DISPLACEMENT

Together with the Obelisk team, we created an atmosphere of horror and loneliness in the MVP of the game Displacement. Inspired by the atmosphere and sound of modern horrors, we voiced a project where sound design is the key to immersion in a world of loneliness, horror, and eternal cold.

SOUND DESIGN

Sound in Displacement is not a background detail, but an active participant in the narrative. We use sound to emphasize two main elements of the game: cold and madness.

ETERNAL COLD

Eternal cold: changes in temperature directly affect the character and their health, so it was important to voice both the hero freezing and returning to a normal state. For this, we asked an actor to voice the character's reactions to cold and warmth. Plus, a special PDA sound on the character's arm also provides an audio alert for critical temperature levels.

WIND EVERYWHERE

It was crucial to voice the feeling of a piercingly cold wind, not just outside the station, but inside as well. For this, a dozen sources of storm sounds from windows and doors were created. The atmosphere is also enhanced by noises from behind the station walls—random metallic screeches of the structure.

PSYCHOSIS IN HEADPHONES

The atmosphere of madness is intensified through non-linear sound triggers on the map. The hero hears voices, echoes of the past, sudden screams, and jumpscares that can be either hallucinations or warnings of a real threat. The work with the voice actor was also important here, as they were able to convey the palette of emotions and experiences of the main character.

VINTAGE TECHNOLOGIES

Since the events take place in an alternate universe where computers have not reached modern levels of development, the sound design for interactions with objects, the PDA, and the UI core used various sounds from analog technology of the late 80s and early 90s, such as the boot-up sound of an old system with a 486 processor.

VARIABLE STINGERS AND DRONES

A multi-layered system of drones and stingers was developed for the musical accompaniment, with their sound character and intensity depending directly on the player's mental state. This helped support the emotional component of the gameplay and correctly place accents.

When creating the sound for the game Displacement, our goal was not just to supplement the game environment, but to turn the audio into a powerful narrative tool. The emphasis was on a cinematic quality—every sound detail, from the character's reactions to extreme conditions to the tense background atmosphere and spectacular combat sounds, was built on cinematic principles where sound drives emotion and perception of the world. In this project, the audio track doesn't just accompany the events; it becomes an integral part of them.

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