Technically Inappropriate Sound Effects In Games

            Sound effects – and sound design in general – has become increasingly more specialize over the past couple decades. The use of sound effects can thus be considered much more intentional. As a result, unfitting sound effects are hardly excusable, especially in the 21^st century. On one hand, most gamers understand the difficulty and creativity underlying such a task. Yet the sound effect should ultimately fit the character or object. The difference between the expectation and the reality is quite interesting, though. A gamer might have a particular view while the sound designer might have a different view, ultimately leading to a sound that does not quite fit. An interesting dichotomy is created due to an expectation for realism with a particular sound, thus giving information about the implicated person or object. Paradoxical sounds, in other words, sometimes give insight.

            In Ratchet and Clank a baby dragon sort of enemy emits a seagull sound when attacking, a sound choice that would likely be mentally rejected. At the same time, the sound effect implies a contradiction that suggests that the enemies are meant to be comical or perhaps linked to the sea in some manner. A seagull sound definitely separates these dragons from other dragons. Another possibility is that these dragons like seagulls live in a polluted environment and eat unnatural food; this possibility is very plausible in the enemy’s native habitat.

In The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, the great dragon – yes another dragon example – Valoo is an enormous red dragon yet he is not built gracefully. Valoo sounds like a whale which both complements and rejects his appearance. The great dragon is large and awkwardly built but the whale sound gives him a majesty. He is powerful, yet not necessarily in a direct manner. Unlike many other dragons he is graceful and not potent in the literal sense. A Skyrim dragon would eat the player for lunch, but not this dragon.

My final example is the Charmanders from the lava level in Pokemon Snap. They make unusual sounds (that sound remotely tribal) when they gaze at you moving through the level. I honestly cannot describe the sounds, so I’ll instead discuss the angry “Char!” statements hurled at the character. They sound livid but at the same time they have a cute sound, a paradoxical sound that makes total sense in retrospect. Through this sound effect the Charmanders become simultaneously dangerous and cute.

In short, sound effects are more thought out than they may seem to be. Usually sound effects have some important role to play, giving greater depth to characters. Sound effects both make a character or object more useful as well as allowing them to serve some role in the game (in many cases).