The Hot Topic Returns

[mfnick]

Rocket League.

Used to be Forza Motorsport but since 5 they’ve kind of been shit. Horizon takes that place more nowadays 

[spatular]

Feel like theres quite a few i go back to when i cant decide what to play like rez, rock band, mr driller, tetris, beat saber, and some rhythm games i go back to but not as often like djmax respect, aaero, the persona ones. And i guess halo for multiplayer but thats more when theres people to play with rather than if i cant think what to play.

[Metroid66]

I suppose for most it's about multiplayer, but since I'm not really interested in that side of things (except for Mario kart), I reckon for me it's been Skyrim. I think I've had a game going since it came out, on playstation, Xbox and switch. I've got a one hander/shield build in XSX as we speak. I think there's about 100 hours on that sucker, and I'm planning, for the first time, to become a vampire on that one.

[Sly Reflex]

Currently it's Creeper World 4. If I look at my library and I never know what to play, CW4 has daily stuff for me to chew through while I listen to a podcast.

[AndyKurosaki]

Dead By Daylight. I’ve played it for well over 2000 hours, have the majority of the trophies, Platinum included. But I still really enjoy playing it. Helps that it’s constantly adding new content, and has consistently for 5 years.

[Jimboxy]

Stardew Valley

Picross

Super Mario Odyssey

A Forza Horizon game

GTAV

[AndyKurosaki]

I’ll add F-Zero 99, as I’m often playing that at some point or another.

[Nag]

 

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@Sly Reflex says "What's the best sound design in game you've ever witnessed? It can be a sound effect, a small jingle or a piece of music."

 

[DANGERMAN]

I feel like there's probably countless horror games where half the reason they're effective is because of the sound design. PT for example, hearing that extra footstep, the repeated radio chatter where the volume climbs at the right time, the distortion on the baby, it's really well done. 

 

I was going to mention my often used answer of Dear Esther for how it captures the swirling wind of a remote Scottish island, but also has an amazing score that fits the mood, so I will, but I'll also mention the horror game I always bring up. Enemy Zero. The enemies are invisible, you have to work out where they are by Alien style tracker beeps with pitch and frequency rising as they close in, it's fucking terrifying 

[OCH]

Silent Hill's radio and Alien's radar are good shouts. The way Tomb Raider stuck to ambience until enemies appeared was also memorable. There there are the classics:

 

 

 

[Maf]

Everything around the sound design of the World Serpent from the new GoW games is amazing. It’s basically the only time I can remember being intimidated by a large monster in a recent-ish game.

 

The music that plays when clearing a shrine in TotK is brilliant. It’s spooky, mysterious, heavy and has a lot of gravitas to it. 
 

And playing Metroid Prime Remake gave me a new appreciation for all the sound work in that game. I played it in handheld with headphones and it really is a masterwork in how to create alien atmosphere. 

[Maryokutai]

The game has long since passed its peak but Overwatch has some really effective sound design that actually adds to the readability of what's going on. For example, not only is it possible to recognise each and every hero by their footsteps and attacking sounds, it's also really easy to differentiate between a friendly and an enemy one due to slight differences in volume levels. It's extremely hard to sneak up on people that are wearing headphones. There are also additional flourishes that make for some satisfying moments, like the slightly emphasised Ultimate voice lines or the very satisfying 'ping' sounds for headshots.

 

I'll need to think more about single player stuff but this was my immediate go-to answers just for how noticeable it is on a gameplay level.

[Sly Reflex]

I think there's so many that apply, some of them are obvious, some less so.

 

Just two for now.

 

The "!" sound effect from MGS is excellent. The way it hits, it's really discordant and grates on you, like it really feels like you've been spotted, but transposed to sound. It's sort of horrible in a way, but it's designed to be that way, the way it punches through the silence and kicks off the action music into the search music. It's really the epitome of what you should be looking to do with sounds in games when applied to a mechanic that the whole game swings on. It's excellent.

 

The other is the Torque Bow from Gears. Wow, what an incredible bit of design. It can be heard all over the map, it warns people of an impending shot as the sounds ratchet up before firing off and landing with a think. The way is spreads panic, not only for the people on the receiving end, but also for the person using it because there's such a small window of that there you can kill someone with it, adding pressure to land the shot, but also it's pin pointing you on the map so everyone knows exactly where you are, drawing fire to you to put you under even more pressure. Whoever put that together from a gameplay and audio, feedback and mental perspective is an absolute genius. From every perspective this is a masterclass in sound engineering.

[Nag]

I still say to this day that landing a headshot with the Longshot is the most satisfying sound in gaming...🥰

[Sly Reflex]

OK, three more.

 

The jingle that plays in a Pokéstop when you heal your Pokémon. It's 5 notes long, but the way it hits just gives you a complete sense of well being and relief. It's also heard to much in game but it never gets old somehow? In a world where recorded music has been going for centuries now, having something this simple and catchy is a work of genius. It really is.

 

The voices from Hellblade. They add so much texture and context to the game, as well as driving the plot in ways that aren't really apparent. I think everyone that has an inner monologue could resonate with this and maybe got a bit freaked out with the voices arguing with each other and generally causing your own brain to stumble and freeze because it's getting stunned by the amount of information it's having to process. I think it's really smart.

 

Burnout. Specifically the effect that makes it sound like you're going through a wind tunnel at 200mph where all the bass turns up and makes you want to take risks. What a high that it, especially when you manage to sustain it and the music just continues swelling. Normally ends up in a wipe out, but that whistle of the turbo spinning down if you survive it is also great. What a great series. RIP, Burnout.

[DANGERMAN]

Yeah Hellblade is a good shout, the game isn't as effective without those voices 

[radiofloyd]

In terms of sound design/sound effects, I’d have to have a long think to think of all of them. A few obvious ones spring to mind, the recurring prelude in Final Fantasy, the music that plays in Zelda when you open an important chest. I liked the feedback noise in the Guitar Hero menus. 
 

The melody that plays in Outer Wilds is beautifully done as well.

[AndyKurosaki]

I like how individual Killers have their own music in Dead By Daylight, and that the music gets more intense the closer the Killer gets to you. It’s quite a buzz when they’re on the verge of finding you, but can’t quite manage it because of your years of hiding/juking skills. 

Definitely agree with the Zelda “chest” theme, there’s a reason it’s been used in all of them, it’s so iconic.

 

A recent one, but I love the epic song that plays in Helldivers 2 when you’re waiting for the evac shuttle to arrive.  Also, the music that plays when a Bile Titan rocks up is quite intense. 

 

[OCH]

Not forgetting of course, this little piece from Zelda:

 

 

 

[Nag]

 

Quote

@Sly Reflex says... "What is the most cognitive dissonant thing you've ever seen in gaming? Is there a better way around this act or a way of making the act more fitting for the situation?"