Resident Evil 4’s Sound Designer And Composer Break Down The Remake’s Haunting Soundtrack

Sound design is an often overlooked and underappreciated element of many games, but it’s an element Capcom takes very seriously in Resident Evil 4. As horrific as the game looks, it’s the soundtrack and creepy sound effects that do much of the heavy lifting in building fear and tension. To understand how the remake remixes and enhances the original game’s soundscape, I picked the brains of RE4 sound designer Hiroshi Tamura and lead composer Kota Suzuki to learn how they’re making the game sound as good as it plays. 

GI: A goal for the Resident Evil 4 remake is to create more believable soundscapes. Can you explain what this means and give examples?

Tamura:The sound was a key aspect of the remake. These were two areas we paid a lot attention to. 

Here’s a brief explanation of what it means. RE4, The original has been enjoyed and played by many. That is something we have to acknowledge and show respect for the fans of RE4. We are also releasing RE4’s remake in 2023 as a brand new video game, employing the most recent technology. It is difficult to find the right balance between these two elements in RE4’s audio. However, that was the goal of the sound team when they created this sound. 

For our Capcom Sound team, creating realistic sounds like those found in current games is not difficult. We would loose the essence of RE4 if the sound were as authentic as it could be. As we were creating the soundtrack for RE4, we checked in with the director and producer to see if we should make any changes or pull back.

How can you make it sound realistic and realistic?

Tamura:The environmental sounds that aid in building space are a good example.  This was something we paid a lot attention to. The base tone for a space’s or room’s environmental sound is composed of both ‘outside and ‘inside sounds. This is all achieved using ambisonic methods. This is the base, no matter where you are. There are also random tones. These sounds are created for a specific space, such as the clack or creak sounds, animal cries or pebbles breaking. 

The sound of the wind is another. You will hear wind sound when you enter a room. This is because you are closer to an opening, such as a door or window. If you are outside, wind speed and direction can be calculated in real-time by the GPU. The sound effect of the wind matches the screen and creates an immersive feeling. You could also imagine grass growing on the ground with trees moving and creaking. They are playing in perfect harmony, so the intensity of their movement and the speed and direction of wind enhance the experience.

Additionally, there is the option to select, or create a unique environment sound. Weather sounds such as rain. The five sound layers make up each space’s overall sound. It mimics real-world environmental sounds and provides a sense of authenticity. You can also find character sounds within this framework, such as a gunshot.

You can hear the gunshot sound in the games, but it doesn’t feel as real. It is very cold and mechanical to hear a gunshot, which makes it feel less real. The environment’s sound is balanced with the sounds of action, which are created to be more realistic. It creates an overall better experience.

Can you talk about the challenges involved in iterating over an existing piece of music?

Suzuki:Tamura said that it was important to keep the original in mind when creating something new. To get this project off the ground, I played it again. Then I analyzed the differences and compared them to my own approach. Since the beginning, I have been a huge RE4 fan. It took me a while to think about what I could carry forward from the original and what else to add. I took the example of the merchant music, and the save theme. These are arrangements from the RE4. I would encourage fans to look at the familiar and enjoy them. For example, when fighting a Ganado in RE4, the music used lots of noise-type sounds which were really original for the time.

Although we retained that method, it would not feel right today if the sounds used were the same as those of the original. We have instead used modern methods to communicate the same nuances as the original. It was a difficult task to create a fear-like feeling. Tone is an important aspect of music making.

Was everything recorded from scratch for sound effects to the enemies?

Tamura:Most of these sounds are from scratch. All sounds were modified or arranged from original RE4 sounds and are used in this remake. The sounds we created from scratch were not just any sound we chose. Once again, we referenced original sounds and determined the essence. We then replicated them in a manner that is respectful of original. Some fans might not be able tell the difference between the sound and the one that is based on the original once they play the game.

Are there any enemies you would like to revisit or update?

Tamura: Del Lago saw this enemy in one trailer. While it does not have many sounds, Del Lago found the sound that sounded right, like Del Lago’s cry. You must fight this enemy while you are on the water. It took much effort to make a sound that evokes the character’s personality and stands out against the ambient sounds around it.

Do you have any music that is new in RE4? Is there any new music in RE4? If yes, which ones? Which song did it go with?

Suzuki:We haven’t used any song as-is. The majority of tracks retain a melody or a line arrangement from the original. The remaining 70% are new. The rest is new music. The Ganado music that I mentioned earlier used a lot noise sounds. However, for another track it might be an irregular rhythm, or even a strange sound that sounds almost like a human voice. We have a slightly different approach for certain tracks. We may have taken a different approach to a song that had an overwhelming horror vibe in its original version. In the remake, we chose a more dramatic track. The soundtrack is full of diversity, I believe.

