Discover the World of Media Localization.
Insight
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Don't Nod is famously known for creating powerful and immersive narrative experiences. And this is exactly what they do with Lost Records: Bloom and Rage. The story spans through two time periods: 1995 and 2022. You control Swann, in the picturesque town of Velvet Cove, Michigan, alongside her friends Nora, Autumn and Kat. One summer, a mysterious event changed their lives, reuniting the friends 27 years later. The game mechanics involve using a camera to capture moments and objects, revealing more information about the long-buried secret. There is also a innovative dialogue system that allows players to break or ignore conversations, making them far more realistic. Through the narrative, you make choices that lead you down a certain path, which affects character relationships and the final outcome of the game.
The game's lore is rich and filled with emotional explorations of identity and friendship, all wrapped in a nostalgic and mysterious atmosphere. The main characters face personal struggles, which you will experience through heartfelt interactions. Visually, The graphics beautifully depict the charm of Velvet Cove and its natural scenery. The vibrant atmosphere of the 90s is present throughout the visuals, lighting, and object design. The cinematics reinforce the authenticity of the interactions between characters. Meanwhile, the Dream-Rock soundtrack envelops you in a mix of mystery and nostalgia.
What a pleasure it is to localize a video game when the narration is such a huge part of the gaming experience. But it is not without its challenges. We had to be really careful in preserving the realistic dimension of the dialogues in all the target languages. Having a focus on each character's personality was really important before starting the project, and we also had to consider that they are evolving between their teenage and adult selves.
The first step was selecting video game translators with a passion for narrative games and expertise in translating realistic dialogues. For the French version, which is dubbed, we even organized an audition using a text from the game script as a translation test. This allowed Don't Nod's team to choose the style that best matched their vision. Once the team of localizers was put together, we established a collaborative approach to working on the project. To animate this community, we launched a Discord channel where we encouraged discussions, questions, and feedback. Our goal was to foster a sense of camaraderie and to create emulation around the game.
To aim a perfect understanding of the game, we used several contextual elements at our disposal. Each localizer was given access to a regularly updated build of the game, allowing them to play and experience the context of specific sequences. To minimize unnecessary back-and-forth in the game, we also used a visualization tool that displayed the dialogue tree and allowed for easy navigation through the different narrative interactions. Additionally, translators had access to detailed notes, screenshots or context clarifications from the developers directly and linked to specific translation strings. Distinct codifications were used to differentiate each strings between game text, character profiles, sequences and so on. All of this enabled translators to navigate easily through the content.
Alongside the various internal tools provided by Don't Nod, we used other software to assist us throughout the project.
Localization was a key part of the development of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, ensuring the game text, dialogue, and interactions were authentically translated. Cultural adaptations were also applied to make sure the story felt native in each language. It often required some extra thought and a bit of fun when it came to the names of places, characters, or other elements. A good example of this is the nicknames of Swann’s pets.
🇺🇸 - English US: Fluffbutt
🇫🇷 - French: Ptit Bidou
🇮🇹 - Italian: Pelosone
🇩🇪 - German: Flauschi
🇪🇸 - Spanish: Pelusilla
🇧🇷 - Brazilian Portuguese: Peludinho
🇦🇷 - Spanish Latam: Pelusilla
🇷🇺 - Russian: Пушистик
🇨🇳 - Simplified Chinese: 绒毛屁屁
🇰🇷 - Korean: 솜방망이
🇯🇵 - Japanese: ふわしりちゃん
🇺🇸 - English US: Twiglet
🇫🇷 - French: Brindille
🇮🇹 - Italian: Stecchetto
🇩🇪 - German: Asterix
🇪🇸 - Spanish: Palillo
🇧🇷 - Brazilian Portuguese: Gravetinho
🇦🇷 - Spanish Latam: Palillo
🇷🇺 - Russian: Прутик
🇨🇳 - Simplified Chinese: 小枝枝
🇰🇷 - Korean: 트위글렛
🇯🇵 - Japanese: トゥイグレット
Lost Records: Bloom and Rage stands out with its dual-timeline narrative and its immersive dialogue system that adapts to the player's actions. The game also emphasizes authenticity through realistic interactions but also character details, making the experience feel more grounded. Featuring four female protagonists, it highlights sisterhood in a video game industry still largely dominated by male figures. The 90s-inspired art captures a subtle sense of nostalgia accentuated by soft tones, an analog film grain, and carefully crafted lighting. Every scene strikes a perfect balance between mystery and memory. These elements come together to create a deeply engaging narrative experience, true to Don't Nod's signature.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is available in 11 languages on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.
🤘 See you in hell 🤘
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