I just bought a new headset for my PC that I am quite happy with and which I think has great sound quality (once I fiddled with the EQ). I decided to test some games with it so I loaded up Left 4 Dead 2 and set it to 7.1 surround mode and proceeded to kill some zombies. Everything was clear and crisp and it was almost like playing the game for the first time again. I then loaded up F.E.A.R. 2 and was rather underwhelmed by the gunfire sounds. They lacked a certain amount of punch (I was especially let down by the shotgun). I then moved on to Battlefield 3 and was absolutely blown away by how great that game sounded. I knew DICE had a reputation for great sound quality but up until now I had only heard it through TV speakers or through a relatively inexpensive headset.

So, what games do you think have the best sound design and why? It can be anything from the soundtrack kicking in at the right moment to the staccato of gunfire or the sublime clash of metal on metal in a sword fight. From the little I've played since getting my new headset I'd have to go with Battlefield 3 as the best I have heard so far. All of the weapons from pistols to LMGs have a deep, meaty rumble to them that says "Hey, these can do some damage." Explosions are riveting and the sounds of helicopters flying in is either terrifying or elating depending on whose side they are on.

Now I really wish I had BF3 on my computer. That sounds absolutely phenomenal. (Hehe.. sounds..) Back when I played Planetside 2 (around beta to about six-eight months after release) I thought that game was really nice in my headphones (Sennheiser HD280 Pros). That may have been less sound quality and more just the scale and depth of the sounds.

Let's see... What else... XCOM sounds real nice, mostly the music. Annnd Skyrim of course. Not so much vanilla skyrim but with the audio overhaul mod installed it's pretty outstanding.

I forgot about Planetside 2, I'll have to try that one again and maybe this time I will figure out what is going on. Also, Battlefield 3 is probably not very expensive now that Battlefield 4 is out.

The Thief series, as it's some of the few games where the travel of sound is calculated. In many games sounds still go straight thru walls.

Although I did read some game preview some months ago about an upcoming game with very advanced sound effect system, problem is, I have no memory of which game the preview was about. Might have been Thief 4, I suppose

Do you know how big the game is in size? Hard drive space is a bit limited at the moment and do you think BF3 will stay active for a long time? For all that I've seen, BF4 is just a carbon copy with new features.

But yeah, Planetside 2, them tank convoys sound real nice, especially at a distance.

As you already said, Battlefield 3. Would it sound silly if I told you that the main thing that got me to get Battlefield 3 was the sound effects? Sure, it looked fun too, but the sound design is what sold me on it.

Aside from that, Silent Hill if you're going for effective use of sound. Other games such as Metal Gear Rising, Dark Souls and Persona 3 & 4 stand out to me for using music and leitmotifs (for the latter) effectively to make scenes more awesome/sad depending on the context. For example, the bosses in each game (MGR especially) were made 127% more awesome just because of the music.

Even though it might sound as important as good graphics to some people, I consider sound design to be one of the most important aspects of a game.

Does Thief 1 have that as well? I'm currently replaying it and one of the most annoying things about it is that people downstairs and people who are several rooms away from me can hear me even if I slowly walk on loud surfaces. Plus, I can hear other people's footsteps miles away.

I have all the Thief games on Steam but I have only ever played the first one. I'll add them to my bucket list (which is growing at an alarming rate).

I think Battlefield 3 is around 20GB or so for the vanilla version (which is what I have). As far as longevity goes it will probably be around for a while because people still play Bad Company 2 and even the original Battlefield 2 and those have been out for a while.

Dear god that's large. I'll probably pick it up once I get a bigger HDD or decide to stop playing Skyrim, Morrowind, and Fallout New Vegas simultaneously. I also just realized I don't even have Origin, probably why I never considered picking it up for PC before.

Also I just remembered that the Thief series is still on my backlog. Welp, I wasn't going to use that money anyway.

Arma 2 with J.S.R.S. Soundmod is THE best sounding milsim game that I've ever played. I was an NCO in Finnish defence forces for a time and I took part in combat exercises that involved jets, helos, tanks, artillery and infantry, so I have an inkling what the real thing sounds like. And it is by far best portrayed with that soundmod. Original sounds for Arma series have always been a bit lackluster, but this one really brings the sound to the fore.

Halo 3's sound was spectacular. You could hear the gunshots echoing in the distance, and it was magnificent.

A week ago I would have said that was a bit odd, yes because I had always been one of those people that said "I can hear it so it is good enough for me." It is amazing what I have been missing out on.

BF3 and Hard Reset.