Death Stranding is not just a game, but also very friendly to the player/viewer Arthouse. But this is Oxymoron, you say how the game can be designed for a mass audience, but not designed at the same time. Depends on the point of view.
Death Stranding gameplay mechanics are understandable and easy to master. Most of the available opportunities will be explained in detail and chewed by characters, the first methods of their use are given in the form of quests and are explained in more detail. The game carefully ensures that the player always knew what to do in order to push the plot forward. Before you give out the main task, they will tell you two or three times where to get it and how not to miss it. After receiving you will conduct an excess briefing, so that for sure. There will be no clear instructions at five plot points and you will have to remember something that was described earlier. Well, or wait for a hint. However, it is worth going out into the open world and quite quickly the understanding will come that all the mechanics will now have to use it yourself and the game does not only allow, but hopes that you are using fantasy. And here is the threshold of entry. However, no one prohibits it ahead.
The same works regarding the script. It is detailed, but not overwhelmed. Let it all consists of underfires and attempts to confuse the player – 80% (the number is taken from the head) of the main plot will be chewed in the last 2 hours of the game (or will be correctly said to Kitszen with the introduct of gameplay?). At the same time, Death Stranding does not hesitate to raise topics that are difficult to name for a mass audience. First of all, these are connections, and if detailed, this is a game of contrast between loneliness and a sense of involvement in active society. Spaces for interpretation here can also be enough. Many will find topics of censure of violence, social approval, or even resistance to the futility of being. But how many are ready to keep them in your head and reflect?
But, however, this is not a review. With this introduction, I only wanted to show that Death Stranding cannot be evaluated objectively. It can be deconstructed on elements and discover that they seem mediocre in comparison with other games, but the main question is how the game will reveal itself as a whole and it depends solely on the player himself. It will either work or not. You can only go through it and make sure yourself.
And all this I lead to a simple thought – there will be an analysis of Laura and plot spoilers further. If you expect to play it someday, it is better to stay right here.
To decide on the quality of localization, first we need to deal with frequently used terms. I will bring them in the original with an official translation added in brackets.
Death Stranding (Death of death) is a cataclysm, the result of which was the entire post -apocalypse of the game world. Descriptions of this event are vague, and I did not find a single clear definition or even chronology. Stranding outside the context is the process of throwing something to the shore and it is likely to be connected with it by the abundance of marine inhabitants on local shores (namely with a capital letter, we will soon reach this). Is it a metaphor or a specific reflection of specific events – alas, you cannot say with confidence. Why is translated as a “output” – to say even more difficult. The cataclysm is associated with the launched process of mass extinction. The intra -game classification of mass extinctions does not differ from ours: Ordovicik, Devon, Perm, Triassic, Mel.
The word Strand is called many things, from the name of the protagonist, to the connections between cities and intermediate points. Strand – the “shore” can also mean, although in this meaning in the game is not used.
Beach (Shore) – a parallel world attached to each person individually. Personal purgatory, if you like. The intermediate stage between life on earth and life after death. Visualized as an ordinary shore in grayish shades.
Chiralium (Hiralius) – a special substance scenarios. Where mass extinction occurs – there is also chirali. In ordinary people, it causes hallucinations, nightmares and suicidal urges. People with dooms are used to get.
Hiralli’s accumulations in the form of crystals form a structure similar to the palm of your hand. From the ancient Greek χειρ is a hand.
Chiral Network (Chiral network) is a structure connecting people across the shore that allows you to very quickly transmit huge amounts of data. It is understood that this is a kind of time travel, that is, the data is transmitted to the past.
Dooms (DUM) – a mutation determined by the genome called EXTINning FACTOR (extinction factor). People with thoughts suffer from nightmares permanently, but at the same time have abilities that are inaccessible to ordinary people. Classified by levels from one to seven. I did not find a clear classification of parameters in the game. Also, I did not find a decoding, although the concept is submitted as an abbreviation.
The first owner of DOOMS was the main character.
Extination Entity (Extinction factor) is a creature that triggers the process of mass extinction. You probably have already noticed a discrepancy. Yes, both the gene and the creature are called the factor of extinction. And it can confuse. Extination Entity and Extination Factor – two different concepts that are translated the same. Entity – means "essence", an example of Amelia shows that it does not even have to be a living organism.
