Ezio voice actor replaces Assassin's Creed Chronicles dialogue
Fan channel does what Ubisoft didn't.
Side-scrolling spin-off Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China includes a short section with series hero Ezio Auditore.
It's a cool moment for fans of the franchise, yet any fan will tell you the moment is let down by Ubisoft and developer Climax Studios using someone other than Roger Craig Smith, the character's voice actor, as Ezio's voice.
The anonymous impression is jarring - it's just not the voice players will have become familiar with from Assassin's Creed 2, Brotherhood, Revelations and Embers.
Now, Craig Smith has recorded Ezio's Chronicles dialogue himself, in a video posted to Assassin's Creed YouTube fan channel Loomer.
"These lines were recorded without the astute direction of Amanda Wyatt (my voice director on the AC games), as well as without the assistance of Ida Darvish and Peter Arpesella (my dialect coaches on the AC games) - all without whom the character of Ezio would not exist.
"If I've butchered the accent or botched the performance for these lines - that's all on me! Many thanks to Ubisoft and to the fans for your support of this epic gaming franchise. Insieme per la Vittoria! [We stand together!]"
When asked why his voice talents were absent from the game, Craig Smith previously said that he had simply not been asked.
Eurogamer questioned Ubisoft as to why Ezio's voice had been sourced elsewhere, back in March when we previewed Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China, but the developer could not provide us with a response.
Assassin's Creed Chronicles is still due two other parts. Originally pencilled in for release this autumn, word on the second and third slices - set in India and Russia - has fallen silent since China's release.
Skip to the 20 seconds mark to hear Craig Smith taking his rightful place as Ezio's voice:
And here's the original, for comparison:
