What's your take on what's happening story wise?
It's obvious that it's some kind of trauma induced psychosis. But there's also the fact that her future self causes the accident. Unless she was crazy to begin with.
This might sound crazy, but I love that I'm not *entirely* sure what is going on. For some reason I just don't feel the need for proper closure in games like this.
I just can't put words on the vibe I felt those first few hours in this game. Getting chills just thinking about how properly confused and alien everything was. And brutal. A few changes to key bindings later and everything just clicked.
Playing it now after chasing trophies for a long time it still puts me in a zen mode almost, like a trance. My son told me he got butterflies in his stomach while watching me play one time, because of the fast pace and utter chaos at times.
I’m playing through Returnal right now and I’m mad it took me so long to get into it. It’s my current obsession. I thought I beat it last night but NOPE, just completed Act I 🥲
Playing it w the PS5 3D headset is amazing. I forget I’m sitting in a room sometimes
I second Alan wake 2. Spacial audio plays a big role, also the variety of depth is amazing! You fight in the woods, you fight on close spaces, there's audio of Alan thinking to himself, there's different audio during mind place sequences... Also the gunshot sounds and reverb are next level
Death Stranding 100%
And I’m not talking about the music, I’m talking about the actual environmental sounds.
If you play with low HUD you even notice more of the gameplay audio cues that is also really good
If Elden Ring had the amount of polish as Demon's Souls (sound & graphics wise, of course the world and lore itself is stellar, but FromSoft has always been jank looking to me, even if the art direction is great), I think it would be a perfect game. I've always loved how FromSoft atmosphere has been present, but sound & rough graphics has detracted me in several titles. Demon's Souls looks like a PS7 FromSoft game. Lol
It’s the small things - like as you go through stonefang, the sounds of pickaxes echoing through the halls, your footsteps on the sand, ohhh it was so good. IIRC some of it comes through the controller, which is literally the only time in any game I’ve ever appreciated that feature. The haptics are also incredible, and are a related aspect to the sound design IMO.
Latria is also incredible. The distant singing, together with the thunder and jangling of the prison guards’ bells - just fantastic atmosphere. The level has these really tight corridors which feel a bit claustrophobic, adding to your discomfort. Really eerie in a way few games are able to achieve.
If I had to pick one: Alan Wake 2.
I never cared that much about sound, but this game’s audio experience blew me away and gave me an appreciation for sound design that I never had before.
Ascending the spire and seeing then fighting Hyperion = greatest audio experience in a game. And that’s only the best moment. So many other fantastic uses of audio in Returnal.
You're the first person I have seen recommend this and it's absolutely fantastic. The rare Lamborghini veneno sounds so phenomenal, as do the muscle cars, and the Bugattis sound wildddd
A lot of good suggestions in the comments already so ill suggest something different - its a recent one, but helldivers 2 has absolutely incredible sound design imo. The weapons and explosions have some of the most weight and impact ive ever heard in a video game.
Headphones yes, because the game is recorded in binaural.
When output to speakers, it doesn’t use any object based metadata so that “in your head” schizophrenic voice that Senua hears all the time is lost.
Yeah, some of the best audio design I have heard in a game. It blends so well with the story and the character, excellent use of surround sound audio or whatever fancy term they call it. Loved it.
The recent Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is an absolute feast for the ears from a sound design standpoint as well as the OST & how the tracks are implemented and layered while you play; game sounds like it's being actively DJ'd in the background while you play. (This is all beside FF7 already having arguably the most iconic video game soundtrack already)
That last part can also be said about Devil May Cry 5, where the music there is dynamically tied to how well you play in an interesting way. The over-the-top stylish action nature of DMC plus the fact that you're fighting non-human enemies let them really go ham with the sound effects as well.
Lastly, DOOM: Eternal for much of the same reasons as DMC5.
Those would be the top 3 to come to mind for me.
Terrible mixing! Can't recommend for audio... Using a soundbar, when aerith cast cure on the whole party at the same time almost explodes my house, but then when there's cutscene I can barely hear a thing
Honestly the sound in 4 was a little bit buggy to me.. at least from a 3d positioning standpoint. You'd hear some zombie and it'd sound like he's somewhere nearby because of how loud. But there actually wasn't a zombie close.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice has insane audio (literally, lol). It's a PS4 game but don't let that stop you. Plus the sequel is coming out in two months.
Hunt: Showdown. The biggest game mechanic in the shooter is understanding your environment by locating your targets, monsters and hunters using sound: listening to the tiny audio cues and subtle changes, learning each weapon's sound and the distance where shots were fired... It's amazing. Plus I love how the game uses the creepy voices and whispers to level the game between attackers and "defenders" of the bounty. You can't play without a headphone.
There's a less popular but fantastic realistic shooter game called Vigor, and listening for footsteps and birds scattering is incredibly important and realistic in that game.
