No one can deny that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is the loudest Call of Duty ever, and it's for good reason. From the ways in which guns sound to the opponent's footsteps near you, the 2019 title stresses the importance of situational awareness by way of audiovisual techniques. Even in-game characters voice aloud what they see, which has led to a plentitude of hilarious Reddit memes. It's clear the overall sound of war didn't take a back seat in the design and creation of Modern Warfare, as even the differences between shots in a canyon from shots within a cave sound varied and realistic, unlike any other title before it.
It sounds strange saying it, but this new and improved Call of Duty is undoubtedly an orchestra of mayhem, and though some may find it almost too annoyingly loud, Infinity Ward made it that way on purpose. Players aren't supposed to miss a thing. If you're listening and paying attention, you'll be rewarded for your efforts, much like in reality.
Distinguished Realistic Weapons Sounds
In an Activation blog post, Audio Director Stephen Miller discusses the ways in which he and his team went about making Modern Warfare's armaments sound as lifelike as ever. Key to bringing this to fruition was designing each and every weapon with its own distinct cry. He says, "Whether it’s a gas piston, direct impingement, or bolt action, all of this brings a different type of voice to a weapon." That's not all, as every weapon's fired shot comes with its own specific feedback and kickback, as Miller continues:
"You’re hearing the weapon fire, but you’re also hearing the shell eject from the weapon...We made sure you felt something akin to a nice thump to the chest."
Even bullets hitting the ground are stressed and made just as important as the overall weapons' sounds in the game. The level of detail inherent in Modern Warfare literally speaks for itself. Infinity Ward took every angle possible in attempting to make the game feel as real and tactical as can be, which shows in the gunplay and mechanics. The sound, while often a relatively less important bit in games, has been rooted in the mechanics and design, because what is a war without its most terrifying feature: the sounds of mayhem and destruction occurring all around you. Though some may think Call of Duty can't shock us anymore, Modern Warfare loudly begs to differ.
Recording Excursions On The Battlefield
With every weapon having this 3D-like sound, Call of Duty echoes with true audio that few games can emulate. To ensure this was possible, Infinity Ward's sound developers went outside to find its many varied sources. As Miller relates:
"We recorded all of our weapons, out in the desert and all kinds of other locations. We used about 90 different microphones to capture each shot. That’s for all kinds of perspectives. Twenty of those are for the player perspective alone. Using all of that detail, we were able to capture different perspectives; those from when you’re at the hip, and those when you’re aiming down sight…."
With more customization options for your guns than for your player, it would make sense Infinity Ward wants to make every aspect of armaments sound different. Feedback is important. Whereas most of the previous games in the franchise focused on fun gaming, Modern Warfare seems to idealize immersion. Though it is meant to be a fun experience, it's likewise experienced best when stressed, tempered, and frustrated. What's even the point of playing if it's too easy or has no stakes? Modern Warfare amps these ideas to the max all with its hyperrealistic sounds, which are made all the better within noise-canceling headphones or an expensive surround system.
Reverb, Echo, And The Satisfaction Of Audio Reflection
Barring its controversy, which the narrative director has defended, Call of Duty's stellar campaign is just as good, if not better than Spec Ops and multiplayer, due in large part to the successful sound design. In addition to cramming so much into this game in terms of cosmetics and graphical detail, the team at Infinity Ward has somehow even worked out ways of allowing bullets to interact with the environment, making their sounds' echo vary depending on where they were fired and what the bullet hits. Miller enlightens:
"There is natural delay and decay to every weapon noise. The sound gives you a big, deep, booming echo in larger expanses of scenery, while the same weapon becomes slightly more muffled, far less reverberating, and with less echo in more confined environments."
Miller even continues by stating that grenade discharges and detonation blasts were just as important to the team as the weapons' audio variety. What's Modern Warfare without its explosions? There's no denying that this Call of Duty beats out all of its predecessors in terms of realistic, dynamic, and immersive gameplay. For those wanting to experience something as akin to real-world warfare as is possible, 2019's Modern Warfare has you loudly covered.