When was the last time a PC game was released that had outstanding audio...

Anarchist420

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Feb 13, 2010
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...either from an artistic perspective (like creative [no pun intended] use of effects, new effects, or a groundbreaking soundtrack like you'd expect from Yuzo Koshiro, Michuru Yamane, or Tommy Tallarico) or from a technical standpoint (like using lossless, 2 channel and 16 bit 44.1 KHz)?

I don't play games as much as I used to, but that last game I played with outstanding music was Order of Ecclesia (although that wasn't a PC game).

These days we're lucky to get a soundtrack like one of the first 3 Devil May Cry games in my opinion. Sonic Generations had decent remixes, but there was very little that was original and it wasn't lossless. Fortunately, I downloaded the soundtrack in FLAC before the tyrants shut it down.
 

Dankk

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Jul 7, 2008
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Amnesia: The Dark Descent made use of audio to become one of the scariest games ever made. The atmosphere, and the scary-ness increased by 1,000% because of it.

Playing that game in the dark with headphones on is really something else.
 

sigurros81

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Nov 30, 2010
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Easy---Battlefield 3. The sound engineering for that game beats out a lot of the hollywood movies I've seen in recent years.
 

KaOTiK

Lifer
Feb 5, 2001
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Bad Company 2 and Battlefield 3 both have excellent audio. The sound effects of when shooting a tank cannon into a building right next to you always made me grin.

I'd give another vote to Amnesia as well, excellent excellent use of audio.

EDIT: Bastion's soundtrack was top notch. IMO the soundtrack and narrator are better than the game itself.
 
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clamum

Lifer
Feb 13, 2003
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I was impressed by the audio in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (and more recently, Battlefield 3). The effects of distant gunfire and explosions are done really well and the games can be incredibly immersive audio-wise. The sound and the environment it created was one of the first things I noticed when I first played the demo of Bad Company 2; I don't typically pay much attention to sound but in those games it really stands out quite a bit to me.

EDIT: lol, beaten to the punch ;)
 

Dankk

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Jul 7, 2008
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Oh shit, how did I forget about Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Yeah, the audio in that game far exceeds anything else I've ever played. The explosions, the sniper fire in the distance, the sound of bullets impacting walls next to you, rockets wizzing past your head... definitely some good audio-design there.

And from what I hear (lolol) Battlefield 3 is even better.
 

slag

Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
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World of Warcraft. I love the different music for the different zones, the Barrens being my favorite. I was playing last night for the first time in a LONG time and I just paused at the crossroads because I was reminiscing how much I missed that music.
 

Rakewell

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Feb 2, 2005
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I thought Bioshock's audio was pretty fantastic... Also, HL and HL2 were pretty great.

I loved the use of music in the HLs... Not always there, but when it was, it was spectacular.
 

DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
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Star Wars TOR makes good use of classic John Williams music as well as new material, and the sound effects are also classic Star Wars SFX.

Borderlands had some great tunes, and good SFX for the weapons.

Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines has some of the best music, ambient noise and SFX of any games I've played.
 
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CrackRabbit

Lifer
Mar 30, 2001
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Though it is a bit different from what you might be looking for...

Bastion.

Best soundtrack ever. And the context sensitive narrator is quite innovative.
 

sigurros81

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Nov 30, 2010
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I will say that Battlefield 3 make getting killed and dying a lot a bit more bearable with the audio. I love the snapping and hissing sound of bullets whizzing by me when I'm getting sniped at :)

On a side note, those who have battlefield 3, do yourself a favor and get a nice surround sound headset--best sound I've ever heard, that includes any blu-rays.
 

Elcs

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Apr 27, 2002
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Dawn of War 2 - Angels of Death

DoW2 has a great soundtrack which suits the game and I guess as a WH40k fiction fan, the sound effects are as I'd expect them to be.

Check out their voice actors: here. Epic!

Star Wars: Republic Commando made good use of 'foley' I think it was. It sounded good and the voice acting was pretty well done
 

paperfist

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Nov 30, 2000
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Bad Company 2 and Battlefield 3 both have excellent audio. The sound effects of when shooting a tank cannon into a building right next to you always made me grin.

I'd give another vote to Amnesia as well, excellent excellent use of audio.

EDIT: Bastion's soundtrack was top notch. IMO the soundtrack and narrator are better than the game itself.

I'd give the edge to Bastion as the whole audio experience is unique.

I don't have my X-Fi card in for BF3/BC2 so I can't compare, but in Battlefield 2 with that card the audio was unbelievable!
 

AFurryReptile

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Nov 5, 2006
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Bastion would have to be the best I can recall, in recent memory.

Others to note were The Witcher 2, Amnesia, and STALKER.
 

AznAnarchy99

Lifer
Dec 6, 2004
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I was impressed with BF3 and BC2's ingame audio, pretty insane - lifelike - quality.

Put it on war tapes and you'll feel like you're in the middle of it. Loud ass explosions with a sense of confusion from the mayhem. Although I had to turn it off cause it really makes it hard to hear vent lol.