Should You Play With Japanese or English Voice Track in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii?
The “sub vs dub” debate, comparing the Japanese language mode with subtitles and the English dub is a regular topic with localized Japanese-made media, andLike a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaiiis no exception.
The Yakuza/Like A Dragon series has returned to adding English language options to its games from 2020’s Yakuza: Like A Dragon, meaning you can switch between Japanese and English voice tracks whenever you want. But is there a better option to use? I’ll run you through the answer.
Should You Play With Sub or English Dub in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii?
In the “sub vs dub” comparison for Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, to get the best experience all around, you should choose the Japanese voice track with English subtitles.
There are benefits to both the English dub and subbed versions of the game, but the overall higher quality put into the original Japanese voice track makes it come out on top.
Why Choose the Japanese Voice Track?
The joy of the Yakuza and Like A Dragon games comes from its well-balanced tone between wacky fun and serious drama, which the Japanese cast altogether do a better job of conveying in their characters.
In Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, for example, Goro Majima is a mad dog crusader whose craziness topples that of others around him, but won’t hesitate to do what’s right when push comes to shove.
Majima’s longtime voice actor, Hidenari Ugaki, completes the character with cheeky flexes and a devilish range of tones in his voice, which can go from serious and melodramatic to crazy in an instant – making all of his scenes more enjoyable.
That’s also the case for the cast in general, with many of the character’s Japanese voice actors better able to channel the emotions and absurdities of the original script.
With internationally-made games, shows, and movies like the live-action Like A Dragon series and Squid Game, it’s a rule of thumb that if a script is written by or for members of a certain country, that script is always going to sound more authentic in that region’s native language as intended, as there is always at least some of its impact lost in translation and localized performances.
Why Choose the English Voice Track?
If you’re a purist gamer who doesn’t like reading subtitles, the English dub of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza is still a great audio experience, thanks to Goro Majima’s English voice actor, Matt Mercer.
Localized dubs of Japanese games have come a long way over the years, with the return of English dubs of the Yakuza and Like A Dragon games being notable examples. After the first Yakuza game in 2006, developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio stayed away from English dubs due to poor reception of the voice acting and a consumer preference for the original Japanese audio.
However, with the increasing popularity of the Yakuza games in the West, the return of English dubs via Yakuza: Like A Dragon came with a huge quality increase in terms of talent and vocal performances.
Since Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza features non-Japanese characters, the voices of actors like Jeremy Brandt for Jason Rich or Maya Aoki Tuttle as Noah give performances that are more fitting to the game’s setting.
What’s more, reprising his role from the other games but being a lead this time around, renowned voice-acting veteran Matthew Mercer as Goro Majima utilizes his take on the character with a smokey charisma, who still isn’t afraid to delve into the madness when needed.
Now that you know whether to use theEnglish or Japanese voice track in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, check out thebest abilities in the game, andhow to get all the soundtracks in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.
