Arc Raider Devs show off game’s impressive Soundscapes

The developers of ARC Raiders have recently provided an in-depth look into the game’s sound design, with a particular focus on the fact that all the sound captured in the video was done in-game. The new blog post on their Discord server, supported by a short YouTube video, provides a breakdown of how the team at Embark Studios is approaching sound to create a more immersive and believable world.

Embark’s philosophy on audio is simple: everything you hear in the game should feel familiar and grounded in reality. The majority of the sounds are live recordings, which allows for a high degree of nuance. They explain that when they record a sound, such as a gun firing, they use multiple microphones at varying distances to capture the full range of the sound. This meticulous process ensures that explosions, projectiles, and other in-game sounds feel plausible and real.

The real innovation, however, lies in how the live recordings are combined with a system of procedural game logic. The audio team has developed processes that allow for a dynamic soundscape, despite being a small team. The game has hundreds of rules and parameters that decide every sound the player hears. For example, the chirping of birds near a tree, droplets of rain hitting a car, or the sound of the wind changing at higher altitudes are all controlled by this system. This level of detail extends to the player character, with the game even tracking the distance between the player’s knees to alter the sound of their footsteps.

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The developers want sound to add depth to the gameplay. This is particularly evident in the way each ARC machine has its own unique sound pattern that changes depending on its state. Whether an ARC is searching for something, in combat, or just rolling around, players can make strategic decisions based on what they hear, without ever needing to see the machine. The YouTube video, which shows the soundscapes in different locations like Treatment Control, Launch Pad, and Geodesic Domes, demonstrates this effectively.

It’s clear the team is obsessed with the details, with every item in the game having a foley-recorded sound effect. This level of dedication to audio, from the sound of your backpack changing based on how full it is to the simple voice line when an item is pinged, is a great indicator of the care being taken to ensure no sound ever takes you out of the experience. It looks like the October 30 launch will bring a game that sounds just as good as it looks.

You can watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f64D7Kpbmcc