Japanese Language with English Subtitles Option

[LVX]

Good day. Is there a built in option for Japanese Language then with English Subtitles for this FFXII Zodiac Age? I'm asking since I don't want to be disappointed like with FFX that needs a mod in order to make it work. I played this long ago and was near the end but didn't finish it. I really like the Japanese voices. Thank you.

[Hinnyuu]

Yes, there is!

They learned from FFX, and in this port, you can select different languages for text and audio in the regular game menu.

P.S.: Using the UnX mod, you can also select separate languages in FFX and X-2 :)

[BiskutMentega]

Yes you can change to Japanese voice and still use English subtitles.

But... if you're familiar even with a bit of Japanese, you can easily tell that the English text is not the direct translation for the Japanese voice. I think they reworked/rewrite everything during the English localization.

Personally, I prefer the English voice on this one especially for Fran. The voice actor sounds like Bjork.

[Hinnyuu]

XII has an interesting translation history, with many unconventional, bold, and also controversial choices - Fran's VA being one of the more prominent ones.

It's Alex O. Smith's last mainline FF translation, and in my book he let his ambitions get the better of him there. It's a neat arc from his early work on Vagrant Story to this, but things like Fran's exotic accent and the insufferable iambic pentameter of the Occuria is just going a bit too far for my taste.

I definitely prefer the Japanese, but I'm kind of forced into using English text because of mods ;) At least the voices remain. Personally, I can't stand the English Fran - but that's taste for you. YMMV, and more options is always better.

[LVX]

Thank you for your replies!
I was able to play the original FFXII but wasn't able to finish it. Pretty sure I was near the end already. Lost save point after moving.
It was in Japanese with English Subtitles.

@BiskutMentega @Hinnyuu How bad is the translation of this FFXII Zodiac Age? I can understand some Japanese but not maybe I'm just around N5-N4 level. Did it change the story line/feel for the characters/ quirks, etc...?

Thank you for your answers!

[Hinnyuu]

It's a matter of debate. The translation is certainly very proficient - there are no mistakes or such things, like there might have been in early FFs. However, it's an ongoing discussion how well the translation manages to convey the different registers and nuances in characters' speech.

One example are the Archadians - in the original, they don't really stand out as such, but in the translation, they all have heavy British accents, while the Dalmascans have American accents. As a result, you can immediately identify that some characters come from the Empire, even though that's only revealed as such later on in the story. It doesn't work that way in Japanese.

Another factor is Fran's accent. In the original, she doesn't have an accent - she merely uses sophisticated, somewhat archaic language in a high register. For the translation, they chose to give her a VERY heavy accent (reportedly Icelandic, inspired by the accent of the singer Björk). It's a controversial choice not everyone was happy with, both on the side of the developers and the audience.

IMO the translations tries too hard, and in comparison it comes across as a little bit odd. Without the relative comparison and knowledge of the Japanese, however, I'd say it's probably a very solid translation overall, and does its job for audiences that are oblivious to the original. Which, in the end, is the vast majority of people.

Personally, I prefer to just go with the Japanese though.

[LVX]

Hi HInnyuu. Thanks for the fast reply.
I was referring to the English translation for the subtitles as mentioned above. That if you understand Japanese, you will see that the English subtitles are off. I'll try listening to the new English Voice Overs but I don't intend to play using it.

Really hope that I can buy this version soon. Thank you so much for helping me! I wasn't able to play with Steam's FFX because I don't want to use a Mod. This is not exactly a gaming computer/dedicated for gaming.

[Hinnyuu]

Originally posted by lvxpab17:

I wasn't able to play with Steam's FFX because I don't want to use a Mod. This is not exactly a gaming computer/dedicated for gaming.

If you can run the game, you can run UnX. It's a mod in the strictest sense, but it's really mostly performance tweaks. If you don't want it to, it has zero impact on gameplay.

[Serafie1999AD]

Originally posted by lvxpab17:

This is not exactly a gaming computer/dedicated for gaming.

You should check that your computer meets the minimum requirements to run this game. FFXII requires a dedicated GPU to run with a decent frame rate, and while 30 FPS is quite easy to achieve even with a low-end GPU, you need quite a heavy graphics card if you want stable 60 FPS with maxed graphics.

[Daedalus007]

Just to point out, the PlayStation 2 game FF12 International Zodiac Job System (IZJS) used the English voices without any option to switch to Japanese voices. This IZJS version was exclusive to the Japanese territories and only sold there.

That should tell you all you need to know about the quality of the English voices versus the Japanese dub ;)