The enigmatic pronouncements of The Board in Remedy's paranormal action-adventure game Control and its expansion Control Resonant were intentionally crafted to be largely incomprehensible, according to the game's audio lead. Lucas Pierrot revealed that the alien entity's speech is designed to be "basically gibberish, not affiliated to any language."
This deliberate ambiguity allows players to project their own interpretations onto The Board's messages. "So, when you hear a word, you tend to hear what you want to hear… and that's pretty neat in terms of audio design, as players can fulfill their fantasies," Pierrot explained in an interview with Gamespot. Whether players perceive The Board as encouraging or disdainful is entirely subjective, with examples like "Absolute cinema, Combo!" on one hand, and implied scorn on the other.
Remedy aimed for The Board's communication to evoke a range of emotions, from "scary, unsettling, or even funny sometimes." To enhance certain words and give them a sense of rhythm and punctuation, the audio team employed techniques such as adding a "pulse" sound and a "low, soft kick."
Despite its unique delivery, Control Resonant has achieved significant commercial success for Remedy, reportedly reaching one million sales faster than any previous title from the studio. This milestone was reached even while launching during a crowded period for game releases.