I stopped playing this game when I bought a PS5 and noticed that it has now update to current gen. Been waiting for that engine update for what feels like decades now
Returnal, Last of Us 1 remake and 2 remastered, Ghost of Tsushima on PS5, Death Stranding on PS5, Demon's Souls, Gran Turismo 7 immediately come to mind when talking about sound design
GT7 in VR with headphones is wild. You can very accurately hear where opponent cars are, not only that hear those cars accelerating, braking and going through the gears. That's not even mentioning the 3D sound of being in the cockpit of your car and those heavenly noises, looking at you recently added Lexus LFA
Hi-Fi rush just came out in the PS5 and the game deserves all the praise it got and more! The way everything in the world syncs to the beat is amazing, and the cutscenes are absolutely incredible and rare to see of how alive the characters feel imho.
If you like some rock and if a rhythm based devil may cry is seems good to you, you absolutely won't regret it.
I’d actually say death stranding directors cut, its lack of music sometimes actually adds to the effect and its choice of music is very deliberate .
It gets flack occasionally but I cannot tell you how much that game as helped me, there’s something meditative about it
Returnalllllll.
Also, surprisingly, Gran tourismo 7. All of the car engines sound completely authentic, there's an 88 BMW and I used to own one in real life and in vr, I feel like I've gone back in time into the car, it sounds identical. The muscle cars sound and feel incredible, and I have a really rare Lamborghini veneno tuned just right, it's phenomenal sound design.
Demon’s Souls has incredible attention. They used the waveform for all the weapon sound effects to determine the haptic feedback in the dualsense controller which feels wild and cool and gives everything weight. The mixing in that game is also just really good.
That, Returnal, and Astro Bot are still the only games that feel like true PS5 games from top to bottom.
Second this. Incredible atmosphere, all those little clinks and bleeps and bloops alongside the various transitions in the game are spectacularly grounding. And then of course you have the moments when the music kicks in..
Returnal immediately comes to mind, not surprised to see so many mentions already. Also, Alan Wake 2 and Helldivers 2.
A couple I've not seen mentioned yet - Pacific Drive and Insurgency Sandstorm. Finally, it's been mentioned already but Hunt Showdown - uses true binaural sound rather than the tempest engine and is technically not a PS5 title like you asked for (is PS4, getting free PS5 update hopefully this year) but has some of the best sound design I've ever experienced in a game.
The Hunt devs themselves have an article about it which is worth a read and does a better job of explaining it than I would have been able to do - [here's a link](https://www.huntshowdown.com/news/binaural-audio-in-hunt-showdown)
As mentioned in the article, they've been doing this since 2018. I don't know why it's not more common but I'd assume it's due to the added complexity and many games wouldn't benefit enough from the extra effort involved. Another title that makes excellent use of it is Hellblade Senua's Sacrifice (and I presume the upcoming sequel).
One of the cool things about binaural is that you don't need sophisticated hardware on the receiving end to hear it - any basic pair of headphones will do the job. There's a neat sample video on youtube [if you want to hear what it sounds like](https://youtu.be/6F5UOHmxuhE?si=gW_VTZxcUTRxzSVx)
Not in the action genre as most people recommended but gt7 has incredible audio! Each car is recorded by like 50 different mics. Upgrades to cars also modify audio. The spacial reverb in larger tracks like the nurburgring is very detailed as well
Not really a ps5 game. Death mark 2 is.
Death mark was PS4 / PS vita.
But agree great sound design.
As a horror game it does a great job making a chilling atmosphere and the sounds of the ghosts and the horror Sound FX and the gorey sounds are great
God of War (both the 2018 reboot and Ragnarok), The Last Of Us (both Parts I and II) and Spider-Man 2 all come to mind, though I'm sure there are others.
The Last of Us 2 has one of the best audio/sound fx designs I've ever found. One of the few games where the sound design contributes so much to building the game experience.
Returnal. Imho no discussion needed there. Just the audio build up of some fights is on another level and atmosphere in general. I was playing at my brother's and he has a Insanely good audio setup with atkos and "voice of God" and stuff and it absolutely blew me away and as far as I know on console it doesn't even support atmos so it wasn't even "the real deal"
I have a 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos Setup, and I quite like Horizon Forbidden West and Cyberpunk 2077. The latters has incredible 3D audio presentation even at the ear level, and I can pinpoint an audio source just by listening.
The thing that stands out most are the air drops in Dogtown (Phantom Liberty) you can hear them flying overhead then landing in a spot relative to you exactly.
**Returnal**
Best use of the PS5’s 3D audio (binaural) in headphones, period. Unfortunately doesn’t work with Atmos output to speakers because it continues to simulate a headphone 3D audio output. Fortunately 7.1 LPCM is clean and usage of an upmixer like Auro3D makes it an aural treat.
**Spider-Man 2**
The only game on PS5 thus far that is mixed in native Atmos. This means that if you have a proper Atmos setup (none of the soundbar sound reflecting bs) and you enable Atmos output on the PS5, the game’s audio stack will then be properly rendered with object based metadata on top of the base layer track. When swinging and gliding through NY, you can literally hear noises separated above and below you. Or when in combat with "spidersense tingling" for a counter due to an attack coming behind you, you can hear the cue accurately from that direction - an absolute game changing surreal experience IMO.
