{"id":2171540,"date":"2026-09-30T13:22:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T10:22:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2171540"},"modified":"2026-09-30T13:22:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T10:22:13","slug":"as-handholding-mechanics-come-under-fire-elsewhere-control-resonant-devs-confirm-they-made-a-conscious-decision-not-to-use-yellow-paint","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2171540","title":{"rendered":"As handholding mechanics come under fire elsewhere, Control Resonant devs confirm they made a &#8220;conscious decision&#8221; not to use yellow paint"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article \" data-ads=\"true\" data-article-type=\"news\" data-article-group=\"news\" data-paywalled=\"false\" data-premium=\"false\" data-sponsored=\"false\" data-type=\"article\">\n<header class=\"article_header\" data-component=\"article-header\">\n<div class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n<nav class=\"nav_breadcrumbs\" data-component=\"nav-breadcrumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\">\n<ul class=\"nav-links\">\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Home<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/news\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      News<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_details\" id=\"main-content\">\n<h1 class=\"title\">As handholding mechanics come under fire elsewhere, Control Resonant devs confirm they made a &#8220;conscious decision&#8221; not to use yellow paint<\/h1>\n<p class=\"strapline\">Faden colour.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_asset\">\n<figure class=\"headline_image_wrapper\">\n<p>        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"headline_image\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/control-resonant-launch-screen-2.jpg?width=570&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;dpr=3&amp;auto=webp\" alt loading=\"eager\" data-uri=\"control-resonant-launch-screen-2.jpg\" data-lightbox width=\"570\" height=\"343\"><figcaption>\n          <span class=\"attribution\">Image credit: <cite>Remedy Entertainment.<\/cite><\/span><br \/>\n        <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metadata\">\n<div class=\"avatar\">\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sherif Saed avatar\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/IMG_1950_Uy1XomJ.JPG?width=2048&amp;height=2048&amp;fit=bounds&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;auto=webp\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"1638\" height=\"1346\"><\/p>\n<p>  <img alt=\"Sherif Saed avatar\" data-autosize=\"crop_lossy\" data-uri=\"IMG_1950_Uy1XomJ.JPG\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"1638\" height=\"1346\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\n                  <span class=\"article_type\" data-slug=\"news\"><br \/>\n                    News<br \/>\n                  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"by\">by<\/span> <span class=\"author\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/authors\/sherif-saed\">Sherif Saed<\/a><\/span>                    <span class=\"job_title\"><br \/>\n                      Senior Contributor<br \/>\n                    <\/span>\n            <\/div>\n<div class=\"published_at\">\n<p>Published on   <time datetime=\"2026-09-30T13:22:13+00:00\" data-auto-time-zone=\"true\" data-year=\"numeric\" data-month=\"short\" data-day=\"numeric\" data-hour=\"numeric\" data-minute=\"numeric\">Sept. 30, 2026, 1:22 p.m.<\/time>\n              <\/div>\n<div class=\"comments\">\n      <a class=\"comments__link comments-bubble\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/control-resonant-yellow-paint-conscious-decision-marvels-wolverine?view=comments\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n          22 comments<br \/>\n      <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"header_actions\">\n<p><button class=\"mypop-button button wide\" data-state=\"follow\" data-type=\"tag\" data-uuid=\"f8a39707-4658-4eea-a08b-4420a721b635\" data-name=\"Control Resonant\" data-follow-text=\"Follow Control Resonant\" data-unfollow-text=\"Following Control Resonant\" data-aria-follow-text=\"Follow Control Resonant\" data-aria-unfollow-text=\"Following Control Resonant\" data-popup=\"true\" data-force-login=\"true\" aria-label=\"Follow Control Resonant\" title=\"Follow Control Resonant\"><br \/>\n  Follow Control Resonant<br \/>\n<\/button><br \/>\n  <a class=\"button outline wide preferred_source_button\" data-component=\"preferred-source-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=eurogamer.net\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n    <span class=\"logo\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><br \/>\nPrioritise us on Google  <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\" data-autopogo>\n<p>Control Resonant is one of the few modern open-world games which doesn&#8217;t always point you to where you should go next. This desire to give players time to figure their way around is the reason why, according to the game&#8217;s director, Resonant does not have yellow paint.