Key insights
5 slides
New method
Sound walks offer a rigorous framework for evaluating video game soundscapes.
It categorizes sound through political, functional, and aesthetic lenses.
Methodology. Sound walks serve as a rigorous analytical framework for evaluating how video game soundscapes communicate complex social structures, cultural reconstruction, and historical narratives.
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- 01Sound walks serve as a rigorous analytical framework for evaluating how video game soundscapes communicate complex social structures, cultural reconstruction, and historical narratives.See it on page 27
- 02In Horizon Zero Dawn, developers use acoustic hierarchies—specifically the distribution of anthropogenic sounds—to map the power dynamics and societal structures of the Carja tribe.See it on page 2
- 03Sound design functions as a critical tool for narrative clarity and spatial immersion by synthesizing mechanical and natural elements into a cohesive, organic environment through manipulated sound propagation.See it on page 16
- 04The sound walk methodology is limited to environmental and cultural mapping because it cannot effectively account for high-intensity game mechanics like combat, dialogue trees, or puzzle-solving.See it on page 23
- 05Future research into virtual acoustics may benefit from collective sound walks to better analyze interactive mechanics and compare fictional soundscapes with real-world environments.See it on page 24
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Summary
Sound walks, a methodology traditionally rooted in acoustic ecology, serve as a rigorous analytical framework for evaluating the immersive soundscapes of contemporary video games. By applying this mobile listening technique to the post-catastrophic environment of Horizon Zero Dawn, specifically within the city of Meridian, researchers can decode the complex interplay between virtual audio design and player incorporation. This approach facilitates a multidimensional analysis that categorizes sound through political, functional, and aesthetic lenses, revealing how developers utilize acoustic hierarchies to communicate social structures, cultural reconstruction, and historical narratives that visual elements alone cannot convey.
The findings indicate that sound design in open-world titles functions as a sophisticated tool for narrative clarity and spatial immersion. By manipulating sound propagation and volume, developers successfully synthesize mechanical and natural elements into a cohesive, organic environment. The study demonstrates that the distribution of anthropogenic sounds within the game world effectively maps the power dynamics and societal hierarchies of the Carja tribe. This acoustic layering provides players with a deeper sense of agency and presence, bridging the gap between the virtual space and the player’s perception of reality.
Despite the efficacy of sound walks in localized environmental analysis, the methodology faces inherent limitations when applied to digital spaces. Because the technique relies heavily on player exploration, it struggles to account for high-intensity game mechanics such as combat, complex dialogue trees, or puzzle-solving sequences. Consequently, the scope of this analytical tool is best suited for environmental and cultural mapping rather than comprehensive game-wide evaluation. Future research may benefit from collective sound walks, a collaborative approach that could broaden the analysis of interactive mechanics and allow for more nuanced comparisons between fictional soundscapes and real-world acoustic environments.
