 Kojima 's input included advising Cox 's team to redesign some of the lead character , Gabriel , who he felt needed a " more heroic face " . Originally , Gabriel 's design resembled a classic barbarian , before Kojima then advised the staff to refine him into a character that was more relatable for the player . Cox mentioned that the voice acting provided by Robert Carlyle helped humanize Gabriel 's character . Kojima also oversaw the Japanese localization of the game , employing a number of voice actors from the Japanese versions of Metal Gear Solid . Cox stated that Kojima otherwise allowed the actors a lot of freedom with the project . MercurySteam wanted to depart from the art style of the other games in favour of one that was darker . Cox said , " The old games had this boyish depiction of vampires and monsters and we wanted them to have a darker edge this time around . " VideoGamer.com drew comparisons between the art style and Guillermo del Toro 's work . 
