A video on YouTube demonstrating how amour sounds were generated for Baldur’s Gate 3 has been published by one of the games’ sound designers and shows off a pair of handmade metal shoes walking across various surfaces. Although this doesn’t sound impressive from the get-go, the video's description tells a different story.
The sound designer in question, Glenn Gullskjegg Goa, shared, "In Baldur’s Gate 3, when you wear shoes with metal on them, we wanted them to have a unique layer of metal clanks. I made some sabatons in the forge (I learned blacksmithing) and recorded an hour session of walking on various surfaces with them loosely on.” The full video can be seen below:
Whether or not the skill was learned specifically for use in Baldur’s Gate 3 or if it was just a helpful coincidence when it came to creating the layered sounds of armour-wearing within the game is unclear. Regardless, the commitment to producing authentic sound for the game is evident.
Goa’s YouTube channel explores a few sections of Baldur’s Gate 3’s sound design, too, and the efforts that have gone into creating such an immersive experience are clear through each and every one. For example, in a video exploring how lighting bolt sounds were created for various spells, the description reads, “If I recall correctly, the electric sounds are: Duct tape ripped off windows, packaging foam rubbed together, several designed sounds through serum, and of course, some library sounds to layer and "glue".
It’s impressive how many sound effects within the game were created using objects around the house, with hand-forged sabatons being an exception, of course, and knowing just how much creativity and effort has gone into making the experience more immersive just helps make one of the best RPGs all the more impressive.
If you want to immerse yourself further into the sound design of Baldur's Gate 3, then it’s worth checking out the best PS5 headsets or the best PC gaming headsets.
