!
>The Let's Play gets bug patches
Love it
you and Tom have been entertaining been loving it so far excited to see more and it will be a double celebration because Baldur's Gate 3 will release on my birthday (Sept 6th) Wednesday
I'm watching the stream right now and i love it!
Just wondering, do you know why Astarions armour was changed? He had this fabulous blouse in early access. Now with full release his armour looks different, the icon still shows the old model though. Was it TOO fabulous?
Seeing Neil (un)apologetically save scum for the flame sword is incredibly relatable.
The best sword you can get in Act 1, if there was ever a time to save scum, that’s it 😂
@@tatimarie8277Try command word drop on Voss before engaging in dialogue
@@tatimarie8277not really there's a better sword u can get it's just harder to get but hey we have savescumming (saw it in a mythbusting vid)
@@TPCMusicYT You mean when you disarm the githyanki? ;)
@@GrimdarkMiniatures yea thx for tht I wanted to get it on my new playthrough & u saved me looking it up 🫡
I kinda love that Astarion’s voice is Neil’s voice just a bit… zesty lol. The character makes me giggle all the time. Great voice actor, love everything Neil is in.
astarion is my male wife 🥹
not to be That person on yt but i enthusiastically liked this comment and then realized my like put it at 667, cant have that lmao
@@ellarhys8984Raphael would be disappointed
@@ellarhys8984 Haha, fair. Well, now it won’t so like again?
Even without your userpic, it was a 100% chance you were black. We're the only folks I've heard call it "zesty." But you're not wrong. 😄I love Astarion. ❤
Astarion is like one of my cats.
Wouldn't want to miss him for the world, but I do need to yell a lot of 'NO !' when they're obviously considering shenanigans.
next cat i get is getting named Astarion
@@stjeephope he don't bite ya
@@highdefinition450 it's a cat, if they don't nibble they don't love you
You DO know that Neil supposedly based Astarion's attitude on a stray cat he'd taken in, right? 😂
Perfect 😂
not to get all sappy but astarions lines about not knowing how to say no and him setting clear boundaries/standing up for himself means so much to me, as someone who has been through SA and didn’t know how to actually say no or stand up for myself, seeing a character i care so much for having the strength to be open about similar trauma is really nice
this is exactly why my Tav is so protective of him. Try Jesus not me. And certainly not Astarion because I attack NPCs 💁🏾♀️
Literally. Sticking up for him and then having him later stick up for me by saying “no means no” made me sob
I used to also struggle setting boundaries and seeing him breaking free from Cazador was so comforting and therapeutic for me. It's like looking into a mirror a bit. Though in my case I broke free from my family. Not some immortal master. 😅 Love Astarion. :) The game dealt with SA very tastefully.
I wonder if the writer had personal experience, and therapy, or is just very, VERY good at research...
ngl i hated astarion through most of my playthrough as he was blatantly evil, but the more i learned the more i realised he was that way because of his circumstances and what he'd been put though. As someone who used to suffer depression for reasons, it really resonated with me, just took some time to get to that point.
And by GOD that final act, with the cazador resolution. The highlight of the entire game imo.
Can't unhear Astorian saying "It's flaccid, darling" now 😂
I like this post but you’re at 69 likes so ima just let that ride
@@Stop_It_Just_Stop niceeee
86 likes by now. 👆
I mean... Astarion is a vampire, isn't he ?
What happens to a penis when you suck all the blood out of it ?
All the VAs talk about how much they enjoyed the experience, but Neil has a very apparent love and joy towards the game and his role in it that is very heartwarming to see. It's very apparent that this was more than just a job to him
i would too lol it's the best game of the year and everyone loves it, that's a lot to be proud of lmao
Not only it being a masterpiece of a game, but it seems Larian was just amazing to work with on the project. You can tell they were treated well by how they talk about it, and also by their performance!
100% I think a big part of it was he was already immersed in the D&D world and I don't believe any of the other VA's had much prior experience with the game, where as he was obviously a seasoned veteran. It's so awesome to see this game brought to life on a screen like this
It helps that Neil was already a fan of DnD. There is a video of the BG3 cast played DnD as their characters, and he was freaking out over Drizzt making a cameo.
