The Invisible Importance of Audio in Games

Be honest when was the last time you noticed an element of audio while playing a game?

Hardly ever right? OK, that’s probably not entirely true as I know a lot of people’s ear perk up at a good piece of music in a game. And then they proceed to binge the whole soundtrack on end for the next few weeks.

But what about the sounds. Do you remember the footstep sounds that a character emits? Do you notice the sounds of a character opening a door? The rush of the wind or other ambiances? If you do then great but a majority of people won’t really consciously remember a lot of the sounds present in a game as they play.

So why is it needed you ask?

Well simply think about a game without any sounds at all. This would seem strange right? Unnatural? Take any game and completely kill the sound; it ends up feeling bare in some sense.

This is because when playing a game sometimes we like a sense of realism. To get immersed in a world even a fantasy land we need something that may tie it to the real world. And in reality, there are sounds all around us all day. Again our footsteps on the carpet/wood floors as we rush around. The kettle boiling as we make our 5th cup. The wind whistling by our ears as we walk. Cars passing by. We are surrounded by sound. Of course, we don’t tend to notice this either unless it stands out or we’re focused on it. This is because we tend to not fully take things in if we don’t need to. However subconsciously we still hear and perceive them so their absence would be missed to some degree. It's the same in the game world. By putting sounds to the actions and environments we’re put in we make the game world seem more real and lifelike.

In a sense, music is different because is not naturally occurring but is a big part of almost everyone’s lives. I’m pretty sure I don’t go more than a day without listening to some music and it’s probably the same. So music is not naturally occurring like sound however it still seems like a natural part of our lives and so helps to attach the player to the game.

In addition to adding a sense of realism, audio can evoke certain emotions in the player. This can range to a variety of things. Such as making the player feel anxious and on edge in a horror game like little nightmares which creates tension and intensity through its music and through sound. For example having the character’s heartbeat present when enemies are close and having it get louder the closer they are. Or to make the player feel animated or geared up (pun intended) in a racing game. Music can be a powerful tool for this as music can be a driving force for conveying an emotion however sound is also very useful as well as it can indicate what’s happening on and off-screen help the player to form feelings based on that information.

Audio can also help to tell a story. This is very similar to conveying and expressing the emotions the game developer wants you to feel however is more about an indication of the game’s story and plot. A good example of this is The Last of Us. In particular, the infested of the game make very unique sounds that tell the story of this infested land. In addition, there are points in the story to which the accompanying music conveys clearly the feeling of the environment. Another game that takes advantage of audio throughout the story is Bastion. The whole game and all of the character's actions and interactions are told whilst playing with the voice acting of this omniscient narrator. This adds a bit of humour to the game but also helps to maybe indicate parts of the plot which the developers want the player to focus on.

In addition, sound can act as a source of feedback/response to a player's action or indication and of what the player should do. This often occurs to give the player a sense of reward if a player picks something up or a sense of being closer to death when a player gets hurts. Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild does an amazing job of this. Having very pleasant tonal sounds for things like opening chests, Gaining hearts, cooking delicious meals, completing shrines, etc. On the other side, it has very good indicators for when the player is low on health and needs to possibly eat something as well as sounds which play when Link is cold until he layers up or when the environment is too hot and Link needs to put on some protective gear. This can give the player a more satisfying experience and give them a sense of urgency or guidance throughout.

Leading onto guiding the player audio can act as a form of alert for the player. To indicate that something is happening and that the player should prepare. A common example of this is in FPS games like Apex Legends where enemy footsteps and gunshots can be heard in the specific direction the player is coming from before the enemy is seen in order to alert the player to a potential enemy. This can help to give the player an advantage to survival. Another example where games will use sound or a change of music to indicate a big event is about to happen such as a boss battle. Again sound presents a good way of presenting this information but a change in pace of music can also go a long way to reflect a change of pace in the game.

These factors of importance can be really pivotal for an audio designer to think about and use when designing a game's soundscape. However to create a more enriching audio experience the designer can take multiple of these into consideration. Playing towards or keeping even one in mind when designing can help to provide a good gaming experience but I believe the most immersive one would employ these factors together in order to convey a whole experience.

So after the many uses and importance audio can present why does it usually go unnoticed. It goes back to realism and that if the sound is creating that realism then it will seem natural and not the primary focus. If the sound is just appropriate then it should blend with the game and go unnoticed. However audio will only stand out if it is uniquely presented, is the focus of the scene or in the unfortunate event, the sound is jarring/doesn’t fit ( maybe the sound is too loud, too quiet, or just isn’t right for the situation).

Audio design seems to take more of a background role than the other aspects of a game, such as the visuals or game-play. However, it is an integral part of making a game feel like a cohesive product and helps to complement the other elements mentioned above.

So a question to end for everyone reading; what’s a piece of audio (sound or music) that stuck out to you from a game? Personally, some of my favourites are the World serpent in God of war and just general clicker sounds in Last of Us (and 2).