[thriftweed]

Just played the demo for a few minutes and turned it back off again because of the voice acting.. I know this has already been highlighted in this thread a
number of times but I'm so surprised as to how bad it is,
How can something as crucial as the main characters voice end up like this.
On every forum most of the comments are regarding the voice work if
everyone else in the world can hear how bad it is makes you wonder how
someone actually okayed this.
Anyway.. I'm pretty disappointed, was looking forward to his one

[DustyShinigami]

Well, the cutscenes work for me, but some of the dialogue is skipped and quite a few of the characters' words keep re-looping.

I've noticed there's a bit of clipping as well in regards to the graphics. I hope these bugs are fixed in the final release.

[CrimsonBlue]

I can't believe people are dismissing a whole game just because of a lousy voice-actor? I haven't heard it yet, but I've played plenty of games with really really bad voice acting. Dismissing a game such as A Vampyre Story after three minutes of play, only because you don't like the voice acting? No wonder adenture games are dead. Besides, you may be able to turn off the voice acting - like with most adventure games I've played.

[thriftweed]

Originally Posted by CrimsonBlue

I can't believe people are dismissing a whole game just because of a lousy voice-actor? I haven't heard it yet, but I've played plenty of games with really really bad voice acting. Dismissing a game such as A Vampyre Story after three minutes of play, only because you don't like the voice acting? No wonder adenture games are dead. Besides, you may be able to turn off the voice acting - like with most adventure games I've played.

I agree with you.. I'm not dismissing it and I am sure you will be able to turn it off.. But what I was saying is I can't believe something like this gets through, it is a very big part of the game.. everything else is really well polished except the voice acting, you would have thought someone along the line would have said 'don't you think the voice sounds a bit weird'

[Ariel Type]

Originally Posted by kostas

(2) Idea for putting large things in the inventory without carrying them around. I don't know if any other game has used this idea,

Yep, the game Tale of a Hero from Future Games already used it in similar (and more effective) way.
As for the demo, the settings, the graphics and the atmosphere are just what you might have expected from the game. Really great work. From the other side, I found the humor not that good, as well, as the logic of the puzzles. And the voice of Mona really gives a headache. Just hope it will change in the full game, which is still a definite must-have.

[chapter11studios]

Originally Posted by Jackal

I'm checking on the voice thing with the publisher, so I'll report back one way or the other.

A nervous gaming community awaits your next update with trepidation and the slightest glimmer of hope...

[Keregioz]

Originally Posted by CrimsonBlue

I can't believe people are dismissing a whole game just because of a lousy voice-actor? I haven't heard it yet, but I've played plenty of games with really really bad voice acting. Dismissing a game such as A Vampyre Story after three minutes of play, only because you don't like the voice acting? No wonder adenture games are dead. Besides, you may be able to turn off the voice acting - like with most adventure games I've played.

From my experience games with bad voice acting most of the time are overall bad as a game. Sure there are exceptions, I'm just saying...

[chapter11studios]

Originally Posted by Keregioz

From my experience games with bad voice acting most of the time are overall bad as a game. Sure there are exceptions, I'm just saying...

I almost never* leave the voices on regardless of whether they're good or bad. I just turn on the subtitles. I read faster than people talk and I can't stand waiting around to hear the actors spit out the line. Must be a product of growing up on adventure games before they had any of this fancy voice acting stuff. ;-)

* - The two exceptions: Broken Sword 1 and 2, and CMI.

[QDream]

Dunno about you guys but im stuck at the beginning and dont know how to get out of that house :d

Edit: nvm, got it..

but the game itself is very childish, definitely wont be getting the full version

[Sik]

I liked the demo. Mona's voice annoyed me a bit at first, but mostly because it wasn't what I expected. By the end of the demo I actually kind of liked it. Bad voice acting has ruined a lot of games for me, but I don't think it will for this one. I would have preferred an actress with a deeper, more sensual voice, but the actual acting is far from bad. She doesn't talk so slowly that I find my finger hovering over the "skip line" button because I get impatient either.

So, still very much looking forward to getting my hands on a full copy of the game.

