The voice acting in FFX

[Dalisclock]

Just little rant, so indulge me.

A couple months ago, I asked if I should play FFIX or FFX first and after hearing from fellow escapists, decided to play IX first. Well, I recently finished FFIX and I've now moved on to FFX. So far, I'm only an hour or so into it(The group is just starting on their journey and haven't even boarded the boat yet), so I may be premature, but one thing that's kinda grating on me is Tidus's voice acting.

As in, it's really annoying. Wakka doesn't bother me(the fact that I keep hearing Bender/Jake the Dog helps there), Yuna isn't great but hasn't spoken much either(same with Rikku, but she's had a handful of lines before Tidus was washed off her boat). However, Tidus talks in a way that makes me wish that Wakka would reach over and smack him around a bit. I'm not really sure why, but it grates on me. Sadly, the only good thing I can think of is that he's not as bad as Vanille in FFXIII, who constantly had me saying "Goddamn, Vanille. Learn to talk like a normal person or shut up! Ask Fang to teach you how to speak"(The fact her VA sounds like a normal person IRL makes this more annoying, because that means she had to intentionally sound that annoying).

Does it get better? Please tell me it gets better. Right now I'm kinda missing IX where the characters didn't have VA.

 

[Sleepy Sol]

Does it get better?

And I'll murder anyone who mentions the laughting scene, dear good people, fine, it's a stupid scene, happy?

...i'm sorry

Ehhh. If it's already been noticeably grating for you, I don't think it'll improve too much. I don't mind his voice too much outside of a few awkward late 90s/early 2000s voice acting quirks like that laugh scene, but I can see how it might get to the point of frustration. What's kinda funny to me is how much I don't like John DiMaggio as Wakka because of Wakka's verbal tics. Even though I like him in almost every role he's ever played.

Is there any way to switch to Japanese voices? I'm not sure if the HD remaster that came out is the one you're playing or if there was even such an option in it.

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

I think James Arnold Taylor was directed to sound more snotty and spoiled in the early game. I agree with inu-kun. Tidus' voice does show some more (noticeable, but not much) maturity towards the end of the game and definitely the voice overs/inner monalogues. Once the laughing scene is over, it mostly gets better. (Auron also offsets the annoying characters.)

On a lighter note, how was IX?

 

[Casual Shinji]

Get used to it, buddy.

With Tidus, it's a combination of his behaviour, his looks, and his voice performance that makes him so punchable. Had he looked and behaved not as he does, I wouldn't have had as much of a problem with his voice. The same guy does the voice of Ratchet in the Ratchet and Clank games, in which I'm fine with how he sounds.

 

[SmallHatLogan]

I don't recall having issues with the voice acting the first time I played it but I replayed it last year and yeah, voice acting has vastly improved since the PS2. I don't consider it terrible but by today's standards it really doesn't hold up.

Does it improve? Not really. Everyone stays pretty consistent throughout the game. James Arnold Taylor (Tidus) is the main outlier. I thought he was okay when he mellows out for a bit or when he displays is enthusiastic "let's do it" attitude, but a lot of his attempts to emote are cringe worthy.


Slightly off topic here, I know people like to heap the blame on voice actors but I always wonder how much we should be pointing the finger at the director too. I fucking adore John DiMaggio in Futurama but his performances as Wakka and Kimahri are pretty lacklustre.

 

[CrazyCapnMorgan]

If you think Tidus' VA is bad, you should play Grandia. Everything about that game (this is IMHO, after all) was fantastic right up until certain parts where people talked. It's still a damn good story, though.

...and yes, I STILL do a little jig when Sue and Puffy do their "Rah-Rah Cheer", lemme alone. >.>'

 

[Foolery]

Does it get better? Please tell me it gets better. Right now I'm kinda missing IX where the characters didn't have VA.

Haha, nope. X isn't all that bad. The only Final Fantasy with somewhat decent voice acting (in my opinion, anyway) was XII.

