• Welcome to ZD Forums! You must create an account and log in to see and participate in the Shoutbox chat on this main index page.

Voice Acting--in Hylian?

Octo Rocked

Dr. Octorokapus BLAAAAAH!
Joined
Dec 8, 2009
Location
The American Midwest
Voice acting in the Zelda series has been a big debate for a while. A lot of people say that the series is behind the times for not including it. Others say that it would kill the series. Then there's the fact that any voicing would be done in Japanese, and a translation to English or other languages would be required--and there's no guarantee that the voice actors doing the translated lines would be particularly good. It didn't work particularly well in Super Mario Sunshine.

But Zelda characters already voice a series of grunts and laughs. The characters haven't been silent since their transition to the consoles. And it seems to work well. Midna and Fi were fully voiced but spoke distorted jibberish. In Skyward Sword, Zelda sang undistorted jibberish. No one really seemed to think that it didn't work.

So why couldn't more characters be more fully voiced? It's not like they haven't been doing some form of that that cleverly dodges a lot of voice acting issues by removing comprehensible language. If they include more of what they've done, it could add a lot to the series. Or, alternatively, they could do something that would work just as well and could potentially provide an addition to the series that the most fervent fanboys would love?

Why not voice the game in the Hylian language?

Fans would love to have a language they could actually speak. After all, some particularly hardcore fans of the respective series can speak in Tolkein's Elvish or Star Trek's Klingon. The Hylian language has had several text-based versions of the language that can be translated. Why not make a spoken language to go along with the written one? I know that anything they'd release would only be one form of Hylian (since the Wind Waker confirms that there are at least two Hylian languages), but I personally think that a spoken version of at least one form of Hylian would be something very plausible. Thoughts?
 
Joined
Aug 7, 2011
This is a really good idea! It would of course be a lot of work for Nintendo to develop a functioning fictional language; but I think it'd be worth it in the long run. It would also add even more weight to the Zelda lore and characters. This is probably the only suggestion I've seen to the Voice Acting debate that might actually satisfy both parties. Well done! I'm actually really hoping this happens now in future Zelda games. I'd love to try and learn Hylian and I'm sure a lot of other fans would as well.
 

Cfrock

Keep it strong
Joined
Mar 17, 2012
Location
Liverpool, England
I think it could add a lot to the series. I mean, I wouldn't clamour for it but I would be excited if they said they'd put it in.

Whether I'd try to learn it myself though, I don't know. Although, it would be fun, say, if someone annoyed me to vent my frustration in Hylian.
 

Raindrop14

Soldier for Christ!
Joined
Jan 29, 2011
Location
E-Arth
No, voice acting would ruin the whole style of Zelda, and make the game no fun. I like the no voice acting, it gives me a better fell of being in the wrold, because it's kind of like reading a book. Voice acting is also kind of distracting in a way. Even if they have it in Hylian, it'll still be distracing because it's foreign(excuse my spelling). I say "No" to voice acting.
 

Locke

Hegemon
Site Staff
Joined
Nov 24, 2009
Location
Redmond, Washington
I love foreign or nonsensical lyrics in songs. I think the Ballad of the Goddess is one of my favorite Zelda songs when Zelda sings it. Hylian VA would be just like that and I think it would do nothing but add to the experience. I don't think it would be distracting, but that's hard to tell without experiencing it.
Raindrop14 said:
...because it's kind of like reading a book.
I don't think Zelda should be read like a book. It's an interactive experience that should capture both visual and aural senses. It already has music and sound effects; how much of a stretch is it, really, to add voice? We even have some voice already ("Hey!", grunts, etc.).

It would be especially interesting if the spoken Hylian was actually translatable, even (especially) if through Japanese.

Of course there's still the obvious caveat that Link doesn't speak, no matter what the language. And I wouldn't say I'm pushing for VA; I'd be perfectly fine if no Zelda character ever spoke more than one syllable.
 
Joined
Apr 3, 2012
I would be quite excited to have Hylian Voice acting. I do not think that Hylian would detract from the Zelda experience. I do believe it would enhance it, fans would be interested in learning the language and picking up patterns and whatnot. I think it is a good idea.
 

Groose

Groosenator
Joined
Jan 2, 2012
Location
Skyloft
I think Zelda is fine just the way it is. Some sounds from the characters is fine, but any type of actual voice acting just wouldn't work for it.
 

Night Owl

~Momentai
Joined
Oct 3, 2011
Location
Skybound Coil Tree, Noctilum
Gender
Owl
I think it would be cool to have voice acting of any kind in Zelda games.

That being said I do have a few reservations.
If everything was spoken yet Link never said anything aloud I'd have to wonder if he can even speak or if he is trying to remain mysterious ;) (I suppose it hasn't been too much of a problem with everything in text so it may not be that big of an issue.)

If it was all in Hylian I may feel like I'm out of the loop even if there is English subtitles.

NPC dialogue could get annoying if you had to sit and listen through it every time you spoke to them.
(I tend to read faster than they speak so it does get annoying.)

These are just a few concerns but I'm all for trying it to see if I like playing Zelda with VA.
 

SuperMetroid

Eating Your Brains
Joined
Apr 6, 2012
Location
Melbourne, Australia
No voice acting. Please, no voice acting.

If they made a secret language out of Hylian, I would be ashamed to play Zelda. There's a reason normal people don't know how to speak Klingon; it's just not cool.

If all characters spoke jibberish as I read what they were saying, I'd also be annoyed. Don't you think that'd be offputting? I mean, we've experienced it with Midna and Fi, but every single NPC talking to you like that? No thanks.

If they just gave it Japanese voice acting, maybe I'd be turned. At least Japanese flows.
 
Joined
Apr 6, 2012
I think the idea has some merit. Maybe it would be a bit over the top to make it a real translatable language, but it would be okay if they talked some sort of gibberish.
It worked with Fi and Midna, right? Language is a part of acting and possibly makes the emotions of the characters easier to understand. You could still read what exactly they're saying but hear their tone at the same time...

Well, Zelda was great all the time without it, but it would be a funny and nice feature to add :)
 

Octo Rocked

Dr. Octorokapus BLAAAAAH!
Joined
Dec 8, 2009
Location
The American Midwest
It wouldn't necessarily have to be full voice acting. After all, Zelda sang in Skyward Sword, but said nothing past that. It could just be certain parts of the game that were voiced, like cutscenes. Was Super Mario Sunshine "ruined" by voice acting?

Also, SuperMetroid, that's a valid personal opinion (though geeky seems to be the new "cool," so being able to speak a fictional language isn't necessarily a thing that will get you shunned anymore), though I don't think it should make you ashamed to play the game. After all, you can enjoy the Lord of the Rings movies and not be ashamed that entire scenes of it are spoken in Elvish, can't you? It's just something that adds to the world.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top Bottom