@@reginadea2821 That's what made it extra amazing and special. Because Neil is a huge fan of D&D and passionate about it. Makes the game THAT much better.
I can never express in words how much Astarion means to me, and I can't wait to watch you play through the game!
Thank you kindly!
I Just killed astarion so i can play all with him in my second run 😂
Why does he mean so much to you? I am curious. I enjoy BG3 and am indifferent about Astarion. However, very intrigued by how so many people seem to be obsessed with him.
@@Youwillbejudged I'm an SA survivor who had issues standing up for myself and setting boundaries for a long time afterwards. Astarion's good route touches on this quite a bit.
@@TeroTheShortOne I am sorry that happened to you, but thank you for explaining what Astarion means to you. It puts things in perspective.
I love how the voice actors for bg3 all seem to actually love d&d and video games
Well, not all of them - for example, Tim(Gale) was very anxious at first during their DnD session. Obviously it was a new thing for him. The whole session was hilarious still 😂
@@eoftar3192 I cant blame him really, getting put into playing wizard first time live on stream would make most nervous. But I feel like he really got into it a bit into the session
Neil more than the rest
Neil was really great at helping the cast members who hadn’t played much ease into it. By kind of drawing them into the roleplay aspect through their skills as actors. And of course they were well looked-after by the DM.
It's always nice to see video game voice actors really get into the game they were a part of as well as video games in general. Makes the game better in my opinion, it also makes you appreciate it MUCH more.
Love how humble the title is 'Astarion's actor" like...THAT'S THEEEEE NEIL. NEWBON.
Neil getting into the character creation screen: “this is going to take a little longer than usual”. This is so funny to me because I’ve spent like 3 hours going through and deciding whether I want Cool tone Blonde 2 or 3 for my highlights 😂
When you download mods it takes even more time ahhaha
Astarion has become such a comfort character and means so much to me now. His story of breaking free has given me hope
BG3 has me hook, line and sinker but Astarion especially is a character whose story will stay with me forever. Your voice acting is just so amazing - let's just say that the good ending of his confrontation with a certain master had me sobbing. Thank you for your brilliant work!
I literally had to take a break to cry horribly. I also cried when, out of curiosity to see if he would put me in my place, chose the option to basically pressure him into having sex with Tav. It brought back some shit, idk what I expected lmao
The subtleties in Astarion's writing are so fantastic. As someone who has experienced SA I am floored at how accurate the depiction of his trauma and coping is. Hats off to you all.
Same, it was the most accurate, kind portrayal of an imperfect victim. It's a masterpiece.
Oh yeah! The good writing is the reason why I had a hard time romancing him so far because I see too much of my own trauma and coping in him
Please tell me Neil is romancing Astarion 😂
Would…would that be incest? Or “self-love”?
@@warlordofbritanniaself-love🙌
@@warlordofbritannia I think self love would still be "Technically" incest because of genetics but who cares lol
@@warlordofbritannia Absolutely self-love. 😉
@@warlordofbritanniaselfcest
I haven't slept in three days. This game owns my life and I'm all for it. This game is truly a masterpiece, every aspect of it is truly spectacular
That's going to kill you, literally. Get some sleep.
Same. The game lived in my brain rent free since it came out. And I'm not mad about it. Even consider applying to Larian because triple A studios have been a huge disappointment lately. They be legit releasing incomplete games whereas BG3 not only is complete but also has no in-game purchasable items. That's what games should be like but often no longer are.
@@DM-nw5lu I'm actually about to start an IT degree with a sprinkle of game development, course orientation is in two days and there is a Larian branch here in my city and I'm heavily considering applying to them once I've graduated
The games good but not even close to a masterpiece
@@Ar_Tank Depending on your university I wish you good luck! Mine purged the student pool right away. Long nights for a whole month... if you didn't commit... you were out. I legit sat in our PC rooms until 11pm in the first two weeks. Only 21% passed the "computer science I" exam. Still wish you good luck if your uni isn't as cut-throat, hah. And hope you'll enjoy your uni and work life regardless of where you end up working :)
It's never boring with you guys! Please "venture forth, darlings" ღ
Seeing neil talk about all of the little details and stuff they decided to included is so wholesome because you can genuinely tell how proud he is, and hell, so am I! Nothing but props to you and the folks over at Larian mate💙
Neil! You're like, the entire reason why Astarion is such an incredible character. I don't want to take away from the writers and artists but your acting and mannerisms as Astarion are perfection. I thought I'd sideline him and wouldn't bother because I wasn't playing an evil character, but I had him around so much early on that he became my character's best friend within act 1, and continues to be their best friend through act 3. Thanks for breathing life into my favourite vampiric twink.
