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As games become more and more technically advanced over the years, the quality of their sound and music is becoming increasingly important--both as part of the aesthetic appeal of the overall product, and also as an aspect of gameplay. The following 10 games are all excellent in their own right, but all the more so thanks to their excellent use of sound. Whether due to their finely orchestrated scores or their highly realistic audio effects, or both, all these games are music to the ears. Most of them also still look and play great, and are worth adding to your game collection.
Clive Barker's Undying (2001)
Street Price: $15
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A cult classic among fans of first-person shooters, Clive Barker's Undying is a horror-themed action game that takes place in a distinctive setting. Undying is a single-player game, but offers near-nonstop thrills and surprises over its course. Probably the best thing about Undying is how it sounds--truly creepy ambient noises and hard-hitting effects really bring the game to life. Every shooter fan should check out Undying, or at least listen to it.
Soul Reaver 2 (2001)
Street Price: $19
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Soul Reaver 2 features some of the most superbly acted dialogue you'll ever hear in a game. The game's enigmatic protagonist, a half demon-half vampire named Raziel, is brooding and sympathetic. His exchanges with his nemesis, the vampire Kain, are dramatic and memorable. The game itself is very good, too. As Raziel, you'll travel through time and across dimensions in an effort to discover the truth about your past.
Icewind Dale (2000)
Street Price: $19
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This outstanding hack-and-slash role-playing game features a stirring orchestral score by experienced composer Jeremy Soule. The entire soundtrack lends the proceedings of Icewind Dale a real sense of purpose. As you explore the game's enemy-infested caverns and harsh, wintry environments, you'll truly feel as though the fate of the world depends on the success of your small, powerful adventuring party.
Thief II: The Metal Age (2000)
Street Price: $19
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Join master thief Garrett in his second series of missions in Thief II: The Metal Age, an action game that's all about stealth. Since you'll be skulking in the darkness more often than not, you'll need to rely on your ears at least as much as on your eyes while playing Thief II. The game's outstanding use of audio and its big, open-ended levels make Thief II suspenseful, engaging, and very immersive.
Battle Realms (2001)
Street Price: $19
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This action-packed real-time strategy game features a host of unique, appealing units and a great Far East setting. You'll get to control either the Dragon, Serpent, Wolf, or Lotus clans in a battle for martial supremacy against their rivals. Battle Realms looks outstanding, and its subtle, melodic soundtrack and action movie-style audio effects make the battle sequences truly stand out. Battle Realms belongs in most any RTS fan's library.
American McGee's Alice (2000)
Street Price: $19
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American McGee's Alice is loaded with style--it's still one of the best ways to show off a new computer or graphics card, thanks to the game's richly detailed, concentrated levels and its remarkable audio. The game itself is pretty straightforward, making it well suited for just about anyone save the squeamish--this particular version of Alice in Wonderland is rather more twisted than the children's story you might recall.
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (2002)
Street Price: $39
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Released earlier this year, Medal of Honor: Allied Assault is still the best-sounding game to be released thus far in 2002: It truly evokes the sounds, as well as the sights, of World War II--and it's got a superb orchestral score, for good measure. It's otherwise an action-packed first-person shooter that takes you deep behind enemy lines through a number of intense missions. The single-player mode is a blast, and multiplayer is very fun as well.
The Operative: No One Lives Forever (2000)
Street Price: $29
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No One Lives Forever pays homage to '60s spy thrillers with its great soundtrack and glamorous cast of characters. It's also a truly fantastic first-person shooter that's surprisingly long and filled to the brim with cleverly designed, challenging levels. You'll play as the smart and beautiful secret agent Cate Archer, and while you'll have a blast playing NOLF, you'll really remember it for its characters and its hilarious dialogue.
Homeworld (1999)
Street Price: $25
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You'll really feel the loneliness and vastness of outer space when you play Homeworld, thanks to the game's haunting soundtrack and carefully done voiceovers. This deep-space real-time strategy game takes you on a journey across an entire galaxy, in search of your ancestral home. Along the way, you'll brave many dangerous and will have to command your fleets of spaceships to defend yourself.
Freedom Force (2002)
Street Price: $39
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Save the day in Freedom Force, a unique game that combines tactical combat and role-playing with a perfectly honed sense of style. Paying homage to the Silver Age of comic books, Freedom Force introduces a memorable cast of heroes and villains in a number of exciting missions. And while the game's visuals are excellent, it's the music and voice work in Freedom Force that help make the game so appealing.
Be sure to visit GameBuyer to find more great deals on both classic and recently released computer games.
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