Games with Best Audio

[AKS]

In most video game forums, it seems that audio is often almost completely overlooked compared to visuals and image quality. I thought things might be quite a bit different here in a Polk forum, so I thought I'd ask which games you have found to have the highest quality audio.

In my experience, I noticed that just about every game with elite audio is either on the Playstation 3 or PC. For a device that now costs $299, the PS3 is a little audio monster, and the PC is always known to be the most powerful gaming device on the market. To my ears, the game with the highest quality sound I've experienced so far has been Uncharted: Drake's Fortune for the PS3 (7.1 LPCM audio), although Crysis, Warhawk, SOCOM Confrontation, Dead Space, Metal Gear Solid 4, and a few others also sound incredible.

So what are your experiences, findings, and opinions?

[Knucklehead]

XBOX360 rock band

[nguyendot]

Dead Space has the best implementation of digital surround on a console I have seen thus far. Hook up 5.1, turn out the lights, and be scared.

[Gaara]

Dead Space has the best implementation of digital surround on a console I have seen thus far. Hook up 5.1, turn out the lights, and be scared.

Ditto. Honestly any AAA game is going to be solid audio.

Gears of War 2 was a blast all the way through, with the intro being a standout which gets you pumped up.

Dead Space was phenomenal and totally nailed the atmosphere.

Bioshock was the same way, the sound recordings and ambient affects pulled you into the game.

Killzone 2 was similar to GoW2, weak dialogue but amazing music and effects that really bring you into the world.

Company of Heroes on the PC is a standout for me, everything just sounds so real.

[kuntasensei]

Dead Space was simply stunning. Best use of surround I've heard in a game, and definitely increased the scare factor. Bioshock was also very immersive.

Played quite a bit of Batman: Arkham Asylum last night, and the sound in that game is PHENOMENAL. I'm seriously blown away that they finally made a Batman game that is GOOD and makes you feel like Batman. Definitely worth a buy.

[Face]

Bioshock

[lanion]

Not all AAA games have great audio...

Dead Space is the best audio I have heard in a game.... Bioshock is a close 2nd.

But Gears of War 1 for example had lousy audio. Halo 3s was acceptable but nothing that drew me in at all. Call of Duty 4, again as AAA as you can get has good audio, but not great.

[concealer404]

I was always somewhat impressed with the audio on the more recent Unreal Tournament games, as outdated as they are these days.

[lanion]

If anyone every sees gizmodo or IGNs ultimate setups, most people have sweet TVs and projectors but a HTIB audio system. Its not surprising why audio gets left behind sometimes.

[tommyboy]

If anyone every sees gizmodo or IGNs ultimate setups, most people have sweet TVs and projectors but a HTIB audio system. Its not surprising why audio gets left behind sometimes.

Here was a recent poll on gamefaqs...

http://www.gamefaqs.com/poll/index.html?poll=3557

As you can see, Even vast majority of serious gamers don't have a full surround system... So it obivously won't be top priority...

Yes, bioshock sounds amazing... Another which might be a shock to you is half life 2, even though its five years old now it still sounds amazing. Nothing like shooting down an airship and hear it explode in the backround while your whole house is shaking:p

[AKS]

If anyone every sees gizmodo or IGNs ultimate setups, most people have sweet TVs and projectors but a HTIB audio system. Its not surprising why audio gets left behind sometimes.

I guess that explains why those guys rarely say anything about HD audio. I think stereo, 5.1, and 7.1 are the only increments many of those guys know. I have a 7.1 HT, but quality is far more important to me than the number of speakers.

It also doesn't help that developers/ publishers aren't great about even informing consumers of the sound formats they use in a game.

[Gaara]

Not all AAA games have great audio...

Dead Space is the best audio I have heard in a game.... Bioshock is a close 2nd.

But Gears of War 1 for example had lousy audio. Halo 3s was acceptable but nothing that drew me in at all. Call of Duty 4, again as AAA as you can get has good audio, but not great.

You didn't like the audio in GoW? I thought it was great, but was bested by GoW2. Halo 3 I wasn't a big fan of in general, audio not withstanding, and I haven't played Call of Duty 4 in a while but I recall it being good.

I guess it depends on your definition. I find most AAA games a step above the standard...all though the standard is quite low compared to other media.

It also doesn't help that developers/ publishers aren't great about even informing consumers of the sound formats they use in a game.

