Favourite in-game sounds?
Preface: I don't know anything about sound design on a technical level.
Something I often fixate on is sound design in games.
I feel in DBD it can be a huge difference maker in how much fun you are having, even down to the small things. A huntress hatchet's whipping sound as it flies past you when you didn't even know she was there feels like a super cinematic start to a chase, compared to the stock sound effect pig 'roar' (I love her but when not used for memes it kinda sucks).
The meaty thwack of a Nemesis punch is satisfying to land, plus that piano-like crash when you infect a surivivor, helping a non-damaging hit feel satisfying. I feel BHVR use sound design often to motivate certain actions by players.
The rising tension of Deathslinger as his chain reels in further and further (although I feel the follow up hit is a bit anticlimactic purely from an audio perspective).
The Unknown is another one. The sound design here is crazy, with every ability usage and successeful UVX hit having this shrill, violin-esque sting that is so distorted it feels almost biological, and peppers the gameplay loop really selling a vibe of something alive but simply not 'right' when playing as/against it.
The Animatronic's big clunks, loud doors, thumping footsteps that provide percussion to a chase theme that seems designed to pair with it. The laughter with each ready of his axe that mixes so well with the fiery sound effect is produces not only sells the character again, but serves gameplay very handily by being distinct.
Basically, there's a lot to love in this game with regards to sound design, some real excellent work that genuinely impacts the way I play and the choices I make. It's not exactly consistent though. I love The Artist's kit, for example, but find her dull to play because it's just not got satisfying feedback in the audio.
TLDR; I like the sound design in this game.
What are your favourite sounds/sound design choices in the game? Why?
Which killers/survivors/mechanics do you think could do with another pass at the audio?
Comments
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DBD does have some excellent sound design. There are way too many things to mention but I some of my favourites include the way Trickster and Clown chuckle to themselves, Meg Thomas falling from a height (I like all her voice acting, tbh) and The Huntress when she gets extra angry after a stun (I'm sure you know the specific sound that I mean).
There are some goofy sounds that I enjoy too, like Myers getting stunned (please never change this). And Steve's old scream, of course (R.I.P).
I hope they don't revisit any more older characters to give them new VAs. I think if something has been in the game for a very long time and it doesn't affect the game play, it should really be left alone. I think Joey and Susie should have their own voice actors, instead of sharing Frank and Julie's. Just to make them feel more like characters in their own right and less like cosmetic options. Hunk should get his own SFX too, since the angry teenager sounds don't suit him well.
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I have so many!
-Characters in heels have the best footstep sounds
-Gen repairing when you pull the little levers
-The scritch scratch of healing someone
-The Dredge's breathing sounds
-Trapper's squeaky pants3 -
I didn't even think much on the survivor voice acting but you are right!
I'm still somewhat fresh so I haven't got everyone down pat, but the voice actors really do have some lungs on them. Some of the hook screams are good enough alone to remind me that, at its core, DBD is a horror experience.
I didn't think on the iconic side of stuff, however. As I haven't been around from the start, maybe it slipped my mind. Sure, changing either Wraith or Billy's idle sounds would be nice as its super noticeable they're the same sample pitch-shifted, but that would be erasing a decade of history. Plus, I think comparing older sound design to newer is an interesting exercise on its own!1 -
- The sound of Ada's shoes. I had a pair of leather shoes that made EXACTLY that sound when it rained. I could recognize Ada's footsteps with my eyes closed.🤣
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Gonna boot up trapper in a custom game tonight and walk about a bit. Haven't played him enough to notice the squeaky pants but now I simply must know!
Speaking of trapper, they really got the SFX for setting traps and them going off right. Just setting a trap feels satisfying, the sound on its own making me giddy at the thought of someone stumbling into it. And when it goes off - chef's kiss
Gen repairing is another one. It's such a simple task that I feel the sound design alone helps keep it from being boring. The sound of it getting faster, the little zaps, creaks and clunks. It sells this idea of accomplishing something really well. In a lesser game I'd struggle to do an objective this simplistic without getting bored in seconds, but they managed to keep me locked in somehow.0 -
Bend down to pick up a trap and enjoy!