And I'll murder anyone who mentions the laughting scene, dear good people, fine, it's a stupid scene, happy?

Come at me, bro. Nah, I get what you're saying. The problem is that people don't realize that it's supposed to sound awkward and forced.

 

[Orga777]

Just little rant, so indulge me.

A couple months ago, I asked if I should play FFIX or FFX first and after hearing from fellow escapists, decided to play IX first. Well, I recently finished FFIX and I've now moved on to FFX. So far, I'm only an hour or so into it(The group is just starting on their journey and haven't even boarded the boat yet), so I may be premature, but one thing that's kinda grating on me is Tidus's voice acting.

As in, it's really annoying. Wakka doesn't bother me(the fact that I keep hearing Bender/Jake the Dog helps there), Yuna isn't great but hasn't spoken much either(same with Rikku, but she's had a handful of lines before Tidus was washed off her boat). However, Tidus talks in a way that makes me wish that Wakka would reach over and smack him around a bit. I'm not really sure why, but it grates on me. Sadly, the only good thing I can think of is that he's not as bad as Vanille in FFXIII, who constantly had me saying "Goddamn, Vanille. Learn to talk like a normal person or shut up! Ask Fang to teach you how to speak"(The fact her VA sounds like a normal person IRL makes this more annoying, because that means she had to intentionally sound that annoying).

Does it get better? Please tell me it gets better. Right now I'm kinda missing IX where the characters didn't have VA.

Does it get better? More like it gets worse. If you want good voice acting in an FF game, you go with XII. The rest aren't even close to that one.

 

[Estarc]

The voice acting for Final Fantasy X was fine. I played it when it first came out, and I've replayed it many times since, including recently with the FFX and X-2 HD releases.

And Vanille from FFXIII is just the best. How can you hate Vanille, or her voice? There's something wrong with you bro.

 

[MiskWisk]

Does it get better?

And I'll murder anyone who mentions the laughting scene, dear good people, fine, it's a stupid scene, happy?

...i'm sorry

Ehhh. If it's already been noticeably grating for you, I don't think it'll improve too much. I don't mind his voice too much outside of a few awkward late 90s/early 2000s voice acting quirks like that laugh scene, but I can see how it might get to the point of frustration. What's kinda funny to me is how much I don't like John DiMaggio as Wakka because of Wakka's verbal tics. Even though I like him in almost every role he's ever played.

Is there any way to switch to Japanese voices? I'm not sure if the HD remaster that came out is the one you're playing or if there was even such an option in it.

I am now obligated to post the original and far worse japanese version of that scene. I hope you're happy with yourself.


captcha: it hurts
Yes, yes it does captcha

 

[Auron225]

Having replayed it not so long ago, I can see what you mean. However, most of the lines I found to have been delivered awkwardly were early on. I'm not sure why that is.

Is it just Tidus' voice though? Cause his voice doesn't change mid-way if that's what you're asking. I hear it as a common complaint of the game; personally, I don't quite understand how a person's voice can generate so much hatred.

EDIT: At this point, trying to convince people that the infamous laugh scene was supposed to sound awkward and forced, because hey, CONTEXT IS A THING WHICH EXISTS, is like trying to convince sceptics that the moon landing happened. It's something that should be standard for everybody to accept, but there will always be those who cover their ears screaming LALALALA, continuing to believe what they'd rather believe.

I sincerely hope, OP, that when you encounter that scene, you will be one of use that does in fact see the context and doesn't also try to use it as Exhibit A for "Tidus is an awful voice actor". If anything, that one scene is the scene where he gets a free pass to sound awful.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Just little rant, so indulge me.

A couple months ago, I asked if I should play FFIX or FFX first and after hearing from fellow escapists, decided to play IX first. Well, I recently finished FFIX and I've now moved on to FFX. So far, I'm only an hour or so into it(The group is just starting on their journey and haven't even boarded the boat yet), so I may be premature, but one thing that's kinda grating on me is Tidus's voice acting.