During each mass extinction, there was its own Extination Entity, which was distinguished by a special black umbilical cord. According to the Boor of the game, it is believed that the umbilical cords of mammals appeared as a result of evolution in the image and likeness.
Entity does not necessarily arrange extinction with personally, its inevitability is emphasized by the script. It can occur for thousands and millions of years. But every extinction has its own essence or, if you like, in the official translation – a factor.
The modern essence of extinction is Bridget Stand, which dies at the beginning of the game. Its replacement is her own soul, which was separated during the operation to remove the tumor and remained on the shore. Known as Amelia. Many are considered a real person, but such, in fact, is not.
TimeFall (temporal rain) – rain, drops of which when it hits live or inanimate matter accelerate the flow of time for it. Directly connected with the abundance of chiralia in the cloud.
BT (Creature) – a reduction that deciphens as Beted Thing, that is, if we take an official translation as a basis – coastal creature. In fact, this is the inhabitant of the coast, which during temporal rain has the opportunity to break into the world of living. It can be a human soul, or an unknown essence in the form of a squid, a whale, a wolf or even a humanoid.
Seam (Seam) – another variety of purge, which is located between the world of the living and the shore. Is a mirror reflection of the real world.
Voidout (Emission of emptiness) – https://blightybingo-casino.co.uk/withdrawal/ the result of the process of absorption of BT of living matter. In the clash of antimatter BT and the matter of a living person, a powerful explosion occurs, leaving a giant crater completely populated by BT.
Repatriate (Returner) – The ability of a person with dooms to return to the world of living. For unknown reasons, the shore rejects the soul of such a person, so it cannot break through the seam. The script appears in the references of others, but only one is found – the main character.
In the Russian language there is the word "repatriate" that would be much better for characterizing the term.
Ka, ha (Ka and ha) – terms from Egyptian mythology that denote the soul and body, are often used by the characters of the game. “KA” was reported without prejudice, “Ha” alternately translated as “ha” and “ha”, apparently as a result of the work of two different translators.
Bridge Baby (Baby Bridge)-A germinal carved from the womb of a woman with the dead brain at the 28th week of development. After extracting, the growth of the embryo stops. Technically, neither alive, nor dead, but something exactly in the middle, connecting the link between the world of the living and the other side. By connecting to the human nervous system, it allows you to recognize BT. Synchronizes with the womb of the mother through the chiral network. Reduced as BB in the original or BB in localization.
The protagonist, Sam Bridges, was BB, but Bridget Stand was shot, after which it was busy with Amelia, which provoked Death Stranding.
From here you can already distinguish three problems. The first and most obvious is one expression that translates two different concepts at once: Extination Entity and Extination Factor. The second is a dubious translation of the word repatriate, in fact, plus/minus is true, but not a stylistically suitable game. Third – Baby Bridge shifted to the original sound. Bridge – Bridge, Baby – Baby. Each time the characters are talking about the nature of the BB and their properties as a bridge between worlds and a baby – a connection with the very concept will be lost in translation.
UCA (UCA) – United Cities of America. According to the scenario, events take place in North America and the main character is trying to unite what remains after the United States. The abbreviation is deciphered once as the United cities of America, but it is not translated like a SGA.
Bridges (Bridges) – an organization that is being settled by the continent and the delivery of goods. Is, in fact, state and controlled by the President of UCA through the director. By value, it is not translated, which is why the meaning of at least one dialogue is lost, which refers to bridges.
Fragile Express (Frajil Express) – private company, specializes in the delivery of goods. The owner is Frajal.
Homo Demens (Dements) – decentralized terrorist organization. It is a set of groups united only by the idea of the inadmissibility of the unification of people (yes, the words are selected correctly). Under the leadership of Higgs (apparently rather conditional), nuclear charges are carried into cities and adjust the emissions.
In Latin Homo Demens means "Mad People". I did not find the words "dement" in Russian dictionaries.
