The Witcher 3 Pre-Release Thread [GAME RELEASED, GO TO NEW THREAD]

[Alfons]

CIRI gameplay:

Is that the release version?

 

[PhantasmaNL]

The polish va doesnt sound that much better to me (who doesnt understand a word of it). Besides i dont want to rely on subtitles (and probably wonky translation). somehow I dont find french a good fit for this game, the german is better but somewhat lackluster performed. So ill probably stick to english (though i hate geralts voice..).

 

[Brzęczyszczykiewicz]

W grach RPG Polski dubing zwykle bije angielski na głowę.

 

[CyberWhale]

English is currently the best, but the Japanese has the potential to beat it to a pulp.

 

[Ptosio]

What the hell are the dubbing it into Japanese BTW? Does anyone in Japan play this kind of games?

And on the other hand, there's no Spanish dubbing even though from what I understand it's in Spain (out of major non-slavic countries) where the Witcher universe is the most popular, an then there's a better part of Latin America to go along with it (though they probably mostly pirate anyway).

All things considered, playing the Witcher in any other language while speaking Polish is the ultimate form of hipsterism.

 

[made]

Listen to the two Geralts and tell me which one tries too hard for a forced badassery and which one is the more canonical withdrawn cynic watching this foolish child's play with a smug, ironic detachment?

The American kid in that vid is clearly more enthused than his Pollack counterpart who's laughing his ass off. Ergo the English version is more immersive.

 

[Paul_cz]

Hell, listen to the two Foltests and tell me which one ―― is closer to the down-to-earth ruler we know from the books?

Listen to the two Geralts and tell me which one ―― is the more canonical withdrawn cynic watching this foolish child's play with a smug, ironic detachment?

I only know one word of Polish, but I really can't answer those questions. I guess the correct answer should be "potato", but I think the descriptions are spot-on when it comes to the English voice-acting in TW2 as well. Foltest comes off as a genuinely likeable guy that has a bit of flamboyance to him (which is apparent in the books as well), and Geralt is very much a "withdrawn cynic" who seems to treat everything with a hint of irony. Triss definitely doesn't come off as an American housewife either, but I don't see much point in comparing single lines of dialogue out of context. If anything, I think the English voices sound more distinct and memorable than the Polish ones, but that might just be because I have no idea what the potatoes are actually saying. For what it's worth, the Polish VA does sound better to me than the Russian, German or French translations.

Of course, if you read the books in Polish and then played the game in Polish, it's understandable that you'd prefer the Polish version. I'm just saying that the English voice-acting is actually really good for the most part and manages to capture the defining aspects of each character rather well.

Agreed 100%
Polish VA sounds good no doubt, but I actually find the voices themselves more distinct and fitting in english.
Plus Charles Dance as Emhyr is just such a baller choice, can't wait to speak with him.

 

[Monocause]

I preferred the English TW2 VAs to the Polish ones a lot.

1) There's a whole bunch of professional anglophone VAs who have proper training. Polish VAs on the other hand are either esteemed theater/cinema actors (these can be totally awesome) or essentially amateurs who've established their position in the 90s and are stuck there. This is particularly painful with regards to female VAs where there's probably 3 ladies voicing all female roles that need dubbing (i'm exaggerating but not by a huge margin). This is why some posters here have had cartoon flashbacks - as a matter of a fact quite a few VAs from the cast were also dubbing the cartoons we've all watched in the 90s - and *almost all* the fucking female VAs are the exact same VAs you heard for the last 20 years *fucking everywhere*. The one I loathe the most is Anna Apostolakis who not only voices a shitton of female roles everywhere but also does preadolescent male characters (pretty sure she voiced Ash in the polish dub of Pokemon)

Also, re: the peasant example - if you think this is how actual people actually talk in the country, let's just say you're very, very wrong. I found the Polish "peasant" VAs particularly aggravating as in terms of dramatics all they did was yelling into the microphone and add some sort of a faux-eastern accent to make it sound more rustical. The supporting cast voicing peasants sound more like idiots than like countryfolk, strongly reminiscent of the plague of modern-day Polish 'cabaret' whose idea of humour is to make dumb faces and scream something vaguely comprehensible at the audience.

2) The above notwithstanding - I find the main English cast more charismatic, and the supporting cast miles and miles better. Bits have been lost in translation but sod it - localisation was all round great and some bloopers here and there didn't affect the quality of the title. Re: the Triss example someone mentioned above - this is a localisation issue, not a VA issue. Two separate things. Also, that line has no bearing on the game, no bearing on the plot and ultimately most players won't really care what she said.

I'll probably play TW3 in English for the exact same reasons as above.

3) On a personal note: the Polish Foltest sounds like a coarse drunk, barely mustering enough authority to lead a construction site. Does not correspond with his in-game face, his stature, his movements, doesn't correspond with the fact he's a fucking king. The English VA on the other hand makes his character seem like a studied person with quite a rough streak running barely underneath what he displays.

 

[Infinitron]

Triss' characterization in English is actually kind of interesting - you find clear evidence thoughout the game that she's quite the schemer, making her "American housewife" act seem like borderline sociopathy. She's emotionally manipulating you.

 

[pippin]

I think Polish Geralt sounds like a normal person instead of the super serious throat cancer guy from the english dub. However, it doesn't help that english subtitles are generally crap and it feels like they're translating just half of the things being said in every sentence.
Guess I'll have to learn polish and become a potato smuggler.

 

[Monocause]

I think Polish Geralt sounds like a normal person instead of the super serious throat cancer guy from the english dub.

I'd say both Geralts are easily comparable and both get the job done, with the English one being a bit more grimdarky indeed but not by a huge margin. The Polish one avoids that but at the cost of coming across as rather bland in moments.

