A Voice Actor plays 194 hours of FFXIV to hear his friend again
Last year saw the death of Stephen Critchlow, actor and voice actor. After a long career on stage, radio, and television, including many of his Big Finish Doctor Who audio dramas, he died at 54.
Final Fantasy XIV Fans will remember him as the English voice for Count Edmont de Fortemps. This character is a pillar of Heavensward’s main narrative, and his monologues close out the final cutscene. Critchlow brought out the kind and understanding nature of Count Edmont while giving the character a royal look. Sadly, Critchlow will never be able to voice the character again.
Robert Harper, a friend and colleague of Critchlow, decided to pay tribute to his friend as the anniversary of his death approached. Harper remembered the vigils held to honour Critchlow in the game and decided to get FFXIV for the PS4 and start playing.
“This year, this was the first time I had played the game. Harper, a user on the FFXIV forum, said, “I got hooked pretty quickly. I found myself wondering when Stephen’s voice would come to me.” I was aware that Stephen didn’t make an appearance as an NPC voice until Hellward and I became somewhat obsessed with getting to Ishgard before the 19th anniversary of his death.
Harper reached Heavensward’s beginning after spending 194 hours playing on his Bard. He heard his friend’s voice again.
“After almost 200 hours of playtime and becoming completely invested in the game, after the final scenes of A Realm Reborn, I finally heard my friend’s voice. Reddit: “I don’t mind admitting I shed some tears,” he stated.
Reddit and Twitter fans rallied behind Harper and offered their support. They also stated how Critchlow’s portrayal of Count Edmont affected them. Harper responded to several comments on both platforms before making a more significant statement.
He said, “I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of love from all of you for Stephen, as well as for the kindness you show me by talking about your love for him as Edmont.” I believe I have responded to all the comments up to now. It was amazing to see my post get so much attention.
Harper will attend a vigil in memory of Critchlow’s server Phantom, located on the European side of the Chaos data centre. The vigil will be held at 8:00 GMT on September 19, 2022, to commemorate Critchlow’s passing.
