Cutscene Volume

[Branson]

The pre-rendered cutscenes (like the short death video) are really loud for me, and they start without warning. Am I doing something wrong? I won't be able to play this game with headphones because I have no hardware volume control. The intro videos are the same way, but I've learned to take precautions with those.

I've never understood why designers include logo videos at max volume knowing that the user can't adjust the audio levels until the options menu comes up. Why would you cause me discomfort while flashing your symbol on the screen? If it happens enough, you'll create a negative Pavlovian effect that makes me cringe when I think of your company.

And this isn't a technical issue, but it's in the same vein as the volume problem: Those bright white loading screens don't seem like a good idea to me. People are going to want to play this game in dark rooms, and that makes the brightness even worse. I see how that's appealing on an artistic level, contrasting with the physical/metaphorical darkness and putting us in the character's shoes by making us want to avoid the light as much as he does. On the other hand, it's irritating.

[Fugue]

agree the intro logo did seem VERY loud to me, first time I played the demo I had to grab the remote but I didn't notice any major difference between cutscenes and gameplay.....

[Branson]

The cutscenes and the logo should be at the same volume because they're all Bink movies. I tried the demo again and figured out that they're tied to the slider for voice volume, but they aren't balanced properly with the voices. In order to get the cutscenes to play at a reasonable level I have to make all the voices so low I can barely hear them. I don't know if it's a coding problem with the Bink master volume or something wonky on my end. I've tried a few other games with Bink videos and haven't been able to duplicate the problem, but it seems like something I've encountered before.