[Henke]

Hopefully the game will be released this friday then. Fingers crossed.

[Fien]

Originally Posted by chapter11studios

I almost never* leave the voices on regardless of whether they're good or bad. I just turn on the subtitles. I read faster than people talk and I can't stand waiting around to hear the actors spit out the line. Must be a product of growing up on adventure games before they had any of this fancy voice acting stuff. ;-)

Actually, everybody reads faster than people talk. I bet you even read faster than you talk yourself.

[rtrooney]

Demo impression:

Don't like it. Dropped in the middle of nowhere with no back story, nor future options. Have no idea what the objective is. Trying to use everything on everything But getting the door lifted is the only accomplishment so far. All accompanied by the whiney, screechy, badly accented voice of my supposed protagonist.

Great graphics, but that, like great cinematography in a movie, will only get you so far.

[Snatcher42]

Loved the demo. Yeah Mona's voice isn't great (though the acting's fine), but by the end it was growing on me and I actually started finding it kind of cute. I laughed a lot too. Even if not up to the the classics, the humor is some of the best I've heard in awhile.

Originally Posted by rtrooney

Dropped in the middle of nowhere with no back story, nor future options. Have no idea what the objective is.

Well it is from somewhere in the middle of the game. The instruction/loading screen says the goal is to find Mona's grave and some dirt, but really it's a single get-out-of-locked-room puzzle demo. The solution for which I found quite ingenious in an old-school Lucasarts kind of way. Though not very difficult given the limited number of things to interact with. Oh and if you want more backstory, try talking to Froderick in the inventory.

So when's the full game coming out, retail or download in North America?

[chapter11studios]

Originally Posted by Fienepien

Actually, everybody reads faster than people talk. I bet you even read faster than you talk yourself.

Yeah, I know. I didn't mean to come across sounding all impressed with myself. What I really meant is I'm usually too impatient to wait for the voice actors to spit out their dialogue.

[Fien]

Originally Posted by chapter11studios

Yeah, I know. I didn't mean to come across sounding all impressed with myself. What I really meant is I'm usually too impatient to wait for the voice actors to spit out their dialogue.

Depends on the game and/or the voiceacting for me. Just finished replaying Callahan's Crosstime Saloon. Great voiceacting on the whole and I loved clicking on everything just to hear the comments, but as the game progressed I found myself hitting the spacebar more and more to skip the increasingly boring puns... you can get too much of good thing too.

[silent_m]

Well, I don't want to beat a dead horse, but yes, Mona's voice is a bit too high-pitched. Sounds too much like a little girl and doesn't fit her va-va-voom body type – I was expecting a deeper, sultry voice. But I don't think it kills the game. Every game has an annoyance or two that we all put up with anyway! Does seem like a bit of an oversight, though.

Every other aspect of the demo looks good, so I'll still be picking this one up.

[eriq]

I dunno... I guess I'm in the minority. I don't find Mona's voice grating whatsoever - I think the contrast between the child-like quality of her voice and her voluptuous body is quite funny. And I found the puzzle style totally fitting. This is the story of a wanna-be opera singer vampiress walking around with a talking bat on her shoulder afterall.

Screw the online download. I WANT THE BOX and CDrom just to see more of the incredible artwork! It's games like this that make owning a boxed product - a tangible item - so fun. Hopefully there will be something included with the game - maybe a map or cool manual? Maybe a collectible edition with an "Art of" book or soundtrack?

This is such a great original concept for an adventure game. And who else to bring it to us other than someone who was involved in the production of some of this genre's best. Finally!

[Ariel Type]

the voice of Mona is not that irritating in the full game after all. the humor, on the other side, is still not the strongest point.. maybe it will change later, but from the first sight it's all Disney-style (in a darker manner). the bat on the shoulder wasn't a good idea either. AM should've invited at least one professional writer/comedian.

[Ascovel]

I've started playing the full game and can confirm Mona has the same voice as in the demo. However, the painful high-pitch in the demo seems to have been caused by excessive sound compression rather than the acting. In the full version the voice sounds very nice (to me at least).