Xeshra: Apart from this personal stuff, i still do not recommend comparing Suikoden with something like "Triangle Strategy".
Triangle is closer to Vandal Hearts × FFT/Tactics Ogre × Octopath.
Xeshra: Because this Square Enix game is rather focused toward bringing us some "hyped" version of Octopath-Traveler cosmetics,...
I, on the other hand, appreciate its 2.5D/3D style and aesthetics because they come closest to those revered titles of old.
Xeshra: I was playing Octopath Traveler II and I tell you... I stopped playing after 15 minutes because it was just tasteless, theatrical fluff... or cheesy, as you say. Guess it is the "polished" fake of modern society... with close to no soul.
If you have to rely solely on subtitles/audio in your language, and with a lack of awareness of the themes and topics present in the original, your judgment can be considered fair. Many hot-button topics such as xenophobia, treatment of foreigners in Japanese society, incest, child abuse, self-isolation, suicide, physical and mental impairment, and more are discussed even in Visual Novels. Unfortunately, much of this depth is lost in the Westernization process, reducing these works of art (that is to say games in general) to mere sexual content or gameplay mechanics, and visuals.
However, with a good knowledge of the language and about social issues, politics, ideologies, etc., you can appreciate that stories and characters are deeper and more profound than some altered and adapted translation, made to meet perceived Western sensibilities by individuals who may compromise the integrity of the original script by altering the tone of characters and what they are actually saying.
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Westernization should be limited to providing faithful translations to other languages. However, often leads people, based on their political views and attitudes, to criticize the original work as misogynistic, racist, sexist, etc., without understanding why these elements are included and what they represent, when they start comparing changes. Furthermore, nuances like wordplay with Kanji and cultural references are frequently lost in translation. Some translators are using their work to teach the audience their own views about politics, gender, and other issues.
Instead, if all that exists is a translation, exposure to the original may spark curiosity and encourage players to learn this language which enables them to gain knowledge about Japanese society, issues, politics, history, and ways of thinking. Similarly, games like Through the Darkest of Times or Attentat provide an opportunity to engage with historical events and perspectives rather than engaging in superficial debates based on modern-day sensitivities.
The most stupid thing I lately read was:
Changes often focus on "alcohol, politics or religion," Froget adds, while cultural reference points also differ.
"When there are people dressed in black boots and big leather coats, in Europe that could bring to mind a Nazi uniform," he says.
It's people like him getting commissioned to work on such projects, and I can't fathom how stupid people like him think the European audience must be to make a connection between black boots and leather coats and Nazi uniforms. Or, more generally, how much lack of education and intellectual ability they think people playing such games must have to say such things. Who are they, and what are their qualifications that allow them to patronize and offer such rather simplistic and patronizing views of adult, and potentially highly educated people who happen to be playing games? What's more, why do they think people consuming games are not able to learn about topics without being told where to look, which information to disregard because it contains dangerous material (or a slippery slope into right-wing/left-wing territory and being lost forever for the
good cause (also something I saw such individuals write on gaming websites)), and how to think?
If this trend is to be reversed, the first line of action is to start learning a language and playing original games, books, and other media suffering from westernization. This doesn't only go for Japanese but also any games whose original language is not English. It also opens up the world and grants access to meet and understand people living in other parts of the world than The West™ (which usually means US and UK, and to a certain extent also Europe).