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[Iva Demilcol]

Sometimes subtitles are the only thing that you can rely on when it comes to "listening" to some dialogues; like sometimes if you don't place the camera in the right angle you cannot hear a damn thing in some games like Dark Souls.

 

[SZips]

I have them on all the time. It started with some games where the game music/ambient sounds overwhelmed the speech and I couldn't understand just wtf was said.

I really started to use them all the time when I started to make YouTube videos so that anybody watching could read the subtitles if I happened to briefly talk over a line of dialogue (though I really try hard not to talk when story is happening).

 

[jroc74]

I do. Funny thing is I said I didnt like RPG's anymore...must be all the reading. lol

Some games I have to use them because I will either miss what I'm supposed to do and where I am going. Its not a problem with most games that throw up an auto objective, waypoint marker.

Not gonna lie....Lego Marvels....if you dont place the marker on the map for some collectables....you have to hear or read what to do.

And its useful for some games that try to be realistic with distance and area with dialogue. Like the further away you are from someone the harder it is to hear them.

 

[Yeul]

I usually do for my first couple playthroughs of a game especially if they are throwing around fantastical names of species or whatnot. If I'm familiar enough with the game though I probably end up turning them off. Also turning them off is a plus when taking screenshots so if I want to do that they're off.

 

[Chocolate Moose]

I do it so as I don't miss any words, or just in case I hear something wrong I'll be able to see what was actually said.

 

[RowdyReverb]

For me it depends on the quality of the facial animations when characters are speaking. If it's nothing special (e.g. Mass Effect), then subtitles go on. If there is clearly some work put into modeling and animating the characters (e.g. Ryse), I turn subtitles off so I don't end up staring at text instead of appreciating that effort.

 

[draetenth]

I do because I'm hard of hearing and without them on I'm probably going to miss out on a lot of dialogue (plot or not - I want to hear what's going on).

 

[Corleth the Fey]

All the time. My ears are shot to shit from too much loud music when I was younger, and I now need hearing aids. Still even if I could Max Caulfield myself back in time, I wouldn't change anything. Music is awesome.

 

[diggmcbadass]

I always keep them on. Most games mess up their sound mix (at least for speakers). I also play a lot of games with my own music and custom sound settings, so it's nice to have subtitles in case somebody starts speaking before I can pause music.

 

[Skyzard]

Sometimes. I don't really prefer it but I basically have to in TW3 otherwise you can't understand the other languages the characters sometimes speak.

 

[antitrop]

I like not being able to understand the foreign languages in The Witcher 3 with subtitles off. I'm weird.

I just take it as Geralt not being fluent in that language.

 

[RowdyReverb]

I like not being able to understand the foreign languages in The Witcher 3 with subtitles off. I'm weird.

I like that idea, but I think it would also drive me crazy to think that I'm missing dialogue, even if it is inconsequential.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

In most cases, I leave it at the default setting.

I generally prefer not having subtitles, but I figure that if they're on by default, it was set that way for a reason.

 

[Cartman86]

I can never get sound mixing to be good enough without headphones and I rarely play with them so subtitles are always on. I would love not to, but coupled with bad mixing, my own shitty sound level, and worrying about noise pollution for other people I have to.

 

[Jay-T]

Whenever i have the option to enable them

 

[Skyzard]

I like not being able to understand the foreign languages in The Witcher 3 with subtitles off. I'm weird.

I just take it as Geralt not being fluent in that language.

In another game, maybe I'd like that idea but I don't want to miss out on some joke chatter/insults

 

[Strike]

Only sometimes. Or when I'm doing multiple playthroughs.

 

[Skeyser]

Yeah, not only are the dialogue sometimes inaudibles in games due to sound effects/caracter being far away. Also, unlike a movie, you can't easily rewind a video game to re-listen to a dialogue.

 

[PureYeti]

always on because there are noise, chatter, or I forgot what they just said

 

[StrongBlackVine]

Depends on the game. For most games no, but for games where it is all about story like RPGs Telltale or Quantic Dream games then yes.

Now that I think about I use subtitle most of the time. I just never really thought about it. Most games I play are story focused.

 

[wiggleb0t]

Love me some Sub Zeroes in games. Have SSD (Single side deafness) so it's a welcome implementation having subs especially when using headphones and not hearing the deaf channel.
Recently purchased headphones that have both channels going to the one ear and not having to do the 3/4 way plugged in trick.

Don't use them for movies unless foreign. With games always have them on if it's available and fortunately it's almost always an option in 95% of games.

 

[antitrop]

In another game, maybe I'd like that idea but I don't want to miss out on some joke chatter/insults

Completely fair. It's ridiculous that there isn't a third subtitle option in the game for foreign languages only.

