At this point, it’d almost be easier to name the blockbuster game franchise Troy Baker hasn’t been a part of. The Last of Us, BioShock: Infinite, Final Fantasy 13, Mass Effect 3; he gets around. He’s so prolific that creators have specifically sought him out for certain roles, like Hideo Kojima, who created a part in Death Stranding for the performer.
In a PartyChat interview going through his career, Baker touches on his performance as Higgs in the Death Stranding games, a villain who wants to kill what remains of mankind in the dystopian sci-fi epics. “One of the kindest things that Hideo Kojima has ever done is say, ‘Hey, I wrote this part for you,’ and he held up to his end of the deal,” Baker says.
Higgs is a pretty massive character. He leads a cult dedicated to finishing the genocide of the human race, and he’s relentless in his pursuit of the protagonist Sam Porter, portrayed by Norman Reedus.
The guy tends to float around when he appears and his lines are extremely theatrical. It’s the kind of role I imagine was a lot of fun to rehearse and record, because you can just go for it in terms of energy and energy.
“I didn’t realize until after we wrapped, we are The Game Awards, and Hideo told me, ‘Do you know why Higgs plays guitar and sings?'” Baker remembers. “‘During the pandemic, I would watch you on your Instagram Lives, when I was feeling down, and I’d watch you play acoustic.'”
Aww, what a lovely thing to hear! It struck a chord with Baker, who mentions he’d “never been nervous” about who was watching, and wishes Kojima told him. “I’d no idea that meant that to him,” Baker finishes. He returned to Higgs for Death Stranding 2, and he’s currently back over at Naughty Dog for an undisclosed role in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Keep your ears open for any musicianship in the character.