10 PERFECT Sound Design Moments That Improved Video Games

10. Alien: Isolation – Motion Tracker

It’s no secret that timing and sound are vital in pulling off the perfect scare. Dead Space, for example, brilliantly formulates a crescendo of vent clunks and hissing doors that lead the terrified player towards an inevitable screaming necromorph.

However, Alien: Isolation doesn’t have the luxury of orchestrating scares. The Alien’s impeccably executed AI is let off the leash to root out the player from whichever locker they’re hiding in, but what really seals the deal is the xenomorph’s awareness of sound. An accidental step towards an automatic door can send one angry extra-terrestrial lurching towards your location.

Now, players do have an ace up their sleeve in the form of the motion tracker, which can pinpoint where the Alien is stalking you, yet this acts as a chilling catch-22, as the tracker’s loud beeps help the Alien find you.

It’s an effective risk and reward system that takes superb advantage of Alien: Isolation’s sound design and leads to some uniquely terrifying scares.