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David Hayter, the iconic voice behind Metal Gear's Solid Snake, has teamed up with Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight star Shai Matheson in an adorable video response to claims that the two characters sound alike.
Sometimes the best way to answer to your critics is by laughing along with them. I know I laugh through tears every time I read another comment about the so-called "skill issue" preventing me from enjoying Souls games, and Matheson is taking a similar approach to critiques of his Lego Batman voice, which many compare to a stuffy-nosed Solid Snake. Instead of pushing back on those accusations, Matheson made a tongue-in-cheek video with Hayter in which he receives the actor's blessing.
"So, apparently a lot of you think my Batman sounds like Solid Snake from Metal Gear if he had a cold," Matheson says in the video. "I'm not sure I understand that. Do you?" he asks, before the camera pans toward Hayter, who's blowing his nose with a tissue.
"I'm sorry, I've got a bit of a cold," Hayter says.
"Oh, I get it now," Matheson admits.
Lego Batman's Shai Matheson responds to a common criticism of his portrayal of the character from r/metalgearsolid
Despite the wholesome, diplomatic nature of the video, I actually think the actors do a better job of dispelling comparisons than anything else. Hearing the two voices side-by-side, I genuinely don't hear it. Sure, they both speak in deep, raspy baritones, but otherwise they sound like distinct characters to me. Regardless, it couldn't be more clear that Hayter is perfectly happy for people to think Lego Batman sounds just like his Solid Snake performance.
"But hey, I just wanna say: Batman, I admire you work. You're stealthy as hell," Hayter says in his signature Solid Snake voice, shortly before the two actors bust out in laughter and the video ends.
Whatever you think of Matheson's performance, it did little to hamper our impressions of Lego Batman, with GR+ US managing editor Rollin Bishop awarding the game a commendable 4/5 stars and saying it "remixes classic stories and games to provide a single straightforward explanation for who Batman is, how he came to be, and where he and his extended found family has ultimately found themselves – without taking itself too seriously."