However, it doesn't help that english subtitles are generally crap and it feels like they're translating just half of the things being said in every sentence.

The English localisation for TW2 is really really good. Some potatos keep complaining about stuff missed here and there but most complaints seem to be caused by a lack of understanding of what localisation actually is supposed to do. Localising a game is not merely translating the game. If a character says three lines in Polish it is perfectly viable to localise it into a single brief sentence in English if the same meaning and emotional context is delivered. Compromises need to be made as well and if non-essential bits need to be cut to maintain the dialogue's pace and punch, so be it.

My first playthrough of TW2 was in English and there was not a single moment that i felt something amiss or failed to understand what's going on. It's a huge quality leap from TW1 which had quite a few confusing moments where the loc team apparently didn't study the script enough.

 

[pippin]

I was speaking about 1, though, where entire sentences are cut down to a few words. But I get what you mean.

 

[bonescraper]

It's a huge quality leap from TW1 which had quite a few confusing moments where the loc team apparently didn't study the script enough.

TW1 was written in Polish, then translated to English. TW2 was written in English, then transtaled to Polish.

 

[J_C]

Slavic languages all sound like shit, so you can stop arguing about whether polish or english is better.

 

[cvv]

Slavic languages all sound like shit.

As a Slavfag I have to agree. To a foreign ear most Slavic languages are said to be too rough and non-musical. It's not as tragicomical as the Dutch grunting or Hebrew throat cancer or the Spanish lisp or the Nordics that sound like normal people talking backwards. But it's definitely not French or Italian or English that always sounds great, no matter where you're from.

IMHO there are two exceptions - Slovakian and Russian (the civilized kind). Talking to Slovakian girls somehow always gives me a boner and listening to someone recite Pushkin or Lermontov is like eating LCD laced honey.

 

[Ptosio]

On a personal note: the Polish Foltest sounds like a coarse drunk, barely mustering enough authority to lead a construction site. Does not correspond with his in-game face, his stature, his movements, doesn't correspond with the fact he's a fucking king. The English VA on the other hand makes his character seem like a studied person with quite a rough streak running barely underneath what he displays.

Have you read the damned books!? That's the Sapkowski's idea behind Foltest: he's not you stereotypical fantasy monarch - he may have a crown on his head, but he speaks and acts just like a regular person. But in English VOs he is played in a typical posh British accent taken straight out of Shakespearean play style. People complained that it was the Polish voice acting which was "theatrical" and "cartoonish" as opposed to the English one- well, there you have it.

I don't claim that potato Witcher is perfect, it has many rough edges, but still, playing this in any other language while being potato - that's a travesty

 

[Goral]

(...) But it's definitely not French (...) that always sounds great (...)

French is one of the worst sounding languages and that's a fact.

As for Polish language:

 

[bonescraper]

Also, re: the peasant example - if you think this is how actual people actually talk in the country, let's just say you're very, very wrong. I found the Polish "peasant" VAs particularly aggravating as in terms of dramatics all they did was yelling into the microphone and add some sort of a faux-eastern accent to make it sound more rustical. The supporting cast voicing peasants sound more like idiots than like countryfolk, strongly reminiscent of the plague of modern-day Polish 'cabaret' whose idea of humour is to make dumb faces and scream something vaguely comprehensible at the audience.

I think you're more British than Polish at this point, expat. You were born in Warsaw, you live in England, what do you know about how people talk on the countryside? Especially older people? I have family there, older aunts and uncles still speak with this "faux-eastern accent" of yours. Oh, and i guess you never even noticed that we have some distinct dialects too.

Just watch some "Sami Swoi", you ignorant buffon.

 

[cvv]

French is one of the worst sounding languages and that's a fact.

 

[hiver]

Trying to listen to that guy doing the vid about Siri gameplay got me coughing and laughing hard.
You polans do use some strange words for some quite ordinary things.

I dont believe i could play the game and consider any of it seriously, or refrain laughing like a mad man in Fear and Loathing in Witcherland, because thats just too much. Well, maybe if the game doesnt have anything but stupid lulz i can take it up a notch.
I better not ever go to potatoland cause ill be keeling over from laughter every ten minutes.

 

[Obsequious Approbation]

This is real Foltest (probably his best line).

zamknij mordę, cipo

 

[bonescraper]

zamknij mordę, cipo

Looks like i caused much butthurt in this one. Lemme guess, youre Darkzone's alt? Or just one of his relatives?

 

[Obsequious Approbation]

zamknij mordę, cipo

Looks like i caused much butthurt in this one. Lemme guess, youre Darkzone's alt? Or just one of his relatives?

No, I saw this handy expression in a video itt, and absolutely had to tell someone of my discovery. :D

 

[bonescraper]

Oh, sorry then

 

[PhantasmaNL]

Slavic languages all sound like shit.

As a Slavfag I have to agree. To a foreign ear most Slavic languages are said to be too rough and non-musical. It's not as tragicomical as the Dutch grunting or Hebrew throat cancer or the Spanish lisp or the Nordics that sound like normal people talking backwards. But it's definitely not French or Italian or English that always sounds great, no matter where you're from.

IMHO there are two exceptions - Slovakian and Russian (the civilized kind). Talking to Slovakian girls somehow always gives me a boner and listening to someone recite Pushkin or Lermontov is like eating LCD laced honey.

a bit totally OT but it seems ok in this thread?

The Dutch have some specific pronounciations which normal earthlings cannot produce (like the guttural CH sound). We even used this feature in WW2 to identify real dutch folk (good) from german rat bastards (kill).

On my travels across this globe i found icelandic to be a nice language to listen to.



(and for the Dutch Zuid Afrikaans is also pretty funny)

I guess there is no Icelandic or Suid Afrikaner in Witcher 3