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It was a conscious decision, obviously,&#8221; Control Resonant director Mikael Kasurinen said on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL-oTJHKXHicT61ztYmcNGKaKBf03aOUuN\">the Dropped Frames podcast<\/a> (via <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/control-resonant-director-explains-the-games-lack-of-yellow-paint-it-was-a-conscious-decision-obviously-2000738062\">Kotaku<\/a>). Kasurinen went on to explain he believes player autonomy is one of the key factors that make a good game.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s not like the game is telling me what to do and I just go and do it. I feel like I&#8217;m the one making the decisions in the game,&#8221; he added. &#8220;It&#8217;s so important that the players feel like they&#8217;re the ones figuring it out.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Yellow \/ white paint has become the subject of ridicule in recent years. By covering ledges, climbable walls and other surfaces with said paint,  games &#8211; especially open-world &#8211; attempt to grab the player&#8217;s attention to point them in the right direction and ensure they don&#8217;t get lost.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>However, excessive use of yellow paint is something players have been increasingly rejecting. Things seemingly came to a head with Marvel&#8217;s Wolverine, another triple-A game released right around the same time as Resonant. Players dubbed the game&#8217;s blue scent trails, which act as a constant reminder of where you should go next, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/marvels-wolverine-patch-fart-gas-scent-trails-crashes\">as &#8220;fart trails&#8221;<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Developer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/companies\/insomniac-games\">Insomniac Games<\/a> eventually <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/marvels-wolverine-patch-turn-off-scent-trails\">added a toggle to turn it off in most situations<\/a>, but the damage had already been done. On top of the visible markers, Wolverine also has white paint to signify ledges that boost the player&#8217;s jump, as well as walls the player can climb.<\/p>\n<p>Remedy&#8217;s decision not to rely on similar tricks is especially notable given the larger size of Resonant&#8217;s map compared to the original Control, which took place inside an office building and relied mostly on diegetic signs in the world to orient players.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video_wrapper youtube\">\n<a aria-label=\"Defying Gravity ft. Director of Control Resonant Mikael Kasurinen  | Dropped Frames 481\" class=\"video-facade full-size\" data-platform=\"youtube\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/C4jDcYrPZGk?autoplay=1\" title=\"Click to play video from YouTube\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cover image for YouTube video\" class=\"video-facade__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/C4jDcYrPZGk\/hqdefault.jpg\"><span class=\"video-facade__title\">Defying Gravity ft. Director of Control Resonant Mikael Kasurinen  | Dropped Frames 481<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p><a class=\"button video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=C4jDcYrPZGk\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figure>\n<p>Now, Resonant <em>does<\/em> utilise the colour yellow with certain objects in the world, but because of the industrial design of many of those surfaces, it looks far more organic, like something you&#8217;d see if you visited a shipping yard or factory floor.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"2\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Kasurinen indicated he&#8217;s not entirely against the practice, it only has to fit thematically within the game&#8217;s world, saying, &#8220;You have to find the right balance between &#8216;here&#8217;s the world&#8217; and &#8216;here are the different themes and elements that you have to pay attention to.&#8217; But it has to feel like it&#8217;s on you to make a decision on what to do with those elements that you see within the world.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;If it feels like, &#8216;go here,&#8217; it&#8217;s not anymore a decision for the player. Somebody has already decided for you.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Many have called on developers to afford players a bit more trust, and for a return to the days of games relying on framing, lighting and other visual aides to guide players around levels.<\/p>\n<p>In the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/control-resonant-review\">Eurogamer Control Resonant review<\/a>, Alexis Ong felt the game&#8217;s larger, more open world setting leaves behind the magic of the original Control.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\" data-autopogo>\n<p>Control Resonant is one of the few modern open-world games which doesn&#8217;t always point you to where you should go next. This desire to give players time to figure their way around is the reason why, according to the game&#8217;s director, Resonant does not have yellow paint.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It was a conscious decision, obviously,&#8221; Control Resonant director Mikael Kasurinen said on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL-oTJHKXHicT61ztYmcNGKaKBf03aOUuN\">the Dropped Frames podcast<\/a> (via <a href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/control-resonant-director-explains-the-games-lack-of-yellow-paint-it-was-a-conscious-decision-obviously-2000738062\">Kotaku<\/a>). Kasurinen went on to explain he believes player autonomy is one of the key factors that make a good game.