The English voiceacting is essentially AAA in quality and deserves to be your default

[Seriphyn]

This isn't 2.0 anymore, with its awful imitation. As of 3.2, I am consistently impressed not only by the accents but the actual lines they write, too. I'd almost be so bold as to put it alongside the Witcher 3 in terms of authenticity and quality. If you are listening to the Japanese voiceacting because you automatically assume the English version will be terrible (which it is for 2.0 and maybe the first few patches), you are making a huge mistake.

 

Even if you are listening to the Japanese out of preference, I'd implore making the switch otherwise. The subtitles are written in various British regional dialects from early modern to contemporary, enough for a Brit like me to identify the quirks that separate it from American English (Tataru saying stuff like "Get in the queue" rather than "Get in line", or characters saying "I reckon" rather than "I figure"). What you are reading is not a direct translation from Japanese, but a painstakingly constructed set of sentences designed to accurately fit the psuedohistorical time period Eorzea is supposed to be set in. The British English VAing conveys this splendidly, and is the only audio setting that would match the subtitles you read. I could say you are not getting the accurate telling on Japanese. A lot of it makes me as a Brit living in America homesick, honestly! If that's not enough of an argument, I don't know what is!

 

Seriously. The English VAing comes highly recommended.

[Nero]

Unfortunately, since they're no longer using the Texas studio of 2.0 you can no longer play my favourite drinking game, which involves taking shots every time their accents slip.

 

I take no responsibility for those who die of liver failure from playing this game.

[Seriphyn]

Unfortunately, since they're no longer using the Texas studio of 2.0 you can no longer play my favourite drinking game, which involves taking shots every time their accents slip.

 

I take no responsibility for those who die of liver failure from playing this game.

 

A Texas studio? That explains it. Do you know what studio they are using now? It MUST be based in the UK.

[Dravus]

I've been very impressed with the English voice acting as of 3.0 - it's easily some of the best that I've heard in a game since FFXII. I really hope that it continues to be like this as we move through future patches and expansions.

[Dat Oni]

I have to agree with a lot of this. Unfortunately for me, I still hear Urianger's 2.0 VA whenever I read his lines.

[Nero]

Unfortunately, since they're no longer using the Texas studio of 2.0 you can no longer play my favourite drinking game, which involves taking shots every time their accents slip.

 

I take no responsibility for those who die of liver failure from playing this game.

 

A Texas studio? That explains it. Do you know what studio they are using now? It MUST be based in the UK.

 

It's a London studio, yes, with mostly lesser known talent like Colin Ryan and Blake Ritson. Not sure I can find a source, but there was some contracting issue with the Texas studio (which I believe also does a lot of dub work for FUNimation) which lead to them switching to this London one.

[Dat Oni]

 

It's a London studio, yes, with mostly lesser known talent like Colin Ryan and Blake Ritson. Not sure I can find a source, but there was some contracting issue with the Texas studio (which I believe also does a lot of dub work for FUNimation) which lead to them switching to this London one.

 

 

So, are you saying there's a chance we could have ended up with Robotnik and Amy Rose showing up as VAs in our FFXIV?

 

I misread that as 4kids for some reason.

[Kellach Woods]

honestly I'm not impressed with the voice acting. Not because JAPANESE IS OBVIOUSLY SUPERIOR~ *gag* but just because nothing really stands out as stellar performance.

 

Granted, I'd say the reason for that is 80% I loathe the writing in the game.

[Swashbuckler]

I have to agree with a lot of this. Unfortunately for me, I still hear Urianger's 2.0 VA whenever I read his lines.

Gideon Emery. Man... I want that voice back for Urianger.

[Faye]

The voice acting has definitely gotten better. But I'm always in the camp that I'd rather listen to bad voice acting that I can understand rather than good voice acting that I can't.