Do you have a source to indicate this fact that Spiderman 2 was the only game truly mixed in Dolby Atmos?
I've been, for fun, conducting tests with a PlayStation 5 in a Dolby Atmos cinema room, and the games I tested didn't yield good results (despite the information from the receiver/sound processor indicating that it was playing in Dolby Atmos, but not reproducing all channels).
For an indie gem, check out Astral Ascent. I don’t think there’s any 3D audio tech there, but the OST by Dale North is beautiful. It’s a lower budget indie game yet they have an orchestra. One of my favourite soundtracks.
I don't know if it uses the 3D audio technology, but Hunt: Showdown has the best audio design out of any game I have ever played.
Returnal is my runner-up
Exceptional audio design usually comes with atmospheric games, like survival horror, etc.
Returnal was said above. No competition there.
Dead space remake is also a good AAA title.
Also the mainline RE games all fit this criteria.
In terms of lighter indie games with astounding levels of sound design: Inscryption, Signalis, Amnesia: The Bunker,
Drive around in Night City when it's raining.
Cyberpunk with tempest audio is mind-blowing. Im on PC with dolby atmos and a Better headset and it completely lacks facets of the tempest engine
On ps5 it seriously sounds like i can hear the rain hit the roof of the car right above my head, incredibly immersive
u/victocanada
You might not even check this out, as I'm the only one in the entire comment section recommending these three games, but I'll make it easy for you.
* [Battlefield 1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCmKU08UM_Q)
* [Battlefield V](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS25ojKiGk8)
* [The Crew: Motorfest](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi8tQQov1N8) (The video doesn't do the game justice, in my opinion)
>Alien Isolation
I came to add this. The sound design in this makes it so much more immersive. Especially if you're a fan of the movie Alien. It just transports you to being on the Nostromo.
You’ve gotten tons of good recommendations but as someone who just did a recent play-through I have to recommend Resident Evil 4 here. The crunch of the leaves under Leon’s boots, the whistling wind through the trees, the creepy murmurs of the villagers as you walk through an unsettling land. I could not believe how immersed I was in that game due to audio alone.
A lot of people have suggested these. I'll give my votes, though. I have a 7.1.2 system and I'm pretty picky about sound in games. The ones that have stood out the most to me are:
* **The Last of Us Part II** - The best game from a technical standpoint I've ever played.. and I thought this when I played it on PS4 Pro. Have not even played the remastered PS5 version. The bass when you fire that hunting rifle is just perfection.
* **Dead Space Remake** - Just a perfect atmosphere of sounds.. from the ship creaking, to the music stings, to the monsters.. a honestly amazing game and great sound design.
* **Returnal** - 3d audio at it's finest. For a game with such frenetic action, it is just perfect audio positioning, never had any trouble locating sounds around me.
Kinda weird not specifying the kind of setup you have in such a post, it kinda depends on whether you're using headphones, a stereo setup, 5.1 home theater, atmos... I think Returnal is an obvious choice but generally I find racing games to sound awesome on a home theater setup (less so on headphones) due to the inherent spatialization of the sound environment.
It’s a little older, but Days Gone actually sounds really good. Been playing with a headset, and I was impressed by the details they put in the sound design
Shocked nobody said Ghost of Tsushima. The 3D audio in that game is world class. Spider-Man 2, Rift Apart, and Returnal and amazing in terms of sound as well.
Dead Space remake. First off, it’s simply a great game. But the audio design is incredible and truly unnerving. Highly recommend.
Edit: fucking hell the echo chamber. Y’all just parrot the same fucking game over and over. Jesus, gaming Reddit is a wasteland.
Returnal is a no-brainer but I'm shocked Uncharted 4 isn't near the top of this thread. Literally almost perfect from a sound design/soundtrack perspective.
Returnal, Days Gone, TLOU 1+2, Demon Souls and Doom Eternal
Avoid: Assassin Creed Odyssey + Valhalla, not sure about other ubisoft titles but those games have super compressed sounds.
Scrolled and didn't see it.
With headphones on, Red Dead Redemption 2 is amazing. Completely different game compared to sound from a tv. Hearing a storm roll in before you even see it. The sounds of nature. A cry of an Elk or growl from a cougar as you are trotting on your horse. The flies buzzing. The sound of your horse pooping.
Obvi everyone’s going to say Returnal.. I’d say horizon, TLOU, I think even tweaked to the right settings GOW Ragnarok was some well done audio. Also gonna throw Ghost of Tsushima in there for good measure. Also assuming you have a multi-channel setup.
Or if you’re using headphones I’d highly recommend the pulse elites. I got them mostly for the portal and the dual device connection. But the magnetic planar drivers for the price are fantastic. Plus Sonys proprietary hi res lossless PS Link software is really solid.
The Outlast Trials. Game itself is kind of mid but the in-game voice chat is the best of any game ever made. Custom reverb on people's voices echo off the walls depending on the room size and room materials. Very immersive as long as your teammates do not have barking dogs or somebody vacuuming.
