Game News Like a Dragon Ishin: Yakuza Ishin Remake Will Only Be Dubbed In Japanese, Producer Explains Why
Published on 09/17/2022 at 17:13
Featured at the Tokyo Game Show, Like A Dragon Ishin! corresponds to the remake of the spin-off Yakuza Ishin! never been out with us. Even if all the games of the license are not dubbed in English, and even less in French, this new opus should not offer other dubbing than Japanese voices. Unlike other games, there is a very specific reason here according to the game producer.
The never-before-seen spin-off remake
Like a Dragon: They were!presents itself as the remake of Yakuza Ishin, a spin-off of the Yakuza license released in 2014 in Japan, but never seen in the West. The specificity of this spin-off lies in the framework of the story. The game abandons contemporary times to take the player to the heart of the Bakumatsu era, a pivotal era for Japan’s access to modernity, which took place from 1853 to 1868. Yakuza Ishin transposes his story at the end of this era.
The time of Tokyo Game ShowRyu Ga Gotoku Studio caused a stir by presenting this remake alongside Like A Dragon 8 et Like A Dragon Gaiden : The Man Who Erased his Name. Because yes, now the license officially changes its name and abandons the term Yakuza in favor of the literal translation of its original name.
Regarding Like A Dragon: Ishin!, we learn today that the game will be offered with only Japanese dubbing. No English voices therefore (nor French for that matter, even if the license is not known to offer dubbing in our language), a perfectly thought-out choice according to the game producer.
Too specific vocabulary
Producer Masayoshi Yokoyama returned to this lack of dubbing.
During a long interview granted to the fan site Tojo Dojo, the producer returned to the dubbing in English, its advantages but also the limits it imposed. According to him, Western audiences do not consume subtitled content.
Western gamers don’t really pay attention to subtitled content, especially in English-speaking countries. That’s why they prefer dubbing. However, we didn’t offer any voice acting for Yakuza 0 (other than Japanese), the game was fully subtitled and received a warm reception regardless. Overseas fans who have been playing for a long time are still playing the license’s games today, in Japanese with English subtitles. They enjoy Nakano and Kuroda’s voices so they want to hear them when they perform. There are a lot of people playing in Japanese with English subtitles.
For the Ishin remake we use subtitles. there will be no dubbing. We’re translating the game into English, but the specific vocabulary and the way people spoke in the Bakumatsu era would make the dialogue incredibly long, so it wouldn’t work. So this time around, we’re using subtitles.
According to Masayoshi Yokoyama, the way of speaking in the Bakumatsu era would actually be too difficult to transcribe into another language. We will still appreciate the realism and fidelity of the dialogues that the development teams impose on themselves for the title. See you on February 23 for this journey through time on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series and Xbox One.