How did you become besties with him as a good character? 🤯
I’ve never left him in camp through the entirety of area 1, and he’s always just upset that I keep helping people, so he’s still neutral with me. I am sadness.
@@DenvaProbablyDraws You can still gain overall approval even if Astarion disagrees with you a lot early on - I'm playing a fully good character and have his approval nearly maxed out in act 3. If you're patient with him and make sure you are sensitive to him not wanting to be forced to do anything, it works out. Good luck =)
you're SUCH an actor that when you tell him his mic is malfunctioning, you imitate it instead of simply informing him, love it lol
Sadly, I was working when these streams happened but VERY happy to see it released on TH-cam!
Astarion is VERY difficult to annoy enough to make him leave, I'll say. He tolerated a lot. Even my goodie two shoes paladin that absolutely dragged him to save every burning village. Just don't be an asshole to him. Seems more then reasonable lol Astarion has been my favorite character since EA and I knew I would adore him to the finale scene. Neil Newbon's performance was a huge part of why his character was so wonderful!
Int isn't a huge loss to a non wizard. Astarion is the brains of my party anyway.
I learned if you befriended 'Us' the Inttellect Devourer and keep them alive during the intro of the game, you can find them in Act 2 and acquire them as a once-per-rest summon! It's pretty strong by that point in the game, WAY stronger than during the intro
Interesting I'll have to befriend it instead of destroying the brain my roll was too low so I couldn't get it bit ill try again. Thanks for the info
My evil Durge has a very squishy kitty now. =)
Every other character I‘ve ever played was too clever to let Us hatch, so far. Roleplaying is fun. ^^
Where do you find it?
I don't know if you will read this message. But I wanted to say a big thank you for your wonderful voice acting, for the game that you and your colleagues gave to us and the players.
Astarion’s story turned out to be very interesting and even educational, and from his example I realized that I myself couldn’t say “no” for a long time to one person who almost pulled me into an abusive relationship, but today that changed.
And now, after breaking up, I can focus on creativity, fan fiction and making my dreams come true, so that one day I can see another world, outside my conservative and cruel country.
Thanks again and wish you a pleasant journey :)
I am so proud of you!!
@@thepineapplegal9099 thanks:)
I cant express how well Neils talent made me connect with Astarion. I too was in an absuive relationship that I struggled to cut ties with and playing out Astarions storyline was such a close to the heart emotional rollercoaster to me that actually brought a tear to my eye at its conclusion. Neil, you probably wont see this, but in over 20 years of gaming Ive never been anywhere near as invested in a character as I was to Astarion. That is down to your incredible talent. Bravo, Darling
Astarion has become one of my favorite characters in anything ever. You made me laugh cry and chuckle so thank you darling for such a wonderful experiance.
Mine is Solas from Dragon Age. But Astarion is incredible. Too toxic, manipulative, narcissistic and arrogant to my taste, but I support him in his path to becoming a better person and I loved they changed the ending in the new patch so companions can show him the love and support he deserves.
Neil Newbon is such an adorable and passionate person and incredible voice actor though. I love he's sharing this energy and the love and support towards marginalized communities. He's the GOAT. 🫶
Spoilers:
Fork ascended Astarion though. He's evil!! 😹
00:15:43 "Hello? Hello, darling. How are you? Wonderful to see you."
OMG, love this sync! It's so 'wonderful to see you' play this game!
