Why Aaron Paul finally said yes to a video game in ‘Dispatch’

In the year 2025, superhero media, especially in the world of video games, is still having a moment with no signs of stopping. While most games feature caped and spandex-clad players engaging in flashy battles (of which there are many), a few require players to put on their thinking caps and micromanage their heroes in a narrative-driven adventure with a star-studded cast of celebrities. This is the place send Come.

senddeveloped by Custom studioPlayers see themselves playing as Robert Robertson, a former champion who has seen his career decline. Before Robertson sinks into a full-blown depression, he lucks into a lifeline, allowing him to repurpose his superhero experience as the man in the chair, who wrangles flammable former misfits turned cape-wearing crusaders and sends them off to deal with a chaotic maelstrom of city-wide emergencies. A dispatch, if you will.

With veterans of genre-defining narrative games like Tales from the borderlands, The walking deadand The wolf is among us At the helm, send People boast a similar flavor of acerbic banter We will remember later. It also doesn’t hurt that the sound crew is evenly loaded, with nothing else going for it very bad’Aaron Paul leads the charge, making his video game voice acting debut.

Given that precedent, io9 spoke with Paul about what attracted him to his first video game role, how the experience contrasts with his work in film and TV, and (because we love chaos) weighing in on whether video games are bigger than the Oscars.

Isaiah Colbert, io9: Your reputation precedes you, having conquered prestige television, animation, and even dystopian sci-fi. I wanted to ask you, excuse my French, what made you say, “Fuck, yeah, bitch!” To enter send As your first full role in a video game?

Aaron Paul: (laughs) Well done. I did well. I have to tell you, I’ve been wanting to jump into a game for some time. I’ve been approached to play a few games in the past, but nothing has felt right. But when (send) landed on my desk, I just checked all the boxes. First, the writing must be present; The story has to be there. It has to be something interesting to deal with. I’ve been spoiled by the animation space, so I’m very cautious when it comes to logging into anything.

All the scripts were written before I signed on, so there was a lot of homework to do. But then it was presented to me with this amazing reel and a really beautiful scene that was actually animated and had a temp voiceover – which was really cool – and it painted the world in such a beautiful light. It made me so excited to sit down with the creatives – the masterminds behind it all. After that, for me, it was just a no-brainer. I was so excited to jump on board and take a bow.

io9: How did Robert Robertson’s voice-over experience compare to your previous brush with games, such as playing the hero in Final Fantasy XV: Kingsglaive Or be a big fan of Fallout: New Vegas?

pee: Yes! I mean it was just a lot of time. It was very time consuming because it’s a choose your own adventure game, so there are a lot of versions of the game that we need to record. Full transparency: It took about two years to register, which is a lot, you know. But everyone who signed this is incredibly passionate about it. The writing was so great because it makes you laugh until you cry. But it also makes you think about very heavy feelings. It takes you on a journey. I’m excited for people to play it. But then I really hope they like it so much – and I really feel like that will be the case – that they’ll want to try a different path. I’m excited for people to do this because it will take them down a path they never expected.

io9: We talked about her story, and send It turns the superhero genre on its head – no capes, no fighting, just messy, high-stakes micromanagement behind the scenes. What led you towards this type of hypothesis? I know you mentioned that you’re usually picky when it comes to gaming projects. Was it a novelty? sendStory or some people in the AdHoc lineage who have had narrative driven successes e.g The wolf is between we and The walking dead Which Sealed the deal for you?

pee: It’s really all of the above. I tend to gravitate toward projects where the character I’m playing is facing an internal battle. Robert Robertson certainly does. He’s a generational superhero named Mecha Man. His father was wearing the suit he was wearing. His grandfather was wearing a suit. There’s a lot of pressure on him, a lot of stress. His superhero suit has been damaged in battle, and now he’s forced to do a job he doesn’t want to do. So, there’s a lot of frustration and annoyance as he deals with this group of misfits at the superhero dispatch center he’s in charge of. He’s just trying to keep it together while trying to keep all these “ex-bad guys” in line as they try to reintroduce them to society as good guys.

