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[Lain]

To me dual audio is pretty important, especially given how the choice is never between original audio and dub in my language but between original audio and dub in English. If I have to choose between 2 languages that aren't my own, I'll take the original one if possible.

But, this is a game localized by AtlusUSA. The moment they announce a game for localization it's a sure thing it will only have English voices. Dual audio is just an exception, so the whole discussion in this case feels a bit pointless to me, while the lack of dual audio doesn't hurt as much as I wasn't even contemplating it.

 

[koutoru]

But, this is a game localized by AtlusUSA. The moment they announce a game for localization it's a sure thing it will only have English voices. Dual audio is just an exception, so the whole discussion in this case feels a bit pointless to me, while the lack of dual audio doesn't hurt as much as I wasn't even contemplating it.

There are probably people in this thread who have seen this same discussion come up for just about every game Atlus USA localizes.

This isn't the last time either. This same discussion will come up again when we find out that Persona Q won't have dual audio. And it'll come up again when we find out that Persona 5 won't have dual audio.

 

[Zafir]

There are probably people in this thread who have seen this same discussion come up for just about every game Atlus USA localizes.

This isn't the last time either. This same discussion will come up again when we find out that Persona Q won't have dual audio. And it'll come up again when we find out that Persona 5 won't have dual audio.

To be fair, Arena did have dual audio. That said, it really screwed us Europeans over. Due to the dual voices, they region locked the US version, and the EU version didn't come out till 9 months after. Usually I just import to get around Atlus' EU release times, but couldn't in that case, and it meant I lost all interest in their game. Would take no region lock over dual voices, unless Atlus decide to expand into EU finally.

 

[Ogawa-san]

To be fair, Arena did have dual audio. That said, it really screwed us Europeans over. Due to the dual voices, they region locked the US version, and the EU version didn't come out till 9 months after. Usually I just import to get around Atlus' EU release times, but couldn't in that case, and it meant I lost all interest in their game. Would take no region lock over dual voices, unless Atlus decide to expand into EU finally.

Nope, it was region-locked because the japanese version was $92 at the time.

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/06/atlus-explains-persona-4-arenas-region-lock-expresses-surprise/

 

[Zafir]

Nope, it was region-locked because the japanese version was $92 at the time.

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/06/atlus-explains-persona-4-arenas-region-lock-expresses-surprise/

Yes, because it had dual voices, making it the same.

Edit: To clarify, if the American version didn't have Japanese voices, it wouldn't have been region locked because the Japanese wouldn't have been able to play it in their native language and thus wouldn't have imported it anyway.

 

[koutoru]

Yes, because it had dual voices, making it the same.

Edit: To clarify, if the American version didn't have Japanese voices, it wouldn't have been region locked because the Japanese wouldn't have been able to play it in their native language and thus wouldn't have imported it anyway.

I think the issue with Persona 4 Arena had more to do with reverse importation concerns due to the JPN an US release dates.

Usually with localizations you have a period of at least 6 months of waiting before the English version is localized and put on the market. Even games with dual audio usually have to go through a long process of localization. That was not the case with Persona 4 Arena which came out about two weeks after the Japanese version.

With the Japanese game being about $30 dollars more than the English version and with the release dates so close, they probably felt threatened that people would just import the US version.

This happens with anime all the time now when it comes to Blu ray releases.

 

[Parakeetman]

Having played both JP versions, I can say the Vita version is vastly superior. The graphics are really washed out on the 3DS version, whereas they are vibrant and sharp on the Vita. IIRC Vita version also runs at 60fps whereas 3DS version is 30fps. I would never recommend the 3DS version to anyone with a Vita.

The 3ds version was on WAGON sale at sofmap so that says something about it right there lol. I think it was like 2000 yen

 

[masterwok]

Went ahead an pre-ordered both versions : )

 

[Zafir]

I think the issue with Persona 4 Arena had more to do with reverse importation concerns due to the JPN an US release dates.

Usually with localizations you have a period of at least 6 months of waiting before the English version is localized and put on the market. Even games with dual audio usually have to go through a long process of localization. That was not the case with Persona 4 Arena which came out about two weeks after the Japanese version.

With the Japanese game being about $30 dollars more than the English version and with the release dates so close, they probably felt threatened that people would just import the US version.

This happens with anime all the time now when it comes to Blu ray releases.

I wouldn't say that's more, no. I'd say they're about half an half. It was a combination of both which led to them deciding to region lock so stop importing. Same goes for Anime on Blu-ray(though again EU is generally second fiddle with that as well). Either way, if they plan on doing the localisation along side the development again, we'll see it happen more and more.

 

[Shingro]

Dual audio aside, I'm leaning on not getting this game based on the review. Then again, between Demon Gaze/this game/Bravely Default/Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls/SMT IV/Persona Q/Persona 4 Golden/Class of Heroes 3...I'm most likely purchasing only one of them.

