Is the Localization Bad?

[JonPringus]

So I'm playing the game with the real voices and I think I'm noticing some pretty bad disparities between what is being said and what is in the subtitles. For example: I'm 90% certain Yona mention "Oto-san and Okaa-san" in the intro, while the subtitles had no mention of father or mother and was just something like "I'll stay strong". I would like to assume that the phrase Yona said does mean what the subtitles say, but it just feels off.

I can cope with the real honorifics not being included in the subtitles for a game like this, though I would prefer it. But it always feels like the characters are saying something different than the subtitles, words that could have a lot of weight behind them, and that gets distracting. Maybe I'm being overly sensitive to this stuff at the moment.

I'll keep playing to confirm my suspicions, and if they are correct, I would like Square to know that the level of liberties taken with this localization is not acceptable. I know the Nier series has been very mistreated, and I wish someone could step in and just fix it. Ideally, this game would have two subtitle tracks, one for English, and one for the real voices. Admittedly, that's what I thought was happening based on how Square was marketing the game, and more specifically "the english voiceover script," which I thought implied there was a more Japanese accurate script, but I was wrong to assume.

But very weird decision for Square to focus on the English voiceovers so much in marketing. Who would want a Grimoire Weiss replica signed by the english cast and not the real cast? Automata was the last game that I partially played with fake voices (last game for a reason), but I guess not many other people saw the horrors of dubbings like I did with that game.

I don't know, it's all annoying. I would be ecstatic if Square made separate english subtitles that more closely matched the real voices, like what Yakuza did with the games it decided to dub recently, and what movies and shows do with disc releases, but that to me is the most important thing for them to fix AFTER they fix these technical issues on PC.

[Tony]

using real fake doesn't make your argument have any weight to it

[John]

If the translation is in a remastered version of a game that came out 11 years ago, chances are it follows the artists vision. You could say that brother Nier is the real protagonist, but anything more than that is just pure speculation.

The English voice acting is the only one accessible to me, so fake or not I’m not going to experience it any other way. Actually ♥♥♥♥ it, I’ve got ADHD so I couldn’t play the game just reading the subtitles, it would literally be inaccessible to me.

[Emerald Lance]

Personally, I think this problem would be solved outright with separate sub tracks between English and Japanese. I think Yakuza 7 does this?

For what it's worth, I can speak both languages, and I don't mind the inconsistency. It's pretty common to hear people complain about differences in languages they don't actually understand (or barely understand). Some things make sense, like when an easily translated word or phrase is mistranslated or left out entirely, that's aggrivating. But then there are instances like, for example, Kaine's constant swearing is something that doesn't exist in the Japanese version. Yeah, she does still have a foul mouth, but swear words don't exist in Japanese in the same way they do in English. However, if you translate what she says directly, you may find it lacks the verbal punch the original Japanese lines were going for.

Dub localizations are a good thing. There sbould still be accurate subtitles when playing in Japanese though.

[MILF & Cookies]

S-Jay-DUB-Ya translations are the devil's work!

[Jinsanity]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από Emerald Lance:

Personally, I think this problem would be solved outright with separate sub tracks between English and Japanese. I think Yakuza 7 does this?

For what it's worth, I can speak both languages, and I don't mind the inconsistency. It's pretty common to hear people complain about differences in languages they don't actually understand (or barely understand). Some things make sense, like when an easily translated word or phrase is mistranslated or left out entirely, that's aggrivating. But then there are instances like, for example, Kaine's constant swearing is something that doesn't exist in the Japanese version. Yeah, she does still have a foul mouth, but swear words don't exist in Japanese in the same way they do in English. However, if you translate what she says directly, you may find it lacks the verbal punch the original Japanese lines were going for.

Dub localizations are a good thing. There sbould still be accurate subtitles when playing in Japanese though.

This. I don't care about the localization/changes. Heck, it's actually great since I can experience the story in a different way and that means more replayability for me. I legit just want a accurate/separate subtitles for the voice option I choose.

[Rawrcakes]

If people just translated word for word, it wouldn't read or sound well. As the poster above mentioned, things are lost in translation. That's why localization exists. The context is relatively the same for what is being said in both languages, but changed in a way that would sound more natural to an English audience for the English dub and vice versa for the JP dub. Anime subs/dubs do this often when localizing, for example they change memes that audiences outside Japan might not get to one that would relate better while still keeping the same context.

[John]

Yakuza 7 also has separate animations for the English and Japanese voice tracks - neither is a dub

[Redblaze27]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από John:

Yakuza 7 also has separate animations for the English and Japanese voice tracks - neither is a dub

Again, that just shows how extra they care.

[JonPringus]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από John:

If the translation is in a remastered version of a game that came out 11 years ago, chances are it follows the artists vision. You could say that brother Nier is the real protagonist, but anything more than that is just pure speculation.