 

Now I will lurk, and wait for the weeaboo salt to pour in. 8-)

[Warren Castille]

I don't want to redrum up the argument about the voice acting is/isn't indicative of how people actually sound, but I'm slightly amused that the "Ishgardian accent" isn't much of an accent at all compared to the rest of the world. Not a dig at anyone in particular, that's the Twelve's honest truth, but all of the super-french name holdovers from FFXI are now weirdly out of place when everyone's more British than anything.

[Virella]

I once had an Irish man and a Brit from Leeds arguing over Skype about trying to pin down the accents.

 

They settled for 'generic UK northren accent' in the end.

 

But yes, it is good! I agree it would had been sweet if there was a French accent included, but hey, I'm totally happy with this as well!

[Caspar]

I figure you're losing a bit of the nuance of a foreign performance anyway if you don't know the lines since the subtitles are general rather than specific to the voice track. I watched a few cutscenes in German for kicks and I felt like because I can't speak the language, a few lines sounded dramatically shorter or longer than the subs, and thus I was probably missing out. I dunno.

 

I don't encounter that problem with JP too much, or at least not so much that it impacts my enjoyment of the performance, so I like to stick with what sounds appropriate to me.

[Ashe]

Well....I have the Japanese voices (and text on my PS4...English text on my PC)...and I am not changing >>

 

I am a seiyuu fan in general >> And I think that the Japanese dialogue holds more meaning...

Like literally, a lot of the dialogue is different.

Played both with Japanese and English text through this game and the English text was so...different? Weird? Took out essential terms and changed them for things that were just something else entirely?

 

Tattsun as Aymeric though...A+ right there.

KENN as Urianger...makes me never 100% hate the character.

NakaYu as Thancred...GOLD!

Koyama Rikiya as Cid...Japanese Jack Bauer HELLS YEAH!

Nakata Jouji as the new Garlean Emperor...FUCK YES!!!

 

List goes on and on haha

 

To each their own xPP

 

(big example for 3.2...when you're passing out to have the echo thing...In Japanese she says "Everything is your fault" but in english it was something like "Not now, not ever?" Like...what? Japanese holds much more weight).

 

I guess big difference for me is...I'm bilingual so...I can listen to the better voices AND understand them...and cry when I see the dialogue changes in English >>

[Caspar]

Well....I have the Japanese voices (and text on my PS4...English text on my PC)...and I am not changing >>

 

I am a seiyuu fan in general >> And I think that the Japanese dialogue holds more meaning...

Like literally, a lot of the dialogue is different.

Played both with Japanese and English text through this game and the English text was so...different? Weird? Took out essential terms and changed them for things that were just something else entirely?

 

Tattsun as Aymeric though...A+ right there.

KENN as Urianger...makes me never 100% hate the character.

NakaYu as Thancred...GOLD!

Koyama Rikiya as Cid...Japanese Jack Bauer HELLS YEAH!

Nakata Jouji as the new Garlean Emperor...FUCK YES!!!

 

List goes on and on haha

 

To each their own xPP

 

(big example for 3.2...when you're passing out to have the echo thing...In Japanese she says "Everything is your fault" but in english it was something like "Not now, not ever?" Like...what? Japanese holds much more weight).

 

I guess big difference for me is...I'm bilingual so...I can listen to the better voices AND understand them...and cry when I see the dialogue changes in English >>

I basically wouldn't give up Lahabrea Aznable for an entirely Hollywood quality English cast. So I know how this feels.

 

Then again quality is subjective and I mostly stick with what feels right and the VA I'm more invested in.

[Ashe]

Well....I have the Japanese voices (and text on my PS4...English text on my PC)...and I am not changing >>

 

I am a seiyuu fan in general >> And I think that the Japanese dialogue holds more meaning...

Like literally, a lot of the dialogue is different.

Played both with Japanese and English text through this game and the English text was so...different? Weird? Took out essential terms and changed them for things that were just something else entirely?

 

Tattsun as Aymeric though...A+ right there.

KENN as Urianger...makes me never 100% hate the character.

NakaYu as Thancred...GOLD!

Koyama Rikiya as Cid...Japanese Jack Bauer HELLS YEAH!

