Dark Road ► Dark Road: Chapter 2 - The Presence of Darkness

[Sign]

Global scenes:

Alternate scene if Vor is in the party:

They've also added the prompt to change party members during that third scene, which was absent in JP.

 

[ShardofTruth]

I wonder why most of the story quests feature random enemies when another playthrough of these quests is not intended. Maybe they'll add an episode replay feature along the theater mode at some point in the future, it's still seems like these quests are more of an afterthought compared to the world battles and events.

 

[AR829038]

I wonder why most of the story quests feature random enemies when another playthrough of these quests is not intended. Maybe they'll add an episode replay feature along the theater mode at some point in the future, it's still seems like these quests are more of an afterthought compared to the world battles and events.

Y'know, it's really weird, but I was just thinking how the gameplay for this game has actually started to feel WORSE than last time. And I think you're onto the generic and arbitrary nature of the battles being part of it. At least in Union X, the enemies are placed amongst a navigable world map that you have to traverse in order to get from point A to point B, so at least they felt like obstacles en route to your destination. But here, they just throw random enemies in between cutscenes that have nothing at all to do with the progression of the narrative, and there's no sense of spatial progression in defeating them.
Not only that, but the cards feel much more abstract than the medals or the cards from CoM—at least from those games, there's an in-game reason why you're using these things to execute attacks and other moves, but here, it's such a blatantly transparent mechanic. We also still don't even know what Xehanort and Eraqus' weird Keyblades are called, probably the first time in the series where we don't know the names of the weapons we're using. All in all, everything about this game so far besides the story itself is making it feel like the developers really don't give a shit. I'm noticing more and more how much better this story would work as a movie (let alone an actual honest console game) than as what it is. Every aspect of the gameplay, story mode or not, feels completely superfluous and un-engaging. It makes me pray that Bitgroove never be allowed near this franchise ever again after these two titles are done with.

 

[maryadavies]

After doing the quests myself, compared to Goldpanner, they did do pretty well, tho with the Cheshire Cat, they actually added some flavor text from the movie as localizations, but the meaning comes though.

I CAN'T object to that, and I grew up with Disney's Alice in Wonderland.

[Edit] Rewatching, I can see they did that EVERYWHERE here. Hey, I don't mind, you get what they're saying even if they changed the text around a bit to fit the world/the original movie. SOMEONE knows their Disneys. And they did a good localization, it's not a straight translation (I assume Goldpanner's a little more literal in places, no offense meant. Different translators work differently *hugs Goldpanner*; some go literal in a way, some like to localize. Have seen this many, many times before with certain fansub groups that I will not name here so if you're looking Goldpanner, don't feel offended, it does just show another way of putting it. And if the offical translator screwed up..which I don't think he did..your translation shows what he screwed up on.)

As I keep saying, JP to English translation is a art, not a science. It REALLY is. And since the original Disney's Alice in Wonderland is a original English animated movie, well..I don't think anyone can blame the official translator for drawing from that for his translation/localization so if you watched that as many times as I have, you'd feel like Xehanort and crew stepped RIGHT into the movie in Alice's place. Ha.

Oh and if anyone wants it, I can prolly go though the videos again and transcribe, tho I assume the staffers will do that a bit later when they get time!

 

[ShardofTruth]

Y'know, it's really weird, but I was just thinking how the gameplay for this game has actually started to feel WORSE than last time. And I think you're onto the generic and arbitrary nature of the battles being part of it. At least in Union X, the enemies are placed amongst a navigable world map that you have to traverse in order to get from point A to point B, so at least they felt like obstacles en route to your destination. But here, they just throw random enemies in between cutscenes that have nothing at all to do with the progression of the narrative, and there's no sense of spatial progression in defeating them.

I agree 100%. Their claim to make a more light-weighted and therefore more accessable game than KHUX (which is almost at 4GB now) clashes completely with the quest design, there is absolutely no story told through them. It's bascially a movie with extra steps at this point.
They have access to hundreds of maps from nine different worlds and over 270 Heartless, yet that's all what they produce.

Not only that, but the cards feel much more abstract than the medals or the cards from CoM—at least from those games, there's an in-game reason why you're using these things to execute attacks and other moves, but here, it's such a blatantly transparent mechanic. We also still don't even know what Xehanort and Eraqus' weird Keyblades are called, probably the first time in the series where we don't know the names of the weapons we're using.

