Nowadays it feels that everything in video games is hand fed to the player. Gone are the days where you can find something hidden behind a waterfall, alerted by the sparkly sound being emitted by a concealed collectible. Gone are the days of sneaking through halls and knowing where your enemies are by the sounds of their footsteps. Nowadays everything is slapped on a mini map and shown directly to the player. Ambiance and sound design should play a key role in gameplay that just isn’t being explored as much anymore.
I was replaying the hit indie game “Five Nights at Freddys” and wondered, what made this game so effective in the first place? The answer is that it made an effective effort to utilize sound design to its fullest potential. The pizzeria the player finds themselves in is filled with ominous noises that unsettle the player and set the mood. There are sounds of footprints that can alert the player when an animatronic is on the move so you can save on power by not relying on the cameras as much. The titular animatronic, Freddy, laughs every time he moves closer, which can help players prepare for his imminent arrival at the security office. The animatronic, Chica, bangs on pots and pans whenever she’s in the kitchen. There is a wide range of noises and ambiance that can both hinder and help the player as they attempt to survive.
The video game “Minecraft,” does this as well. Each hostile mob and creature has their own sound files for movement and ambient cries. This can alert players to the presence of danger within the game without having to hand feed that information to the player. The game’s infamous cave noises are also a good example, as they randomly play at certain intervals in dark caves that can frighten the player greatly. However they can also be helpful in alerting the player of a nearby cave that they can use to their advantage.
