Sound design plays a huge role in the success or failure of a game. It is something that can often be overlooked. When a game has music and sound effects that match its gameplay, the player is immersed in the game universe and feels a stronger connection the characters and environment of the game.
Examples[]
Overwatch[]
The new first person shooter by Blizzard (Overwatch), has done a magnificent job with their sound design. All of the music, sound effects and audio contribute to the game and ands character to all aspects of the game. Not only do the sounds and music seem to fit each character and map perfectly, the game also has characters say things to
one another during gameplay which helps build backstories and reinforces the characters relationships with one another.
Limbo[]
Limbo has music and sound effects that match exactly to the tune of the game, like the blurry sound when player dive into water or the music when player enter the town. Together they echoed with graphic and gameplay, create a extremely uncanny feeling for players.
Ape Escape[]
In Ape Escape, the player can crawl to become stealthier and avoid detection from enemies. When the player does this, several sound channels in the music stop playing, usually including the main melody channel. This helps the player feel stealthy by tuning the music to be more low-key as they crawl along the ground. Muting sound channels (or adding extra channels) is a good way of making music feel dynamic to the player's actions.
Halo[]
Halo is an excellent example of sound design being essential to gameplay. The driving beat of the background music gives the feeling of urgency. The music in this game is just incredible! Outside of that is the sound effects which are equally amazing. These sounds together give the game the player a feeling of realism.
Donkey Kong Country: Ambiance (Underwater Level)[]
In Donkey Kong Country, the ambiance level that takes place underwater exemplifies high quality music and sfx for player immersion. The sound effects place players into the scene seemlessly, using subtle bubble noises whenever Donkey Kong swims forward and emits bubbles from his mouth. Even the sound effects of Diddy Kong pounding on the barrel are muted and filtered to provide the sense of an underwater environment. The background music uses heavy reverb toward the same effect and helps create a sense of large spacial volume, even isolation.
The song is so popular, it has become the object of acapella for famous YouTuber SmoothMcGroove
