Audio In Games : Taken for granted

Most people, when asked what makes this game good, say that graphics and game mechanics are what made this game amazing/great/fun. I promptly ask, how was the music, sound effects, and ambiance. They look at themselves and reach deep into their minds to fetch something which they seem to have lost. After a brief minute or two they say something along the lines of "Yea, it was good.. I think" or "I don't really remember."

I have not conducted a survey of this (yet) but I would bet that a Great game would be pushed down to Good or even Mediocre if they played it the game first with mute on. The experience is literally cut down. Sound is very subconscious and it sets the moods and lets the players know if to expect something or if they should be picking up the pace.

An example of this is Half Life 2. I decided to dissect the game and figure out why I enjoyed it so much (a discipline that ALL game designers should adhere to and practice!) I played the game as it was intended. (Normal difficulty, Full Graphics, Full Audio, no personal music or distractions) I let myself go and immersed myself in this world. I became Gordon Freeman - felt kind of empowering.

What I found out about this was not only about AMAZING level design (pacing, flow, guidance,difficulty) but paid more attention to the sounds of the game. In the first level where Gordon is in the apartment building and Civil Protection(CP) is basically raiding the building and taking everyone out, I can hear footsteps on wood, clanking of dishes, CP vehicles driving back and forth on the streets below, leaky pipes, birds, wind, and Dr. Breen addressing a letter from a Concerned Citizen. It was perfect. I felt like I was in this building, I felt the bad vibes of the whole deal. I was immersed entirely.

The entire game was like this and I appreciate the game developers attention to detail that much more! So next time you play one of your favorite games, don't take sound for granted. Snap on some good headphones and soak in the sounds in games.