Game audio is an invisible practice, when executed well, players barely notice it. Yet, it is fundamental in shaping an engaging experience. In an insightful online guest lecture, David Chan, Audio Director at Hinterland Games, explored the philosophy and craft of video game sound design. Drawing from a career spanning over 37 titles, including Mass Effect, Knights of the Old Republic, and Splinter Cell, he detailed how sound can enhance immersion, create emotional impact, and bring virtual worlds to life.
The Philosophy of Sound Design
Chan described sound design as performing two essential roles: creating an illusion and reinforcing reality. He linked this to historical examples, such as stage performances that used wooden blocks to mimic galloping horses or metal sheets to simulate thunder. The same principles apply to games, where sound designers must craft worlds that feel authentic, even when they do not exist in reality.
A clear example comes from Red Dead Redemption, where audio designers carefully reconstructed the sonic environment of the Old West. The ambient sound of the game—horses neighing, conversations on the streets, distant gunfire—contributes to a sense of time and place. Chan explained how these elements reinforce reality, ensuring that the world feels lived-in. He noted that the game’s soundtrack, inspired by spaghetti westerns, further supports this atmosphere, seamlessly integrating music with environmental sounds.
How Sound Shapes a Scene
One of the most striking examples Chan presented was how sound can completely change the mood of a scene. He demonstrated this by stripping the original audio from a video clip and replacing it with two different soundscapes:
- The first version used subtle ambient sounds like birds chirping and distant city noise, creating a neutral, everyday setting.
- The second version replaced these with an ominous drone and eerie music, transforming the same footage into something foreboding and tense.
This exercise highlighted how sound designers influence perception and steer player emotions without altering the visuals.
A more extreme example of this approach comes from Splinter Cell, where Chan and his team had to create the illusion of a prison riot without actually animating one. Due to technical limitations, they could not show hundreds of rioting prisoners on-screen. Instead, they relied on audio cues—distant shouting, the clanging of metal doors, and muffled alarms—to make players believe chaos was unfolding nearby. As the player moved into enclosed spaces, the soundscape changed, becoming quieter and more muffled, reinforcing the illusion that the riot was occurring just out of sight.
Designing Sound for Fictional Worlds
One of the key challenges in game audio is developing sounds for fantasy and science fiction worlds. Chan spoke at length about Star Wars: The Old Republic, a game set in the Star Wars universe but in an era not explored in the films.
He explained that while they aimed to remain faithful to the franchise’s iconic sounds, many of the game’s effects were newly created. For instance, the game introduced new droids that needed to sound as if they belonged in Star Wars, without directly copying R2-D2’s beeps and whistles. The sound team designed robotic sounds that felt authentic to the universe but were built from scratch.
Another challenge was designing energy weapons for the game’s melee combat—something rarely seen in the Star Wars films. The team had to develop a sound signature that fit within the established audio landscape while remaining distinct from traditional blaster sounds. Chan saw it as a success when players assumed the game had simply reused sounds from the films, when in reality, much of the audio was entirely new.
In Prey, Chan tackled a different challenge: designing sounds for organic weapons. Unlike traditional sci-fi firearms, these weapons were hybrids of living creatures and technology. One example was a grenade-like alien that the player had to rip apart before throwing. To make this sound believable, the team blended:
- Wet, organic textures to give the impression of tearing flesh.
- Squelching and bubbling effects to suggest the creature was still alive.
- Mechanical clicks and pings to remind the player that it was still a weapon.
This careful layering of sounds helped create an unsettling but intuitive experience for players.
Building a Scene with Sound
Chan provided a detailed breakdown of his sound design process using a scene from Prototype. He demonstrated how game audio is constructed layer by layer:
- Environmental Ambience – The first layer consisted of background sounds such as distant city noise, wind, and subtle echoes, setting the foundation for the world.
- Character Actions – Next, footsteps, breathing, and interactions with the environment were added to reinforce the character’s presence.
- Emotional Elements – Music and additional sound cues were introduced to enhance tension, guiding the player’s emotions.
- Final Mix – Once all elements were combined, the scene felt alive and convincing, despite being constructed entirely from separate sound sources.
This method is essential in games, where every sound must be placed with intention. Unlike film, where microphones capture real-world sounds during production, game soundscapes are built from scratch.
The Risks of Distracting Sound Design
While sound design enhances immersion, poorly implemented audio can have the opposite effect. Chan discussed how reusing sounds from other games can break immersion. He pointed to Team Fortress 2, which reused audio effects from Half-Life, making the soundscape feel out of place.
He also shared humorous examples, such as a reimagined Super Mario Bros. scene where realistic voice acting was added to Mario’s jumps, falls, and collisions. The exaggerated grunts and pain sounds turned the classic game into something unintentionally comedic, showing how audio choices can completely shift a game’s tone.
Another example came from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, where a voice line was accidentally repeated in the same conversation. These small mistakes, while often unintentional, can pull players out of the experience and serve as a reminder that they are in a game.
The Human Side of Game Audio
Chan also discussed the role of voice acting in game sound. He played outtakes from recording sessions, showing how voice actors experiment with different tones and deliveries. He noted that good voice performances must match the world—whether it is gritty realism in Watch Dogs or over-the-top fantasy in Jade Empire.
He also shared a humorous example from MDK2, where an alien species communicated by expelling gas—a creative but comedic take on alien speech design. While some sounds need to be grounded in reality, others allow for creative and exaggerated approaches.
Final Thoughts
David Chan’s lecture provided an insightful look at the complexities of game audio, from crafting subtle background sounds to designing entire worlds through sound alone. His key message was clear: Great game audio should be felt, not noticed.
When done well, it deepens the player’s immersion, enhances emotions, and makes virtual worlds more believable. Whether creating the ambience of the Old West, the tension of a sci-fi battle, or the chaos of an unseen riot, the principles he shared continue to shape the way game audio is approached today.