The English voice acting is the only one accessible to me, so fake or not I’m not going to experience it any other way. Actually ♥♥♥♥ it, I’ve got ADHD so I couldn’t play the game just reading the subtitles, it would literally be inaccessible to me.

I think accessibility is one of the very few arguments for dubbing. If someone has a reading disability, I don't want them to be left out. But if you don't have any reading issues or challenges and can speak and read a language and are above the age of 10, there is no excuse to not "being able" to read subtitles.

[JonPringus]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από John:

Yakuza 7 also has separate animations for the English and Japanese voice tracks - neither is a dub

As redblaze said, it shows they care, and I think that should be the industry standard. If games can have the facial animations change based on the language being spoken, then that should be taken advantage of if desired. It should be standardized.

Since there is re-animation, it does not fall under our the most common definition of what a dub is. But it is a replacement for what are the "real" voices tho, and I do pity those who play Yakuza 7 with English voices, despite how amazing and ethical Sega's dubbing practice is in this instance.

I only hope Nier gets an update addressing these issues and makes the localization on par with Yakuza 7.

[Newbie Moontee Mk.I]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από Rawrcakes:

If people just translated word for word, it wouldn't read or sound well. As the poster above mentioned, things are lost in translation. That's why localization exists. The context is relatively the same for what is being said in both languages, but changed in a way that would sound more natural to an English audience for the English dub and vice versa for the JP dub. Anime subs/dubs do this often when localizing, for example they change memes that audiences outside Japan might not get to one that would relate better while still keeping the same context.

but if that's truly are what character said i'm fine with that even if that may not look so smooth in english
imo,most people who tried to playing the japanese game in JP voices+ En subtitles
are the one who respect original,want to staying true experience,want same feeling JP player got
so i don't think these people would be bother by that

and tbh Yokotaro games was not known for good localization
started from drakengard 3 fans started to notice how bad it was in some part
i mean NiER wasn't much of hot selling games
so no wonder no one talked about it back then
hell,some people got surprise that there was brother nier out there

[Musou]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από Musou:

Anyone played with german subs and can say if they are closer to the original japanese script than the english localization? Especially with SE games I have noticed this many times, 1st time it was with FFX on PS2 where the german subs and the english dub often simply didn't fit so back then i thought the german translation is just crap, only to find out years later that it was actually the english translation that was wrong. (like who translated Arigatou into I Love You?)
Another instance is World of FF which i think has an awful english localizitaion that adds memes and even renames an enemy into Memecolous or so, which did not happen in the german translation (and of course isn't in the original script), I assume SE's german translators take their jobs more seriously? NieR Automata also was closer to japanese in the german translation so me having only played it in JP with GER subs only learned about the character changes in the engslish localization afterwards.

Checked it myself, sadly this time the german subs are based on the english dub.

[Fulminare]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από JonPringus:

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από John:

Yakuza 7 also has separate animations for the English and Japanese voice tracks - neither is a dub

As redblaze said, it shows they care, and I think that should be the industry standard. If games can have the facial animations change based on the language being spoken, then that should be taken advantage of if desired. It should be standardized.

Since there is re-animation, it does not fall under our the most common definition of what a dub is. But it is a replacement for what are the "real" voices tho, and I do pity those who play Yakuza 7 with English voices, despite how amazing and ethical Sega's dubbing practice is in this instance.

I only hope Nier gets an update addressing these issues and makes the localization on par with Yakuza 7.

Don't expect them to care about what fans want. This is just a cheap cash-in For square enix trying to ride of the popularity of Nier Automata. Even SEGA had those scumbag tactics when they released Valkyrie Chronicles which also had a full blown ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ translation with more made up words and barely resembling anything that was being said.

Even the Yakuza games tend to take liberties from time to time let alone Censor content cause it triggers the new liberal woke morons. If you care for this product you wouldn' buy it or else you'l just be assuring more ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ translations. There are other means to get ahold of these games.

[Song of Storms]

tfw you know just enough Japanese to realize that localizing a product doesn't result in an identical meaning, but not enough Japanese to actually... use the Japanese voice track. In fact, you have such a poor grasp of Japanese that you can't even evaluate if the meaning between the two tracks messages is similar. And even if it was a direct translation, because you lack a strong grounding in Japanese language and culture, you'd still misunderstand the 'accurate' translation's intention.

Which is why localization is a thing. Why Kaine swears so much to get across the character's meaning.

An actual example of a poor localization choice in the series is Drakengard 3. Where the English Voice director misinterpretted the script's intent. Turning Zero from- almost apathetic to a played straight edgelord.

Yet, the actual translation was very accurate.

[FlyingTorcensoredWhale]

Okay, let's be real here for a moment.
Shirou: So yu koto da na. (basically, "That's right.")
Subtitle Weiss: "Your tone betrays your guilt! Confess! Confess now, lest the rage of Grimoire Weiss fall upon you!"

C'mooooon.