Excurio: Multilingual Adaptation for Virtual Reality
Excurio is a creative virtual reality studio internationally renowned for its groundbreaking concept: Immersive Expeditions. Developed in close collaboration with experts, scientists or historians, their experiences transport visitors to significant moments and places in history. Each expedition is a true adventure, designed to make participants feel physically and emotionally immersed in in a captivating journey through time. VR technology is used to offer historically accurate adventures, supported by stunning visuals and strong storytelling.
Unique in the world, these thrilling expeditions are meant to be experienced by several people at the same time, moving freely within the environment. This is known as free-roaming LBVR, Location-Based Virtual Reality, and it can take place in dedicated centers or directly within museums and cultural venues. Excurio draws on 20 years of innovation to serve a single vision: making culture accessible through wonder.
We feel lucky and honored to be trusted to bring the scripts of their immersive expeditions to life in multiple languages. Through their worlds, we’ve wandered among dinosaurs in the Jurassic era, stood at the twilight of the Middle Ages, met the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt, and explored the vibrant art movements of the 19th century.
The Art of VR Adaptation.
Virtual reality localization stands apart because it’s fully immersive, the user isn’t just watching, reading, or playing, they’re inside the experience, living it. And that changes everything. Even a small mistranslation, cultural mismatch, or unnatural sentence can significantly affect the quality of immersion. On top of that, people from all around the world must feel the same emotions as they move through this extraordinary virtual world.
With Excurio’s content, we face two main challenges. First, since 90% of the content consists of dialogue or voice-over, we need to provide precise adaptations for the actors. Second, we must preserve the specific terminology of each expedition, including its unique historical and scientific terms.
Behind the Voices.
For this project, we don’t handle the recordings themselves, as these are planned to be managed by local dubbing studios. Our responsibility is to ensure that when the translated content reaches the studios, it is fully ready for the actors to record. Every word matters and requires careful time, effort, and reflection to stay as close as possible to the original meaning, duration, and pacing. At the same time, it needs to feel natural for all target countries and languages, so translators are dedicated to finding the right balance.
Excurio’s VR experiences are true immersions into foreign and historical worlds, which makes the challenge even greater: we must preserve both the integrity and the interactivity of the story. Translators need to understand each character’s personality and tone to guarantee the wording is accurate for the actors who will bring them to life. It’s crucial to remember that we are dealing with spoken content for specific characters in a defined period of time, yet it will be experienced by today’s audiences, a true brain teaser for translators!
Words That Shape Worlds.
Excurio's Immersive Expeditions are developed with experts and grounded in true scientific rigor to ensure historical accuracy. Their collaboration with specialists creates environments meticulously reconstructed based on research and evidence. Every detail has been shaped to reflect a past era: objects, architectural designs, characters’ attire, textures and fabrics, clothing, atmosphere, and vernacular. Everything is designed for participants to feel part of this world and engage fully in the storytelling, as if they have stepped into a real time machine.
Localization is a core part of this process and essential to its success. Each expedition is anchored in a specific era and environment, with its own vocabulary, whether exploring Ancient Egypt or medieval cities. In these conditions, terminology must faithfully reflect the period, as misusing terms risks compromising the authenticity of the experience. The true mark of successful localization is when the effort put into all languages is seamless and invisible. When terminology, phrasing, and cultural nuances are perfectly adapted, and participants feel the experience is entirely natural, without noticing it has been translated, we know we’ve done our job well.
Localization also involves cultural adaptation. Special attention is given to how certain topics are presented in the expeditions, ensuring they resonate with each international audience. When a subject may require adjustment for a specific culture, we explore ways to present it thoughtfully and respectfully, while keeping the experience engaging and authentic. Sometimes, expressions or idioms from a period have no direct equivalent in the target language. In such cases, our role is to carefully adapt the phrasing to stay as close as possible to the original meaning. Choosing the right words is important: it doesn’t just convey meaning but also reinforces immersion. And when the right terminology is selected, clarity and precision are maintained across languages. This exactness is achieved through the meticulous work and curiosity of our localization specialists.
Dive in the Immersive Expeditions.
The Last Stronghold — Adaptive Fonts
The Last Stronghold
Autumn and Winter 1304. The city of Carcassonne is at the height of the golden age of its fortifications,
but its ramparts provide no protection when the threat comes from within… Explore the medieval city,
take part in defending the ramparts, and master the art of combat.