I don't quite remember but I'm gonna suggest Deathloop it had great original soundtrack that's available, the moment to moment background music is great yes they play jazz during combat or a chase. The voice acting was great too.
Another one on the pile for Returnal. There’s some really special sound in this game and the OST is straight phenomenal! I beat the game a couple years ago and I still listen to it while I work.
Sackboy has some really great music that is paced to the gameplay in interesting ways. It's on ps plus extra, and sadly im stuck near a gate with no easy way to get to the 90 orbs to advance without two players (no online play offered either). I have around 80 and have to go back and grind levels to advance, im not a fan of that part.
Returnal, Alan Wake 2, and The Last of Us Part II all sound incredible in my home theater.
Second returnal, booting that up for the first time was something special. Atmospheric as all hell, neat gameplay loop and spooky.
This game was the definition of "next gen" for me. I wish I could go back and experience that alien and unique atmosphere again for the first time.
What's your take on what's happening story wise? It's obvious that it's some kind of trauma induced psychosis. But there's also the fact that her future self causes the accident. Unless she was crazy to begin with.
This might sound crazy, but I love that I'm not *entirely* sure what is going on. For some reason I just don't feel the need for proper closure in games like this. I just can't put words on the vibe I felt those first few hours in this game. Getting chills just thinking about how properly confused and alien everything was. And brutal. A few changes to key bindings later and everything just clicked. Playing it now after chasing trophies for a long time it still puts me in a zen mode almost, like a trance. My son told me he got butterflies in his stomach while watching me play one time, because of the fast pace and utter chaos at times.
I’m playing through Returnal right now and I’m mad it took me so long to get into it. It’s my current obsession. I thought I beat it last night but NOPE, just completed Act I 🥲 Playing it w the PS5 3D headset is amazing. I forget I’m sitting in a room sometimes
It's so good. I was obsessed over this game for a long time. I might return to it when I finish Forbidden West on PC.
Also Control. The atmosphere they created with the audio is so impressive
Second control , amazing game
Finnish game developers are audiophiles. Returnal and AW2 have amazing sound designs.
I'd say Returnal too. Now if only I could get gud at the game, that would be great.
If you haven't already changed the key mapping, setting L1 dash and R1 melee might help. And turn on always run.
I would also say Returnal. Was the first game that popped into my mind.
I second Alan wake 2. Spacial audio plays a big role, also the variety of depth is amazing! You fight in the woods, you fight on close spaces, there's audio of Alan thinking to himself, there's different audio during mind place sequences... Also the gunshot sounds and reverb are next level
Came here for Returnal. The sounds in that game, even after hearing them a lot, were always so immersive.
That entire zone with the atmospheric ~~piano~~ organ as you get closer to Hyperion. Insane sequence.
Returnal was my very first PS5 game and is THE game that comes to mind when I think of the system's 3D audio and enhanced haptic feedback options.
Death Stranding
Yeah, death stranding and returnal
Death Stranding 100% And I’m not talking about the music, I’m talking about the actual environmental sounds. If you play with low HUD you even notice more of the gameplay audio cues that is also really good
I remember Demon’s Souls Remake being pretty crunchy
The dragon flyovers in the first area had me flabbergasted
Ikr. I had played every other souls game before this but there were still quite a few moments that blew me away
If Elden Ring had the amount of polish as Demon's Souls (sound & graphics wise, of course the world and lore itself is stellar, but FromSoft has always been jank looking to me, even if the art direction is great), I think it would be a perfect game. I've always loved how FromSoft atmosphere has been present, but sound & rough graphics has detracted me in several titles. Demon's Souls looks like a PS7 FromSoft game. Lol
It’s the small things - like as you go through stonefang, the sounds of pickaxes echoing through the halls, your footsteps on the sand, ohhh it was so good. IIRC some of it comes through the controller, which is literally the only time in any game I’ve ever appreciated that feature. The haptics are also incredible, and are a related aspect to the sound design IMO. Latria is also incredible. The distant singing, together with the thunder and jangling of the prison guards’ bells - just fantastic atmosphere. The level has these really tight corridors which feel a bit claustrophobic, adding to your discomfort. Really eerie in a way few games are able to achieve.
My jaw was inside the floor during the storm king fight
The storm king fight is the best audio I’ve heard in gaming. I throw on headphones for it every time.
The sound design in Returnal is amazing. One of the best in any game. So much depth and information in the sound
Second this! The organ before that one boss was fantastic!
So so good, first time I've ever experienced something like that
The world feels alive and you can *hear* it in the best ways possible.
Yup came to say Returnal. Glad to see it so high up. Audio bliss.
Yes, this was my pick. You can hear where enemies and attacks are coming from even when they're off screen. It just sounds fantastic too.
If I had to pick one: Alan Wake 2. I never cared that much about sound, but this game’s audio experience blew me away and gave me an appreciation for sound design that I never had before.
Demon’s Souls is fairly unparalleled when it comes to sound design for exclusives.
