Earlier this month NIS America pledged to re-localize Japanese RPG Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana after fans complained about the game’s shoddy translation. They’re also fixing the French on the Vita cover art, which currently begins, “I am sorry I have to leave you, but I must buy a hat.”
With most of my games coming digitally these days, I barely get a chance to look at box art anymore. Luckily the eagle-eyed staff of Ys fan site Digital Emelas were on the case, so to speak. They noticed that not only was the French on the back of the Vita case a bit of nonsense, it was nonsense repeated twice over.
The Google translate is slightly off there, but not by much. The text seems to be a pair of phrases found on the language website Omniglot, under its “Useful Phrases” section.
Je suis desolé de vous quitter, mais je dois acheter un chapeau.
I am sorry I have to leave you, but I must buy a hat.
Je vais demander à ces paysans qui viennent au-devant de nous, si le chemin par où ils ont passé est mauvais.
I shall ask these peasants who are coming towards us, if the road by which they have come is bad
The back of the current Vita box also lists the game as having Cross-Play with the PlayStation 4, which it does not.
Questioned about the odd text, an NIS America rep told Kotaku that the French phrases were placeholder text that was not corrected before going to print. The correct text, which appears on the PlayStation 4 box art and mirrors the English text atop the case, should read:
L’ACTION RPG ULTIME commence sur l’Île de Seiren !
Des combats intenses !
Déchaînez des attaques dévastatrices sur vos ennemis dans des combats ultra dynamiques !Le début d’une histoire mythique !
Percez les secrets de l’île en incarnant Adol et Dana. Bâtissez un village !Sauvez d’autres naufragés et construisez un village débordant d’activité !
Bonus !
Inclus : donjon exclusif, quêtes pour Dana, et plus encore !
NIS America says subsequent printings of the Vita version of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana will feature the correct text and icons, so if you’re a fan of erroneous box art, act fast.