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Neil Newbon in the live-action video game, Dead Take.

Newbon and Starr are best known as Astarion and Clive Rosfield (Image: Surgent Studios).

Entertainment

2 weeks ago

Dead Take brings Neil Newbon and Ben Starr together in a live-action horror game

The voices behind Astarion and Clive Rosfield take on something unsettling in Surgent Studios' next game.

Surgent Studios, the team behind Tales of Kenzera: Zau, is pivoting to psychological horror in its upcoming project, Dead Take. The studio’s next title will feature a powerhouse pairing of Neil Newbon and Ben Starr in the lead roles, two of the most recognisable names in narrative-driven games today.

Newbon, known for his award-winning portrayal of Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3, and Starr, who brought Clive Rosfield to life in Final Fantasy XVI, will step into a new kind of spotlight; this time, as live-action performers in a chilling story about fame, ambition, and identity.

Live-action performances take centre stage

Rather than voicing animated characters, Dead Take showcases Newbon and Starr onscreen in full live-action sequences, playing actors trapped in a psychological spiral within a sprawling Hollywood mansion. Described by Surgent Studios founder Abubakar Salim as a “reverse escape room,” the game challenges players to navigate a non-linear mystery by piecing together live-action clips that hold clues to escape, or descend deeper.

Exploring the dark side of fame through interactive storytelling

“You’re watching them act, not as characters behind models, but as themselves,” Salim explained in an interview with Eurogamer. The decision to film the performances rather than rely on CG is key to the game’s themes: breaking down the façade of performance to explore the person underneath.

At the heart of Dead Take is a question: how far would someone go for success in an industry built on illusion? The game will explore the mental and emotional toll of chasing recognition in Hollywood, with players inhabiting the role of an actor navigating the industry’s hidden costs. The eerie Hollywood mansion isn’t just a set piece; it reflects the protagonist’s own fractured sense of reality. Salim says the story is inspired by real experiences from his and the cast’s careers, making Dead Take both a fictional horror and a commentary on the pressures of creative ambition.

“Abuse of power, the obsession with legacy, the desperation for the next role, we’ve all seen it,” Salim said. “This is our way of processing those things through the lens of a game.”

Dead Take is set to release on PC via Steam later this year, with no specific date yet confirmed. It will be published by Pocketpair, the studio behind Palworld. Salim says the partnership was built on a shared vision for more experimental and meaningful storytelling in games.