Metroidvania localization is dense with technical vocabulary — the genre’s progression system generates large amounts of ability, upgrade, and item description text where precision matters mechanically. An ability description that is vague or inaccurate in a target language misleads players about mechanics, producing bad reviews rather than just bad prose. Metroidvania games also carry significant lore: environmental storytelling through in-world text (journals, inscriptions, item flavor text), interconnected world-building that requires consistent terminology across locations, and NPC dialogue that reveals story without being explicit. The interconnected map structure creates a terminology consistency requirement — the same location name, faction name, or item type may appear in dozens of strings across the game, and inconsistency registers immediately with players who explore methodically. SandVox provides metroidvania localization with terminology glossary management, mechanical description precision, and in-engine LocQA for ability UI, map screen text, and environmental storytelling.

Unique Localization Challenges

• Ability and upgrade naming: ability names must be evocative and concise — ‘Shadow Dash’ must feel powerful and convey the mechanic in 2–3 words in any target language; literal translation often produces flat or generic-sounding names
• Mechanical precision in descriptions: ability descriptions that say ‘briefly’ vs. ‘temporarily’ vs. ‘for 2 seconds’ affect player strategy — translated descriptions must preserve the same information precision as the source
• Terminology consistency: a single location or faction name may appear in 200+ strings — a glossary and consistency check are essential for a genre where players track lore obsessively
• Environmental storytelling text: in-world text (inscriptions, tablets, journals) has stylistic conventions (archaic register, riddle format, unreliable narrator) that must be preserved in translation
• Map screen UI: location names and room descriptions in map screens have character limits dictated by UI container size — must be tested for overflow across all target languages

What We Localize

• Translation (all game text including ability descriptions, lore, and NPC dialogue)
• Ability and item name localization with evocativeness review
• Lore terminology glossary management
• Environmental storytelling text with register calibration
• In-Engine LocQA for ability UI, map screen, and HUD text

Our Process

1. Lore and terminology glossary: build a comprehensive glossary of location names, faction names, item types, ability names, and proper nouns before translation begins — this is the single most important quality control step for metroidvania localization
2. Ability description brief: define the mechanical precision standard — translators must understand which words convey game-mechanical information vs. which are atmospheric
3. Translation with glossary enforcement: all strings translated against the approved glossary; proper nouns and ability names locked to glossary entries
4. Consistency audit: automated and manual check for all glossary term occurrences — any deviation from approved translation flagged
5. Environmental text register review: in-world inscriptions and journals reviewed for stylistic register (archaic, formal, fragmentary) per the source text’s conventions
6. LocQA: verify ability UI, map screen text, item description panels, and journal displays for overflow in all target languages

Languages Available

Japanese · Chinese (Simplified) · Korean · German · French · Spanish · Portuguese (BR) · Russian · Polish · Italian

Frequently Asked Questions