We’re always quick to talk about how much better games look nowadays than ten or even just five years ago, but it’s also remarkable to look at how much better sounding games have become in the modern era.
Jump back to the PS2 era and it’s remarkable how compressed and flat everything sounds, with none of the sparkle or dynamism of modern game audio.
We’re in an era where games sound utterly fantastic and if you’re still gaming with your TV’s built in speakers then you’re doing yourself a massive disservice.
The Bose SoundTouch 300 is a fantastic upgrade to get the best out of your games. Its sound has weight and heft to it, and its surround sound is remarkable, especially considering the relatively small amount of size it takes up underneath your television.
If you do decide to take the plunge, then the following games will be the ones you’ll want to use to fully appreciate your decision. Some of them are in here for their fantastic soundtracks, others have found a place merely based on the strength of their audio design, but all will push the SoundTouch 300 to its absolute limit, and allow you to appreciate how utterly engrossing a good sounding game can be.
1. Star Wars Battlefront
It almost feels like it’s cheating to include a Star Wars game in this list. After all, it has the benefit of drawing a soundtrack from one of the best film scores of all time. Who doesn’t get a shiver up their spin when the main Star Wars theme kicks in, or when the Imperial March plays?
But the real strength of the game’s audio is in the sounds its vehicles make. From Snow Speeders to TIE Fighters, every vehicle in the game sounds like a real piece of machinery. It’s as though you can almost hear the catalytic converters hard at work inside each and every one of them.
You owe it to yourself to experience this game with the Bose SoundTouch 300.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD
The Legend of Zelda games have some of the most iconic audio design of all time. Whether it’s something as complicated as the orchestral crescendo as you open an important chest, or as simple as the twinkle of a ‘win-chime’ as you complete a difficult puzzle, it’s hard not to have an almost pavlovian response to the sound design in these games.
The only problem has been that Nintendo hasn’t exactly made audio a focus of its gaming hardware, meaning that although the tunes themselves are great, they always ending up feeling a little low-fi. Great for getting your retro fix, but tough when you want something more contemporary.
The exception to this rule is Wind Waker HD. Originally a GameCube game released back in 2002, Wind Waker HD saw the game re-mastered for the Wii U in 2013. Everything was given a fresh coat of paint, including the game’s audio.
If you want the best combination of classic Zelda sound with modern production values then Wind Waker is the game to go for, and it will sound excellent on the Bose SoundTouch 300.
3. Uncharted 4
Voice acting performances in games don’t come better than Uncharted 4. Nolan North and Emily Rose put in fantastic performances as Nathan Drake and Elena Fisher respectively, and their witty banter propels the story forwards at an energetic pace.
This is a game that was made to be experienced with a decent sound setup. There’s so much going on that with all the bullets whizzing past and buildings crumbling as you try to scale them that it can be easy to miss the witty quips being shared by the game’s characters if you’re playing using your TV’s built-in speakers.
A good soundbar, like the Bose SoundTouch 300, allows all of the game’s fantastic audio to really shine through.
4. Skyrim
Few games are as atmospheric as Skyrim. Whether you’re adventuring across its open plains or exploring its darkest dungeons, the game’s sound design is fantastic at creating the sense that you’re in a real place with history to it.
It’s so subtle that you often don’t notice it, but the game’s soundtrack is an ever-present source of atmosphere. Seriously - try playing the game with the sound turned off and it offers maybe half of the atmosphere as a result.
Although the game’s soundtrack really kicks into gear when you enter a battle, it’s in its quieter moments that the SoundTouch 300 does its best work.
5. Resident Evil 7
If you want to be scared absolutely witless, then there’s nothing better than playing a horror game with the lights off and the sound on high.
Sound is so important to a good horror game, and with its deep, powerful sound the SoundTouch 300 is the perfect accompaniment for all of those unexplained bumps, scrapes, and occasional screams of terror (or was that just us?).
Resident Evil 7 is a fantastic horror game that’s taken the long-running series back to its roots in a truly fantastic fashion. It’s tense, it’s creepy, and if you make it through the whole thing with the SoundTouch 300 then we have nothing but respect for you.
Read more about the SoundTouch 300 here.
