-
Facebook -
X
-
Whatsapp -
Pinterest -
Flipboard -
Email
This isn’t the first time Honeywood has reflected on the tension surrounding the game’s religious imagery. He previously recalled a colleague’s fear that the content might provoke extreme reactions from religious groups. This atmosphere of apprehension led two other localization team members to abandon the project, leaving Honeywood to navigate the massive undertaking entirely on his own.
While Xenogears eventually bypassed major mainstream scandal to become heralded as a JRPG masterpiece, the translation process remained a Herculean task for the short-staffed Honeywood. Adapting the game’s numerous literary and philosophical references proved to be an immense hurdle, especially given the limitations of the era.
“Stationed in Japan, I lacked easy access to English or German reference texts,” Honeywood noted. “I found myself making frequent trips to the National Library just to track down foreign volumes, desperately trying to find the appropriate English terminology for the game’s high-concept ideas.”
During that period, internet connectivity was a rarity within Japanese corporate environments. “Wikipedia didn’t exist, and instant research wasn’t an option,” Honeywood added. “As you can imagine, it was an absolute logistical nightmare.”
“Ultimately, I pushed myself to the brink for this project, and it didn’t go unnoticed,” Honeywood concluded. “Colleagues saw me practically living in the office, appearing like a zombie from the lack of sleep. My dedication proved my passion for the work. The team realized I wasn’t just providing a superficial translation, but someone deeply invested in the project’s integrity.”
Source: gamesradar.com