Your right, you kinda gotta do the research yourself. I always read reviews for games on IGN and see what they have to say about the audio quality. I do recall some games having their audio marketed, one of the GTAs comes to mind w/ Dolby Digital, and Killzone 2 had some fancy 7.1 audio codec that got lots of press.

Its sad that graphics get so much fanfare but the other 50% of the experience gets little to no coverage.

[Nicknice]

I have to go with Bioshock as well. The soundtrack really created the atmosphere of the game.

[lanion]

You didn't like the audio in GoW? I thought it was great, but was bested by GoW2. Halo 3 I wasn't a big fan of in general, audio not withstanding, and I haven't played Call of Duty 4 in a while but I recall it being good.

I guess it depends on your definition. I find most AAA games a step above the standard...all though the standard is quite low compared to other media.

The dynamics were kind of weak... gun shots had no oompf... and the big boss fights and explosions were really lacking in any good bass. Hammer of dawn attacks should have more impact than a big daddy walking around.

[comfortablycurt]

Here was a recent poll on gamefaqs...

http://www.gamefaqs.com/poll/index.html?poll=3557

As you can see, Even vast majority of serious gamers don't have a full surround system... So it obivously won't be top priority...

Wow...that's a pretty astonishing figure.

The audio track is half of the game experience...I almost never play video games, and I fully realize that. You'd think more of the hard core gamers would be investing in quality audio...to get the full experience out of it.

[Gaara]

The dynamics were kind of weak... gun shots had no oompf... and the big boss fights and explosions were really lacking in any good bass. Hammer of dawn attacks should have more impact than a big daddy walking around.

Interesting, thanks for the response. I was planning on playing that again soon, guess I will have to compare the two. I do recall that the fight w/ the female locust the screams were cool but when she knocked down walls I felt it was lacking. Totally forgot the big daddy walking, I love when you get knocked down and he walks up to you, the room shakes due to the SBS + buttkicker.

[AKS]

You didn't like the audio in GoW? I thought it was great, but was bested by GoW2.

I have to say I also wasn't blown away by the audio in the Gears games, and I love both Gears 1 and 2. It sound very good, but I wasn't finding myself looking around the room or out the window wondering whether the sound was real like I was with Uncharted, Metal Gear Solid 4, or Dead Space. I actually thought a bird might have flown through an open window into my apartment when I was playing Uncharted; I'm not kidding about that. My brother ducked and almost dropped my PS3 controller when playing Dead Space; it was hilarious watching him play a game with surround sound for the first time (he's not that into home theater stuff), especially one that completely freaked him out! :D :p

Gears had some very satisfying sound effects, but it still always sounded like a game to me rather than a movie or even real life. I do consider it an excellent, well-rounded game with very graphics and good sound, however. I just don't find it to be among the game's I'd use to show off my stereo.

[AKS]

Wow...that's a pretty astonishing figure.

The audio track is half of the game experience...I almost never play video games, and I fully realize that. You'd think more of the hard core gamers would be investing in quality audio...to get the full experience out of it.

Maybe it's economics that's partially behind this. My Panasonic PZ85u plasma (46 in; 1080p) cost a heck of a lot less than my seven Polk VM speakers, and I'm going to dump another big chunk into a nicer receiver eventually. I think just one of my front speakers (VM30) debuted for about $1100 (not that I paid anywhere close to that, mind you), whereas my 1080p plasma TV started at $1400 and can now be had for under a grand. Unless you are buying ultra expensive OLEDs, it's cheaper to get a really nice TV than a really nice stereo.

[comfortablycurt]

Maybe it's economics that's partially behind this. My Panasonic PZ85u plasma (46 in; 1080p) cost a heck of a lot less than my seven Polk VM speakers, and I'm going to dump another big chunk into a nicer receiver eventually. I think just one of my front speakers (VM30) debuted for about $1100 (not that I paid anywhere close to that, mind you), whereas my 1080p plasma TV started at $1400 and can now be had for under a grand. Unless you are buying ultra expensive OLEDs, it's cheaper to get a really nice TV than a really nice stereo.

True, the economy probably has something to do with it, but when you figure in that a lot of the people in that poll probably had TV's that cost $1200+, you'd think they could have sprung for some audio at least slightly better. There are decent HTIB setups out there that cost less then $400...they aren't going to even compete with a good component system, but it's still gotta be better than the speakers in the majority of the TV's out there.

According to that poll, over 70% of the people who participated were using their TV speakers. The speakers in my TV haven't even been used in years...lol...

