Sound design is unique because you might not even notice it if done well. Making sure a game feels right sometimes has more to do with how certain noises come together. If a game designer tries to skimp on this aspect, the whole experience can quickly fall apart.
RELATED:Best Sound Design in Horror Games
So while we like to talk about gameplay and graphics, sound design is a hallmark of great immersion. A genre that fundamentally relies on immersion is role-playing. These following games tug you in with engaging environmental sounds and music.
8Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077hada less-than-ideal launch but recoveredand is now one of the more enjoyable RPG experiences. CD Projekt Red has been known for going above and beyond for its sound design, and this game was no exception. The game designer used multiple mics to get the right sounds for cars, used different ambient noises and elements for other parts of the city, and even changed the sound palette depending on the clothing the characters wore.
Music plays a massive role in the cyberpunk ambiance, and CD Projekt went more with 90s metal rock than the general 80s synth wave to give the environmentan oppressive feeling. This choice provides Cyberpunk 20777 with a feeling that is not just a Blade Runner rehash.
7World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft’ssound design is brilliant because if we say something like “Murloc,” a sound effect plays in the back of our heads. These noises are iconic from the swing of your melee weapon or a cast spell.
While the game might stink atgiving gameplay tips, Blizzard lathered Azeroth with a delightful layer of ambiance. It pairs perfectly with the menu and inventory sounds, making moving items around all the more satisfying. Sounds had to shine in MMOs because the player would be questing for a long time, and poor sound design would have made World of Warcraft monotonous.
6Final Fantasy 7
While Final Fantasy 6 was released on the aging Super Nintendo in 1994, Square took the legendary RPG series to the next level withFinal Fantasy 7. The culprit of the leap was the Sony Playstation, whose CD-Rom offered more storage room than cartridges and 24 sound channels compared to eight channels on the SNES.
RELATED:Most Iconic Video Game Sound Bites, Ranked
Square used eight channels for just sound effects and the rest for music. Composer Nobuo Uematsu made the music complement the game like a movie soundtrack, reflecting the moods of scenes forthe game’s epic story. These things combined into one of gaming’s best-ever games and are truly epic in the multimedia sense.
5BioShock Series
The parent of theBioShockseries -System Shock1 and 2 - would beproud of its offspring. The Bioshock series made Rapture come alive as an underwater city. It could have quickly become another video game city, but Irrational Games added creaking effects and leaks throughout levels to give the setting a unique flair.
Hearing the Big Daddy moan or the singing from Lady Comstock adds so much to this haunting environment. The music in the game also elicits our emotions, adding to the experience. It is easy to see why players still rave about how this game sounds.
4Skyrim
All the Elder Scroll games tend to have excellent sound design, butSkyrimis on another level. There is a reason that “Skyrim Ambiance” YouTube videos are numerous and watched a ton. The collection of sounds in Skyrim makes the world come alive, from bubbling streams to wind, idle chatter from characters, and even the roar of a dragon in the distance.
RELATED:The Best Sound And Music Mods For Skyrim
The game’s sound design goes a long way in immersing you and portrays various moods throughout the game. Throw in the epic soundtrack, and you have one of the most delightful audible treatsthat have been re-releasedsix or seven times.
3Demon Souls, Dark Souls, And Bloodborne
Since Demon Souls,Dark Souls, andBloodbornecarry the samehard-to-beatDNA created by FromSoftware, these games sound fantastic. While they all have different sound approaches, they all hit the player with ambient and atmospheric sounds in environments that would give you the creeps.
The music is also applied differently, with Dark Souls 1 emphasizing themes in specific areas and boss fights but otherwise being understated. The other entries use different styles of music, but it’s employed masterfully. If you want to start a debate among Souls fans, ask them which game had the best sound and watch the sparks fly.
2Diablo Series
The originalDiablomight have quaint graphics now, but the sound design still hits. From the sad music in Tristram to the heart-pounding echoed beats in the monastery levels, Diablo is a treat for the ears. Enemies have all sorts of unique noises that can sometimes alert the player before anything becomes visible.
RELATED:Most Satisfying Sound Effects In Video Games, Ranked
Diablo 2andDiablo 3carry on this tradition of excellent sound design, which is a challenging feat considering hack-and-slash RPGs usually have the swing of a blade playing over everything else.
1Witcher 3
The amount of effort CD Projekt Red put into makingWitcher 3sound right was impressive. They didn’t create sounds for a game but rather a soundscape to be experienced. The game developers recorded different aspects of the fantasy settings, from monster noises to sword strikes and weather effects.
To ensure nothing got repetitive, they would record variances and change the pitches on sound effects for actions that would occur often. The game also had an adaptive music system, and the result was incredibly organic-sounding. The sheer amount of audio assets for Witcher 3 makes it one of the best-sounding games ever created.