As in, it's really annoying. Wakka doesn't bother me(the fact that I keep hearing Bender/Jake the Dog helps there), Yuna isn't great but hasn't spoken much either(same with Rikku, but she's had a handful of lines before Tidus was washed off her boat). However, Tidus talks in a way that makes me wish that Wakka would reach over and smack him around a bit. I'm not really sure why, but it grates on me. Sadly, the only good thing I can think of is that he's not as bad as Vanille in FFXIII, who constantly had me saying "Goddamn, Vanille. Learn to talk like a normal person or shut up! Ask Fang to teach you how to speak"(The fact her VA sounds like a normal person IRL makes this more annoying, because that means she had to intentionally sound that annoying).

Does it get better? Please tell me it gets better. Right now I'm kinda missing IX where the characters didn't have VA.

Don't worry the voice acting in Final Fantasy XII is SO MUCH more better:

https://youtu.be/h8B99bai6og?t=212

(Despite some little grips but still I find Vaan a much more tolerable character than Tidus)

 

[Orga777]

Having replayed it not so long ago, I can see what you mean. However, most of the lines I found to have been delivered awkwardly were early on. I'm not sure why that is.

Is it just Tidus' voice though? Cause his voice doesn't change mid-way if that's what you're asking. I hear it as a common complaint of the game; personally, I don't quite understand how a person's voice can generate so much hatred.

EDIT: At this point, trying to convince people that the infamous laugh scene was supposed to sound awkward and forced, because hey, CONTEXT IS A THING WHICH EXISTS, is like trying to convince sceptics that the moon landing happened. It's something that should be standard for everybody to accept, but there will always be those who cover their ears screaming LALALALA, continuing to believe what they'd rather believe.

I sincerely hope, OP, that when you encounter that scene, you will be one of use that does in fact see the context and doesn't also try to use it as Exhibit A for "Tidus is an awful voice actor". If anything, that one scene is the scene where he gets a free pass to sound awful.

It isn't that the voice is just annoying. It is that normal people don't talk like that in real life and the voice is so forced and obnoxious through the whole game that it gets annoying. The acting is just wretched.

Also, there is a difference between forced laughter, and sounding like a fire truck running over a large house cat while the TV alert system goes off all put under the sound of a megaphone.

 

[Dalisclock]

I think James Arnold Taylor was directed to sound more snotty and spoiled in the early game. I agree with inu-kun. Tidus' voice does show some more (noticeable, but not much) maturity towards the end of the game and definitely the voice overs/inner monalogues. Once the laughing scene is over, it mostly gets better. (Auron also offsets the annoying characters.)

On a lighter note, how was IX?

Hopefully I'll get used to it as the game goes on.

I really enjoyed IX, thanks for asking. I just haven't decided if it displaces VI for my favorite game in the series now or just ties for first. My biggest annoyances were the fact it seems to take forever for the battle screen to load(were the load times always this bad or is it because I haven't played a PS-era final fantasy game in nearly 20 years?), and Freya's arc is incredibly tragic, only to get completely dropped right after most of her race is wiped out and she finds out her BF doesn't remember her. Minor annoyances include how easy it is to miss stuff(the coffee subquest in particular).

It also felt like ending to IX feel like the creators were wrapping up the series and saying goodbye one last time. There just seemed to be a sense of finality about it, though that maybe colored by knowing what happened to the main FF games since then.

Edit: Changed the last paragraph to be a statement rather then a question.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

I think James Arnold Taylor was directed to sound more snotty and spoiled in the early game. I agree with inu-kun. Tidus' voice does show some more (noticeable, but not much) maturity towards the end of the game and definitely the voice overs/inner monalogues. Once the laughing scene is over, it mostly gets better. (Auron also offsets the annoying characters.)

On a lighter note, how was IX?

Hopefully I'll get used to it as the game goes on.