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s not like the game is telling me what to do and I just go and do it. I feel like I&#8217;m the one making the decisions in the game,&#8221; he added. &#8220;It&#8217;s so important that the players feel like they&#8217;re the ones figuring it out.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Yellow \/ white paint has become the subject of ridicule in recent years. By covering ledges, climbable walls and other surfaces with said paint,  games &#8211; especially open-world &#8211; attempt to grab the player&#8217;s attention to point them in the right direction and ensure they don&#8217;t get lost.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>However, excessive use of yellow paint is something players have been increasingly rejecting. Things seemingly came to a head with Marvel&#8217;s Wolverine, another triple-A game released right around the same time as Resonant. Players dubbed the game&#8217;s blue scent trails, which act as a constant reminder of where you should go next, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/marvels-wolverine-patch-fart-gas-scent-trails-crashes\">as &#8220;fart trails&#8221;<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Developer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/companies\/insomniac-games\">Insomniac Games<\/a> eventually <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/marvels-wolverine-patch-turn-off-scent-trails\">added a toggle to turn it off in most situations<\/a>, but the damage had already been done. On top of the visible markers, Wolverine also has white paint to signify ledges that boost the player&#8217;s jump, as well as walls the player can climb.<\/p>\n<p>Remedy&#8217;s decision not to rely on similar tricks is especially notable given the larger size of Resonant&#8217;s map compared to the original Control, which took place inside an office building and relied mostly on diegetic signs in the world to orient players.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video_wrapper youtube\">\n<a aria-label=\"Defying Gravity ft. Director of Control Resonant Mikael Kasurinen  | Dropped Frames 481\" class=\"video-facade full-size\" data-platform=\"youtube\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/C4jDcYrPZGk?autoplay=1\" title=\"Click to play video from YouTube\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cover image for YouTube video\" class=\"video-facade__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/C4jDcYrPZGk\/hqdefault.jpg\"><span class=\"video-facade__title\">Defying Gravity ft. Director of Control Resonant Mikael Kasurinen  | Dropped Frames 481<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p><a class=\"button video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=C4jDcYrPZGk\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figure>\n<p>Now, Resonant <em>does<\/em> utilise the colour yellow with certain objects in the world, but because of the industrial design of many of those surfaces, it looks far more organic, like something you&#8217;d see if you visited a shipping yard or factory floor.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"2\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Kasurinen indicated he&#8217;s not entirely against the practice, it only has to fit thematically within the game&#8217;s world, saying, &#8220;You have to find the right balance between &#8216;here&#8217;s the world&#8217; and &#8216;here are the different themes and elements that you have to pay attention to.&#8217; But it has to feel like it&#8217;s on you to make a decision on what to do with those elements that you see within the world.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;If it feels like, &#8216;go here,&#8217; it&#8217;s not anymore a decision for the player. Somebody has already decided for you.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Many have called on developers to afford players a bit more trust, and for a return to the days of games relying on framing, lighting and other visual aides to guide players around levels.<\/p>\n<p>In the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/control-resonant-review\">Eurogamer Control Resonant review<\/a>, Alexis Ong felt the game&#8217;s larger, more open world setting leaves behind the magic of the original Control.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home News As handholding mechanics come under fire elsewhere, Control Resonant devs confirm they made a &#8220;conscious decision&#8221; not to use yellow paint Faden colour. Image credit: Remedy Entertainment. News by Sherif Saed Senior Contributor Published on Sept. 30, 2026, 1:22 p.m. 22 comments Follow Control Resonant Prioritise us on Google Control Resonant is one [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,253],"class_list":["post-2171540","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-eurogamer-net"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2171540","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2171540"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2171540\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2171540"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2171540"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2171540"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}