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A gen completing in the distance, the gates being powered, and a hex being cleared. I miss the unnerving sounds that came out of old cow tree too.
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Nemesis' stomping when combined with his chase theme
Springtrap's laughter is also a personal favourite of mine.
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Oh boy..
-Tricksters maniacal laugh when hitting a high combo
-Trickster Laceration build up, as well as the max warning and final blade hit
-Dredge Nightfall
-Henry Worldbreaker activation
-Pyramid Head PotD hit
-Trapper catch
and finally...
-kicking the ######### out of Victor
Honorable mentions:
Oni's old POV chase music
Trickster PTB music
Ghost Face's old "lullaby..?" (When in power he used to have these garbled sound of sirens back when he was first released. It was then shortly removed since it gave him away pretty easily)
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it is a nice sound! every time I hear that sound effect on Ghoul I think about Trapper bending down
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idk what its called but i only get this on sadako. when breaking a gen to many times the same one. these tendrils come up from the ground to prevent me from breaking it again it plays this sound that is just….dam so satisfying and cool to listen to lol.
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David's entire sound reel. I'm gonna be so mad if they replace it. 😤
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I like the sounds for attatching the kagune to the environment as ghoul as well as when the tentacles burst out of him.
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- Were-Elk raising its hatchet
- Michael getting stunned, never ever gets old
- the sound of Caleb's boots
- Wolfy's awoo
- Vecna's (from ST) lullaby
- all the bear sounds from Oni's Nyaight Of The Living Cats skin
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Cheryl saying "oof" when cleansing totems
Would have said Steve's scream but well…
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Trapper setting traps
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My favorite sound? Wesker's chuckle when he holds up his power…
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Ghostface disappointed sigh.
Snap/scream from survivor stepping in a trap.
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Steve's scream was the sound I remember specifically the first game I had as killer where I learned that survivors can sabotage hooks.
It took me a little while to get past that and not find that sound a horror sting all on its own whenever I was carrying a downed surv.1 -
í kinda had to think about the wind chimes on Yamaoka first thing when reading this title. Also the tanuki on the Yamaoka maps.
I do love these small atmospheric sounds on the maps
(Though sound design in this Game in general is great. Well. Not counting certain injured survivor sounds that are either too loud or too much on the pleasure side 🫠)
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"too much on the pleasure side"
You're talking about Bill, right?0 -
Well i get why you would think that. But nobody can say anything bad about those sexy Daddy sounds, come on now!
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In all seriousness which survivor are you talking about?
Not that I wanna play them I just…
Yano any excuse will make it sound worse. Please just sate my curiosity.0 -
as for loud, actually kinda Bill. And Jeff, Michonne, Maggie and others.
The other group. Well. It’s a direction for all survivors i think, but Rebecca iirc is one of the worse/more obvious ones. But pretty much every especially female survivor has some noises in between where you think… what is happening right now??
(And just for the record, i know why they are doing it and get why this will stay a thing and not really completely against it)
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Bill is one I can hunt down easily because of how loud he is, but I like playing him because - and I don't know if this makes me a bit sadistic - his pain nosies are legitimately funny to me. His voice acting sounds like a regular dude trying to do an 'old guy' voice if you see what I mean.
As for certain other noises… I can't say I've noticed it myself, but there's a very strong chance it'll become a one of those situations where I can't unhear it now that I'm aware.
Also is it just me or does Taurie have some of the funniest downed noises out of the cast?0 -
I enjoy all of the Huntress Lullabies as well as the sound the Doctor makes when getting hit with a pallet. All of Nic Cage's voice lines are fun too.
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haven’t really played Taurie that much or seen her often
but since this is a favourite sounds thread maybe more positivity from my side:Alan Wake has damn fantastic voice acting
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The Pig being stunned by a pallet.
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Purchasing ultra rare addon in bloodweb
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