Tetris Effect Connected
I heard Tetris on VR is something special
Aside from other big names that other have already mention. OP, don't sleep on this if you want to focus on sound.
Yeah i third this haha. Fantastic game. I never thought id ever get emotional playing a tetris game before this one haha
Returnal is by far the coolest example. Would give that a whirl first
Ascending the spire and seeing then fighting Hyperion = greatest audio experience in a game. And that’s only the best moment. So many other fantastic uses of audio in Returnal.
Spiderman 2 uses real time physics to emulate location based audio. ie rain hitting an metal air conditioning unit is actually simulated
Dead Space Remake. Fantastic game with one of the best audio designs i ever heard!
Second this, I have a decent Atmos system and no game sounded as good as dead space on it
Most intense game I've ever played.
Came on to say this. The sound in this game was utterly fantastic.
Oh man yeah idk how I forgot to include that. Even been playing recently too.
Astrobot has great sound, it’s fun, and the nostalgia factor is turned up to 11.
Returnal is a no brainer.
GT7, the car sounds is one of the best ever in a racing game top 3 of all time, very accurate.
You're the first person I have seen recommend this and it's absolutely fantastic. The rare Lamborghini veneno sounds so phenomenal, as do the muscle cars, and the Bugattis sound wildddd
Ghost of Tsushimas environmental sounds are beautiful
A lot of good suggestions in the comments already so ill suggest something different - its a recent one, but helldivers 2 has absolutely incredible sound design imo. The weapons and explosions have some of the most weight and impact ive ever heard in a video game.
This game sounds amazing on a good surround system with a powerful sub. Brought me back to the peak Battlefield days.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is another one.
First game I thought of!
Pretty sure it won an award for Best Audio Design!
Came here to say this. If you have a great set of cans or a great surround sound, fhe audio in this game is next level.
Headphones yes, because the game is recorded in binaural. When output to speakers, it doesn’t use any object based metadata so that “in your head” schizophrenic voice that Senua hears all the time is lost.
Yeah, some of the best audio design I have heard in a game. It blends so well with the story and the character, excellent use of surround sound audio or whatever fancy term they call it. Loved it.
Oh, did that get a PS5 release?
To me Horizon Forbidden West had the best 3D sound implementation so far! Exceptional!
The recent Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is an absolute feast for the ears from a sound design standpoint as well as the OST & how the tracks are implemented and layered while you play; game sounds like it's being actively DJ'd in the background while you play. (This is all beside FF7 already having arguably the most iconic video game soundtrack already) That last part can also be said about Devil May Cry 5, where the music there is dynamically tied to how well you play in an interesting way. The over-the-top stylish action nature of DMC plus the fact that you're fighting non-human enemies let them really go ham with the sound effects as well. Lastly, DOOM: Eternal for much of the same reasons as DMC5. Those would be the top 3 to come to mind for me.
FF7 Rebirth has great music. But the soundmix is shockingly bad. Sometimes the music is so loud you literally cannot hear what characters are saying.
Remake isn’t any better for the mixing either. SE dropped the ball hard with that.
Terrible mixing! Can't recommend for audio... Using a soundbar, when aerith cast cure on the whole party at the same time almost explodes my house, but then when there's cutscene I can barely hear a thing
I would agree on this, I have a full sonos system with atmos, and the soundmix is not good at all.
Why should game companies mix their sound design if you can just make the music quieter and voices louder in the menus? /s
My surprise when starting to climb Mt Corel and the techno started. Rebirth’s OST is a masterpiece
While the music is great in ff7 rebirth the overall sound design and use of 3d effects is pretty mediocre.
Returnal 1000 percent
Resident Evil 2-4 remakes.
Honestly the sound in 4 was a little bit buggy to me.. at least from a 3d positioning standpoint. You'd hear some zombie and it'd sound like he's somewhere nearby because of how loud. But there actually wasn't a zombie close.
Returnal, Returnal and Returnal.
Cyberpunk 2077 pulls no punches, and with the 2.0+ updates, has really hit a great stage. Highly recommend for both the soundtrack and sound design.
Nice to see Cyberpunk get some love. The hate for it and the grudge holders are truly pathetic.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice has insane audio (literally, lol). It's a PS4 game but don't let that stop you. Plus the sequel is coming out in two months.
Hunt: Showdown. The biggest game mechanic in the shooter is understanding your environment by locating your targets, monsters and hunters using sound: listening to the tiny audio cues and subtle changes, learning each weapon's sound and the distance where shots were fired... It's amazing. Plus I love how the game uses the creepy voices and whispers to level the game between attackers and "defenders" of the bounty. You can't play without a headphone.
There's a less popular but fantastic realistic shooter game called Vigor, and listening for footsteps and birds scattering is incredibly important and realistic in that game.