Nakata Jouji as the new Garlean Emperor...FUCK YES!!!

 

List goes on and on haha

 

To each their own xPP

 

(big example for 3.2...when you're passing out to have the echo thing...In Japanese she says "Everything is your fault" but in english it was something like "Not now, not ever?" Like...what? Japanese holds much more weight).

 

I guess big difference for me is...I'm bilingual so...I can listen to the better voices AND understand them...and cry when I see the dialogue changes in English >>

I basically wouldn't give up Lahabrea Aznable for an entirely Hollywood quality English cast. So I know how this feels.

 

Then again quality is subjective and I mostly stick with what feels right and the VA I'm more invested in.

Afraid to know what he sounds like in English >.<

Haurchefant in English was AWFUL. Listened to one clip and shut it off. 

 

Elidibus's voice in Japanese helped me figure out the "White Robed Ascian" glitch...

I'd know Ishida Akira anywhere xPP

[TheLastCandle]

Absolutely agree that the current English VA's greatly outclass 2.0's.

 

I do understand why some people would rather stick to the Japanese voice acting. I prefer English in this case for the same reason I prefer it for something like Record of Lodoss War: I feel it better suits the world it's meant to present, given its predominantly Western influences.

 

In a hypothetical Sengoku-inspired MMO or a more blatantly hodge-podge East-meets-West setting my preference would be Japanese with subtitles.

[Valence]

There sure is a gap in quality between 2.0 and 3.0. I am very, very pleased with the VA since then.

 

Writing could be better sure, but there is also a gap there. 2.0 was ten times worse. The story is starting to get me hooked, which wasn't always the case before.

 

I don't want to redrum up the argument about the voice acting is/isn't indicative of how people actually sound, but I'm slightly amused that the "Ishgardian accent" isn't much of an accent at all compared to the rest of the world. Not a dig at anyone in particular, that's the Twelve's honest truth, but all of the super-french name holdovers from FFXI are now weirdly out of place when everyone's more British than anything.

 

 

Yes. And their accent when pronouncing those names is atrocious.

[Delilah Scythewood]

If I remember correctly, Thancred's old voice actor showed up on an episode of C.R. or one of the related shows.

[111]

I do like how they do a pretty good job using the various dialects of English to show different social groups and backgrounds.

 

The maid chick in 3.2 was a good example, same with Hilda. They don't use the same accent as the upper crust noble types. 

 

I don't remember that as much in 2.0

[Lyriell]

I'm one of the few people that is able to enjoy some voices in every language. I have some faves in the German version, some in the English version and some in the Japanese version.

 

However, it feels to me that the Japanese voices are more emotionally invested than the others. I don't want to spoil any scenes but those that have finished the Vault for example know what I'm talking about.

[Hivernal]

Actually, that West Country accent of the maid in 3.2's storyline confused me. It's from a very specific part of England (Somerset / Cornwall). Usually has connotations and intentions when it's cast into a role. Depends on what you're trying to convey.

 

Looking back at some cutscenes, it seems that this is the low-born commoners' accent by default, with Hilda and a few male speakers having something resembling it (nowhere near as strong). But most of them don't speak like this in dialogue. Not all of the commoners have voices like that either. It seems - I don't know - a bit displaced?

 

Overall, the voice acting is of a decent quality though. I purposefully try to listen all the way through whenever script is voiced, despite being a fast reader and having to wait for them to catch up. Heh.

[Eses Fafa]

Heavensward made me proud to be an Englishman. I didn't even know that a Japanese accent was being done by an English actress..much less someone from Eastenders, who I have zero faith in for acting skill. God damn it, Sian..why ya gotta make me miss a soap actor?

[DeletedUser]

Agreed, much better this time round. Was really nice to hear more authentic accents.

 

But please bring back Gideon Emery, hnnnnghh.

[allgivenover]

It has gotten much better, but I'll still listen to both as long as they continue to mess up what characters mean in the localization.