George Pack

Viewfinder if free for the month on PS+ so I'm giving it a go. Just wanted to highlight small detail I really enjoyed, which is how the audio for ambience adjusts based on the art style of your surrounding area.

Scared to search for an example to include here in case I get spoilers but I recently started playing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and the sound design for hand-to-hand combat did NOT disappoint

Finished my play through of Dredge and even though I got the worse version of the bad ending, I still had a really good time with it.

"keep an ear out" hell yeah that's exactly what I'm gonna do, I love doing that in fact

TL:DR Dredge has a really engaging, well thought out approach to audio and I'll probably be doing more train of thought posts about it as I play through.

I love games that create a-rhythmic soundscapes which forces the player to actively listen. It's such a clever use of audio, especially in horror games, that doesn't rely on asset creation or even innovative implementation to build tension and keep the player engaged.

Compare that to this night-time clip. The player's reduced vision is taken advantage of by including sounds which are not clearly define as either diegetic or non-diegetic. As the player's mental state deteriorates, these "trans-diegetic" sounds increase in frequency, creating a sense of panic.

Here is some daytime gameplay. It's only a short clip unfortunately but everything is calm and serene. There's some melancholic, eerie music playing and some sparse wildlife. The player's vision is complete unimpeded, as its a clear and sunny day.

Finally got round to playing Dredge and after only a couple of hours of gameplay, I'm really loving the creative choices made with the audio for this game, in particular the contrast between day and night ambiences.

The audio direction in this game is amazing but in particular I love the reserved use of music to emphasise certain emotions. Obviously I'm biased as a sound designer but the diegetic soundscape being given room to breathe elevated the experience of the game massively for me.

Finished my playthrough of Jusant yesterday and this post will have some minor spoilers.

I loved the creative choice for the beginning of the credits to be accompanied only by rainfall. It felt so calm and tranquil, like finally being able to rest after the journey taken throughout the game.

The mix is also used to sell the space - the footsteps and foley are so much quieter in this area because the wind is masking them. However, the wind isn't actually "louder" in real terms because that would get fatiguing, so the other elements are pulled back to imply the loud wind.

Been playing a little more Jusant and recorded some examples of the dynamic reverb in action. So simple but so effective in selling the space

...which will only begin to decrease when things like financial barriers to entry are lifted, and opportunities are made equally available to everyone.

Thank you for reading my off-the-cuff rambling :)

YouTube video by TheJamVEVO The Jam - Strange Town

...put together, including my time at University.

I'm lucky to have never felt genuinely discriminated against because of my class - any comments made have been lighthearted banter. But, it still highlights a clear divide between class backgrounds in the games industry...

youtu.be/QwP__XXyh0I?...

Does the UK video games industry have a class problem? A non-profit organisation is trying to create more pathways into the sector for working-class people.

Very interesting read, particularly the part about working class people currently in games feeling "othered". As someone who is working class, I can definitely relate to that feeling. I've had more comments on my accent from games industry folk than other people...

www.bbc.com/news/article...

...and also sells the scale of the environments you find yourself in throughout the game. While playing I felt very insignificant and small and I think if the overall soundscape was teeming with wildlife and background music, a lot of that feeling would be reduced.

I also love the creative decision to use reserve music for "moments" in Jusant, rather than having something playing at all times. For me it creates both a feeling of isolation, but also of peacefulness and calmness. The sparse approach to ambience reinforces that...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bmw_...

YouTube video by No Commentary Casual Gaming Jusant Demo Gameplay (No Commentary)

I finally played Jusant for the first time yesterday and fell in love with the use of dynamically adjusted reverb. I'd guess that more games than not have similar functionality, but Jusant's simplicity really allowed it to shine through.

youtu.be/G5-vQeUcy0c?...

YouTube video by EndlessAbyss Lego Star Wars Death Noise Origins (Updated/Expanded Version)

Okay I'm not exactly reviving the list because its been weeks, but I found this very interesting video on where the Lego Star Wars characters got their death sounds: www.youtube.com/watch?v=f839...

I honestly thought it was just the devs going "uh" into a mic up until now

Been cooking up something with the team at @lunabootstudios.bsky.social for a few months now and we're showcasing it at GaMaYo 24!

YouTube video by MKIceAndFire HALO REACH Gameplay Walkthrough Campaign FULL GAME [4K 60FPS PC ULTRA] - No Commentary

Entry #105: The Falcon from #Halo:Reach. As I learned more about mixing in games, I gained an appreciation of noisy vehicles and how effortlessly good design sits in a mix without feeling filtered or weak.The Falcon's chopper-inspired design is such a great example of that.

youtu.be/-YYac6TD15g?...

YouTube video by Captain Keyes The doors of Halo 3-sound effects

Entry #104: Doors from #Halo3. I was looking to put together an audio mood board of sci-fi doors for a project and remembered Halo 3 having some instantly recognisable and varied door opening sounds.

youtu.be/c3FehZJXYfo?...

YouTube video by bloodcellproductiongaming Knockout City - Sniper Ball Is Scary

Entry #103: #KnockoutCity. Loved this game when it first came out, and I was sad to see it close down. The game had such a strong audio direction but something which feels often overlooked is how well balanced the mix is. Everything you need to hear is so clearly audible.

youtu.be/qjG_WqGoaDY?...

YouTube video by mckenna Red Dead Redemption 2 Ambience - New Austin (No Music)

Entry #102: Ambience in #RedDeadRedemption2. So much detail goes into creating an immersive soundscape that I think is super easy to miss while playing. It's so nice sometimes to just turn off the music and listen to the ambience - it makes such a difference to immersion.

youtu.be/FVX_mUrTsR0?...

YouTube video by HJ's Corner Deconstructing Tomorrow Never Knows (Isolated Tracks)

Entry #101: Tape Loops from Tomorrow Never Knows by #TheBeatles. I've found a video and time stamped the exact texture I'm talking about. No idea what they started with or what they did to get there, but the final sound is so interesting and unique.

youtu.be/gyNF9WVb1gM?...

YouTube video by H & I Kenobi Bringing Sexy Back

Obviously this was a very shit April fools entry. I had to record the clip to avoid YouTube's preview spoiling it, but now we're post-1st of April here is the original in all its glory: youtu.be/4EGbw-89U-o?...

Entry #100: Obi-Wan's leitmotif from #StarWarsRevengeOfTheSith. This one exists in a real grey area - is it music or sound? Either way, it subtly communicates so much of Obi-Wan's state of mind at the climax of RotS using just its timbre and sets the scene for the upcoming lightsaber duel perfectly.

YouTube video by REXKWANDOE Battlefield 1 plane sounds

Entry #99: Planes from #Battlefield1. My personal favourite vehicle from my personal favourite Battlefield game. I love the roar of the engines, designed expertly to sit far back enough for other sounds to come through, whilst being a constant threat to infantry.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqVU...