Japanese or English?

[Sonny]

I'm used to playing Yakuza games with Japanese VA but from what I've played from Like a Dragon, the English VA seems to click a bit more for me. What language do you prefer?

[NisseDood]

I play it in japanese because the game takes place in japan.
Overall I dont mind what language voice acting is as long as I find it good.

[Unaimed Player]

Usually I play games with English voices, but I played this game with Japanese voices, because I have played older games from the series which had only Japanese voices and although most of the characters are new characters it sounded off to me.

[Dark Sun Gwyndolin]

Currently, I'm playing in Japanese, since the game is set in Japan. However, it makes the distressingly common mistake of not having subtitles for incidental dialogue (attack callouts, civilian chatter, stuff like that). I played a bit of Yakuza 0, but other than that this is my first experience with the game. Ichiban's more cheerful attitude is more my style anyway. Weirdly enough, I find it much easier to identify with a character when they're having as much fun as the player is.

[Jouchebag]

It's harder to decide here. I have also played other Y games in JP audio and it's super traditional at this point so I simply carried on. However, I did try the English audio for a bit. It's really good. Makes it harder to decide.

More personally, the Japanese voices do seem more immersive and fit for the setting.

[Sonny]

Originally posted by Technomancer:

Weirdly enough, I find it much easier to identify with a character when they're having as much fun as the player is.

Right, that's what makes it click more for me! Japanese VA and its English subtitles seem more serious whereas English seems a bit more playful, which falls in line with the tone of the game.

[Haze]

When I first started playing the Yakuza games, I really wanted there to be an English dub because I don't like reading subs.

But I played through all of this game with original voice acting and subs, because It's just weird to hear the characters speaking English now lmao

[NisseDood]

Originally posted by Mysticá:

When I first started playing the Yakuza games, I really wanted there to be an English dub because I don't like reading subs.

But I played through all of this game with original voice acting and subs, because It's just weird to hear the characters speaking English now lmao

One thing I can expect weird is english voice actors trying to pronounce japanese names.
At least cant be worse than Rickarrdson in Yakuza 3 that sounds like they handed him his lines in japanese and asked him to voice act it in english while he had to translate it on the fly and only gave him 1 take.
because when I looked up that guy he seemed like a capable voice actor.

[mèo đãng trí]

Listening to the original language has always been important for immersing me in a story, especially when it’s a game as Japanese as the Yakuza series.

[Zalzany]

Pick one for crying out loud they hired real AAA talent for this. The whole "its the language of the countr!" is hipster excuse. They don't have "actuuuualy its better in subs!" excuse. I mean hired George Takai to voice act in this, the cast is amazing. And really nothing is that japanese exclusive minus the local poltics, and even then I am in USA we got groups like Bleach Japan, we got gangsters who use to have a honor system kind of, but don't now. Only culture thing here that sticks out is tattoos are for gangesters where as here every one can get one and many do.

Just like they cut off a pinky for ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ up, here they do some messed up ♥♥♥♥, but goal just like modern yakuza now for orgianized crime is blend in and modernize lol I know career criminals its not that diffrent from organized crime in other places, certain rules they say they can't break, but do anyways lol. ♥♥♥♥ facing homeless is same ♥♥♥♥ facing homeless where I live, just with no meth lol

Almost nothing in this is culture exclusive anymore lol In older ones yes, this one takes place in modern age though so like 99% of it crosses over fine to people in USA at least lol

[kiteless 凧無し]

Adding an English dub to yakuza games was a massive waste of money and hard disc space . It only panders to people who aren’t interested in the franchise to begin with

[armati]

It might be because I know Japanese but for some reason hearing English dub make it sound worst for me personally. Japanese voice acting convey much more feeling. English just feels off for the setting.

[NisseDood]

Give english dub done with original voice actors so we get glorious engrish.

[Basarab Laiota]

The English dub has some good effort put into it but I stuck with Japanese.

[Rumitus]

Japanese without question. The English dub changes the context and meaning of too many parts in the game. For me, one notable part was changed from heartwarming to cringeworthy. The English dub is honestly pretty good, but it still didn't 'feel right'.

[Sergey.]

Japanese simply because it makes sense that Japanese characters speak Japanese.

Also I always play games and watch movies/series on the native language regardless of what language is it.