This week was perhaps one of the most important weeks. Myself and Rhys began to test the game out using the virtual reality device. This allowed me to have a say in the mixing process of the audio, due to all the mixing being done in the coding I couldn’t be involved with it until this point. Testing the game also helps with noticing the smaller sounds that are needed. For example during the testing stage I realised that there needed to be footsteps coming from the person pushing the user in the wheel chair. This seems like something obvious but due to me concentrating on getting the wheelchair sound, I almost forget that there needed to be footstep sounds.

Another problem that was found due the the game testing was a sound that was supposed to loop and wasn’t doing so correctly. This was just a simple reason, the ending had a gap of silence so when the sound looped the noise stopped for a second before starting again. This was easily fixed in Pro Tools and re-added to the game. However this has taught me how important it is to test out the work.

I also decided that the second half of the game, or Scene 2 as me and Rhys have been refereeing to it, needed a few more atmospheric effects. I decided to add a few sharp sounds when the Alien flashers up on screen. Below is one example. These sounds were made using the Omnisphere plug-in and has three sounds layered and mixed to create what you hear below.

Sounds like these that have a one shot impact are often used in Horror genres. As you can see in my research games like Dead Space use similar techniques. As the game has a Sci-Fi feel to it I tried to make my impact sounds more experimental then just a string noise.

Unfortunately the virtual reality device wasn’t working correctly this week so early next week will involve us testing the game with the device.