Kirby & The Forgotten Land Features a New Language Players Can Decode
In an interview for the soon-to-be-released Kirby and the Forgotten Land, the game's developers noted that it features its own fictional language which players can decode. This is just one of many pieces of interesting lore and gameplay info that have come to light ahead of the release of Kirby's first full-3D romp, though many fans have been focused on things like Kirby's new Mouthful Mode ability.
When it comes to fictional languages in video games, there is no shortage of examples to choose from. There's Simlish from The Sims, Hylian from The Legend of Zelda, Dovahzul from Skyrim, and many more. Sprawling RPGs and MMOs can take this a step further, with franchises like World of Warcraft and Mass Effect featuring multiple different languages and dialects for their many different races. Games like Final Fantasy X even make something of a minigame out of their fictional tongues, with players collecting items and documents with the goal of deciphering the words presented to them. While this practice is popular, in-depth language systems are somewhat less common in games that can be considered more family-friendly like the critically acclaimed Kirby and the Forgotten Land.
Still, it looks like Kirby and the Forgotten Land is shaking things up a bit with the introduction of a new language that players can decipher. In an interview with Nintendo, developers Shinya Kumazaki and Kei Ninomiya touched on the game's titular forgotten civilization, noting that the game will feature a song with lyrics in a language that was invented specifically for the game. Rather than being simple jibberish, each word correlates to a real-world word, so dedicated players can decipher exactly what the song is conveying. Kumazaki also confirmed the language can be seen throughout the game's post-apocalyptic lands, explaining:
"We did create a new written language for our forgotten civilisation, but we made sure each message could be deciphered if the player studies them closely [...] This is just an extra bit of "flavour" in the game's world, but it also allows players who want to learn more the chance to immerse themselves in the adventure. I feel this is where the creators' efforts really pay off."
It's unclear how often this language will come into play when exploring Kirby and the Forgotten Land, but it seems like there has been some thought put behind it. Early reviews for the upcoming game have praised its world design, and in offering players the chance to decipher and decode beyond what's presented on-screen, fans will be given the opportunity for a new level of immersion and realism when delving into Kirby's next big adventure.
Invented languages in fiction can add depth and intrigue. In a game like Kirby and the Forgotten Land, where players have to explore an ancient, mysterious world, adding a fictional language to decipher can be a fun way to make that world more tangible. Gamers will have to wait and see what other mysteries this title has in store when the title launches later this week.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land will be coming to Nintendo Switch on March 25, 2022.
Source: Nintendo