Watching Astarion play Baldurs Gate with Astarion as a party member feels like inception 😂 can’t wait for future streams!
now i wish he does a playthrough AS Astarion LOL
Astarion is one of the best romanceable companions of any game I've played. The voice you did for him is divine... it's literal audio seduction every time he opens his mouth. I'm running a cleric of selune now (2nd playthrough) and am romancing Shadowheart. But... my eye (heart) keeps wandering back to Astarion. Damn Elves. First Zevran, then Fenris, then Solas and now Astarion. lol
I didn't like Solas very much but very much understand the others! XD
I love him so much, but I can't bear playing a character with questionable morals
@@ashildrtheswift3028 You can easily romance him as morally grey or even a completely good character. If you're in dialogue with an npc, don't outright tell them you'll help them, just finish the conversation but do the quest anyway- then you'll still br good and helping but you're not getting the disaproval from Astarion. Or even better, seperate him from the group and make him stand far away out of earshot and sight, if he cannot see or hear you being helpful to others you won't get disaproval.
@@ashildrtheswift3028 Give it some time. I thought the same way at first! There's very good reasons and he might not be what he seems. This is coming from someone that has huge issues hanging around with most evil aligned characters or doing evil playthroughs. :)
It's elves man... they just worm their way into your heart lmao.
I LOVE when VA's play their own game. I will watch every moment of this playthrough religiously.
Neil, from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for putting your amazing voice acting in the game!
Astarion's not exactly my kind of guy, but i love how everyone's so fleshed out and with a distinct personality and complex backstory.
You were so fantastic as Astarion!!! Him and Shadowheart were my favorite companions.
Nice char. - By the way, fun fact: Bowie did not have 2 different eye colours but one of his pupils has always been dilated after a fight in his youth. The muscles in his one eye didn't work properly anymore. He mentioned it once and you can see it in a close up in the ballroom scene of the movie "Labyrinth" from the 80s. Like your work, Mr Newbon, keep on making us all smile. Thx!
It’s happening!! This game has taken over my life and I’ve accepted my fate! Lots of love to you! 💚
This is exactly how I hoped Astarion's voice actor would laugh, amazing
Every time Neil says something as Astarion I think “Omg this guy sounds just like Astarion!!!!😮” 😂😂🤦♀️
"Dang, this guy has one of the best Astarion voices I think I've ev-- ah. Ah, yes."
"...one of?"
I love how Neil sits up real straight whenever he uses Astarion's voice.
Joining in with lots of other folks, Astarion's existence has been really cathartic and healing for me as a survivor and PTSD sufferer.
The "we're basically gods" is the most terrifying thing anyone can say. I remember what happened to Keyleth 🤣🤣
*ptsd*
@@wowguy1243 yes 😅, I have flashbacks to "Cliff Dive!" every time I hear it
😂😂😂
The Goldfish Incident was my immediate thought when I heard him say that
The fact that Astarion has a tendency to just leave makes me feel better about my Bard's mere "fair-good" relationship with him
my good friend and i have been doing a playthrough and we have Astarion in our party. Every little quip like "be careful darling, I bite." we just always comment on it. Such a good character and your voice matched with the writing and design of the character is so good. It's one of the focal points when showing this game to people to prove how good it is.
Hey man, just wanted to say Astarion meant a lot to me. I went into the game blind and ran with him a lot since he was attractive and funny, but the more he opened up the more I related to his story. Your voice acting in the more intense parts was amazing, especially towards the end of his personal story. Your work is so skillful ❤
Hi Neil! It’s fun watching you play BG3, you did an amazing job with Astarion! All the different little inflections and tiny details you can get from his speech alone, just how he talks, it’s so cool. In my playthrough he’s gone from being quite disdainful and suspicious of my character to being quite fond of them, and I can tell that just from how he talks to my character.
Neil has insane range!
You know what, its nice to see the actors playing the creation they helped create. Even the BTS talk is amazing
so glad you uploaded these to youtube I find these much easier to watch then on twitch
Yesss, I can't watch twitch on my TV but with TH-cam I can
Astarion and Shadowheart have the best companion stories to me. The amount of complexity Astarion has throughout BG3 was absolutely incredible. I actually thought he'd leave as I played my folk hero character because he didn't like 90% of the decision I made, and to my surprise by the end of the game, Astarion liked my character a lot. And I realized that had everything to do with the trauma he faced, how he saw my character interact with the world, the reflection he goes through and the wisdom he gets from his own experience as he adventures with you, and realizes that he does have a choice now of who he wants to be. And the climax of all of that when you finally confront his master, was honestly awesome. I mean that in the literal since of awesome. I was in awe, because despite how stubborn or evil Astarion can come off, once you get to know him, the constant battle he has with his nature verses his conscious is just so well written and acted.
