BCM317 - Beastie sounds

(6:32) Level 3 ('The Truth and Reconciliation') on Easy. Have you heard the eerie cries of mysterious wild beasties, in certain places along the cliff edge and elsewhere? If not, prepare to be creeped out! Here's a guide to some places you can use - and at the end I've collected all fourteen beastie sounds in a montage.

Released November 6th 2018, gameplay recorded November 3rd-5th 2018.

Commentary

00:02 (Near a tree) This first section shows a favourite listening area of mine; the first one mentioned in my article. You can kill a few covies and then get right down to listening, or you could come back here later after killing more covies - just as long as there's no music drowning things out. By chance I hear the most unique sound first: the 'wolf howl'. I've also got all four 'wails' in this opening section of the movie.

Incidentally, the first clip was actually from a different play than the long second clip. I used it because the Shade gunner's death was relatively amusing (the way he came flying through the air, landing nearby).

02:32 (Near a bush) Near this bush is good too. I can't remember if I knew this spot before, but if I did, I forgot about it.

02:50 (Back at the start) Heading back to the start in peace and quiet, I take a look at the moon before peering down below with my light-amplified sniper scope. After moving to the right, the next sound comes from the left. Then after moving to the edge and watching a plasma ball expire, a wail seems to come from behind and I take a look at the ship.

03:40 (Elite hidey-hole area) Here's a good spot, near where an Elite emerges from a hidey-hole to attack you. The grav-lift is relatively faint here. While listening, I engage in a bit of recreation with the sniper rifle and a few plasmas.

04:36 (Start of the dustbowl) In regard to this place at the start of the dustbowl, the listening area actually extends out onto the cliff path, though the volume is only low there. When I grenaded the Shade at the start of the movie I was actually in the listening area, and a screech occurred fractionally before the Shade crashed down. But it was rather obscured so you probably missed it. If it had been more obvious I wouldn't have used that play at all, as I wanted to focus on the tree area first.

05:06 (Near the grav-lift) Yet another listening area, this time near the grav-lift. Of course, the grav-lift is pretty loud here; but the beastie sounds are still quite clear when you're in a good place.

05:43 (Sound catalogue) Originally I'd been thinking to end the movie at the grav-lift, but then I decided to include a montage of all the sounds. I used the hidey-hole area, partly because the grav-lift is relatively quiet there. In regard to the screeches, I've started with the five simplest, then there's the long one, then the 'double', then the two horse-like ones (the second of which is the only sound which didn't already occur in the earlier footage). Privately I've been calling these 'screech 1', 'screech 2' and so on, for the sake of identification while making the movie. Likewise we then have wails 1 to 4. Then the 'wolf howl' to finish. I panned to a different view for that last one. Thought it would make a nicer ending.

Closing remarks Yet another movie I've been wanting to make for ages, on a classic topic. Done, finally. While working on the movie, I also did a sweep for other listening areas (some of which I may not have known before). As mentioned in my newly revised article, I'm now aware of thirteen.

Near the end of working on the movie, I noticed something. At about 1:16 (just after the second wail) there's something reminiscent of an owl, though it's quite faint. Three hoots, in slightly lowering tones. I can't recall being aware of an owl sound before. I'm not sure if it's anything to do with the beastie sound listening areas, but it's very infrequent. You may have to wait several minutes to hear it. Perhaps I'll check into this further.