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Best Sound
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System Shock 2
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Looking Glass Studios
Review
Demo
"Straining in the darkness to gain foresight into the challenges ahead becomes an essential tactic, whether it be to detect the distant whirring noise of a security camera, the haunting ramblings of a mutant hybrid, or the banter of a haywire protocol droid." - Desslock, GameSpot Review
The flat 2D space of the computer monitor, which doesn't allow for peripheral vision or depth perception, stifles any genuine suspension of disbelief that realistic graphics might otherwise achieve. No matter how realistic a game looks, if it's being watched on a monitor on a desk, then it's not going to seem real for very long. As such, a game's sound determines whether the game actually lets you suspend disbelief and become immersed in the experience. And no game sounded better in '99 than Looking Glass Studios' System Shock 2. Neither the game's typical science-fiction premise nor its fairly plain graphics stands out. However, System Shock 2 features shockingly realistic environmental audio, from the reverberation of your character's footsteps against steel grating to the vengeful howl of mutants lurking in the darkness. Together with its precise music cues, System Shock 2 succeeds in sounding all at once cinematic, scary, and realistic.
Nominees:
Delta Force 2
Dungeon Keeper 2
Homeworld
Jagged Alliance 2
Best Story
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