If it weren't for Karlach coming into my life as a wrecking ball, Astarion would have been my first romance choice.
I look forward to more streams, I've really enjoyed the interviews you and others have done, and to see so many of the actors want to play the game they were in for years and they want to share that with their fans, its pretty cool! Thanks to your and everyone else, BG3 had an instant place in my heart.
❤️🥰👍
Thanks for allowing me to feel something again through your fabulous acting 😂👏🏻
Astarion has the most fleshed out character development, and your voice work is absolutely outstanding! All the work you've done to make to essentially create two characters depending on how you play his story is just baffeling to me. You really are such a skilled VA, Neil!
Astarion is my favourite character of Baldur's Gate 3 and he is a fantastically deep character. Actually, I cannot name him a "character" because he is a person who through sarcasm and irony tries to hide his vulnerability and trauma and moving forward through his story I feel nothing but constant goosebumps because through your voice acting I could feel how he changed, transformed and realised what he actually wanted in his life. And in the end of his storyline I burst into tears because it touched me deeply. He means to me a lot and will always have a huge part in my heart. Thank you for incredible work you've done for Astarion ❤
Thank you for posting here! Astarion's arc has meant the world to me, it feels so good to be seen as a survivor of abuse myself
There’s something incredibly meta about watching a character in the game experience the game in its full released version 😌
Astarion is now one of my favorite characters of all time. This game has me in an absolute chokehold and I couldn’t be more happy about it. I wake up and my immediate thought is “I can’t wait to go hang out with Astarion”. ♥️ Neil thank you for all of your incredible work over the years. You are truly a once in a generation talent and just a delight of a human.
The list of politicians when he said about the exceptions to inclusivity sent me rolling XD
Too bad he didn't add some democrats to the list (Obama's, Clinton's, Biden's ect). Keep it fair, lol. They all suck (republicans and democrats alike). Not that any of them would watch anyway, they're far too busy running the country into the ground. 🤣
I cannot even properly say how much Astarion hits me as a character, I saddly have more in common with him than I would ever want to (and not by personality), but the way how his story went made me smile a lot. That dude is amazing and with your voice he’s just pure gold 😊 I’ll gladly watch how you guys play!
1:06:25
Wow. I just now noticed the smallest but coolest detail. The man in the chair with his brain exposed has tears dripping down his face. I know hes PROBABLY dead already, but its like you can see the pain he was in before he died. Or- the pain he is *currently* in if he really is still alive at this point.
1:12:16
This brain is so fucking cute for no good reason and it is my favorite creature in the history of creatures. Why is it so cute? Why?? 😭
It’s cute because it is literally a baby 🤓
Astarion was the thing that pulled me into the game. I'm not a big gamer, especially not really long ones, but i saw him and went "ah! That's the one!"
And then i saw a few of the cutscenes, very specially a few of the ones about feeling used and abuse and some of the less sassy, more serious dialogs, and I ended up in tears because it was intensely relatable. I absolutely LOVE the emotion pulled in by all the actors, as well as the animation team because the tiny expressions are so lovely.
And as a cosplayer i IMMEDIATELY decided that Astarion was a necessity. So I'm thrilled~
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart Neil, for all your hard work as Astarion. He has helped me more than you could ever know and I’m so grateful for your hard work. You and the team did amazing ❤
I also have no words to express how beautifully you gave Astarion life, Neil! He means so much to me and not many game characters do-- thank you, thank you for everything!
Guess I found a new series to binge
Right.