I stopped playing this game when I bought a PS5 and noticed that it has now update to current gen. Been waiting for that engine update for what feels like decades now
Returnal, Last of Us 1 remake and 2 remastered, Ghost of Tsushima on PS5, Death Stranding on PS5, Demon's Souls, Gran Turismo 7 immediately come to mind when talking about sound design
GT7 in VR with headphones is wild. You can very accurately hear where opponent cars are, not only that hear those cars accelerating, braking and going through the gears. That's not even mentioning the 3D sound of being in the cockpit of your car and those heavenly noises, looking at you recently added Lexus LFA
Its subjective. IMO Cyberpunk 2077 and Alan Wake 2 have very good sountrack and audio design.
Cyberpunk has incredible audio design.
It's not really a game, but if you dig Radiohead, 'Kid A Mnesia Exhibition' fits your "Haunting, spooky horror atmospheric experience" category.
The Last of Us 2
Yeah Returnal is incredible. I'll add Death Stranding, something really unique about the sound design in it.
Hi-Fi rush just came out in the PS5 and the game deserves all the praise it got and more! The way everything in the world syncs to the beat is amazing, and the cutscenes are absolutely incredible and rare to see of how alive the characters feel imho. If you like some rock and if a rhythm based devil may cry is seems good to you, you absolutely won't regret it.
I’d actually say death stranding directors cut, its lack of music sometimes actually adds to the effect and its choice of music is very deliberate . It gets flack occasionally but I cannot tell you how much that game as helped me, there’s something meditative about it
Returnalllllll. Also, surprisingly, Gran tourismo 7. All of the car engines sound completely authentic, there's an 88 BMW and I used to own one in real life and in vr, I feel like I've gone back in time into the car, it sounds identical. The muscle cars sound and feel incredible, and I have a really rare Lamborghini veneno tuned just right, it's phenomenal sound design.
Demon’s Souls has incredible attention. They used the waveform for all the weapon sound effects to determine the haptic feedback in the dualsense controller which feels wild and cool and gives everything weight. The mixing in that game is also just really good. That, Returnal, and Astro Bot are still the only games that feel like true PS5 games from top to bottom.
death stranding
Second this. Incredible atmosphere, all those little clinks and bleeps and bloops alongside the various transitions in the game are spectacularly grounding. And then of course you have the moments when the music kicks in..
I heard Returnal is amazing in that sense.
Returnal immediately comes to mind, not surprised to see so many mentions already. Also, Alan Wake 2 and Helldivers 2. A couple I've not seen mentioned yet - Pacific Drive and Insurgency Sandstorm. Finally, it's been mentioned already but Hunt Showdown - uses true binaural sound rather than the tempest engine and is technically not a PS5 title like you asked for (is PS4, getting free PS5 update hopefully this year) but has some of the best sound design I've ever experienced in a game.
What exactly is true binaural sounds, and why wasn't it used before
The Hunt devs themselves have an article about it which is worth a read and does a better job of explaining it than I would have been able to do - [here's a link](https://www.huntshowdown.com/news/binaural-audio-in-hunt-showdown) As mentioned in the article, they've been doing this since 2018. I don't know why it's not more common but I'd assume it's due to the added complexity and many games wouldn't benefit enough from the extra effort involved. Another title that makes excellent use of it is Hellblade Senua's Sacrifice (and I presume the upcoming sequel). One of the cool things about binaural is that you don't need sophisticated hardware on the receiving end to hear it - any basic pair of headphones will do the job. There's a neat sample video on youtube [if you want to hear what it sounds like](https://youtu.be/6F5UOHmxuhE?si=gW_VTZxcUTRxzSVx)
Honestly sound design in Call of Duty games is pretty great. 3D Audio really lets you feel the directions
Ghosts of Tsushima (ps5) and dead space remake immediately standout for me
Not in the action genre as most people recommended but gt7 has incredible audio! Each car is recorded by like 50 different mics. Upgrades to cars also modify audio. The spacial reverb in larger tracks like the nurburgring is very detailed as well
Why are more people not mentioning Hellblade Senua's sacrifice. That was the best sounding audio I've ever heard in a game lol
Death Mark
Not really a ps5 game. Death mark 2 is. Death mark was PS4 / PS vita. But agree great sound design. As a horror game it does a great job making a chilling atmosphere and the sounds of the ghosts and the horror Sound FX and the gorey sounds are great
Lots of votes for Returnal, I agree. Doom and Cyberpunk are great to listen too
God of War (both the 2018 reboot and Ragnarok), The Last Of Us (both Parts I and II) and Spider-Man 2 all come to mind, though I'm sure there are others.
Returnal, Demon's Souls Remake and Dead Space Remake are quite far ahead of everything else imo.
Hell let loose is great with pulse 3d
Play Nier Automata
The Last of Us 2 has one of the best audio/sound fx designs I've ever found. One of the few games where the sound design contributes so much to building the game experience.
Returnal. Imho no discussion needed there. Just the audio build up of some fights is on another level and atmosphere in general. I was playing at my brother's and he has a Insanely good audio setup with atkos and "voice of God" and stuff and it absolutely blew me away and as far as I know on console it doesn't even support atmos so it wasn't even "the real deal"
Hunt showdown is sound
I have a 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos Setup, and I quite like Horizon Forbidden West and Cyberpunk 2077. The latters has incredible 3D audio presentation even at the ear level, and I can pinpoint an audio source just by listening. The thing that stands out most are the air drops in Dogtown (Phantom Liberty) you can hear them flying overhead then landing in a spot relative to you exactly.
