Summary
Dustbornis a new action-adventure game that will take players across an alternate-history America. The story-driven journey is the latest from Red Thread Games and publisher Spotlight by Quantic Dream, a third-party label by theDetroit: Become Humandeveloper. The title features a diverse cast of characters, with protagonist Pax being played by Dominique Teller, known for her long-time role of Naomi Nagata in Syfy seriesThe Expanse.
Dustbornhas an enrapturing graphic novel art style and Neo-Western world, which Pax and her group of friends are traversing to reach Nova Scotia and deliver an important stolen package. As they travel undercover on a bus as a punk band, the group will face plenty of enemies, which can be fought off with Pax’s bat or through the power of weaponised words - she has the ability to locate and record Echoes of the past, which can be remixed and turned into a form of attack. Pax will change based on player choices, making dialogue a key narrative component.
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Films and TV shows aren’t the only places where the heroes of comic panels can find new audiences, video games are also a powerful medium.
Screen RantinterviewedDustbornactress Dominique Tipper to discuss what drew her to the role of Pax, her history with video games, and the next season ofMonarch: Legacy of Monsters.
Dominique Tipper Discusses Dustborn
The Actress Delves Into Her Character & Gaming History
Screen Rant: First, Dominique, I would love to just hear about what drew you to this role of Pax in the first place? What about her character really appealed to you the most?
Dominique Tipper: Well, firstly, I loved the concept of the game. I think this choice-based, feeling-based kind of game was really cool, nothing I’d really come across before; I’m not a massive gamer, but just even from auditioning with games and other games I’ve done. To play Pax, she’s such a cool - almostwritten in the way that I like my characters to be when I’m on-screen, just very gray, very flawed, a real multifaceted human being. I also like the political aspect of the game, of the world it’s set in. I just thought it was all very cool. That’s probably what drew me to it.
You’ve acted in video games before, as you mentioned, but I’m curious what it’s been like for you to take on a larger voice acting role in a game as the star protagonist, and the unique challenges that come with that compared to acting on screen like you usually do.
Dominique Tipper: That’s a good question. It was great doing this. It was hard work, because depending on the choices you make, you get a different Pax.There’s a few different versions of her, depending on how you respond or the things you say, so for each scene, we had to do different versions for that scene of the text.
I don’t know, it’s weird - you almost feel like you have to do more because your face isn’t on-screen. It’s very easy to get an emotion or something across with a facial expression or a change in a facial expression, you don’t have that luxury with voice acting. I think what was hard for me was dialing it up, which I always come across that with video games. I’m like, “Oh, is that too much?” And it’s like, “No, that’s perfect because it’s not your face.” I always think dialing up is the hardest thing, but it was very cool to play the lead of this game. I really enjoyed it. Also, the singing aspect of it, because they’re undercover as a band, so I had to record songs for the game, which I’ve never done before, which was very cool.
In general, can you talk a little bit more about what the recording process was like? Were you recording with your co-stars in the same place ever, or was it all recorded separately?
Dominique Tipper: No, I never recorded with my co-stars once actually. All of it was separate. It was just me and Ragnar [Tørnquist] and the sound engineer, and I would have to imagine their responses or do a few versions of it so that when they edit it they could match it with what the other person was doing.
I’ve only met Safiyya Ingar, who plays Sai, because we went to do PAX East together, but previous to that and post that, I haven’t met any of the other voice actors. You do it all alone really, because there is so much to get through per actor, so I think if we were all in the room together, it’d just be a nightmare. I get why they do it, but yeah, it was just me on my own.
You mentioned doing multiple takes, and obviously I assume a lot of that is just differing delivery, but was there ever any ad-libbing in the booth at all?
Dominique Tipper: Did I ad lib? No, I don’t think I did ever. Especially when Pax is fighting, her quality of how she speaks during the fights is quite bantery, she is always s***-talking everyone. A lot of that, that was all written, soI think that feels ad-libby, but it wasn’t me ad libbing, it was me doing script. I’ve maybe done some ad libs when I was singing, but not for the text, not for the scene portions.
Have you gotten a chance to play a lot ofDustbornyourself yet?
Dominique Tipper: Not yet. I got to play a little bit of it at PAX East, which was fun, but I don’t actually have a console, so I don’t know, I might need to find a friend that’s got a console so I can play it, but yeah, I haven’t.
You mentioned you’re not much of a gamer in your free time, but I’m curious if you’ve ever ventured into that realm at all, even when you were younger?
Dominique Tipper: Yes. When I was younger I used to play. I was - nobody called it a gamer then, you know? I’m probably showing my age, but not when I was a kid.I was always playing games. My grandparents had an Atari, so I started on an Atari, and then past that I had a Sega Mega Drive, and I loved that.
I also used to play a lot on the PC. I played all these weird games, like Doom - early Doom - I used to play that a lot, which used to freak me out, but I still used to play it anyway. Then there was this strategy game called Dr. Hugo, and you’d have to find out who killed someone, and it was so weird. Then on the Mega Drive, I loved Fantastic Dizzy, which is another platform strategy game, and Abe’s Oddysee, I used to play that.
But I was very active in many different activities from a kid, so I think once I started cheerleading, dancing, singing, I stopped gaming, because I was out after school all the time. I was a cross-country champion as well, so I started to be out, and then I started raving. That was the end of gaming.
Do you find this role has maybe drawn you back into that world a little bit and tempted you to think like, “Maybe I will get a couple of games,” or anything like that?
Dominique Tipper: I do love playing games, you know. I just don’t set aside time for it. I recently was playing It Takes Two with a friend.
