The Sound Of Silence

Eric Brosius reveals the secrets behind Thief ’s audio design.

- Eric Brosius

Sound plays a crucial role in Thief ’s design. Players must be wary of how much noise they make as they walk across different surfaces, and must listen to the footsteps of guards to figure out when to slip by. Its bespoke audio engine propagates sound realistically, to the point where players can press against doors to eavesdrop on conversations.

But Thief ’s audio design goes way beyond what is mechanically necessary. Atmospherically it is one of the strangest and most distinctive games ever made. Its hypnotic, haunting soundtrack becomes the main contributor to immersing the player in Thief ’s world, and is one of the key elements that has preserved Thief ’s playability through the years.

SOUNDS GOOD

Thief ’s audio design was led by Eric Brosius, whose other credits include the 1995 shooter Descent, and the Guitar Hero series. “From the beginning we knew that sound had to be really important and we had to make it clear that what you were hearing was hearable by other people,” Brosius says. “Some of that was inspired by those submarine games you used to play in the arcade where you can’t see anything but you can hear them.”

Brosius knew sound was also vital in creating the right mood and keeping the player interested.