Mules (Mules) – a group of crawling couriers and their children who suffer from an obsessive idea to take away and store cargoes. For some reason, in the game they constantly say that they are obsessed with delivery, but it is not clear to whom they deliver. In fact, they simply dump the load into the mailboxes and camps. NUFF SAID
Preppers (survivors) – but this is an interesting word. Prepper is a person who is preparing for the worst scenario. Builds a bunker, stored with weapons, fuel and food. The term is common in the United States, but in our everyday life does not find any reflection, therefore it does not have a full translation. In the game are people who live in separate bunkers.
The names of cities in Death Stranding are translated in the first two words, without the designation that this is a city. For example, South Knot City – the southern knot, Capitol Knot City – a metropolitan node, etc.D.
Sam Porter Bridges Strand (Sam Porter Bridges Strand) – main character. In view of the scenario features, either Porter Bridges calls himself or is called Strand. Bridges and Strand I already spoke, it is obvious that these are concepts often used in the game. Porter is a "courier". Own name (like most names in the game) is shifted by sound and, as a result, every time the bridges, couriers or threads are mentioned – the connection with the name of the main character will be inevitably lost.
The same automatically concerns Bridget Stand.
Deadman (Deadman) – Pathologist Bridges. Was grown artificially from stem cells, then, after refusal, part of the organs were replaced by the organs of dead people. Therefore, he calls himself, in fact, the “dead” and declares the absence of “ka”, that is, souls. Of course, all the ties in the game between the word "dead" and "Deadman" are lost. I bring as an example an original monologue and official localization
His name and characteristic in no way in localization are not directly related.
Die-Hardman (Daikhardman) – Director of Bridges, President’s right hand Strand. Die Hard – means literally the process of “dying with difficulty”, if even more precisely and closer to the context – “refusing to die”. He calls himself this because of the past service in special forces, where he always returned alive from hot spots, largely thanks to Clifford Unger. Potential communication loss, I believe, at this point should be obvious.
Again, “still alive” is a characteristic of the character, but it is not connected with the name in any way, except through the English-Russian dictionary of dictionary.
Heartman (Hartman) – researcher of the coast, works on Bridges. Every 21 minutes artificially stops the heart so that his soul falls ashore to search for the souls of the dead wife and daughter. Lives in the region in the form of a heart, with a lake in the form of a heart in the middle, has a heart in the form of a heart.
Accordingly, in his localized name his characteristic is not reflected in any way, in any case, for the player completely unfamiliar with the English language.
Fragile (FREDALIL) – owner of the private transport company Fragile Express. Fragile – means "fragile", thus it usually marks cargoes that are easy to break. Its characteristic works the other way around (or rather, does not work, in the context of everything that I already said), through its Catch-fraza, three times used in the game.
Higgs (Higgs) – one of the antagonists. He constantly puts his name with allusion to the Higgs boson, also known as the “particle of God”. When translated was not injured.
Mama (Mother) – an engineer to whom a newborn is attached. When translated was not injured (except for a monologue about the fear of bridges)
She is afraid of bridges, but at the same time works for an organization called Bridges
Lockne (Lokny, in the original it is pronounced as "Lokna")-a twin sister, a mother, physicist-theoretic. When translated was not injured
Amelie (Amelia) – Soul Bridget Stand, which remained on the shore and gained its own personality. How she reveals according to the script she chose a name for herself because the soul is from the French AME, and a lie from English Lie. And this is an excellent example of how even an English -speaking player may not understand the characteristic of the character embedded in his name by connected. For a Russian -speaking player, almost all characters are such, that is, additional information is needed to understand how their activity is connected with their name.
Clifford Unger (Clifford Unger) – Father Sam, former commander of Daikhardman. It would seem where there can already be lost here? There was one monologue.
Cliff is the name of the character, but at the same time Cliff also translates like a rocky cliff. In the replica, respectively, both values are valid.
Of course, these are far from all the problems of the localization of Death Stranding, but only a part that is easier to describe without examples of the sound of replicas and explanation of the context. I could make a mistake somewhere in the facts of Laura, because I did not read at all All Notes in the game, due to the difficulty of searching for some, so ready to accept reasoned criticism.
There are specific examples in the corresponding video.
Thanks more Laststeptohell for the priceless help in the proof and editing
And personally to you who read this blog entry