I've not given up on explanations yet, because they started with explanating plot points from KHX/KHUX that were over seven years old but it still feels odd.

All in all, everything about this game so far besides the story itself is making it feel like the developers really don't give a shit. I'm noticing more and more how much better this story would work as a movie (let alone an actual honest console game) than as what it is. Every aspect of the gameplay, story mode or not, feels completely superfluous and un-engaging. It makes me pray that Bitgroove never be allowed near this franchise ever again after these two titles are done with.

I kinda get where they tried to go with this whole project, with it being a companion piece to KHUX and all of that, but I don't think they made a good game in the process. If there were different things to do like customizing Xehanort, upgrade the (unnamed) Keyblade, exploring the world, or even adjust the auto battle feature to your liking it wouldn't be this bleak.

 

[Deleted member 252753]

Edit] Rewatching, I can see they did that EVERYWHERE here. Hey, I don't mind, you get what they're saying even if they changed the text around a bit to fit the world/the original movie. SOMEONE knows their Disneys. And they did a good localization, it's not a straight translation (I assume Goldpanner's a little more literal in places, no offense meant. Different translators work differently *hugs Goldpanner*; some go literal in a way, some like to localize. Have seen this many, many times before with certain fansub groups that I will not name here so if you're looking Goldpanner, don't feel offended, it does just show another way of putting it. And if the offical translator screwed up..which I don't think he did..your translation shows what he screwed up on.)

I definitely agree. I am glad we have Goldpanner's translation as well as the more stylized official localization. Like, I really liked how the Cheshire Cat quoted the Jabberwocky in the Global version but it's good to have a translation which makes the original meaning clear. And Goldpanner's version is very readable itself.

 

[Clue.Less]

After doing the quests myself, compared to Goldpanner, they did do pretty well, tho with the Cheshire Cat, they actually added some flavor text from the movie as localizations, but the meaning comes though.

I CAN'T object to that, and I grew up with Disney's Alice in Wonderland.

[Edit] Rewatching, I can see they did that EVERYWHERE here. Hey, I don't mind, you get what they're saying even if they changed the text around a bit to fit the world/the original movie. SOMEONE knows their Disneys. And they did a good localization, it's not a straight translation (I assume Goldpanner's a little more literal in places, no offense meant. Different translators work differently *hugs Goldpanner*; some go literal in a way, some like to localize. Have seen this many, many times before with certain fansub groups that I will not name here so if you're looking Goldpanner, don't feel offended, it does just show another way of putting it. And if the offical translator screwed up..which I don't think he did..your translation shows what he screwed up on.)

As I keep saying, JP to English translation is a art, not a science. It REALLY is. And since the original Disney's Alice in Wonderland is a original English animated movie, well..I don't think anyone can blame the official translator for drawing from that for his translation/localization so if you watched that as many times as I have, you'd feel like Xehanort and crew stepped RIGHT into the movie in Alice's place. Ha.

Oh and if anyone wants it, I can prolly go though the videos again and transcribe, tho I assume the staffers will do that a bit later when they get time!

Oooh, I like that they used more Alice in Wonderland lines! And they keep nailing Eraqus's lines; I love "fashionably late". I do like the XEU dialogue of the second video better in the unofficial version; something about the timing of Eraqus's looking up and smiling, then the speech bubble with the slightly shorter "Why are you smiling?", felt way funnier than the new video. (That was a random detail, sorry XD) I love GP's "What?"/"What yourself!" but the official "How did you--" is intriguing, too!

It's so interesting to have both translations side by side (yes to a transcription!!). Where did the word "box" go? Something got lost there.

This translation nerd is having a blast with these video updates. I'm sorry the game's not as enjoyable for you guys

 

[Sign]

Oh and if anyone wants it, I can prolly go though the videos again and transcribe, tho I assume the staffers will do that a bit later when they get time!

Nah, I don't plan on transcribing these. Feel free to do so if you'd like

Oooh, I like that they used more Alice in Wonderland lines! And they keep nailing Eraqus's lines; I love "fashionably late". I do like the XEU dialogue of the second video better in the unofficial version; something about the timing of Eraqus's looking up and smiling, then the speech bubble with the slightly shorter "Why are you smiling?", felt way funnier than the new video. (That was a random detail, sorry XD)

It's so interesting to have both translations side by side (yes to a transcription!!). Where did the word "box" go? Something got lost there.

