Postby themethod » Tue Aug 25, 2020 3:25 pm
I have a short list of games that I've collected over time for Russian but that also support other languages.
- Stardew Valley: Farming game that has some similarities to Animal Crossing, text-based and dialogue heavy with a lot of different languages supported. Surprised this one hasn't already been mentioned, it's pretty popular with language learners. English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese Russian, Hungarian, Turkish, Japanese, Chinese, Korean.
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series (Shadow of Chernobyl, Clear Sky, Call of Pripyat): First-person survival shooter games made by a Ukrainian studio and set in a post-apocalyptic Russia, based in the same world as the Russian sci-fi novel "Roadside Picnic" and the Tarkovsky film "Stalker". Russian is the first language, so it's known to be good, but it also has audio and text support for German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Polish.
The last game (Call of Pripyat) is consider the most polished, but the first game (Shadow of Chernobyl) is very popular too. The middle game (Clear Sky) is considered the most flawed.
- Metro (2033, Last Light, Exodus) series: Another dystopic survival horror shooter based on a Russia novel and made by a Ukrainian studio. Again, the Russian version is obviously good, but there's also audio/text support for German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Ukrainian, as well as text support for a few other languages depending on the exact title.
- Child of Light: Beautiful fairy tale RPG with watercolor art and a nice soundtrack. Has both voice acting and text support for German, French, Italian, Russian, Brazilian Portuguese, and Japanese. I've only tried the Russian version, but the narration was really well done.
- This War of Mine: A survival and resource management game made by a Polish studio and set during the Siege of Sarajevo, the subject matter is quite heavy but the game is excellent and has earned a lot of accolades. Support for German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Polish, Turkish, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.
- Darkwood: Survival horror game made by a Polish studio and based heavily on Slavic folklore. The atmosphere is excellent, but be warned that this game is pretty difficult -- but you may be able to manage by turning down the difficulty. Support for German, French, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Russian, Hungarian, Brazilian Portuguese, Turkish, and Chinese.
- Beholder: A sort of simulation/strategy game made by a Russian studio and set in a kind of Soviet surveillance state, where you're asked to spy on the tenants in your apartment building -- while also balancing your own morality. Support for German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Dutch, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
- Syberia series: I've never actually played these ones, but they're an adventure series in the vein of some of the older games mentioned in the OP, they're pretty popular, and they have audio and text support for German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, and Polish -- and I've heard the localization is good.
- Banner Saga series (1, 2, and 3): Story-heavy tactical RPG with a Viking folklore theme and nice art. Support for German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Czech, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
- XCOM 1 & 2: Turn-based tactics game that's very well done. The gameplay itself isn't very dialogue-focused, but your advisors often talk to you both during and between battles. Audio and text support for German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, and Polish.
- FTL: Indie strategy game set in space. There's not much in terms of dialogue but you're constantly confronted with text-based choices as you play. It's also just a really good game. Support for German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, and Chinese.
By the way, there's a somewhat easy way that I've found to find other games in your target language.
There's a site called GOG.com, which is similar to Steam -- but it focuses on older titles (the acronym GOG stands for "good old games"), and it's owned by the company that made The Witcher games (CD Projekt Red). They have a app, like Steam, but their games are also DRM-free, meaning you can download the file to your computer and play/keep it without another app.
If you use the Store dropdown on the home page, then select a genre (Action, Adventure, RPG, etc.), on the next screen you're able to select a language from the list on the left, and it'll show you all the games available in that language. You can do something similar on Steam but you end up sorting through a million games; with GOG, it's a lot more manageable.
Their games also go on sale a lot. For instance, the Stalker and Metro series, This War of Mine, and Syberia are all on sale for pretty cheap right now.
4 x
But the other versions should be nice too.
). You will receive short "reports" and "emails" from time to time, also well as live "commentaries" (written) of the matches, it's basically a full-fledge reading exercise. Hardcore players like me usually skip those messages. However, as a language learner, you may wish to take some time reading the greeting email from the president of your football club, or read the scouting / coach reports from your coaches / scouts, or even try to converse with your unhappy players or attend press conference