A group of friends' DnD campaign turned into a TV show. This epic and hilarious show was released on Amazon Prime on 28th January 2022, and it has pleased many longtime fans whilst also introducing newcomers to the lore and the characters that inhabit the world. 

This will be a spoiler free review. 

The show is centred around a group of misfits, who end up on a quest to save the world from evil, dark forces. It could be said that these heroes are very flawed and mischievous, but as a team, they are persistant, and clearly, they care for one another even if they show that love in odd ways. The crew of Vox Machina consists of Keyleth (Marisha Ray - Final Fanstasy XV), the sibling duo of Vax and Vex (Laura Bailey - The Last of Us 2, Liam O'Brien - Star Wars: The Bad Batch), Scanlan Shorthalt (Sam Riegel - Uncharted 4), Percy de Rolo (Taliesin Jaffe - Final Fantasy XIV), Pike Trickfoot (Ashley Johnson - The Last of Us), and Grog Strongjaw (Travis Willingham - Marvel's Avengers), who in fact created the entire lore in their home. The fact that this DnD roleplay campaign was created in a small home by a group of friends is astonishing; it proves that the smallest idea can become something big and adored by millions of fans. 

The plot focuses on Vox Machina as they venture through the mystic world and fight the forces of evil. The dialogue is well written and quite hilarious at times; it is beautifully performed by the voice actors. The action is quite entertaining to watch; each character gets to showcase their power and skills in each fight scene. In addition, the visuals and gore (yes, this series is quite bloody and brutal) adds to the seriousness of the situation the characters find themselves in. The animation is very reminiscent of Amazon's other hit show, 'Invisible', so fans of that show would definitely like this show. 

The beauty of this series is that it is created for the fans. The creators of the series, Critical Role, clearly care about the source material and the fans that the campaign has generated in the past few years. The love for the story and the characters is expressed through the acting of the brilliant cast. Not only do the majority of the original cast voice the characters they are known for, but the show also features the powerful voices of David Tennent, Khary Payton, Grey Griffin, and Dominic Monaghan. In a video posted on Youtube about the characters and the voice actors, the creators state that they wanted to pick the people who would be able to portray the characters well, and in my opinion, I think they did a great job with the casting. 

These talented voice actors and actresses manage to portray the characters' emotions through the way they say the lines, which is evident when  you look back on their past work. For example, Ashley Johnson is known for her role as Ellie in 'The Last of Us' games, which have been critically praised for its storytelling and stunning visuals. Her ability to evoke a large range of emotion in a believable sense is amazing and you can hear the pain, happiness, or anger in her voice. I must also applaud the rest of the cast for their great chemistry, which makes sense as they created the world. 

One of the characters who had the most development in the show would be Percy de Rolo, played by Taliesin Jaffe, whose spine-chilling perfomance made the character sympathetic and likeable. His storyline, which takes up most of the series' plot, is so intriquing and entertaining, which made me like the character more. 

However, although the plot does not feel rushed, I think that when a character dies, they do not give the characters enough time to comprehend their death. But, I understand why they do this as in the real world, specifically in a life or death situation, you would not have enough time to comprehend someone's death. 

Overall, 'The Legend of Vox Machina' is a well written, tense, emotional show, which will definitely be a fun ride for its viewers. The love and care for the lore and the characters can be clearly seen throughout the 12 episodes, and it is clear that Critical Role know what they are doing with this series, and to simply put it, I cannot wait to see what they have in store for season 2, which was confirmed way back in 2019 when the first season was announced. You can watch the first season of 'The Legend of Vox Machina' on Amazon Prime now.