I miss Elminage more than I thought. Dungeon crawlers feel so lifeless without the difficulty and dungeon quality behind them IMHO.

I feel I should point out that in the current climate reviews (at least in america) are going to be difficult to trust for a game like this.

I dunno, I'm in for a good or bad game just on crazy premise alone.

 

[Eusis]

I feel I should point out that in the current climate reviews (at least in america) are going to be difficult to trust for a game like this.

I dunno, I'm in for a good or bad game just on crazy premise alone.

Just keep an eye out for who reviews the games, the general output of a site, and just read what they say. A really good game will usually still get great reviews, while some times what gets hit harder in reviews really may be more of an acquired taste.

... And I honestly do imagine that so long as it's above 50 on average there's probably a good chance you can still enjoy the game. Once it goes south of that it's varying degrees of shit. And I expect this to go just above 50 at worst, probably in the 60s, 70s if well received.

 

[Shingro]

eh you might still get looks based on the name.

Sure no question, but should the ESRB be rating games based on the name?

That listing seems super tame for a M

 

[Dracandros]

SMT IV is the best of the bunch. Elminage is great, too. I wish a better localization company had gotten hold of it.

I feel I should point out that in the current climate reviews (at least in america) are going to be difficult to trust for a game like this.

I dunno, I'm in for a good or bad game just on crazy premise alone.

@cj_iwakura: Thank you kindly! I know I've mentioned it before (at least I think I did), but I would take Elminage from anyone who translated them.

@Shingro: At least the review gave me a starting point for the gameplay. I know my distinct tastes in games are radically different than that of most reviewers I read, but I can get some facts out of them (most times *sigh*). Thank you though!


Right now, my plan is to play Might and Magic 1 this year, get whatever comes out from Elminage, and get Etrian Odyssey 5 assuming that it is closer to 3/Untold than 4. I would like a more-for-fun crawler in that mix after I finish Chrono Trigger, but I'm still really burned out from Class of Heroes 2.

Conception II's gameplay looked fine enough for me although it didn't have the dungeon puzzles to sink into and I couldn't tell how hard it was. Demon Gaze was about the same. If I had to pick now, it would be one of these two but Gaze would come first.

 

[AcademicSaucer]

I have been looking at impressions for this game, and it seems that its way too easy to the level that you can kill bosses in one turn even if you use a power to go through a dungeon invisible without fighting any mob, so it seems that you dont need to grind .

 

[Pricken]

Wanted to buy this game even before the localization announcement came out. But no way in hell am I gonna support English-only releases, so no money from me. Especially when there are so many other publishers that actually care about the fans of the games that at least put in dual-audio. Since they butcher pretty much all of their games this way I don't expect to buy any Atlus published games in a while. Pretty much the only reason I haven't gotten P4G yet either. Don't think I could stomach the horrible English voices.

 

[2+2=5]

Wanted to buy this game even before the localization announcement came out. But no way in hell am I gonna support English-only releases, so no money from me. Especially when there are so many other publishers that actually care about the fans of the games that at least put in dual-audio. Since they butcher pretty much all of their games this way I don't expect to buy any Atlus published games in a while. Pretty much the only reason I haven't gotten P4G yet either. Don't think I could stomach the horrible English voices.

I guess that you don't play many localized Japanese games
I don't even understand this policy, "i love Japanese games, but i won't buy them if only in english"...

They spend so much money and efforts to let people understand what characters say and this is how you thank them?

If you don't buy Japanese games because they don't have Japanese voices the results you get are:
-you don't play the games you like
-you don't support the games you say to love so much
-you won't get more games with Japanese voices but just less localized games, because you have to understand that the big public want English voices, not the Japanese ones, Japanese games have usually lots of dialogues and sound files are big, so dual audio needs a lot of space, but even when there are no space problems i'm sure that including additional audio is not cheap at all.

There's even some sense in this policy? If you understand Japanese then just buy the Japanese versions, if you don't understand Japanese then that's why you prefer Japanese voices, in English you can distinguish between a bad and a good voice acting, in Japanese you just think everything is good, do you really think that every Japanese voice actor is good and every English one is bad?

 

[Lagamorph]

Just ordered the US Vita (so region free) version of this for £11.

And y'know what, I'm glad it's English only.
Don't get me wrong, dual-audio is fine. But if the choice is Japanese voice with English subs only, or English voice only, then English voice only will will, and should, win every time.

 

[Novocaine]

Japanese games are better with original audio and subs IMO. Not to put down the people that are doing dubs, they are getting better every day, but it just doesn't feel right. I'd love to be able to play P4G with original audio.

Also weird necro.

 

[Lagamorph]

Yeah didn't notice the necro at first, thread just showed up in a search. And since I've already created one duplicate thread today....

Though I fail to see how Japanese games are automatically better with the original voices. Especially when you don't even understand the language, which is why you would be buying the localised version in the first place. If you understood the language you'd just get the Japanese version.