So cool to see you actually totally immersed and into the game you're the star of, they picked the best person to play Astarion, easily
I was so sad I missed this stream but I'm glad I finally get to see it. I've sunk so much time into the game, its such a treat to see yall play
Astarion gave me so much every time I've listened every pause, every giggle, every time he lost his minds away while he was trying to find relief from his past. Ty Sir, your character is alive, and I'm proud everytime I feel part of his growing path ❤
I'm so effing excited about this! Just started watching, so I don't know what happens yet, but after he said Astarion will be a permanent companion I thought, firstly, that's SO AWESOME (I love Astarion), and secondly, if Astarion propositions Neil's PC I'm going to die 🤣 How weird would it be to hear your own voice coming on to you? Hilarious 😂
lmao best comment right here. I hope Neil romances Kar, but I also hope he flirts with Astarion. I can't *wait* for all the squirming on all sides
Well deserved on your actor award! You did such an amazing job.
When i started learning more about Astarions story, I'm like "that's.... like me? Oh no."
Every aspect of his personality, emotions, to some extent -I've felt myself.
Helping him find peace is helping me find peace, in a weird way.
Also, he's babygirl. Yeah...
Neil has such a genuine enthusiasm for the game and the artistry that went into making it that makes this absolutely delightful to watch! I can already tell this is what I'll be binging in my background for the next few weeks while I catch up!
Man did i dislike Astarion in the beginning. Now im always excited when i get in dialogue with him. You (and everyone in the team) did an incredible job. Hands down best game i ever played and, as far as i can remember, the best actingperformance i have seen in gaming.
You single-handedly convinced me to buy the game (and spend all my time playing instead of studying) and I just wanted to say THANK YOU and I can’t wait to watch this playthrough!!!
The game is like playing a really great novel and Astarion is an incredible character. He goes with me 100% of the time and I’m madly in love with him and his story. I’m putting off his big city quest because I can’t imagine playing without him and I don’t know how it’s going to turn out. Thank you so much for giving him life.
Your voice is really unique tbh. Anyone could just recognize you. You really suited the Astarion character as someone that is so elegant and antique, also seeking power this is really suitable voice nicely done by you mate.
Honestly, watching Neil get all excited about the cutscenes and hair and stuff is just so adorable! A nerd in his natural habitat!
Barely 12 minutes in and I already love how this guy just doesn't mince words. From the discussion on Twitch's nudity policy to naming who is in fact not welcome, I'm cracking up xD
Found it a bit hypocritical for a guy who's all about 'inclusion.' Sad that all voice actors (actors in general) are woke. He's very talented though and I love his character. That nude bit had me dying though, guy is funny.
@@nissaniss4251I think you've got the wrong idea about inclusion; check out the paradox of tolerance :)
@@nissaniss4251 to create a society of tolerance, we cannot tolerate intolerance. It's the Tolerance Paradox.
YeSSS!! Thank you so much for uploading your streams to your youtube channel! So pumped to follow you and Astarion through your whole playthrough 🥳
LOVED your performance in the game!! Thank you so much for putting your entire body and soul into it!! It showed!!! Excited to watch you play this now
I watch the streams on Twitch, live if I can, but I'm glad to have them here too. They are pure chaos, and I love every moment.
Your voice acting got me into this series! Thank you so so much for contributing to this groundbreaking project ❤
Holy shit. This is gonna be a riot. Thank you, Neil for being SUCH a gem in the game along with all the other voice actors. The game is phenomenal and so memorable thanks to you and the others' efforts. SO LET"S GOOOOOO
When i seen theres a full playthrough of one my all time favorite voice actors playing one of my all time favorite characters you know i had to subscribe and binge watch 😂
It's great to have it here too! thanks for sharing, can't wait to see how your playthrough continues! you guys are great! Neil, Tom, Blue, twitch chat mods, discord mods, all the people involved in this wonderful journey
the whole voice cast for this game did such a terrific job! astarion, gale, and karlach are one of my most favorite characters.
It’s so neat to learn that you did the mo-cap for all the intros! I never would’ve noticed because it’s very like their in-game performances. Well done on getting those mannerisms down so precisely!
(Side note: I’m also playing a Guild Artisan Druid [Tiefling though] with a similar name - Bettie. 😂 When I found out I could be a bear there was no other option for me. 😄🐻❄️)
Oh my god! You did so good with the American accent for Kamski that I had no idea you were English. That's so impressive.
Dang man, 200 hours, 4 playthroughs going, still got a ton to do in each playthrough. Loving the game to death!