[AKS]

True, the economy probably has something to do with it, but when you figure in that a lot of the people in that poll probably had TV's that cost $1200+, you'd think they could have sprung for some audio at least slightly better. There are decent HTIB setups out there that cost less then $400...they aren't going to even compete with a good component system, but it's still gotta be better than the speakers in the majority of the TV's out there.

According to that poll, over 70% of the people who participated were using their TV speakers. The speakers in my TV haven't even been used in years...lol...

Yeah, it's obvious people tend to undervalue audio. I was just pointing out that buying a nice TV is much cheaper than buying a nice stereo system. I started off with a Yamaha HTIB a few years ago, which I sold cheap to my younger brother (now his first surround sound setup).

[avelanchefan]

1) Bioshock....hands down.

2) Rainbow Six series (Xbox and Xbox 360) Saved my ass multiple times when playing on live. The footsteps being heard, gunfire, etc... are replicated perfectly. I dont know how many times I have heard footsteps from behind me (rear speakers) and to turn around and get a kill.

3) F.E.A.R. (1 and 2) ..... It creeped me out. And I thought the audio had a lot to do with it. Again great use of surrounds when the enemy is near. You can pinpoint based on their walking or gunfire.

[kuntasensei]

Damn right on Rainbow Six, Ave... Surround is a HUGE assist in that game, especially in Terrorist Hunt!

[Polkie2009]

Dittos on Rainbow Six, I picked up the RSV2 on Xbox360 a couple of months ago , and had a chance to play the PS3 version of it last week on a friends PS3 Slim. Maybe it's just me but I thought the audio was a little better on the PS3 version.Both are excellent:)

[avelanchefan]

Damn right on Rainbow Six, Ave... Surround is a HUGE assist in that game, especially in Terrorist Hunt!

LMAO...Yes terrorist hunt is where it assists you the most. Especially when the terrorists are screaming at you for killing their friends. I mean seriously how many times after you shoot someone and you can hear a terrorist talking behind you, such a nice advantage when you are the last player standing.

[bevo]

I'd put socom confrontation on the list. I'm almost certain it's 7.1. I get gunshot sounds out of the back speakers without switching to ex, or plx II. The best thing about it is the lack of noise in the background. Almost all of the gunshots and explosions you hear are happening in the game. The guns are the most realistic i've heard, and the grenade explosions will shake the room.

You can literally not even look at the compass that shows where shots are coming from because the surround sound is so precise. It's hilarious when you hear someone sneaking up behind you, and you turn around and shoot them before they know what happened. I get blamed for cheating on occasions for killing people getting ready to come up behind me and try and knife me.

Another cool thing is that when your close enough to someone on the other team you can hear them talking through the tv. So if you think someone on the other team is close to you, you can't use your mic because it will give away your position.

Out of all the shooters I've played, the new socom sounds the most like I imagine a small military skirmish would sound like. Loud, and intimidating.

Speaking of socom, if anyone in here plays send me a pm and we can get some games in together. I'm always looking for a reason to play a few rounds.

[tommyboy]

Damn right on Rainbow Six, Ave... Surround is a HUGE assist in that game, especially in Terrorist Hunt!

I don't know how many times I've been called a cheating noob or camper on COD4 cause I would hear someone coming from around the corner and aim before I see them. Or when someone thinks they are sneaking up on me and soon as I hear them turn around and pop them in the head:p. I'm half decent at COD but I know surround gives me a big advantage over othe players

[AKS]

Speaking of socom, if anyone in here plays send me a pm and we can get some games in together. I'm always looking for a reason to play a few rounds.

I just ordered SOCOM with the mic bundle yesterday, so it will take me awhile to get up to snuff. I will probably have plenty of time to enjoy the audio after being slaughtered in the first minute.

I wish they'd make a realistic game like SOCOM with a co-op mode. A friend of mine is a former Army Ranger sniper and I'm a former Marine. We'd have love to play something like that. Maybe Zipper will make one after they release MAG.

[Pepi28]

Dead Space is awesome in surround sound. I dont play it with the lights out.

[AKS]

Dead Space is awesome in surround sound. I dont play it with the lights out.

I decided Dead Space would be the perfect choice to introduce my brother to surround sound in games. He had never played anything that didn't output sound out of the TV speakers. My set of Polk VM speakers gave him quite a surprise! :D He was ducking, looking over his shoulder, and almost dropped the controller once. Totally freaked him out. :p

[AKS]

I tried out SOCOM Confrontation in 7.1, and it has some of the best audio I've heard in a game.