 

[Mad Season]

I don't speak French so I don't know how good the French voice acting in Assassin's Creed Unity is. All I know is that it feels a hell of a lot more like you are in France when not everyone has a British accent.

lol. fair enough

 

[Air Zombie Meat]

Never used to but lately a lot of games seem to have weird issues with dialogue. Like you turn around to face another direction or take a couple of steps and you can't hear it anymore. Not sure if it's my setup or the games.

 

[system11]

Always on, for those times where you can't really make out what's being said.

 

[RagnarokX]

I prefer them on because mumbled lines and bad sound mixing are ubiquitous.

 

[CSX]

First thing I do before selecting New Game

 

[Rephin]

Definitely on. I don't want to miss out on something important because something in the background drowns out my sound.

I do the same thing with movies and TV shows a majority of the time as well.

 

[Hypnopompy]

For more 'cinematic' games like, say, Uncharted, I'll have them turned off as I find myself focusing on the words at the bottom of my screen instead of the actions the characters are taking. Perhaps if they were displayed in a different way I'd leave them on.

In RPGs they're practically a necessity.

 

[Admiral Snackbar]

Without fail. I never want to mishear something or getting distracted by family leading to me not hearing something.

 

[Aces&Eights]

I'll be odd man out. I hate subtitles. I want to watch the cut scene or action that's going on, not read about it. I always wear headphones so I never miss anything. If I am planing a heist in real life, my cohorts don't write down everything they are saying and hold it up for the rest of us to read....

 

[BibiMaghoo]

No sound? Man you're missing a lot of immersion?

Yes, I know. Sometimes it is a more serious problem. I've played almost 760 hours of CS:GO, 99% comp, 99% without sound. Which is really hard.

 

[Akhe]

Always on.

 

[dragonbane]

Always and in every game possible. I enjoy reading and I noticed I'm able to catch a lot more side conversations this way.

 

[Tom Nook]

I do, even with movies too.

 

[DonMigs85]

Me, because my hearing isn't super good and my crappy TV speakers don't help

 

[Japanmanx3]

All the time

 

[Travo]

Subtitles are a must for me.

 

[MetroidPrimeRib]

I always, always have subtitles on. The first thing I do is turn them on.

 

[Enigmatic Rainbow]

On all the time, every time. If it's available.

 

[DavidDesu]

Nope, I hate them in games.

Happy to watch foreign films with subtitles by the way, I'm not one of those people... but the sound mixing in games should be as good as sound mixing in tv/movies so we should be able to hear things clearly, especially important things. It's the sound designer/mixer persons fault if we can't and need subtitles just to know what's going on.

 

[eso76]

I wish Rockstar found a way to show subs for random npc chatter in GTA. It's too easy to miss their lines.

 

[MoneyLaunderer]

All the time. Sometimes if I want to rush though, I'll just read ahead so I don't have to listen to every word. I only do that for some games, though. Or if I'm tired and want to save and quit.

 

[Deleted member 102362]

I wish Rockstar found a way to show subs for random npc chatter in GTA. It's too easy to miss their lines.

That's what I like about Bethesda games, they usually have that covered.

I frequently put subtitles on, just to ensure I don't miss any dialogue (which happens a lot if the character is far away, or it's noisy).

 

[GeekMarty]

Depends on the type of game. I like to keep them on in RPGs, for example, where NPCs tend to have interesting little conversations and I don't accidentally ride by.

In very cinematic™ games (e.g. most Naughty Dog's games) I keep them off.

 

[Welfare]

Games should just have subtitles on by default. Would save me some button clicks.

 

[NekoFever]

I will if, as is often the case, a game has awful sound mixing that leads to dialogue being buried beneath sound effects.

Sometimes also when a game is dialogue-heavy and I'm tired of sitting through the voice acting. I can read the subtitle and skip to the next line faster than the actors deliver the lines.

But generally I prefer not to and the first thing I do is go into the options and turn them off if they're on by default. They're distracting and take me out of the game.

 

[Cruxist]

All the time. Before I start a new game, I go into options and turn the music and sound effects down 2 notches below voice and turn on subtitles. Gotta do it or the game doesn't feel right to me.

 

[Skyzard]

Completely fair. It's ridiculous that there isn't a third subtitle option in the game for foreign languages only.

Yeah, I really hope they add that. The subtitles tend to be quite high up too so even when I don't need to, I end up reading it. NPC chatter is all over the screen too, would be nice to limit that to foreign languages too.

 

[TheDarkKnight774]

Always on. The soundmix in almost every game is terrible.

Exactly.