Edge of Eternity is a weird beast. Developed by Midgar Studio, a small team based in France, it was always the "indie that could," aiming for that triple-A Final Fantasy vibe on a fraction of the budget. But if you’ve spent any time in the world of Heryon, you know that the Edge of Eternity cast—specifically the voice actors who brought Daryon and Selene to life—had a massive mountain to climb. They weren't just reading lines. They were trying to ground a story that leaps from political intrigue to cosmic horror, all while navigating a game that saw significant changes during its long Early Access period.
Honestly, the voice acting in this game is a bit of a polarizing topic in the JRPG community. Some people love the earnestness. Others find the English dub a little "crunchy" in spots. But when you look at the talent involved, it's clear the developers weren't messing around. They went after seasoned pros who understand the specific, often melodramatic rhythm of Japanese-style role-playing games.
The Voices Behind Daryon and Selene
The heart of the story is the sibling dynamic. Daryon, the deserter soldier, is voiced by Alejandro Saab. If you follow gaming or anime, you know his name. He’s basically everywhere—from Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Yuri) to Genshin Impact (Cyno). Saab brings a specific kind of weary, cynical energy to Daryon that works because the character is essentially a man who has lost his faith in the military and the world at large.
Then you have Selene. She’s the moral compass. She’s voiced by Kira Buckland. You might recognize her as 2B from NieR: Automata. That’s a huge get for an indie studio. Buckland has this incredible range where she can sound authoritative and magical but also deeply vulnerable. In Edge of Eternity, her task was to balance Daryon’s pessimism. Their banter is probably the best part of the script. It’s not always "perfect," but it feels human. They sound like siblings who are tired of each other’s crap but would die for one another.
Supporting Players and the Wider World
It isn't just a two-person show. The Edge of Eternity cast extends to characters like Fallon and Myrna.
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- Aimee-Ffion Edwards: Best known for Peaky Blinders, she lends a distinct texture to the world.
- Adam Howden: Yes, Shulk from Xenoblade Chronicles. Having "Mr. Monado" himself in the game gave it instant "JRPG royalty" credibility.
The casting choice here was smart. Midgar Studio knew that if the voices felt amateur, the whole illusion of a "high-end JRPG" would shatter. By hiring folks like Saab and Buckland, they ensured that even when the animations were a bit stiff (as indie games often are), the emotional beats landed.
Why the Japanese Dub Might Be Your Best Bet
Look, I’m usually a "dub over sub" guy for long RPGs because I want to eat snacks while I play without reading. But with Edge of Eternity, the Japanese voice cast is absolutely stacked. We are talking legendary status.
Natsuki Hanae (Tanjiro from Demon Slayer) voices Daryon.
Yui Ishikawa (Mikasa from Attack on Titan) voices Selene.
When you have the voices of some of the biggest anime characters in history, the vibe changes. The Japanese performance leans heavily into the tropes of the genre. It feels more "natural" in that specific JRPG way. If you find the English delivery a bit disjointed, switching to the Japanese audio often fixes that "uncanny valley" feeling. It’s a testament to how much the developers cared about the international market. They didn't just hire random people; they hired the A-list.
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The Challenge of Indie Voice Direction
It is easy to criticize a game’s voice acting, but you have to remember how this game was made. Edge of Eternity was born on Kickstarter. It grew through years of feedback. This means the script was often being tweaked while the actors were in the booth—or worse, recorded remotely across different time zones.
One of the biggest hurdles for the Edge of Eternity cast was the technical implementation. In many scenes, the lip-syncing doesn't quite match the English audio because the character models were built with different phonetic structures in mind. This often leads to "The Godzilla Effect," where a character finishes speaking, but their mouth keeps moving for half a second. It's distracting. But if you focus on the performance itself, the quality is there.
Sound and Music: The Invisible Cast Member
You can't talk about the cast without mentioning Yasunori Mitsuda. While he isn't a voice actor, his contribution to the "voice" of the game is massive. The man did the music for Chrono Trigger and Xenogears. Having his compositions backing up the actors' performances provides a layer of gravitas that most indie games simply can't touch. When Daryon is having a moment of doubt and Mitsuda’s melancholic strings kick in, the voice acting doesn't have to do all the heavy lifting. The atmosphere carries it.
Common Misconceptions About the Cast
A lot of people think that because the game is French, the original voices are French. Nope. The game was designed with a global audience in mind, so English and Japanese were the priorities.
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Another weird rumor was that the game used AI voices for some of the side NPCs. That’s just not true. Midgar Studio has been pretty vocal about their recording sessions. The "flatness" some players hear in background characters is usually a result of lower-budget voice direction for minor roles, not a lack of human actors. It’s a common trade-off in massive open-world RPGs. You put the money into Daryon and Selene and hope people don't mind that the guy selling potions sounds a bit like he’s reading a grocery list.
How to Get the Most Out of the Performance
If you’re just starting your journey in Heryon, here is a bit of advice. Give the English dub a fair shake for the first two chapters. Alejandro Saab really finds his footing as Daryon once the stakes get higher. However, if you find yourself cringing at the timing of the lines, jump into the settings and swap to Japanese.
The emotional weight of the "Nekaroo" (those giant cat mounts) and the plight of the "Corrosion" (the techno-virus eating the world) feels significantly more "epic" with the Japanese cast. It turns the game from a "Western take on a JRPG" into something that feels like a lost Square Enix title from the PS2 era.
Practical Steps for Players
- Check your audio mix: The default settings sometimes bury the voices under the music. Turn the music down to 80% and keep voices at 100% to actually hear the nuances in the acting.
- Watch the DLC scenes: Some of the post-launch content and updates added extra dialogue that fleshes out the secondary Edge of Eternity cast. Don't skip these.
- Appreciate the effort: Remember that this was a team of about 10-15 people. The fact that they got 2B and Tanjiro in the same game is a minor miracle.
The legacy of Edge of Eternity isn't just in its tactical combat or its beautiful landscapes. It’s in the fact that a small group of creators reached out to the best in the business to make sure their story was heard. Whether you love or hate the final product, the talent behind the microphones is undeniable.
To truly experience the character depth, pay attention to the optional "Inns" conversations. These are the moments where the actors aren't shouting about saving the world; they're just talking about their favorite foods or their childhood fears. That is where the cast shines. That is where Heryon feels real.