The Importance of Sound Design in Video Games
We might take it for granted, but videogames depend a lot on the player’s sensory experiences. Graphics are what usually grasp our attention first. Our eyes capture what the game looks like, how the world is built, how our character looks, and we can even determine the genre of game we’d be playing.
Sound is the other main component in video games. This is why sound is so important to do it properly, it adds another layer of depth into the experience. We often overlook this aspect because it’s so inherent to our nature. In my opinion, having an amazing sound design will elevate the game experience to unthinkable heights.
Why is Good Sound Design Important?
There are a few aspects which we can categorize to determine why good sound design is important. Good sound design creates the game's atmosphere, it adds immersion to the experience, it provides an emotional response to the gamer, and it also serves as feedback to the player. Let’s dive a little bit more into each of these things.
Atmosphere Creation
Sound design will help set the tone and atmosphere of the game. I’ve recently played the amazing Resident Evil Remakes on the PS5 and they have one of the most incredible sound designs in video games. The game quickly sets the tone by adding distant and sudden noises to the place you might be. You might find yourself in a dark hallway, and hear a creaking noise in the back, or a tin can dropped in the distance (having 7.1 headsets, or enabling 3D audio is fully necessary to experience it).
In games like Cyberpunk: 2077, sound design can bring the city alive by adding chatter, music blasting through a night club's speakers, and cars passing in the distance. It really adds a buzz to the city’s night life. A good atmosphere creation adds a sense of place and can bring any world inside the game to life.
Immersion
Bringing the game world to life will immerse the player in it. Perhaps you have noticed in certain games, the footstep sounds vary, depending on the surface you are going through. Small details like this can add a lot to the player's experience.
Immersion is the result of a great atmosphere creation. In consequence, the player goes a layer deeper into the experience and feels they’re part of the world. It is important that the sound design is congruent with the type of world created. Imagine playing Dead Space with sound assets from Mario. Instead of conveying a horrific feeling, the game would be perceived as comedic, and satirical, to say the least.
Immersing sounds can be as simple as the sound of paper when picking up a letter in a night stand, the sound of muffled footsteps when walking on carpet; things that might seem small, but greatly add to the overall experience. Good immersion will always elevate the gaming experience.
Emotional Response
Once you are fully immersed in the video game, you are more susceptible to providing an emotional response, depending on the situation you’ve been put into. It can be as simple as a cutscene where the character says goodbye to a loved one, or a gruesome scene where you are tied up and something is slowly lurking towards you.
Adding the correct sounds to a cutscene might make you feel a certain way. You can be sad, disgusted, happy, melancholic, and feel so many other responses at the same time. The purpose of sound is to further complement the experience, and emotional responses are an essential part of the gaming loop. They can play a huge part in bringing you back to the game.
Feedback
A creaking sound when opening a door in Resident Evil, the distinct headshot sound when you kill someone in Call of Duty, or the sound of your tool breaking in Minecraft are all examples of feedback being provided by sound designers. Sound feedback is used to deepen the experience, and from a design perspective, it unclutters the visual elements in the screen. Why add another visual cue on an already busy HUD when you can provide auditory feedback?
The more organic the feedback feels, the better for the overall experience. Hearing is so natural that often times, we are not thinking about it; auditory feedback is the best way to provide cues to the player.
What about music?
Music is the perfect complement to good sound design. They go hand in hand when sound design takes place. Just on its own, music has the power to evoke strong emotions and transport us to any place, at any time (in our minds). Paired with the visual element of video games, music can make a good game feel majestic.
There are similar elements in music to the ones mentioned previously; both sound and music go hand in hand.
Atmosphere Creation
Music further deepens you into the game and can create an amazing atmosphere. Games like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order use a familiar sound track. The Star Wars saga has very peculiar orchestral music, and playing the game and hearing those same compositions you are fond of will put you in a galaxy far, far away.
Games like Doom have always relied on the Metal Genre to deepen their hectic experience. Since this is a fast-paced game, hearing those metal tunes will make you head-bang through the level, giving you a much-needed adrenaline rush.
Great music selection will always create amazing atmospheres.
Immersion
With the atmosphere already created, music will also immerse you into the game. It’s similar to the sound design type of immersion mentioned previously; it is the consequence of great music and a good atmospheric creation by the sound designers. A cutscene might cue a crescendo in a very specific emotional part, further providing you with immersion.
Immersion is also improved when playing music that is congruent to the game. For example, in GTA, music from the radio stations can help with immersion; it makes you feel that you are listening to the radio. In the Last of Us, the peculiar guitar music provides a nostalgic feeling, like everything was once full of life and thriving. In Uncharted, the wind instruments provide a sense of adventure and awe.
Emotional Response
Music can evoke a plethora of emotions: sadness, happiness, nostalgia, and fear; these are just a handful of emotions that can be felt during a play session. For example, a climactic musical score can heighten the excitement of a boss battle, while a touching ballad can evoke feelings of sadness and nostalgia.
Emotional responses are what create in us a sense of belonging, and a sense of having been part of a journey. We treasure our experiences inside our brains, even our subconscious. That is why we remember some games better than others; it is the reason why we have a list of favorite games.
Closing Thoughts
In conclusion, sound design goes hand-in-hand with music. Paired together, they’re what provides the auditory experience in a videogame. They are used for a variety of reasons that we overlook sometimes. Hearing is so ingrained in ourselves that we take it for granted, often not giving it the proper importance when it comes to experiencing a video game.
I invite you to pay more attention to the work that goes into sound design and music in video games. Next time you play a new game, or dive into a game you are contemplating to finish, take the time to identify how well sound design is implemented; see how it helps by creating an atmosphere, a sense of immersion, and how many emotional responses it evokes.
Do you have any particular game you like because of its sound design? Any particular video game OST or music that you enjoy the most? Let me know in the comments below.
Happy Gaming.