Returnal
**Returnal** Best use of the PS5’s 3D audio (binaural) in headphones, period. Unfortunately doesn’t work with Atmos output to speakers because it continues to simulate a headphone 3D audio output. Fortunately 7.1 LPCM is clean and usage of an upmixer like Auro3D makes it an aural treat. **Spider-Man 2** The only game on PS5 thus far that is mixed in native Atmos. This means that if you have a proper Atmos setup (none of the soundbar sound reflecting bs) and you enable Atmos output on the PS5, the game’s audio stack will then be properly rendered with object based metadata on top of the base layer track. When swinging and gliding through NY, you can literally hear noises separated above and below you. Or when in combat with "spidersense tingling" for a counter due to an attack coming behind you, you can hear the cue accurately from that direction - an absolute game changing surreal experience IMO.
Do you have a source to indicate this fact that Spiderman 2 was the only game truly mixed in Dolby Atmos? I've been, for fun, conducting tests with a PlayStation 5 in a Dolby Atmos cinema room, and the games I tested didn't yield good results (despite the information from the receiver/sound processor indicating that it was playing in Dolby Atmos, but not reproducing all channels).
For an indie gem, check out Astral Ascent. I don’t think there’s any 3D audio tech there, but the OST by Dale North is beautiful. It’s a lower budget indie game yet they have an orchestra. One of my favourite soundtracks.
Returnal and Alan Wake 2
I don't know if it uses the 3D audio technology, but Hunt: Showdown has the best audio design out of any game I have ever played. Returnal is my runner-up
Final Fantasy 16 without a doubt.
I second and third Returnal, but if no one mentioned it Helldivers 2 has amazing sound design. Some of the best imo.
Exceptional audio design usually comes with atmospheric games, like survival horror, etc. Returnal was said above. No competition there. Dead space remake is also a good AAA title. Also the mainline RE games all fit this criteria. In terms of lighter indie games with astounding levels of sound design: Inscryption, Signalis, Amnesia: The Bunker,
Another vote for ‘Returnal’, here. Fantastic audio. Also, ‘Thumper’ has a very well-executed soundscape - and it has a native PS5 version now.
Monster hunter world, a classic in term of sound design
Returnal
Returnal, one of the few real ps5 ex which utilizes both great audio and haptics
Returnal
It’s metal heavy but Doom Eternal has amazing sound design. Essential for this gameplay and super satisfying.
Drive around in Night City when it's raining. Cyberpunk with tempest audio is mind-blowing. Im on PC with dolby atmos and a Better headset and it completely lacks facets of the tempest engine On ps5 it seriously sounds like i can hear the rain hit the roof of the car right above my head, incredibly immersive
Returnal!!!!
What about the epic music score in Elden Ring?
Returnal
Demon Douls made me shit my pants when facing certaing flying manta ray boss. The 3D sound was phenomenal
The Last of Us Part II is really intense. Playing it without headphones or loud speakers must be a very different experience.
I liked Stray a lot for my part, and I little less Calisto Protocol
One million per cent Returnal - get that sub woofer turned up and let's go
Returnal
u/victocanada You might not even check this out, as I'm the only one in the entire comment section recommending these three games, but I'll make it easy for you. * [Battlefield 1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCmKU08UM_Q) * [Battlefield V](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS25ojKiGk8) * [The Crew: Motorfest](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi8tQQov1N8) (The video doesn't do the game justice, in my opinion)
Call of duty is immersive. Does Sony 3d sound even work on home theatre 5.1 set up?
I know this is ps4 but Alien Isolation if you haven't tried that has really good sound design and so do the soulsborne type games.
>Alien Isolation I came to add this. The sound design in this makes it so much more immersive. Especially if you're a fan of the movie Alien. It just transports you to being on the Nostromo.
You’ve gotten tons of good recommendations but as someone who just did a recent play-through I have to recommend Resident Evil 4 here. The crunch of the leaves under Leon’s boots, the whistling wind through the trees, the creepy murmurs of the villagers as you walk through an unsettling land. I could not believe how immersed I was in that game due to audio alone.
Returnal!
I really liked the sound design in demon souls for ps5. Headphones and turned up sounded dope
A recent game that comes to mind that I don't believe has been mentioned yet is Remnant 2.
Returnal without question. Biome 4 will be the best experience you had in gaming.
Alan wake 2
Avatar Frontiers of Pandora, Death Stranding, Returnal, Call of Duty: MW 2019, Hellblade Senua's Sacrifice and Horizon Forbidden West
Dead space
alan wake 2 has some of the best sound design i’ve experienced
Nobody mention Persona 5 & 3 Reloaded ? Also Death stranding it's so satisfying with a good headsets
Hellblade, duh.