io9: with send Tackling these tricky themes of surveillance, morality, and isolation, all wrapped up in a superhero package, did any of it resonate with you personally, and how do you underscore the shift in the role of gaming as a medium for storytelling in popular culture?

pee: (send) I felt like I was putting these superheroes in a real-life scenario that I really responded to and I think it’s a unique scenario for us. I like it. And I love seeing the real frustration coming out of these particular characters. They are all very different, but they all deal with their own daily personal struggles that the player will see firsthand. This is what I really answered. If it’s not on the page, then you don’t really have much. But the story was beautifully thought out and executed. I’m excited for people to peel back all the layers.

io9: Obviously the cast send Very heavy with stars. Did you turn to any veterans for advice before entering the booth — people like Laura Bailey, Matthew Mercer, or Travis Willingham, or even game creators like Alanah Pearce, Moistcr1tikal, or Jacksepticeye — for pointers? Or it was, “I’ve got this in the bag. Jeffrey Wright and I know how to do things.”

pee: (Laughs) The thing is, I haven’t been able to meet anyone, unfortunately. I met Laura Bailey at this… Oh my God, what was that? Like a big video game prize…

io9: Game Awards?

pee: Yes, game prizes. Which was honestly the craziest awards show I’ve ever attended in my life. He was crazy. It was crazy – not the people in attendance but (how many) people (were) watching. It was absolute pandemonium.

Billy is such a legend in space. When she signed on, we were all ecstatic. I know her work. It’s absolutely incredible. I was lucky enough to hear it in headphones during a lot of the scenes our characters were together because it took so long to record it. Often, but not always, they had already registered before I did. I benefited from that because I heard how they did it.

io9: Speaking of the Game Awards, I’m sure you’ve probably heard Hazelight Studios developer Joseph Fares’ famous quote about the Game Awards being bigger than the Oscars. With cinematic gaming becoming the norm, do you think voice acting in games has finally shed its niche as “voice acting” and become more like “it’s acting” that deserves to be celebrated like the Oscars do?

pee: Yes, it’s all acting. Stories told in games – this has been the norm for a very long time. Games are 10 times bigger than the movie industry. It’s huge. I am so proud to be a part of this world.

I’ve never heard that phrase — that the Game Awards are bigger than the Oscars — but I’ll tell you, I didn’t know what I was getting into. I went into absolute chaos – controlled chaos – in a wonderful way. I felt incredibly proud to be part of this community.

My brother is a great player. He plays games every day. This is where his community is. He has friends spread all over the world, as all players do. It’s great to see (and) peek behind that curtain. It’s really nice to see this community because it’s a community that lifts each other up and kind of protects each other. That’s why I love going to places like Comic-Con or the Game Awards. It’s full of true, passionate and passionate fans.

There are fans outside of gaming, but gaming takes it to a different level. They’re just so raw (and) unapologetic (with) who they are and through them. It’s nice to see, and now it’s nice to be a part of it.

io9: If send It has been made into a series or movie, as is usual with games. Would you like to reprise your role, or would you rather let the game be its own experience for players to enjoy?

pee: (Laughs) Yeah, not a chance. Not a chance. No, I’m kidding. I don’t know if I have the time in my life to do that. It took two years to do this. We’ll see. I love the group. Everyone is part ofsend) It was a pleasure working with him. We really got to know each other. We all loved this story. In the end, I don’t want to give too much away, but there could definitely be room to continue this story. I think people will get really invested in these characters, so we’ll see. I’m excited for people to play. I can’t wait to hear what people think.

io9: I’m excited as well. I can’t wait to play send, Like my best friend, Aaron Paul, is clearly on this.

pee: Yes exactly! I love you, my friend!

---

send It will be released on October 22, with weekly playable episode releases through November 12 on PlayStation 5 and Windows. You can play the free demo now.

Want more io9 news? Check when to expect the latest marvel, star warsand Star Trek Releases, what’s next for DC Universe in film and televisionAnd everything you want to know about the future Doctor Who.