Rejoice, US Wii owners! Last week and hot on the heels of the European release, Reggie Fils-Aime personally confirmed in a video released on the 3DS Nintendo Video network that XSeed would be bringing The Last Story to US shores. Of course, all of this was made possible by the grassroots internet campaign known as Operation Rainfall, which has made it their mission to see Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, and Pandora’s Tower brought safely to the West. So far, they’re 2 for 3.
But there’s another layer to these events. All 3 of these games have or will see a European release well before a US one, and that means that an English localization is needed, specifically for the UK. It’s because of this unlikely schedule, one where no US date is confirmed before the EU localization begins, that, I believe, we are getting BETTER games.
More after the Break.
When I first popped in Xenoblade Chronicles, I was surprised (and immediately realized I should not be) by the fact that all of the voices had English accents. Pleasantly surprised. To me, this was a fresh voice cast, one that has fresh voices not overused in the US voice acting community, that conveyed greater range and fit the characters better than the mismatches that tend to occur in the US dubbing industry. I understood these characters more. The same thing happened for me over the weekend when I first played The Last Story. Hell, Syrenne reminds me a lot of my sister-in-law.
Now I admit, I’m a fan of Harry Potter, Red Dwarf, Monty Python, and Doctor Who; over the years, I’ve found many a reason to enjoy the cultural exports of the Greatest of Britains. I feel like I have a pretty good grip, as an American at least, on UK culture, and perhaps I am a little biased. However, these games, were it not for the obviously Japanese art style, now have a distinctly British feel to them. It’s as if the BBC were releasing games, or like playing the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy text adventure all over again. The localization teams, particularly for The Last Story, have done an amazing job of conveying the characters and story in a method that is consistent with British culture, using phrases and vocal timings that are British enough to make me feel like I’m sitting in a true pub. Perhaps I shouldn’t be so surprised about this, but it is, at the very least, a breath of fresh air, and one that I believe gamers benefit from.
It’s likely that, because the localization is already complete, there will be very few changes from the British versions to the US versions when they release. Sure, we’re getting them months later, but to me, the wait is worth it. My love for these games, as they are now, is such that if I hear that for some reason Ni no Kuni is getting a separate UK voice cast, I’ll wait and import the EU version, rather than getting the US version sooner, and you should consider doing the same.