This translation nerd is having a blast with these video updates. I'm sorry the game's not as enjoyable for you guys

And Xehanort seeing darkness lol. Now he just knows something. What is it he's supposed to know?

I'm also interested in how they've translated Brain's line. Unofficial translation of the line put the emphasis on a person being hidden within darkness, but the official localization has it the other way around, darkness within people. This will be in the next story update for Global so will be interesting to see how that goes.

 

[Recon]

What’s with the “4 years later” part?

 

[Sign]

What’s with the “4 years later” part?

That's when Xehanort goes on the world tour.

 

[maryadavies]

Okay, to make this quick, I'll be linking these from my Google Drive (I'm using a word processor). @Sign, feel free to open and copy/paste and add to the first post in this thread. I did borrow the stage directions MOSTLY from the JP transcript, with a few additions to be more specific in spots (you'll see where). So watch this post!

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4


Anyway be patient, it takes me time to go though each video and pause at every line, then type it out.

 

[Sign]

Okay, to make this quick, I'll be linking these from my Google Drive (I'm using a word processor). @Sign, feel free to open and copy/paste and add to the first post in this thread. I did borrow the stage directions MOSTLY from the JP transcript, with a few additions to be more specific in spots (you'll see where). So watch this post!

Part 1


Anyway be patient, it takes me time to go though each video and pause at every line, then type it out.

Thanks mary! I'll add this to the OP later <3

 

[Deleted member 252753]

I'm also interested in how they've translated Brain's line. Unofficial translation of the line put the emphasis on a person being hidden within darkness, but the official localization has it the other way around, darkness within people. This will be in the next story update for Global so will be interesting to see how that goes.

I don't know about how it will work in UX, but in Xehanort's story I think the darkness hiding in people seems to make more sense with how his seeing darkeness is shown. It also lines up nicely with his saying to the MoM in Re Mind that 'darkness lurks in the pit of everyone's hearts'.

 

[Sign]

I don't know about how it will work in UX, but in Xehanort's story I think the darkness hiding in people seems to make more sense with how his seeing darkeness is shown. It also lines up nicely with his saying to the MoM in Re Mind that 'darkness lurks in the pit of everyone's hearts'.

In UX it's kinda the opposite, since this line comes right after they establish someone is working within the shadows to kill Strelitzia and set Ven up as a Union leader. But the official localization may present that differently in a way that allows this line to work for both situations.

 

[The_Echo]

I'm also interested in how they've translated Brain's line. Unofficial translation of the line put the emphasis on a person being hidden within darkness, but the official localization has it the other way around, darkness within people. This will be in the next story update for Global so will be interesting to see how that goes.

That's how I read it, darkness hiding within people. I think it's a deliberate connection to what the Master talked about, how darkness had changed form over time and now hides inside people.

 

[maryadavies]

OKAY! Done. had to pause to get dinner going but the transcript is done. @Sign you know what to do. ^^

But yeah, see above for the whole thing.

 

[the red monster]

It was pretty short. beat it around 25 minutes.
barely any actual story aside from the last scene.. was hoping for more.
hopefully things will start pick up in the next few chapters.

young eraqus is such a fun a character.

 

[Cumguardian69]

Finished the story. More I "play" of DR, the more I'm mad it wasn't its own game done in the old Kingdom engine at least, or UE4. On kinfolk on God I would pay $60 for a YX game.

 

[Deleted member 252753]

Something I think is much better in Goldpanner's version is Xehanort's response when Eraqus says he wants to believe in the light in people's hearts. In Global, he just simply agrees, 'me too', but in Goldpanner's he says 'Yeah...', so you can see he is having doubts already, which is nice.

 

[Cumguardian69]

Something I think is much better in Goldpanner's version is Xehanort's response when Eraqus says he wants to believe in the light in people's hearts. In Global, he just simply agrees, 'me too', but in Goldpanner's he says 'Yeah...', so you can see he is having doubts already, which is nice.

If these were voiced, you'd get the same effect from gurobaru.