Sound is essential everywhere in life, and that includes games too. In the specific game, accuracy of how a car sounds close to the real one, will define my choice to use it or not, so yes, it's crucial factor and it raises or lowers my total "picture" of the game.
Many cars have excellent sound work, i won't lie, i like to be subjective as much as i can and i recognize the good work. My ears (and speakers) appreciate good work also.
My reference points for every racing game engine sounds, are always the NFSU2 and NFSMW (2005 ofc), where the engine sound was changing, depending on some parts u would install in NFSU2, or depending the type (race, ultimate etc) for NFSMW. I never saw similar work since then (maybe because they avoid work anymore?) !!
It seems that in this game, they have applied some equalization logic, which ofc makes things worse than it would be without.... modern foolish "innovations"! I've noticed engine sound lowering inside a tunnel while the enviromental sounds, like the short blow of passing next to a pillar, increasing... and for many cars (not all), their sound is higher at low-mid range rpm and lower when goes higher, even worse in a tunnel for those.... (lotus, camaro zl1 etc). Unacceptable work and annoying effects.
I'm even able to hear loud and clear the engines of my opponents who are 20-40m behind me quite often, but not my own engine with most cars!!!! Another idiotic thing, is when the sound is moving left and right, when i'm drifting, something that annoys me a lot, and it was just fine in every previous version of nfs and proper. To note here that if music is on, then while in garage, if i select swap car, the music goes to my...right speaker !! what kind of stupidous effect is this again? Where did those people get their license to do such work i wonder.
Few car samples below that i used.....
Nissan 350z: this car is among my favorites, but it seems they copied the sound of ...NFS underground 1 instead of 2 !!! It's like blowing a trumpet with water inside, that awfull. In NFSU2 , the sound was very accurate, depending on the engine parts always, but only there i was enjoying it.
Mercedes-AMG G 63: Not many words on this, i wanted to use it, but it's like.......riding a bike instead of a car, the sound is really same as a motocross bike, while it sounds totally different irl...wtf !!!! Also, i wonder, who was responsible in making this car, and he made it shaking right-left like a boat, even while tapping the key to direction, as if it has no suspension for cars, but trampoline. Reality is by far different, even if it's not a sim-game.
Ford Mustang GT: Like hearing a toilet flush in a hangar, for sake. Proper sound for a mustang in reality, is that of the BOSS 302!
Subaru impreza wrx sti: Well, this version of the car is just a cheap mimic of the 2004 one, but in female edition as i use to say, the sound of it is like a kitten purrr....where is the bass and tremor? as i said....female version.
Volkswagen Golf GTI: In general lines it has acceptable sound, but during gear shift in high rpm is like electrifying my speakers, unless i lower too much the treble in equalizer
Plymouth Barracuda: An awesome car, awesome sound.....but everytime i release the throttle, it is jittering.. how annoying.
Chevrolet camaro ZL1: a beatifull muscle car, loved it from the concept version, but the sound here, is very weak and "dead", soulless.
Ford GT : It uses exactly the same sound as the 350z, with slightly higher frequencies.. in other words, like a piece of *, totally different than real one.
Dodge Viper : I would describe this one, as an even weaker version of 350z sound, but what's more annoying, is that, no car in this world, would reach 4000-7000rpm and would still sound like a kitten, like in 2000rpm, but cars in this game do. Viper irl.....it screams, it's far from calm, like most supercars do.
Jaguar F type: As a jag, it would sound unique, but not here, where it sounds low and weak, no matter if 4000 or 7000 rpm !!!!!!!
Infinity Q60: Seriously....a joke, worse than 350z.
To race games developers.... open youtube a bit, search for cars, listen....and learn !!! Youtube can be a tool, not only an entertaining site, use it...or should we take u from the hand?
I might update this list, depending on my mood, but i worry about how bad work there is yet to be done in their future updates. Quality is not their principle, like it was not for criterion as well. They partner with EA, so greed and rush is their motto.
.....[Why on the earth isn't text formatting applied in this forum?].... for sake
It seems they corrected the formatting issue !!
