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Comment by robertlagrant | Hacker News Reader

Why did you make the guys with exploding heads who run at you and their scream gets louder as they approach? I can still hear them.

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Why wouldn't they? It's called great sound design. Games of the 90s and early 2000s put a lot of effort in that. See Thief the dark project. Sound design can bring more immersiveness than graphics alone. It's something forgotten in many games of today that keep beating the ray traced graphics horse

I think it was a playful rhetorical question.

I think it was a rhetorical question. I wasn't a big fan of the SS series, but those damn kamikaze still echo in my mind. I've even had nightmares about them...

the way they start in the distance and blend into the rest of the sounds until... ".. wait what's that sound?"

I love Thief - I am playing new levels (I think its black parade)

One of my favourite games.

Oh you can thank Creative for buying Aureal and throwing it in the trash. That crippled immersive/3D game sound design for a long time, I wouldn't be surprised if that had ripple effects l the way into today. Also there is no need to rag on ray tracing, a nicely ray traced game look wonderful. Ideally we have a feast for eyes as well as ears though.

The Witch in Left 4 Dead. Whoever cooked up the audio for that deserves an Oscar.

https://youtu.be/C71U4CxD_J8?si=dvaDyhYCKtb5f069

That's like one of the key selling features of the game. Great experience that also scars you for life.

Exactly. See also: first headcrab fight with only a crowbar in Half-life.

This is THE one thing I remember from playing Half-life :)

The other thing is when it comes over the intercom: Forget about Freeman! Anyone still down there is on there own!

The worldbuilding in Half-life was so good. You weren't a character walking into rooms and enemies would attack you, like Doom and Quake. There was a big event happening, and you were just a part of it.

It's quite memorable in VR as well! If you get the chance I highly recommend playing HL Alyx with a valve index setup.

It was on par with my first playthrough of the original HL so many years ago.

The noises... the noises!

Which are actually voice lines of people in torment played in reverse.

Huh, it didn't do anything for me, I dodged it on the first jump and caught it mid-flight baseball bat style. The pack of sonic dogs was way worse. And the beaked hydra, with the constant metal drumming, ugh.

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