Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is the primary model of Dragon Quest VII to function in-game voice performing, that means characters like Sir Mervyn, Aishe, Maribel, Prince Kiefer, and even Ruff, can be voiced. Neither the unique PlayStation launch of Dragon Quest VII nor the 2016 3DS remake featured voice performing, so I requested Reimagined lead situation author if this modified how the group approached redesigning the story.
Unsurprisingly, it did.
“Understanding that it was going to have voice over actually did change the strategy of the best way I wrote the narrative right here,” Sayaka Takagi tells me inside Sq. Enix’s Shibuya workplaces in Tokyo, Japan. “The unique launch on PlayStation didn’t have any voiceovers, and it was written [out]. So actually, the best way we wrote the language of the dialogue [in Reimagined] wanted to be modified to be extra sensible and extra fashionable for contemporary audiences.”
She says colloquialism performed a major consider writing Reimagined’s dialogue, as a result of all the things must sound pure for the varied included voice-over choices.
I hear first-hand one in all these modifications after I encounter eventual get together member Sir Mervyn on the prime of The Tallest Tower dungeon whereas enjoying the sport. After I awaken him from a particular stone to defeat the flying Chimaera surrounding the tower, he does simply that earlier than gracefully touchdown beside my get together. It is right here I hear his voice, and it seems like that of a medieval knight – this is not too stunning, contemplating how he appears to be like.
Sir Mervyn
However in Japanese, he talks like a feudal samurai, Reimagined producer Takeshi Ichikawa, who you may learn extra about right here, says. One other instance of this colloquialist impact current in Reimagined comes from Bulgio, an especially rich man who provides Hero the particular stone that homes Sir Mervyn. In English, Bulgio mixes Italian phrases into his English, reflecting the multicultural inspiration current all through the world of Reimagined. In Japanese, nonetheless, that is not the case – as an alternative of blending English and Italian, his dialogue as an alternative displays his character fairly than a nationality.
“He is presupposed to be this wealthy, boastful man, and that is mirrored within the dialogue,” Takagi says on the variations between the Japanese localization and the English model, noting her work is targeted on the previous whereas different groups deal with the latter. “A minimum of for the Japanese model, we did not essentially write dialogue in a manner that you would be able to inform what these particular cultural backgrounds are for every character, however we did write dialogue in a manner that it is instantly comprehensible what sort of persona that character has.”
Takagi provides, “The world of Dragon Quest VII, as , is comprised of many various islands, and clearly the dialects on every of these islands tends to vary, so it’s a crucial a part of the story of Dragon Quest VII to make sure that the residents of these islands can mirror the individuality and individuality of every of these islands and the cultures they’ve.”
We’ll get to listen to extra of those new voices when Dragon Quest VII Reimagined launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Collection X/S, Change 2, Change, and PC on February 5, 2026.
Within the meantime, try this text breaking down all the things within the Dragon Quest VII Reimagined concern of Sport Informer, and you should definitely subscribe right here if you have not but so you may entry the Dragon Quest VII Reimagined cowl story, our deep dive into Dragon Quest historical past with creator Yuji Horii, and a lot extra. Listed here are another tales to take a look at:
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