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

[Arkadrel]

Ive had a thing for Final Fantasy games for along time.

One of the things that always strikes me if the music in the games.
It works incredibly well, its like the old disney movies used to be.

I played FFXI for along time, and listening to the differnt zones,
music themes makes me feel all nostalgic about the game.


**also:

feel that music is important for setting a atmosphere in games.
However alot of cheesey sound effects and voice acting is just wasted $.

Id rather they spend more $ on the story writers for the game, and just have to read the dialog, if it comes down to lousy short voice acting vs haveing to read a good writen story.

 

[pw38]

Skyrim has an amazing score.

The rest of the audio is meh, at best.

I have to disagree with your second statement. I think the overall sound quality in Skyrim is damned impressive. Maybe because I play with a full Klipsch Reference setup with a higher-end Denon receiver but still, I'm always impressed by it.

 

[busydude]

The Hitman series and The Witcher series.

:wub: Jesper Kyd.

 

[Stringjam]

BF3 is superb in that regard. You really get a sense of space and proximity with the sounds that I really don't think I've experienced in any other game to the same extent.

I think Crysis 2 has some of the best weapon sounds....some better than BF3. The Jackall shotgun is glorious, as is the Hammer handgun.

The original Crysis had some of the best movement noise. The sound transitions from walking on sand to forest floor to hard surface are amazingly realistic (there is a sense of randomness to the step noises as well....it sounds like there are several variations for each surface, as opposed to just one step noise repeated over and over, like so many other games).

I think audio design is one area where games still have a lot of possible improvement to be made. It isn't just about the soundtrack.

Someone mentioned Mirror's Edge - I loved everything about that game. Incredible art direction and great audio design as well. I really wish DICE would find a way to come out with a sequel.....it would be amazing in Frostbyte2.

I really like a lot of the score in Deus Ex: HR.

 

[lavaheadache]

As a couple others have mentioned, Amnesia had exceptional audio

 

[Anubis]

Deus Ex: HR

 

[getbush]

I played a lot of 64 man metro map on BF3 which I actually found fun. The CONSTANT explosions and gunfire in those tight quarters coming out of a big living room 5.1 setup is just insane.

 

[irishScott]

Mass Effect, simply for having this for credit music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcrDWAuyqtc

 

[SZLiao214]

I liked the music from the fallout series. The voice acting is pretty bad but that old music just puts my brain in fallout mode.

 

[Chiropteran]

Ultima 6 only had music as digital audio, the sound effects were still coming from the PC speaker. Even still, the music of the game is very distinctive and fitting and perhaps because it was one of the first games I played with sound card support I will always remember it. I guess it was actually midi rather than digitized audio, but at the time it sounded incredible, compared to the primitive PC-speaker sounds and music of other games.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3eXHp4t3Zw&feature=related

 

[Obsoleet]

Gotta represent
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVZULGaOqpI

 

[RavenSEAL]

Mirror's Edge.

+1


Also, BC2 > BF3 audio. I would play that game JUST to hear the sound of guns firing.

 

[DirkGently1]

Crysis 2. Hans Zimmer did the soundtrack.

 

[Anarchist420]

I'd have to play Battlefield 3 to see what the audio is like. Does anyone know format its audio is in?

Even though it's really old and wasn't a PC game, Super Castlevania IV was an audio masterpiece both from a technical and artistic/creative standpoint. The stereo motion was both creative and technically impressive for its time as well as the fact that a lot of the NES games' tunes were given new life (creative use of the then-new Super NES audio hardware). Of course, Super Castlevania IV was a remake but it was one of the best remakes ever that I can think of. It would be awesome to one day see a Castlevania III remake on the PC and not on a Nintendo console (since the Super NES will always be the only Nintendo console that was of decent tech quality at release).

 

[Stringjam]

Crysis 2. Hans Zimmer did the soundtrack.

I believe Hans Zimmer composed the title track. I'm pretty sure there were two other composers there before him that scored the game. Fine job all around.

 

[CPA]

Dragon Age music has been stuck in my head for like a week.

Liked DoW2 as well.

 

[motsm]

Hmmm, Riven?

 

[obidamnkenobi]

Deus Ex: HR

Yes! The sound help create a great cyberpunk atmosphere in deus ex. Maybe a bit repetitive, but overall I really like it.

The score in dawn of war 2 is also suitably epic. You can get it in mp3 form for free from the steam page actually.

Music in Civilization 4 works really well. Haven't played 5 so don't know how that is

 

[Anarchist420]

Sonic CD remake doesn't have lossless music and that's really shitty IMO. The size of the game is well less than the original Sega CD disc. I just bought it off of steam, although not for the music. The original Japanese release is better just because it's audio is lossless which I have ripped to my PC in FLAC (I bought the disc off of eBay a few years ago). The lyrics (toot toot sonic warrior) are also missing in the intro which sucks. I wasn't that fascinated by it having a different FOV.

 

[TheNiceGuy]

I agree with BFBC2. The sound really is part of the gameplay as well.
I have BF3 on order, so we will see.
First thing I thought of when I saw this thread title was BF Vietnam, as in the original from 2003. I loved the use of REAL songs in the load screens while you wait, and you could also play them in game in vehicles, or load your own soundtrack to play in the vehicles radios. Great ideas they lost somehow in the subsequent BFs. They also never sorted out teamspeak (as in automatic for all who play) after BF2, which seriously ruined the majority of the game for me and makes me irritated most times I play, even still. Hurriedly trying to type tips in while I get shot or somesuch. SUCKS!

 

[Dankk]

First thing I thought of when I saw this thread title was BF Vietnam, as in the original from 2003. I loved the use of REAL songs in the load screens while you wait, and you could also play them in game in vehicles, or load your own soundtrack to play in the vehicles radios. Great ideas they lost somehow in the subsequent BFs.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think BC2: Vietnam did this too. I recall getting into a US chopper and hearing some 60's rock on the radio.

 

[Xellos2099]

I know it is not pc game but Nier for 360 and pos3 got to have one of the most artistic game ost I have heard in my 31 years of lifetime

Arkadrel: I also vote for Empyreal Paradox, La'Loff Amphitheater, Smash! A Malevolent Menace and Shadow ;lord as some super kick ass ost

 

[ibex333]

Two games with outstanding audio ImO... STALKER.... and Fallout 3, New Vegas.

 

[Gothgar]

SW;TOR has great sounds and music... sure most of it is ripped from the movies, but they had great sounds and music too though.

 

[Elcs]

I'm actually considering moving away from my Club3D Theatron Agrippa 7.1 DTS and onto a more modern sound card. So tough to find qualitative information on them these days.