Games with the best audio/sound design?

Quiz

Quiz

Gawd
Joined
Aug 25, 2010
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647
We always talk about games with the best graphics but what about audio/sound design? What are some games that have excellent audio/sound design? One I can think of is Alien: Isolation.
 
Bleak Faith:Forsaken
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good stuff! I'll probably end up buying this
 
Zelda has been arranged for full orchestral performances independent of the game, so that makes a pretty strong case. I think Civ also has some arrangements like that as well.
 
applegrcoug said:
Zelda has been arranged for full orchestral performances independent of the game, so that makes a pretty strong case. I think Civ also has some arrangements like that as well.
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Just about every game has had an orchestral performance at this point. But if music is included in audio/sound design there are too many games to list.



I submit:

Thief: The Dark Project w/ Aureal 3D
 
The Last of Us Part 1 (and 2 maybe). I didn't realize this when I played through the first one on the console version, but on the PC version, you can crack the safes by listening carefully using headphones. I saw a youtuber do it and I was so surprised, I tried it last night on the PC version of Part 1 and was shocked that it worked. There is a very subtle like sound when you hit the correct number.
 
Rift

EverQuest 2

Dark Age of Camelot

Ultima Online
The best use if Midi sound in any game

Hogwarts Legacy

Darktide

Grim Dawn

Hunt Showdown

Borderlands Boneyard Junction DLC

Sinoer Ghost Warrior 3

Sniper Elite series

Duke Nukem Forever MP

Mechanicus

Call of Duty any of them

Metro Last Light

Demon Souls PS3 version
 
Subnautica - Leviathans screech. nuff said
Alien:Isolation - Alien stomping noise intensifies.
Hellblade:Senua's Sacrifice The whispers sound like they are in your head.
Mass Effect. Reaper sound effects - nuff said
Half Life/Portal games. Great use of ambience sounds.
 
I always liked the musical score in Morrowind though newer games have gotten much better in that regard making it less unique and like all Bethesda games it suffers from using the same dozen or so actors for all the voices.

The Witcher 3 is kind of interesting in that when I first played it with my old 5.1 pc speakers with "better" onboard (that certainly wasn't great but normally sounded decent) the audio quality was awful but when I played it again after getting a decent AVR and better speakers it has probably the best audio quality I've heard in a game. I think part of the reason it's so different is that the game supports dolby d+ which my receiver handles well but the difference was surprising.
 
Bioshock - Original PC version, with the Hardware 3D audio and EAX enabled.
Hellblade:Senua's Sacrifice - Already been mentioned but I'll mention it agian. When enabled, the 3D audio in this is stunning. Especially on headphones.

peppergomez said:
The first thief game for sure
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Any of the Thief games short of the last remake from 2014 feature some really impressive sound. Especially if you jump through the hoops to get Hardware Accelerated 3D audio working and get the EAX effects functional.
 
Metro Exodus is another, some of the areas where you are exploring in the dark and there are ambient noises/monsters groaning but it's otherwise quiet are incredible. Combined with the best ray tracing I've seen in any game, wow, some memorable moments.

For multiplayer, I second Battlefield V, but also BF1 and BF2042 (2042 less than 1/V), when you are in the middle of intense battles with tanks blowing up, planes doing bombing runs etc. it's just awesome.
 
Amnesia: The Bunker could be another one.



More short clips on their YouTube channel.
 
Dead Space Remake
High on Life
Resident Evil 7 & 8
Age of Empires 4
SW Jedi Fallen Order
 
Condemned is probably my #1. So spooky and creepy. The PC version needed an EAX sound card, but I think people have hacked that so it'll output normal surround sound via Windows now. The Xbox version used normal Dolby Digital to perfection.

Gears of War 4 and 5 both feature wonderful surround effects with tons of "oomph" and impact.

The Last of Us 2 hits everything out of the park audio-wise. Great positioning and surround, great sound effects, great voice acting, and great music, too.

While the default audio mix is often questionable (at least on the PC), everything Rockstar makes would qualify.
 
I'm waiting on my ifi Zen v2 amp I never owned a outside Dac Amp just Soundcards like Sounndblaster but this is supposed to be one of the best for the price.
 
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Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne with EAX is also pretty good. I recently played it with EAX using ALchemy.

Edit: The game itself is pure bliss too.
 
I noticed any games utilizing Atmos tend to sound pretty amazing, at least compared to the regular 5.1 mix. I'm not even using height channels but there seems to be some voodoo going on with the 3d sound mixing.
 
Fortnite with 7.2 surround sound is actually pretty freaking cool when there is a lot of action in place. Better than most movies.
 
not sure if music counts, but Medal of Honor: Allied Assault is right up there.. the music was perfect...
 
Metroid Prime
Some nostalgia baked in, but when it came out the audio immediately jumped out to me.
 
Hitman 2 on the PS2, Trouble in Russia performed by the Budapest Symphony Orchestra, it matched so well with the gameplay

 
Bankie said:
Just about every game has had an orchestral performance at this point. But if music is included in audio/sound design there are too many games to list.



I submit:

Thief: The Dark Project w/ Aureal 3D
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I recently re-played Dark Project and Metal Age (probably first time since they were originally released), and good God the sound design is fantastic. They beat the pants off most "stealth" game spacial sound... and are over 25 years old.
 
harmattan said:
I recently re-played Dark Project and Metal Age (probably first time since they were originally released), and good God the sound design is fantastic. They beat the pants off most "stealth" game spacial sound... and are over 25 years old.
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Abit of a Golden age of 3D audio.
 
LittleBuddy said:
I would say Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is the first game I think of when it comes to great audio design.
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Special.K said:
hunt showdown
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OP used the word best, which is subjective, UT then me turned graphics whichbis a less objective in my mind. Not so much about style, but objectively life-like.

These are the first 2 games that came to my mind! Anything with proper binaural audio implemented should be mentioned here. The difference is so noticible.
 
t1337duder said:
I noticed any games utilizing Atmos tend to sound pretty amazing, at least compared to the regular 5.1 mix. I'm not even using height channels but there seems to be some voodoo going on with the 3d sound mixing.
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Definitely. I've noticed more and more PC games starting to use it, too. While it's for an asinine fetchy-type quest, using Atmos audio to find markers in Hogwarts Legacy is pretty phenomenal. I feel like only a few games truly take advantage of the tech full-time, but it's wonderful when they do.
 
Battlefield 1. The gunshots are so crisp and the environmental reverb is :chefs-kiss:

And the guns pack so much oomph. Tank hunter rifle and the AT rocket gun are standouts. Soooo satisfying.

Plus it has the best kill indicator chime of all time. OF ALL TIME.
 
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