I really enjoyed IX, thanks for asking. I just haven't decided if it displaces VI for my favorite game in the series now or just ties for first. My biggest annoyances were the fact it seems to take forever for the battle screen to load(were the load times always this bad or is it because I haven't played a PS-era final fantasy game in nearly 20 years?), and Freya's arc is incredibly tragic, only to get completely dropped right after most of her race is wiped out and she finds out her BF doesn't remember her. Minor annoyances include how easy it is to miss stuff(the coffee subquest in particular).

Was it just me, or did the ending to IX feel like the creators were wrapping up the series and saying goodbye one last time? There just seemed to be a sense of finality about it, though that maybe colored by knowing what happened to the main FF games since then.

You gonna try 12 soon? Its personally my absolute favorite game in the series. No random encounters is a plus, and a less Sci Fi setting helps (Ivalice is an increadible world) And boss fights were challeging.

 

[Dalisclock]

You gonna try 12 soon? Its personally my absolute favorite game in the series. No random encounters is a plus, and a less Sci Fi setting helps (Ivalice is an increadible world) And boss fights were challeging.

I'm probably be working through X for a few weeks at least, it's the remastered version so I'll at least try X-2, and I haven't really considered playing any of the games after X, since there's two MMOs(I've tried MMOs and they've never held my interest longer then a month), and XII hasn't sounded interesting enough to try. Then there's XIII and it's progency....

I'm not really sure what I'm gonna move onto after X/X-2, assuming I'm still in the mood for JRPGs at that point.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

You gonna try 12 soon? Its personally my absolute favorite game in the series. No random encounters is a plus, and a less Sci Fi setting helps (Ivalice is an increadible world) And boss fights were challeging.

I'm probably be working through X for a few weeks at least, it's the remastered version so I'll at least try X-2, and I haven't really considered playing any of the games after X, since there's two MMOs(I've tried MMOs and they've never held my interest longer then a month), and XII hasn't sounded interesting enough to try. Then there's XIII and it's progency....

I'm not really sure what I'm gonna move onto after X/X-2, assuming I'm still in the mood for JRPGs at that point.

12 is not an MMORPG. Only 11 and 14.

 

[Charli]

It was one of the first fully voice acted Final Fantasy games, they really had no idea what they were doing. And I agree coming from IX where I perfectly narrated all the voices to perfection in my head to that was extremely jarring to me back in the early 2000's as well.

Didn't help that the voices were all extremely inconsistent and cringe-y to listen to.


Psst, I also agree with you about Freya I love her character and arc and was so pissed when nothing much came of it until the end. I wanted more of her. And Beatrix. Hell I love most of the female FF9 cast and that is high HIGH praise from me, who is incredibly critical of female characters in this industry. If anyone ever asks me how to characterize women in RPG's I use Freya and Beatrix as prime examples.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

It was one of the first fully voice acted Final Fantasy games, they really had no idea what they were doing. And I agree coming from IX where I perfectly narrated all the voices to perfection in my head to that was extremely jarring to me back in the early 2000's as well.

Didn't help that the voices were all extremely inconsistent and cringe-y to listen to.


Psst, I also agree with you about Freya I love her character and arc and was so pissed when nothing much came of it until the end. I wanted more of her. And Beatrix. Hell I love most of the female FF9 cast and that is high HIGH praise from me, who is incredibly critical of female characters in this industry. If anyone ever asks me how to characterize women in RPG's I use Freya and Beatrix as prime examples.

Thought Final Fantasy 12 (and other games that take place in the world of Ivalice like FF-Tactics and Vagrant Story) are my absolute favorite games, Final Fantasy 9 is my favorite of the PS1 games. The ending alone is the reason why I think this game deserves a remake more so than 7:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fqv4MhSGMw4

That scene where Zidane revealed himself alive and well to Dagger and Dagger ran down the stairs and embraced him......Gets me everytime.