I came across this and was so excited to see this❤ can't wait to watch your responses to your own delicious genius! You geeking out on the game just makes it even better ❤ your performance of Astarion was just an emotional ride from laughter to tears
Attempting to free Shadowheart was my first roll of the game. Rolled a nat 1 on the DC 2. I had to screenshot and send it to my home table. My dice curse persists.
So excited to listen to you play through the game during my workdays!
Astarion is my favorite character in this game. You did a fantastic job bringing him to life. I voted for you and bg3 in all the awards available. ❤
Ok, this game has taken over my life! Fishing line, sinker and hook but Astarion! Astarion's (Or Goostarion) story will be with me forever! Neil, your work is FANTASTIC! You did a bloody brilliant job on this character and the ones before so, yeah. Also, belated congrats on the release for this game.
Astarion is my favourite BG3 character and that’s largely in part due to his personality and voice and now I see where it came from. I’ve checked out a little bit of Neil’s other work and I am soooo blown away by the range and versatility. All this to say I am now a big fan XD absolutely brilliant and I can’t express how much your work means to everyone who appreciates Astarion ❤
Loved watching this live! I'm super happy you decided to upload the playthrough here ❤
I love to play with Astarion as a companion, such a lifeful, charismatic, and complicated character! And I'm very pleased to see Nail's avatar choice also :) Thank you for the stream!
Astarion is my favorite character in the game, you really brought him to life, if they ever make an anime of this game, I sure hope you'll voice him again. What's nice is that he could be brought back for later games if his canon ending has him survives, and if it's in his good route too. You really were perfect to voice him.
Wow! Just stumbled on this video at the perfect time! I just spent a very long time reloading Astarion’s Cazador quest. I kept making choices that just didn’t seem right with the character arc that Astarion was developing in my playthrough. None of them felt right after playing them out. Then I finally got the one that fit right in with his arc with the storyline I am playing- “good guy”. I was completely blown away at how brilliantly it was done. The acting was amazing. I could feel Astarion’s emotions. I could feel how absolutely confused he was.
You, sir, are an amazing actor. You have given life to Astarion. Thank you.
I really love the fact that voice actors are getting the attention they deserve. Astarion is one of my favorite characters, and he'd not be nearly as good a character without your efforts. Voice actors are just as important to the characters they help create as traditional screen actors, and as people of my generation get older, the financial demand for video games may very well eventually supplant movies.
neil is such an amazing, multitalented individual 😭 he can really bring a character to life
This game became my favourite of all time, and you and the other voicers are a huge reason for that. Thank you for this experience!
I am SO excited to catch up on your playthrough! ✨ Completely losing myself in Baldur‘s Gate 3 was not on my bingo card, but man, Astarion‘s unmatched sass instantly got me hooked; the way you play him is absolutely to die for, what an incredibly multifaceted & nuanced performance! Chapeau Neil & much love! 💖
All of the companions in BG3 are amazing but Astarion really punched me in the SOUL because he's very similar to a personal dnd character I've had for years now and I am so in love with his story and how well he's been written and acted and voiced. You and Larian did a fantastic job on him and I cannot thank you enough for just how well you've handled his entire character and story arc. I missed a chunk of this stream because it was late but I'm excited to watch it now! Thankyou so much for sharing these and streaming.
As entertaining as the explosions were, I'm glad Neil reloaded to get the flame sword with command - it's exactly what I would've done. Great work from chat too ofc
The crisis of whether to watch this or continue playing BGG myself 😂 I guess I’ll do both at the same time! Neil, you’re such an amazing voice actor (Astarion is one of the best parts of the game imo) and I can’t wait to laugh along with you playing this game!
2:02:37 holly sh... that explosion!! and it didn't even kill the guy, only the ally!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 so happy to see you play this Neil.
and thank you for the most amazing portrayal of one of the best game characters ever. I can't explain with words how much I love Astarion!!!!!!!!! 🥰
This is great. Always love seeing the voice actors play some of the games they worked on.
I kind of wonder why more havent done it.
Thank you for that stream and HUGE thanks for Astarion. That character has grown on me soooooo much that I just can't express it with normal words I think I'm in love 😭😭😭
I'm so grateful for finding BG3 and most of all - your incredible work with playing Astarion. Can't wait for the next video, keep up the good work ❤