There’s been a lot of discussion recently about translation versus localisation,a topic summed up well by my colleague Ben Sledge. For those who don’t know the distinction already, translation takes the source material and translates it word for word into another language, while localisation is about adapting the material by taking into account cultural differences and other such elements so that it lands well with the intended local audience.
Final Fantasy 14 uses clever puns and pop culture references for many of its quest and achievement names, which is a great example of the difference between translation and localisation. For example, there is a level 50 Primal Quest called ‘Quake Me Up Before You O’Ghomoro’, a reference to Wham’s Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, if you didn’t already know-know.
According to a (likely not great) Google Translate of the quest name, 極まりし岩神タイタン, it appears to be ‘Extreme Rock God Titan’. I’d love to believe it’s a play on Titan being the God of Rock, both in terms of the earth, and his banging battle number that we all fell in love with, but based on translations of the other Primal quests, I think it just states the obvious. Titan is the Earth Primal.
I’m including the pre-butchered by Google Translate Japanese for those who want to do their own comparisons.
The Western localisation team seems to have had fun with all of the Primal Quests, giving us gems such as ‘In for Garuda Awakening’, ‘Ifrit Bleeds, We Can Kill It’, Drop Dead Shiva, and ‘Fear and Odin in the Shroud’ to name just a few. On the other hand, the Japanese quest titles seem to translate to fairly on-the-nose descriptions, such as ‘Shiva, the Ultimate Ice God’ (極まりし氷神シヴァ).
The level 83 Endwalker quest ‘His Park Materials’ is a reference to Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials, while the Japanese version is ‘Warm Days are Far Away’ (あたたかな日々は遠く). The quest is in the chilly region of Garlemald, so I imagine that’s where its more straightforward Japanese name comes from.
Many of the Japanese quest names seem pretty straightforward. This might be because I’m not knowledgeable enough to appreciate the references, or it might be that silly puns are more of a Western humour thing, and that’s exactly how localisation works. The material is changed to suit the local audience.
There must also be times when the Japanese version is based on its own, if not a pun, then at least a well-known saying or reference — something that a Western audience just wouldn’t understand or appreciate. A faithful translation of something like that wouldn’t land well with an international audience, and that’s where localisation comes in. It can be a bit different, but it’s not changing the world’s canon, it’s just making the writing more appealing to its intended audience.
Funny names and puns aside, if we look at other more serious examples, you can see the differences, too. The level 85 Endwalker quest ‘When All Hope Seems Lost’ is apparently ‘Burnt Roads and Death Beside’ in Japanese (焼けた道と傍らの死). Clearly not a direct translation, but you can see the sentiment is the same. After all burnt roads and death give the sense of all hope being lost, right? Localisation conveys the same meaning or feeling, but it can be done more effectively by having the freedom to present it in its own way, rather than a direct translation.
There are some quirks where the same name is used in different places. For the English localisation, the Level 58 Heavensward quest is called ‘Leaving Idyllshire’, but in Japanese, it’s ‘Matoya’s Cave’ (マトーヤの洞窟). The following level 59 quest is ‘Matoya’s Cave’ in English, but ‘Matoya the Hermit’ in Japanese (隠者マトーヤ). It could be that the localisation team thought it fit better in the earlier quest.
Now, of course, you could argue that these are just quippy little quest names, and they don’t impact the same way as the more important dialogue and narrative, but the idea is still the same. The material is being adapted so that the localised audience understands it better and can relate to it all the more. Localisation is never going to veer off course and suddenly make the characters or storylines fundamentally different from the source material.
I love that the English localisation team gets to flex its funny bone and go full-nerd on us with some of the hilarious references they include. It adds personality and flair to the game. Lots of quests, achievements, and descriptions are beloved by fans for their comedy and pop culture references. As a parting gift, here are some of my personal favourites:
Unlike A Dragon
This year’s Heavensturn quest referenced my favourite series, Like a Dragon. As an added bonus, the achievement you unlocked for completing this seasonal event was ‘Next Time, On Dragon ‘Bo’, which references Dragon Ball’s well-known line at the end of each episode.
Dragoon Age
Does this even need explaining? This quest chain for the Dragoon job role is a simple yet clever reference to Dragon Age, another favourite of mine.
Rodents Of Unusual Size
This is level five Leve that always made me chuckle because it’s a reference to The Princess Bride and the dreaded ROUS in the Fire Swamp.
Dance, Magic Dance
Another Leve, but this time referencing the best song from Labyrinth. I could write a whole list of my favourite song references in FF14 alone, with many of the best bringing S-tier puns such as ‘Blinded by the Wight’, ‘Do My Little Turn on the Stonewalk’, and ‘Nothing Compares to Shrews’.
Grimoire Fandango
The level 25 Arcanist quest pays tribute to one of the best point and click games ever made, Grim Fandango.
Biggs And Wedge’s Excellent Adventure
I hope this one is self explanatory too, but for the younger ones out there, this level 60 Alexander Quest references the classic Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.
Most FF14 players have their favourites, but if it’s something you’ve never really considered before, next time you log into Eorzea, check out some of the quest names, descriptions, and other writing to really appreciate all the hard work that the localisation team does.
