1. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
Game Title The Last of Us https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r-zvVMZeP4
Provide detailed descriptions from chosen examples that establish… Clearly state what production technique(s) you think have
been used to create specific soundtrack elements
Setting There isn’tmuchannotationsonwhere the real place is,exceptthe facttheytalk
aboutarcade game,whichisbustedandwe don’thearotherpeople around.
The imaginarysurroundingsare on a ShadowTemple,whichisabattle area,or
‘buildingfortournamentsof the immortals’assaidbyRileyat35:01. The place is
alsoquite tropical because of the drumbeatsand otherinstrumentsplayinginthe
background.
The native instrumentmusicwasplayedwiththe
use of actual intruments.
Mood At firstthe backgroundiscompletelyquietwithanexceptionof veryquietnoises
the electricitymakes(bzzz),thisaddstoseriousness,andwhenwe hearsightsand
Ellie sayingshe wantedtoplay,thisquietnessmakesitfeel sorryforher.
It staysquietuntil RileytellsEllie tokeephereyesshut(34:55). Afterthatthe music
starts withan impactand isfast,tellingthe imaginationworks.There are more
beatsgivingthistensiontobe readybefore the fight. Asthe battle startsthe melody
speedsup,the atmosphere isquite aggressiveandwe canhear additional soundsto
emphasisthe characters’moves.At36:00 the entire musicas well asRiley’svoicego
intoa background(butare more louder) andbecome quite basssoundingaswell as
whenspokenthroughthe megaphone, givingthe new,deepsensationandto
signifythe actiondenses.
The soundsaddedto underlinewhencharacters
hit(notactual hitsoundsbut the sounds
alongside them) were eithermade withFoley
artistryor VST plugins.
The firstbackgroundsoundsof electricityand
windwere probablyfieldrecorded.
Game genre (The Last of Us genre – Action-Adventure,Survival,Horror) The ‘game ina game’
genre isprobablya fighting,adventure.
The imaginarygame isan adventure game,because Rileytellsthe character‘stands
on the edge of the ShadowTemple’.Andtosignifyit’safightinggame we hear
characters’voiceswhenintroduced (35:04-35:14) and theysoundjustlike the calls
fightingcharacterswoulddo.
Imaginarycharacters’callswere probablystudio
recordedas well,whereaspunchesandkicks
couldhave beendone withuse of Foleyartistry.

2. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
Anothermainfactorstellingit’safightinggame is‘RoundOne.Fight’at35:23, as
well asRiley’scommentsof whatthe opponentisdoing.
Narrative Ellie wantstoplayan arcade game (we can knowit’sarcade game,because after
that momentRileytellsheraboutbuttonstopress) butthe machine doesn’twork
(34:13).
The rest of the narrative istoldbyRiley’smonologue (at34:41); she tellsEllie to
imagine everythingshe says,andintroduceshertoplayer’scharacter(Angel Knives)
as well asthe opponent(Blackfang).Rileythendescribesall the opponentdoesand
whatEllie should dotowin.
All the narrationwasrecordedina studiowithuse
of voice actors. There alsowas some panning
usedto showthat Rileyisoff scene.