Languages
English • Simplified Chinese • Traditional Chinese • Japanese • Korean • Arabic • Turkish • Spanish • Spanish Latam
Terminology
In this experience, the goal was to recreate the tension of defending a medieval stronghold while maintaining immersive and believable dialogue for today’s audience. Architectural features such as curtain walls, hoardings, arrow slits, and machicolations were carefully localized to reflect their specific defensive function within the ramparts of 14th-century Carcassonne. Military vocabulary, from crossbows and catapults to boiling oil and drawbridges were also important to this expedition. Linguistically, the challenge extended to combat shouts, chain-of-command exchanges, and civilian dialogue during the siege. Orders like “Hold the gate!” or “Archers to the tower!” had to sound urgent and authoritative, yet natural in each target language. The tone of fear, duty, and confusion within the walls needed to feel immediate, not theatrical. Historical consistency also played a central role. Every term, from battlement to parapet, helped anchor the player in 1304 Carcassonne, a city both majestic and on edge.
Life Chronicles — Independent Card
Life Chronicles
Embark with your virtual guide Charlie and her little robot Darwin 3.5 million years ago to meet species that have inhabited the Earth.
From oceans to tropical forests, experience the vestiges of life in the Archean period.
Languages
Spanish • Spanish Latam • Simplified Chinese • Traditional Chinese • Korean • Turkish • Arabic • Brazilian Portuguese • German • Dutch • Italian
Terminology
Here, scientific precision was at the heart of localization. From microscopic cyanobacteria shaping the Archean oceans to giant Temnodontosaurus in the Jurassic, every species name, evolutionary term, and geological period had to be faithfully adapted across languages. Concepts like stromatolites, amniotes, and insular dwarfism were carefully rendered to remain scientifically accurate while accessible to participants. Dialogue between Charlie and Darwin was crafted to maintain an engaging, educational tone, balancing storytelling with the urgency of exploration. Linguistic choices also conveyed the scale and diversity of prehistoric ecosystems, from tropical forests and Carboniferous swamps to the dawn of humans, making each era both authentic and immersive. The challenge was representing ecosystems from 3.5 million years ago, from oceans to tropical forests, in a way that felt alive and real to participants.
Horizon of Khufu — Independent Card
Horizon of Khufu
Explore the last wonder of the Ancient World: the Great Pyramid of Giza.
Travel 4,500 years back in time and discover the secrets of pyramids
in an emotional journey into the heart of Egyptian culture.
Languages
English • Simplified Chinese • Traditional Chinese • Korean • Turkish • Arabic • Spanish Latam • Portuguese • Brazilian Portuguese • German • Dutch • Italian
Terminology
In this experience, localization was guided by a deep respect for Ancient Egyptian culture and its social hierarchies. Titles of Pharaohs, architectural terms such as sarcophagus and mastaba, and ritual vocabulary were appropriately adapted. Dialogue and descriptive text were crafted to convey reverence, formality, and the ceremonial tone of the era, while remaining engaging and accessible. The localization also bridged complex cultural and religious references—such as the symbolism of the Ankh, the role of viziers, and the mortuary rituals of the Pharaoh—ensuring participants could fully grasp the significance of the pyramids, the tombs, and the rituals without losing historical accuracy. Linguistic choices reinforced the grandeur and solemnity of the setting, allowing participants to feel both the scale of Khufu' monuments and the human stories embedded in these ancient spaces. From the meticulous planning of the pyramid’s construction to the sacred rites of mummification, every element was rendered to immerse audiences in an educational and unforgettable journey through Ancient Egypt. The goal was to allow participants to feel present inside the Great Pyramid of Giza and emotionally connected to Egyptian culture 4,500 years ago.
Tonight with the Impressionists — Independent Card
Tonight with the Impressionists
Travel back to the 19th century and relive the rise of the Impressionism movement in Paris by attending the first Impressionist exhibition. Artists now widely known like Monet or Renoir reveal the paints that will change their path and the fate of art.
Languages
English • Simplified Chinese • Traditional Chinese • Korean • Arabic • Turkish • Spanish Latam • Portuguese • Brazilian Portuguese • German • Dutch • Italian
Terminology
This experience demanded careful adaptation of both artistic and historical language, capturing painting techniques, exhibition terminology, and the intricate social interactions between artists, models, and patrons in 19th-century Paris. The script recreated the excitement and audacity of the first independent Impressionist exhibition, highlighting the personalities and creative approaches of Monet, Renoir, Degas, Morisot, and their contemporaries, as well as the tensions with the official Salon. From a linguistic perspective, the challenge was to convey not only technical details of the art but also the emotional energy of the period. Its ambition, creativity, and sense of immediacy, so that participants could experience the Impressionist movement as if walking alongside the artists themselves. The goal was to immerse audiences in a vivid and grounded world where innovation, daring, and artistic authenticity came to life.
Isn’t it time to head to a VR center and immerse yourself in wonder?
publication date
Published on
4/11/2025
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Studio Fugu
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