The video game “Red Dead Redemption II” was one of the best immersive single-player story-driven games in 2018. The game garnered record-breaking attention for the attention to detail in its rich storyline, realistic characters, highly detailed world, and most importantly its sound design. From the moment the player enters the game they are enveloped by the sound of the high winds rushing past their head from the snow, the crunching of snow from underneath their boots, and the breathing and neighs from their horse underneath them as they ride through the beautiful scenery. The story is based on fictional characters set in 1899, after a failed bank robbery forced Arthur Morgan and the Van Der Linde gang to flee, the outlaw gang experiences internal conflicts that will inevitably tear them apart. Arthur must choose between his morals and loyalty to the gang that raised him.
The story was a masterpiece in itself, very intentional writing, but what made the story stand out above all the rest was the background music and sound effects. This game truly encompasses the feeling and ambiance of the late 1800’s. The sound effects are for instance when you are getting onto your horse you hear the grunts from your character, Arthur Morgan, and your horse when trying to mount. When riding the horse you hear the sounds of its hooves hitting the ground in a 4-beat pattern, similar to how real horses sound in motion.
The game developers also paid attention to the realistic sounds of stagecoaches/wagons and trains when making this game. The train for instance has a high-pitched screeching noise when the train is slowing down to a stop, the whistling from the wheels starting to turn as the train leaves the station, and the low-high pitch whistle from the horn. For the stagecoaches, you can hear the creaking of the wooden wheels and frame of the wagon as it moves you from town to town, and you can hear the sound of gravel/sand being crushed underneath the wheels as you ride.
One last note about this game was its use of background music/soundtracks. One of the best moments is the climax of the story in chapter 5 when Arthur is riding back to his camp after another failed bank robbery which caused many of his friends to die. The song “Unshaken” by D’Angelo starts to fade into play as the video changes to cinematic mode. This song perfectly fits the ambiance of this scene where it feels like “amidst the crash of worlds.” It adds another layer to this scene of sorrow, pain, and wondering what to do next. This game spared no expense when trying to make this game as immersive and real as possible.