Different types of video games localization
Sometimes, the smallest details hold a video game’s story together: the subtle shift in music before a confrontation, the hesitation of the voiceover actor right before something important, or a sharp one-liner that lands so well it stays with you after the cutscene ends.
All these details connect like an invisible web, linking story, character, and flow into one coherent experience. And no matter the language or the region, this web of intertwining elements should convey the same message. This is what we’d call localization.
In a previous article, we explored what localization is and what it isn’t (and it’s much more than translation), providing some examples of the challenges teams face and the strategies used to solve them. Now we’re coming back with a fresh question: where exactly is localization needed in a video game? And the short answer would be: in more places than we would expect.
So, let’s set the baseline. Localization’s core purpose is to bring players closer to the game they’re playing. This process goes beyond translating terms, it’s about adapting cultural references where they add richness, adjusting elements that could confuse or alienate players in other regions, and keeping style and terminology consistent so the world feels coherent. Localization conveys the depth of a game’s universe while also considering the audience’s culture.
And because games have many layers, text, dialogue, UI, audio, cinematics, visuals, and more, localization needs to be verified across all of them. To make that easier to grasp, we’ll break down the key areas one by one.
Localization and text
From a QA perspective, text is never ‘just text.’ It carries the game’s logic, its instructions, its emotions, its sense of direction. When text breaks, the game flow breaks with it. It’s true: text localization does start with accurate translation, but it doesn’t end there. Many elements need to be adapted beyond language alone.
🖋️In-game text.
In-game text is one of the most complex areas to localize. It includes tutorials, item descriptions, quest objectives, system messages, and tooltips. Essentially every line that tells the player what to do. Therefore, the Localization team must ensure that in-game text keeps consistent terminology (for example, the same mechanic must never have three names), matches the actual game logic, and conveys the rules without ambiguity.
In some cases, additional lines or slight rephrasing are needed to provide proper context. A description that is technically correct but unclear can be just as disruptive as a bug.
🖋️Dialogue.
When localizing dialogue, we need to make sure that, after the translation part is over, the dialogue reflects the initially intended voice and tone. Otherwise, we risk a line that’s grammatically correct but emotionally wrong, which could turn a villain into a joke, or a dramatic moment into something flat.
As Localization testers, we often flag dialogue not because it’s “wrong,” but because it feels wrong in that specific context.
🖋️Cinematics.
Those critical subtitles could either enhance or completely ruin an essential moment. Here, it’s important to check if the text is in sync with what’s happening on the screen. Sometimes, the correct translation is too long, so the right solution is knowing what to cut without losing meaning.
🖋️UI Text.
UI text is one of the most unforgiving forms of localization, as there is no narrative context to hide behind. If the buttons, menus, settings or warnings fail to pass the message, the player might lose interest fast. That’s why our focus falls on clarity, not creativity. We guide after a simple question: Does the player always understand what the game is asking them to do?
Localization and audio
Audio is the voice of the game, the way the game speaks to its players. Many times, bad audio is even more obvious than bad text or visuals. And that’s exactly why audio localization doesn’t just make sure sounds are synchronized, but also that they feel credible and in-sync with the game’s universe.
Let’s do a quick check of some audio segments that are typically adapted in the localization process:
🔊Voiceover narration.
A narrator can frame the story and guide the player along the progress of the game. However, if the voiceover triggers too late, overlaps with another system message or competes with the gameplay soundtrack, it can confuse or even annoy the player.
🔊Dubbing.
Unfortunately, bad dubbing goes viral. With the right voice actors and synchronization, video game dubbing can transcend that language barrier and even broaden the worldwide appeal of the game. Here, QA teams generally look for lip-sync and animation alignment, character and scene consistency, and check and flag any audio glitches, clipping, missing lines or has translation errors.
🔊Onomatopoeia.
Onomatopoeias are a bridge between text and sound, as they’re basically just descriptions of sounds. And even if we’re tempted to think that slam, splash, bam, crash, ugh or bang are the same in every language, what sounds natural in for one region, may feel childish or funny in another. So here, it’s all about the target language and what feels natural there.
Localization and visuals
If the other two areas are more about objective clarity and game flow, visual localization focuses more on subjective experience, on the cultural norms and sensitivities of the target audience.
▶️Nudity and gore.
When discussing these two categories, censorship doesn’t come from a simple desire to restrict content, but far more often from the need to adapt certain elements so the game can be released, rated, and ultimately sell better in different regions. As noted in this article on censorship, some markets are more sensitive when it comes to nudity.
▶️Religious symbols.
Such a sensitive area of video gaming localization! In some countries, religious imagery carries cultural weight, even if it’s used casually or decoratively. And since their meaning can shift dramatically between regions, Localization QA teams must analyze the context in which these symbols appear, and to flag if they could be potentially offensive for culture in which the game is localized. Video games are exposed to a lot of judgement both on social media and in other media channels, so we can never be too careful.
▶️Political Symbols.
The situation here is similar: political symbols are high-risk visual elements in global releases. Localization experts are expected to approach this area with both strategy and empathy, understanding why developers chose to include certain symbols, while also anticipating how different audiences might react to them. Visual localization decisions are also shaped by legal frameworks and market realities, not just creative choices.
And after discussing these facts, we’d like to leave you with a small, practical exercise. The next time you play a localized game, take a moment (now with all this in mind) to look beyond the main storyline and pay attention to the details. Notice how the text guides you, how those voices frame emotions, how visuals subtly adapt to feel familiar. You may receive these changes with admiration or with a more critical eye, but either way, they’ll likely influence how you experience the game.
But generally, when done right, we don’t notice them and all. That’s the quiet beauty and complexity of the invisible web we call localization: always present, rarely seen, and essential to making a game feel like it truly belongs to its players!
