Dragon Quest VII Remake: Did the New Voices Level Up or Fall Flat?

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined: Voice Acting Revamps Narrative Approach

Dragon Quest VII Remake: Did the New Voices Level ...

The upcoming release of Dragon Quest VII Reimagined marks a significant departure for the classic RPG, as it's the first version to feature full in-game voice acting. This addition, encompassing characters like Sir Mervyn, Aishe, Maribel, Prince Kiefer, and Ruff, has fundamentally altered the narrative design process, according to the game's lead scenario writer, Sayaka Takagi.

A Modernized Dialogue for a Modern Audience

Takagi, speaking from Square Enix's Shibuya offices, emphasized the impact of voice acting on the script. "Knowing that it was going to have voice over certainly did change the approach of the way I wrote the narrative," she explained. The absence of voice acting in both the original PlayStation release and the 2016 3DS remake necessitated a complete overhaul of the dialogue. The goal was to create a more realistic and modern feel for contemporary audiences.

Embracing Colloquialism

Colloquialism became a crucial element in crafting Reimagined's dialogue. The team strived to ensure that the conversations sounded natural across the various voice-over options. An example of this can be seen in the character of Sir Mervyn. In the English version, his speech reflects a medieval knight, aligning with his appearance. However, in the Japanese version, he speaks like a feudal samurai, highlighting the nuanced approach to localization.

Another example is Bulgio, the wealthy man who provides the Hero with the stone housing Sir Mervyn. The English version has Bulgio incorporating Italian words into his speech, reflecting the game's multicultural inspirations. In contrast, the Japanese version focuses on conveying his arrogant personality through his dialogue, rather than explicitly linking him to a specific nationality.

Individuality and Island Dialects

Takagi further elaborated on the localization process, emphasizing that her work primarily focuses on the Japanese version. While separate teams handle the English adaptation, the core principle remains the same: to capture the character's personality through their speech.

"At least for the Japanese version, we didn't necessarily write dialogue in a way that you can tell what these specific cultural backgrounds are for each character, but we did write dialogue in a way that it's immediately understandable what kind of personality that character has," Takagi explained.

The world of Dragon Quest VII is composed of numerous islands, each with its own distinct dialect. Preserving the uniqueness and individuality of these island communities through their residents' speech is a vital part of the game's storytelling. The voice acting in Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is not just an aesthetic addition, but a tool to deepen the narrative and immerse players in its rich world.