Breaking Down Accessibility: Text and Localization

Prior to last week’s entry, it has been a while since I added to the “Breaking Down Accessibility” series. I’ve been taking my time trying to think about what important accessibility topics don’t really get discussed. In recent months, it has occurred to me that voice acting and text-based dialogue are two interwoven elements of accessibility that a lot of people overlook.

As our readers are no doubt aware, I play a lot of RPGs. I also play a lot of games like the Yakuza (Like a Dragon) franchise. I’ve been trying to branch out into games developed in other countries too, such as the Sword and Fairy franchise that I dipped my toe into last year. All these games have one thing in common. Sometimes, developers don’t believe hiring English voice actors is cost-effective or necessary.

If they localize the text well enough, western players can get the details and the voice acting isn’t necessary. Plus, there are the purists (usually in anime circles) who believe that subtitled dialogue is superior to dubbed dialogue. While those people are entitled to their opinion, they’re overlooking the fact that this is also an accessibility issue.

Dyslexic players will have trouble with text-heavy games. Furthermore, this issue is something that people with visual impairments also struggle with. This is especially true when the font is stylized, but games that offer full voice acting can alleviate some of the problems. Of course, in a lot of games, you’ll still have to read things such as Codex/Journal entries, quest text, inventory information, skill trees, etc.

However, there are some games (Mass Effect comes to mind) that have optional voiceovers for lore entries. Diablo 3 is another good example. In fact, one of the more immersive elements of the Bioshock franchise is the audiotapes that allow you to listen to the lore as you play. Diablo 4 has even added screen-reader functionality. This is something that is lost to people who do not speak the native language of whatever game you’re playing.

I’m not just talking about Japanese games translated into English here. The same could be said in reverse for Western-developed games played in countries like Germany, Italy, France, Spain, and other non-English-speaking countries. Sure, you could say that you can still enjoy the game without those elements, but for story-focused games atmosphere, lore, and world-building are vital parts of the experience.

Like a Dragon: Ishin doesn’t have an English voiceover, and truthfully, I probably wouldn’t have questioned it had I not played Yakuza 7 (Like a Dragon), Judgment, and Lost Judgment. It isn’t quite as vital in casual sections of the game, doing side quests, etc. However, during cutscenes and action sequences, sometimes it is difficult to follow the nuances of conversation or even facial expressions while I’m trying to make sure I read the subtitled dialogue.

I can’t imagine how much trouble people with ADHD might have while trying to keep track of the action sequences while reading dialogue. These reasons alone are why I get a little disappointed when I see developers neglect to offer English voiceovers. It’s happening more and more in franchises I love, like the Atelier series. I understand that voice acting is another expense, but this is a barrier to entry for a lot of people.

It’s also important to make subtitled dialogue readable. Offering font color options and even dialogue backgrounds helps when you’re in bright areas. I can’t count the number of times I’ve had trouble reading white text while exploring a snowy area.

I would go so far as to say that all these things affect more than just gaming. Movies and Television become less accessible when you can’t experience them as easily due to visual impairments or text-processing issues. It would be nice to see more developers talking about this too. Perhaps discussing this issue might lead to solutions to the problem. Voice Acting is an underappreciated art, and though it may not be feasible to do voice acting in every language as a game launches, supporting it long-term only serves to include more players in enjoying gaming.