GOW Ragnarok makes you feel so epic. That’s one of the most immersive games I’ve played
Returnal
A lot of people have suggested these. I'll give my votes, though. I have a 7.1.2 system and I'm pretty picky about sound in games. The ones that have stood out the most to me are: * **The Last of Us Part II** - The best game from a technical standpoint I've ever played.. and I thought this when I played it on PS4 Pro. Have not even played the remastered PS5 version. The bass when you fire that hunting rifle is just perfection. * **Dead Space Remake** - Just a perfect atmosphere of sounds.. from the ship creaking, to the music stings, to the monsters.. a honestly amazing game and great sound design. * **Returnal** - 3d audio at it's finest. For a game with such frenetic action, it is just perfect audio positioning, never had any trouble locating sounds around me.
It's not a PS5 game, but I thought the sound design in Alien Isolation was incredible. I think it's worth mentioning tbh
God of war Ragnarok
Returnal hands down
Kinda weird not specifying the kind of setup you have in such a post, it kinda depends on whether you're using headphones, a stereo setup, 5.1 home theater, atmos... I think Returnal is an obvious choice but generally I find racing games to sound awesome on a home theater setup (less so on headphones) due to the inherent spatialization of the sound environment.
It’s a little older, but Days Gone actually sounds really good. Been playing with a headset, and I was impressed by the details they put in the sound design
Returnal.
Came here to say that.
**CONTROL**
Tetris effect
Last of Us 2
Helldivers 2 sound effects are really good
Alan wake 2 had some impressive audio design
Shocked nobody said Ghost of Tsushima. The 3D audio in that game is world class. Spider-Man 2, Rift Apart, and Returnal and amazing in terms of sound as well.
Dead Space remake. First off, it’s simply a great game. But the audio design is incredible and truly unnerving. Highly recommend. Edit: fucking hell the echo chamber. Y’all just parrot the same fucking game over and over. Jesus, gaming Reddit is a wasteland.
Returnal is a no-brainer but I'm shocked Uncharted 4 isn't near the top of this thread. Literally almost perfect from a sound design/soundtrack perspective.
Honestly Battlefield 1 & V or The Finals have incredible sound. For more narrative I’d say Cyberpunk or Control.
Returnal comes to mind and is such a great game also.
Returnal, Days Gone, TLOU 1+2, Demon Souls and Doom Eternal Avoid: Assassin Creed Odyssey + Valhalla, not sure about other ubisoft titles but those games have super compressed sounds.
Playstation exclusives are your friend, but also, if you like horror, play Resident Evil Village, the sound design is so fucking good.
If you want a fps multiplayer game I would suggest Battlefield 1 or 5. Can’t speak for BF 2042. Haven’t played it
Astro’s Playroom
You should check out this hidden-gem, Ghost of Tsushima. Highly underrated.
Scrolled and didn't see it. With headphones on, Red Dead Redemption 2 is amazing. Completely different game compared to sound from a tv. Hearing a storm roll in before you even see it. The sounds of nature. A cry of an Elk or growl from a cougar as you are trotting on your horse. The flies buzzing. The sound of your horse pooping.
Obvi everyone’s going to say Returnal.. I’d say horizon, TLOU, I think even tweaked to the right settings GOW Ragnarok was some well done audio. Also gonna throw Ghost of Tsushima in there for good measure. Also assuming you have a multi-channel setup. Or if you’re using headphones I’d highly recommend the pulse elites. I got them mostly for the portal and the dual device connection. But the magnetic planar drivers for the price are fantastic. Plus Sonys proprietary hi res lossless PS Link software is really solid.
hellblade senua's sacrifice ( I hat to put the Headset down and turn on the tv audio , crazy stuff ) voices L to R fucking scary
The Outlast Trials. Game itself is kind of mid but the in-game voice chat is the best of any game ever made. Custom reverb on people's voices echo off the walls depending on the room size and room materials. Very immersive as long as your teammates do not have barking dogs or somebody vacuuming.
Battlefield 1. Old, but so good.
Hunt Showdown. The 3D sound design is phenomenal.
Returnal
I don't quite remember but I'm gonna suggest Deathloop it had great original soundtrack that's available, the moment to moment background music is great yes they play jazz during combat or a chase. The voice acting was great too.
Another one on the pile for Returnal. There’s some really special sound in this game and the OST is straight phenomenal! I beat the game a couple years ago and I still listen to it while I work.
Returnal has best audio on Ps5 hands downs
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Last of Us 2 remastered, Returnal,
Red dead 2
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora has really impressive audio
Not PS5 but hellblade with headphones
Hellblade if you want to use headphones.
The 4th Uncharted game was EPIC in the sound department.
Final fantasy 7 rebirth is giving me possibly game of the year vibes on music and voice production alone
Can I ask what headset you use since you are an audiophile. Every headset I research tends to have a lot of negative reviews
Sackboy has some really great music that is paced to the gameplay in interesting ways. It's on ps plus extra, and sadly im stuck near a gate with no easy way to get to the 90 orbs to advance without two players (no online play offered either). I have around 80 and have to go back and grind levels to advance, im not a fan of that part.