Best JRPGS With Subtitles Only

When it comes to anime, there is one debate that everyone can relate to: subs vs dubs. It’s a question that gets discussed online and there is no winner in these debates. This can be applied to video games as well because many RPGs from Japan tend to include Japanese and English audio tracks so that fans can make a choice.

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It’s a great addition to include but sometimes games ship with only one audio track defaulting to Japanese. It’s a cost-effective strategy to spend money on audio only once, but sometimes that can negatively impact a game for RPG fans dying to hear an English dub. Here are some examples.

6

Baten Kaitos 1 & 2 HD Remaster

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Systems

Released

September 14, 2023

Baten Kaitos 1 & 2 HD Remaster is a collection of two GameCube RPGs that the Xenoblade Chronicles developers, Monolith Soft, made. Both RPGs are turn-based but use cards for actions in battle. In the original release of the games, both titles included an English audio track.

However, for these remasters the dubbed tracks were removed for some reason. Fans of the GameCube versions may have been upset by this omission but there is always time for a patch in the future.

5

Like A Dragon: Ishin

Not So Fast Samurai

It’s a miracle that Like a Dragon: Ishin was ever released outside of Japan. It was released in Japan first in 2014 and didn’t get localized into English until the remaster in 2023. That’s almost a decade of waiting for fans and since Yakuza: Like a Dragon included an English dub in 2020, they were hopeful the rest of the series from then on would include dubbed audio too.

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That was sadly not the case for this samurai RPG but the good news was that at least fans could play it officially. By and large, it’s always better to get a game released in the West in any condition so long as it is translated and runs bug-free.

4

Muramasa: The Demon Blade

An Authentic Japanese Metroidvania

Action RPG

Fighting

Action-Adventure

Systems

Released

April 9, 2009

Publisher(s)

Marvelous
, Rising Star Games

Muramasa: The Demon Blade was a Wii exclusive until it was ported to the PS Vita and rebranded as Muramasa Rebirth. Both versions are great Metroidvania RPGs that give players the choice between two characters: Kisuke and Momohime.

Both campaigns are unique as far as the stories go, but the gameplay and locations are mostly the same. Fans were not lucky enough to get English voice acting in the original Wii release and they were not lucky in the PS Vita port either. At this point, fans will probably just wish Vanillaware would port the game to some modern platform.

3

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE

Fire Emblem Meets Persona

Systems

Released

January 17, 2020

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE was originally released for the Wii U which was later ported to the Switch. Both versions never received an English audio track which is understandable for the Wii U version as it wasn’t a popular system but not so much for the Switch.

It’s a shame because it’s a stellar turn-based RPG that crosses over the Persona and Fire Emblem franchises. The game is about a group of upcoming pop idols who can use their music to fight back against an encroaching darkness trying to brainwash Japan. Classic Fire Emblem characters, like Chrom from Fire Emblem Awakening, are used as Personas in and out of battle.

2

Samurai Warriors 5

Dubs Are Half The Fun

Samurai Warriors 5 is the latest entry in the long-running series. Players can assume the role of legendary Japanese historical figures like Nobunaga Oda and Mitsuhide Akechi to mow down thousands of enemy troops. Most of these games, including Dynasty Warriors and the various Musou spinoffs, used to have English voiceovers.

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However, in the past decade, Koei Tecmo has seemingly pulled back on paying for dubs except for special occasions. While Japanese audio makes sense for this type of game, it’s still sad to see it missing since the over-the-top acting was a charming quality in past titles.

1

Super Robot Wars 30

A Crossover For Mech Fans

The Super Robot Wars franchise is an ancient one that dates back to 1991. Barely a handful of these crossover mech tactical RPGs have left Japan but the anniversary release of the series, Super Robot Wars 30, did get released on Steam. It was a blessing for fans who had checked out the series via unofficial fan translations over the years.

The only catch is that it used subtitles only which is understandable, unlike other entries on here. The game is very niche and there are a lot of characters and dialogue that would have seemingly taken ages to dub into English. Maybe one day the franchise can get a dubbed release in North America though.

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