The world of VR in games is still relatively new and as such game developers are still exploring the ripe and still largely untouched grounds for innovation. Boneworks (2017) redefined how far immersion could be pushed in VR with extremely realistic physics, Budget Cuts (2016) advanced the way spacialised audio was used in games, and Vertigo Games’ Thief VR: The Dark Project (2025) is the sum of a decade of exploration into how audio can be utilised in virtual reality for gre

In our previous article, Procedural Sound: The Split Between Cost & Creativity, we showed how the real-time creation of audio can create a more immersive and rich player experience. In this article, we'll showcase examples of procedural music techniques, at different layers of importance and implementation, and showcase how they vary between simply enhancing the play experience of a wider game, to becoming a core mechanic that the game relies upon. Cyberpunk 2077 CD Projekt R

In all music for visual media the role of music is to bolster the emotion created by the visuals - a horror film needs tense, dramatic music and a shoot 'em up game needs a driving, adrenaline-pumping beat. However, once we move from the linear structure of a film to the world of video games, a unique challenge arises; the music in a film is established by the length of a scene whereas the music in a video game is determined largely by the player (Berndt, 2019). There are exc

Rainbow 6: Siege X (R6) started its life as a realistic house clearing game, but has slowly shifted over the years to become a competitive shooter. This drive for realism combined with the necessity for accuracy required in a competitive environment has produced an interestingly complex soundscape, composed of sound nodules, ray tracing, and carefully mastered acoustics. These are further complicated by the fact that siege has realistic destruction mechanics as well, where r

Coomans and Timmermans (1997) describe immersion as “a feeling of being deeply engaged where people enter a make-believe world as if it is real”. When dealing with huge open world systems involving make belief cultures and races a fundamental part of this, sometimes overlooked, is the use of different accents and dialects. A perfect case study of this being utilised is Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (KOAR). Developed by Big Huge Games, KOAR takes place in the titular Amalur,

"The creation of sound in real time, using synthesis techniques such as physical modelling, with deep links into game systems" (Paul...