Silence in Games

When we think of the sounds in games, we often think of the amazing soundtracks that composers create for the game. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has an amazing soundtrack¹ by Marcin Przybyłowicz and Mikolai Stroinski that firmly communicates the setting and tone. It evolves with the pace of the game, scoring epic battles and tender reunions alike. The Hades soundtrack², composed by the brilliant Darren Korb, is driving and frenetic, perfect for the rogue-like action-oriented gameplay. And there's no denying the cultural impact of the Undertale soundtrack³ - composed by the game's developer, Toby Fox - has had, with many fan renditions^{4 5} and an official anniversary concert⁶ performed live in Tokyo, Japan. (I started listening to RichaadEB's Determination⁵ whilst writing this, and it is perfect for motivation.)

However, silence is also a powerful tool. It provides a break, time for the player to assess what has happened and might happen next. The Witcher 3 soundtrack is often cinematic in its arrangement, accenting scenes very well, but it is also masterfully designed to blend into the background. The sounds of dulcimer harps and traditional European instruments often sound like they might be floating by in the (howling) wind, especially in the dense cities of Novigrad and Oxenfurt. The atmosphere of Pathologic is dependent on the silence provided by walking to and from your bound (people the player must protect). As noted by hbomberguy in his video on the game⁷, it creates a sense of unease and mystery, making you think about the many resources you have to juggle whilst considering who might be playing you for their own ends. Other games, like Minecraft⁸, use silence as a way to prompt creativity, allowing you to think and plan what you want to do, rather than attempting to elicit a specific mindset as in The Witcher 3 or Undertale. Minecraft's music engine doesn't use states like other games, which alternate between combat and ambience, choosing to randomly play tracks - all of a similar vibe - whenever it desires. c418's compositions⁹ are beautiful and iconic - especially Wet Hands, Subwoofer Lullaby, and Sweden - but they rarely match the adventurous and energetic world that Minecraft has now become, with its many boss monsters, survival challenges, and ruins to explore, all of which require a different mindset.

Not every game gets the balance right, however. What would a video game essay be without mention of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim? Skyrim has a problem with letting the player be still and think. With all of its random encounters, dungeons every few meters, and distracting bugs, players are rarely given the chance to admire the wonderful world that Bethesda crafted back in 2011. Walking in Skyrim feels, to me, like a chore. The paths are long and winding, rarely making sense, and the constant threat of enemy encounters causes me to be hyper-vigilant. Most of my modern playthroughs are carefully managed as to not trigger random dragon attacks. In my current survival playthrough, I have spent most of my time in the Whiterun region, working up my strength and resources for more challenging areas. The underlying issue is that, 13-year-old game or not, the story of Skyrim does not lend itself to contemplation. As has been seen time and again^{10 11 12 13 14}, stopping to think about the story of Skyrim results in confusion, people seeing what Bethesda was trying to do but ultimately failed to produce. This doesn't mean that there isn't beauty and peace to be found in Skyrim. Any Austin's video Is there peace and quiet to be found in Skyrim?¹⁵ shows this wonderfully. However, this video also demonstrates further that stopping to think about the environment and the story it tells breaks the illusion (see the Lighthouse (10:24)).

Sound is a vital consideration when designing a video game, especially in regard to immersion. It pulls the player in or pushes them away. What they hear should be in harmony with what they see and experience, doubly so if all they hear is their inner voice.