2024 Portfolio Project
Wwise and Unity implementation using the Unity 3D Game Kit
Project Context and relevant examples:
This Project is a sound Redesign of the pre-made Unity 3D Game Kit Level 1. The sound redesign will be implemented using Wwise and Unity Integration tools. I will provide documentation of a unique in-depth redesign covering all aspects of the build, such as all noteworthy technical applications, including any solutions to problems I may have encountered along the way.
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Sonically, the main focus of this project is to create a unique sound design solution that brings the game kit to life with in-world storytelling in the form of a constantly evolving ambient system. This system be tied to the game depending on the actions of the player, change in environment, and foreshadowing of future events. This objective does not overshadow the importance of making impactful and memorable sounds for all entities within the game, this is of course another key objective of my project.
PLAYDEAD:
I took inspiration from the way in which PLAYDEAD Interactive structure the music and ambience in their games. Although the art style of the game LIMBO and INSIDE lend themselves to abstracted audio, there was still areas of sound design I wanted to explore. Especially where sound effects, ambience, and music all become one. I didn’t make music for the game kit but attempted to make the ambience move and pulse like a musical score.
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Inspirations:
One of the games that inspired the direction I would take sonically is Shadow of the Colossus (2005, Remastered 2018). The game is set in a loosely defined “Forbidden Land” which is home to 16 colossi, each with at least one glowing weak point. The Forbidden Land is represented by barren, empty ancient structures and ruins. The atmosphere is eerily active for being so empty.
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I took inspiration in how the ambience in the Forbidden Land is so animated to highlight the emptiness of the realm and used this approach for the game kit. This is to prevent it sounding like an empty level that has already been played through. The Colossi are so baked into the atmosphere, that the boss fights and environment blend into one.
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To add depth to the ambience in a way that creates tension, I created sounds that are indicative of machinery which act as a thick airy sound in the main combat zone of the level. Having the atmosphere disperse depending on height and distance from the boss fight also creates a sense of danger and foreshadowing.
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This is a concept that has been explored in Cinema for years, but due to the dynamic nature of interactive media, is difficult to experiment with in games with a more hyperreal art style.
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Technical Breakdown:
Full Audio Redesign here:
After a few playthroughs of the level, it was time to establish a unique aesthetic for the Unity 3D game kit. Considering the vivid colours and fantasy nature of the project, I opted to colour the certain aspects of the ambiences using a cassette recorder to add an analogue compression and warmth to the game. The intention was to emulate the sound of a thick, tropical atmosphere that the 3D game Kit represents.
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I decided to use these recordings mostly as risers and gestures that accompany the game at specific, pivotal moments in the level. Such as when the main character enters a new area of the map or completes a task relating to the progression of the level. They also contribute to certain actions that the character, and enemies take, mostly attack actions.
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AkAmbient large mode positioners:
There are over 100 large mode positioner nodes on the map. The purpose of them is to create a constantly evolving ambience that varies depending on where the character is on the map. This creates a ‘scene shift’, becoming especially noticeable when reaching the Grenadier arena zone.
Large mode positioners in combination with zone based auxiliary sends create an ever-evolving soundscape. The AkAmbient nodes are carrying the sound of designed wind, alien creatures, fireflies, the creaks of the crashed spacecraft and branches of trees.
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I also created a sense of height and depth on the map by splitting the ambience up into its separate components (Air, Wind, Animals, Branches) and assigning large mode nodes to these entities means I can be deliberate with where they are placed. Placing wind sounds at height and dispersing the ambience with reverb gave a sense of progression, and sometimes danger, as you play through the level.
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Hurdles - Posting Events to animations:
Posting events to animations is an essential part of the process when designing the Game Kit. Originally, I was going to use colliders to trigger certain audio but found the outcome of this to be messy. For example – placing colliders on the character models' feet to trigger footsteps was unreliable and resulted in far too many or too little steps being triggered, especially when walking up or down any kind of gradient.
Posting to animations solved that problem and resulted in a much cleaner solution where audio is triggered precisely when I decide it to be triggered.
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To the right is a list of event posting scripts for the Grenadier, posted to the timeline at the bottom of the screen.
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For the magical sounds that underlay the grenadiers' movements, attack and destruction, I have repurposed a previous design of the shield sound. By putting it in a granular synth engine and controlling the scroll and delay time with a MIDI controller, I was able to achieve the sound of the grenadier destruction sequence. Layering this sound with scraping stones and clanging metal made for an emphatic boss fight conclusion.
Most of the audio clips associated with the Grenadier were triggered by posting events to animations, however, for the grenade bounce and explosion, I needed to add a few lines of code to the EnergyGrenade script that called an event directly to the animation.
If the bouncePlayer and explosionPlayer are NOT equal to Null, then both initialized Events are handled by the AkSoundEngine.
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Aesthetic Consistency:
As a final consideration for the overall aesthetic of the game kit,
I have used similar sound sources to accompany all magic sounds.
Aesthetically, This helps make the audio redesign consistent and glues all of the entities into one world.
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Here is a screen recording of examples.
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Cassette Ambience
Cassette Ambience In-game
AkAmbient Nodes highlighted on map.
AkAmbient swamp to dispersed air progression.
