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Are any Yakuza games in English?

Published in Yakuza Series Localization 1 min read

Yes, at least one Yakuza game has been released with English voice acting, although this is not a consistent feature across the entire series.

English Voice Acting in the Yakuza Series

The localization approach for Yakuza games has evolved over time, primarily influenced by player reception.

  • The First Game: When the original Yakuza game was first released outside of Japan, it included a full English dub for its voice acting. This allowed Western players to experience the story with spoken English dialogue.
  • Shift to Japanese Audio: However, the English voice acting in the initial Yakuza release received significant criticism from players. In response to this feedback, the developers changed their strategy for subsequent Western releases. Consequently, every Yakuza game released in the West, from the second installment up through Yakuza 6, retained the original Japanese voice acting. These titles were instead accompanied by English subtitles, allowing players to follow the narrative while preserving the original performances.

This means that while the first Yakuza game offered an English dub, later main series titles through Yakuza 6 focused on providing the authentic Japanese voice experience with English text translations.