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Star Wars: Battlefront
DICE has shared an inside look at the sound design in its upcoming shooter Star Wars: Battlefront. In a detailed essay, audio director Ben Minto explains the challenges behind designing ambient sounds for several planets in the Star Wars universe. Places like Tatooine and Hoth, for example, each possess their own distinct ambiance.
For Hoth, Minto's team focused on wind. They traveled to multiple locations in Scandanavia, sampling frigid gusts from Sweden and Norway. When wind alone proved insufficient in creating an appropriate atmosphere, Minto recorded the howls of a wapiti elk, a creaking door thrown open by a storm, the inside of a cave underneath a frozen waterfall and more. For those interested, a somewhat finalized version of Hoth's ambience lies at the bottom of the article.
Tatooine, on the other hand, was less about weather and more about its inhabitants. Although Minto again recorded wind, the emphasis shifted to wildlife. In the near finished Tatooine ambiences after the article, animal sounds take center stage behind a quieter breeze.
Many of these sounds come from the locations where George Lucas filmed the Star Wars movies. While Minto appreciated visiting the original sites, he cares more about the opportunity to record in nature. "Being there in person," he states, "and experiencing those surroundings makes it easier when trying to recreate that feel in the studio."
If you want more Star Wars: Battlefront, read our hands-on preview or check out this reveal trailer. Star Wars: Battlefront releases for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on November 17.
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