I love that game.
Dominique Tipper: So good! But it’s just not something - now I’ll probably paint, or write, or read in my spare time, or take a dance class. If I’m sitting down in front of the TV, I’ll watch a show or a film.But maybe I should - I’ve not really thought about it. Maybe I could start with Dustborn.
Yeah, it’d be a great jumping off point, although it might be weird to hear yourself in the game.
Dominique Tipper: I know. Be playing like that [miming using a controller with an uncomfortable expression] the whole time. [Laughs]
You mentioned painting in your free time, I had no idea that you were into that.
Dominique Tipper: I don’t think I’m anything to write home about, but I started in 2020, actually. I bought an easel and some canvases then. Just something creative, an extra creative thing to do and pretend that I’m really good at it.
Has the visual style of this game inspired you at all in your own art?
Dominique Tipper: No, I’m not that good. I’m just splashing some paint on. I wish I could be as good as the art in Dustborn. Who knows,maybe I’ll take a few notes out of the game’s book and try.
Dominique Tipper Talks Onscreen Roles & The Future
BTS Moments Of The Expanse, Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters' Season Two, & More
Shifting to your on-screen work a little bit, I’m just so curious - and if you can’t reveal anything, that’s totally fine - but if fans might get to see a little bit more of an expansion of yourMonarchcharacter next season.
Dominique Tipper: I don’t know if I’m allowed to say, actually. No - I am. Yes, I am, because Chris Black, the creator, he mentioned it at the upfront, so yes:you will see more of Brenda Holland.
I know you have to speak in very broad terms, but what are you most excited for fans to see in your character this season?
Dominique Tipper: I don’t really know what her storyline is entirely just yet, butI hope we get to see a lot more different sides of her ethics and her morality. But again, I don’t actually know, so this is just my own wishes for the character. Because I think we’ve seen one side of her, and she’s the main antagonist in a way, so I’m interested to see what else we get to see from her in season 2, and how that then contrasts with the lead characters, or if it doesn’t.
I love gray areas. I think that’s always what makes characters great, when you’re just like, “Oh, I kind of agree with her on this point, but not that one.” More of that, really, and more fabulous outfits, because I think it’s the first time I’ve worn heels on screen.
Really?
Dominique Tipper: Yeah. Can you believe that? So it’s nice to dress up and be fabulous and puttering around in heels. It’s fun after the years of overalls. [Laughs]
Of the characters that you’ve played both in games and on screen, which one do you feel like you relate to the most?
Dominique Tipper: Oh, that’s a hard question, because there’s something about acting where in order to play your characters well, you can’t judge them. A big part of acting work is empathy and compassion, I think, in terms of you just have to understand why the person you’re playing is doing what they’re doing. It’s hard because I actually relate to all of them in that way. I don’t necessarily always agree with everything they’re doing, but I always have to, I think,to play a character well, understand why they’re doing what they’re doing, what their motivation is, so I often relate to aspects of them all.
I don’t know if that’s a bit of a w***y answer, but even with Naomi in The Expanse, there’s so many times where I was like, “Yep, I would’ve done the same thing, I get it,” and then times when I was like, “Oh no, why are we doing this?” It’s really hard to answer that question actually, because even though I was like, “Why are we doing this?” I still understood it from her perspective, so I don’t know how to answer that.
In all of your filming ofThe Expanse, are there any moments that really stick out to you, either the scenes that ended up on the screen, or behind-the-scenes moments of that show?
Dominique Tipper: I have so many beautiful behind-the-scenes moments of that show, because I love all of them so much. We all got on so well. There’s many drunken nights in Toronto that I could tell you about.
I think season 5 really changed me as an actress in terms of what I knew I was capable of, pushing myself to limits that I just didn’t know I could get to really, even with that character - it really challenged me. I found it really hard, but at the same time, quite rewarding in terms of being quite surprised by my own work in a way. That one sticks out for me, because I’m really proud of the work we’ve done on that season and that I got the chance to get to that part of her story.
I think it’s so amazing and heartbreaking, and I got a lot of feedback from people who can’t be with their children about how it affected them, and that really affected me, so I think that really sticks out. But behind the scenes, just every day, that show was a delight to shoot even when it was hard. It was amazing, and the people on it, including the crew, were amazing, so I wouldn’t even know where to start with that.
Shifting back to your role of Pax and the game as a whole, I know you haven’t had a chance to actually play it much, but you do know plot wise a lot of things that happen and that sort of thing. What are you most excited to see players react to when it comes to your character? Obviously without any huge spoilers.
Dominique Tipper: Well, I think all the undercover band stuff is really funny, and - I think I’m allowed to say this - but it takes on a Guitar Hero element, so I’m interested to see how people will respond to that. But also as we go through the game, there’s one section where we confront Pax’s past and where she comes from and her family, so I really love that bit of the game, and I love what happens when they’re there. I think that’s a really cool part.
Then there’s a real spiritual, philosophical element to it towards the end. I’m interested to see how people respond to that. Because I thought that was really -it was a left I didn’t see the game taking, and I thought that was really cool, so that as well. I’m also interested to see how people respond to the political scape of the game, given what’s currently going on in the world.
Do you have any other exciting projects in the pipeline that you’re allowed to talk about at all?
Dominique Tipper: Not at the moment, no. Monarch is the next thing, I’m doing season 2. That will take up quite a lot of my year, so that’s kind of it for now.
Dustbornwill release for PlayStation consoles, Xbox consoles, and PC via Steam on August 20. A 30-minute demo is now available on Steam until June 30.
