How does voice acting differ from traditional acting?

I mean, voice acting is different because you have a lot less to work with in order to communicate something that the character is trying to communicate. If it's an emotion or a thought, you have your voice as opposed to using your whole body or your face. So you're in a sound booth and you're just implementing what you can do with your voice to emit those feelings.

You've been playing some of the early builds of Velvet Assassin here at Comic Con. How does it feel to play as yourself in a video game?

It's really strange actually, because I'll hear myself and for some reason it doesn't sound like me. I mean first off, it's a British accent and I'm American, so I obviously had to put some work into being able to do that properly. And since I haven't spoken in a British accent in so many months since I've done the recording, it seems almost like its someone else, but at the same time it's me. It's all very strange – but kind of cool, too, and I really like playing the game. I just wish I was better at it.

Do you play video games at all yourself, or is it strictly business?

Honestly, I used to play video games when I was a teenager, but I don't play as much now - it's mainly a time thing. But it's been really cool being involved with Velvet Assassin. It's rekindled my interest in the gaming world.

Do you have any plans for more video game roles in the future?

Yeah, I mean, whatever comes along. I think it's definitely a market that's going to be huge. It's up and coming and people are using video games as a medium in a lot of different ways. I think it's extremely fascinating to be involved in that.

On that note, right now video game acting isn't really its own distinct profession, and often gaming roles are filled by stage and film actors. Do you think that as video games struggle to be accepted as an art form, video game acting can separate itself from stage and film as a distinct art?

Yeah, I mean it's very different. Obviously, video games are animated, so as an actor, there aren't really that many things you can do besides doing voice work and motion capture work and that kind of stuff. I think it's really cool when they mix live-action stuff with parts from the game, so you can get a little bit of both. But I feel that a lot of hardcore gamers don't like that. They like it to be purely animated, purely video game.

What has been your favorite experience in working on Velvet Assassin?

Well, the traveling has been great. I was fortunate enough to go to Germany with Velvet Assassin for a convention in Germany and to Seattle and now obviously to Comic Con. So that's been really exciting, just meeting all these people. It's this enthusiasm about games and people showing up in these crazy costumes. I'm not generally exposed to that world at all.

For the benefit of the readers: She showed up in a crazy costume too, but then again that's her job.

Yeah, that's right. It's funny because when I walk to the convention, I wear the costume, and I know that people are looking at me and thinking, "Oh God she's one of those gaming people!" [laughs]

And finally, what tips would you give to aspiring video game voice actors?

Oh, what tips would I give? Don't give up, in anything you do really. And yeah, if you want to do it, then stick to it, and it'll happen sooner or later.

Thank you very much for your time Ms. Cohen. Best of luck with the release of Velvet Assassin this April.

Thank you very much.

EDIT: I accidentally wrote March as the game's release date instead of April. Sorry.

While Velvet Assassin might be classified as a stealth action title, it is all about stealth over action. According to SouthPeak rep Aubrey Norris, the two things to remember while playing the game are "kill everybody, and don't get seen." She wasn't kidding either – Most of the game is spent crouching in the shadows, waiting for a soldier to walk past so that you can kill him. Much like Metal Gear Solid, every area is a puzzle, with soldiers walking along set patrols and obstacles set up to hamper your ability to get past. It makes for some really interesting gameplay as Violette shuts off lights, hides behind cover, and attempts to creep silently over floors coated with broken glass.

When Violette finally stands behind an enemy, you can kill him with a single button press, which will generate one of thirty-six distinct assassination animations. The one that gets used is determined by what weapon Violette is carrying, where she is standing relative to the enemy, and a variety of other factors. The screen turns red as Violette is about to kill her victims, adding an even greater level of tension to the already nail-bitingly tense assassination scenes. Violette's missions range from assassinating Nazi leaders to blowing up bunkers to killing Allied spies before they can give away information, but a lot of what I played was simple room-by-room assassinations. (Think Metal Gear Solid) I could see Velvet Assassin facing the same problem as Assassin's Creed, wherein there are so many assassinations that they become tedious chores, despite how well-designed they are.

For the packrat gamers, there are "collectibles" scattered throughout all of the levels, but instead of being meaningless trinkets, each and every one is an object based directly off of artifacts from Nazi-era Germany. These include things like medals and even letters from German soldiers to their families. Nearly everything in this game, from the weapons to the hairstyles, was heavily researched by the developers at Replay Studios.

One of the more unusual additions to the game is something called morphine. Violette has the ability to use it while telling her story, causing the game world to turn into a psychedelic, flowery dream, slowing everything down so that the now-nightgown-clad Violette can sneak past enemies. This powerful ability can be recharged with morphine syringes found around the levels, and it sometimes must be used to pass obstacles. The morphine is the only part that diminishes the game's realism, since the weird dream sequences are actually a fully-required gameplay element, rather than an optional crutch for players in need of help.

All in all, though, Velvet Assassin is shaping up to be an interesting game. Its take on World War II is quite unique, as it is simultaneously tackling the idea of a female main character and the concept of the battle "behind the front lines." The game looks beautiful, and the stealth gameplay has its share of nerve-wracking moments. Fans of Assassin's Creed and Metal Gear Solid who are looking for a title a little bit more grounded in reality: Don't let Velvet Assassin sneak under your radar.

Assassin's Creed's Altair learns to swim for future project (Joystiq): In an interview with AusGamer, David Wilkinson (animation director for Prince of Persia) was talking about Alex Drouin, animation director for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Assassin's Creed, when he was asked what Drouin is up to now. Wilkinson, in a classic moment of slipped tongues, replied, "He's busy making Altair even more beautiful. Last thing I saw him do was getting Altair to swim." There's pretty much nothing that you can glean from this except that there is a sequel to Assassin's Creed coming (as if that wasn't clear), and that the main character Altair will indeed be able to swim this time around.

U.S. Copyright Law That Allows Equipment Seizures Signed (Anime News Network): President George W. Bush recently signed into law a bill called PRO-IP (Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property), which will create a position known as the "Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator," in charge of tracking down and dealing with copyright infringers, much in a similar fashion to the War on Drugs.

An earlier version of the bill would have allowed the government to sue on behalf of rights holders, something that would put anime fansubbing in grave, grave danger. The most important point about the law is that it allows the government to seize any and all equipment (i.e. your computer) if there is evidence of copyright infringement, and sue again if any more infringing material is found therein.

Konami: 'We're actively looking' into MGS4 on Xbox 360 (Joystiq): According to Japanese investment research firm Morningstar, game developer Konami is "actively looking into a [Metal Gear Solid 4] release for the Xbox 360." We've known for a while that the developers of the hit game were thinking of bringing it over to the Xbox 360, but the recent multi-console movement among big games like Final Fantasy XIII just might push Konami to finally make the jump.