You created the sound of the Las Plaga popping from a Ganado neck. Which is your most unusual method to produce a sound effect?

Tamura: We paid close attention to the sound, its impact and the feeling of it. You are most likely in danger if you hear that sound when you’re being surrounded by enemies. With its sound, the game should communicate to players that there is danger. However, the game must also play a variety of sounds, many of which are extremely important. That’s why we needed to think of a way that the sound could be delivered to the user, among other sounds. In order to be easily identified by users and have a sound that feels right, we stressed the sound’s “attack”. To enhance that impact, we balanced out the low-end.

The sounds used in the game were made using many materials. While I haven’t much else to share, it is possible to speak about the collaboration with other companies that took us to new locations in order to collect sounds.

How did you use unique tools or themes during composition?

Suzuki:It’s impossible to have a single theme throughout the entire game. To create fear and the atmosphere it inspires, we chose to choose different tones. As an example, we used different tones for each part of the game (e.g. the village in the beginning). In the beginning, the village was a mix of traditional and modern music. It was just too fresh and the director suggested that I create the atmosphere of an old village, while keeping it in line with the latest trends. Capcom’s studio allowed us to use acoustic instruments with a bow and also brought in a piano. This was used for sound processing and music making. There were many other interesting recordings. This is how RE4 expressed its essence through music.

Do you believe the RE4 music is different from all other entries? How does it create and sustain a calm and unsettling mood?

Suzuki:Fighting with enemies in RE4 remake is very interactive. It is difficult to predict which enemy the player will face in many cases, as it depends on how the player behaves. It can seem linear in a lot games. You will face an enemy here and you’ll move on. RE4 offers a lot more freedom. We took a lot care when creating this interactive music system. 

So, there are definitions for various statuses, such as “no enemies”, “enemy close but hasn’t seen the player”, or “neutral, warning or combat status.” The music then changes according to that. It’s not enough to see an enemy before a battle starts. Also, the volume of an enemy’s sound is detected. So, for example, if an enemy can be heard close by, it might be treated the same way as an “in battle” status in the interactive music system. If there are many enemies in your vicinity, the music could be altered or the number of instruments may increase. All these things can add up and make music more in tune with the emotions of players than ever.

We can expect to hear more audio tricks on players. What fun can it be to make players sound funny?

Tamura:Culling can be used to reduce the processing load even with today’s powerful machines. This is when objects are turned off behind walls or in other places that you cannot see. This can often disable all sounds the object might make. It is necessary to cull. For example, when a Ganado is behind a wall, the gamer can not see it or reach it from graphics. In this remake, the Ganado will be turned off. We cull the Ganado and create a new sound object. The sound object makes the Ganado’s sounds, and you can still hear it.

Doing this can create fear of things that you cannot see or hear. It also helps to make atmospheric sounds. This was something we treated very carefully in the remake. In the remake we also used a room portal. This breaks down in-game rooms according to acoustics, and adds what is called a portal to openings such as doors or windows to connect them. It is used all over the game’s world. This allows for sound occlusion to be natural stimulated. 

It means, for example, that you find yourself in a small space with only one open door in front. For example, an enemy could be on the opposite side of the right-hand wall, and yell at you. A direct pass processing the sounds will place that source right. However, if you have a barrier between you and your enemy, it shouldn’t block you from hearing the sound source to the right. The yell you hear in the real world would be coming from the door directly. You can replicate this effect by using room portal. The enemy will then sound like they are coming at you from the other direction. The amount of sound you are able to hear will depend on how thick or dense the wall is.

Are you certain that this room portal is unique or used in any other RE-related games?

Tamura:It was used in part for titles such as Village. The implementation of room portals is similar to middleware. This was implemented into the RE engine. Because it takes so much manual effort to make each room, in previous titles, we used it sparingly to highlight certain areas. It was designed to be usable throughout the game. Technically, each area of the game is one of these rooms. The game wouldn’t function if there weren’t.

Which iconic sounds or scores are you as sound professionals? Is there a sound effect or score that you love the most?

Tamura:Because I love playing games, when I think of sounds, games are what I am thinking about. Call of Duty and Battlefield. The sound effects, especially Battlefield’s, are great thanks to the DICE in-house HDR engine. It has a wide dynamic range and is very well used. Some of their sessions at GDC have impressed me. The Ubisoft The Division gunshot sounds are my favorite. It’s a great multiplayer experience. The sound design is excellent. You will love the UI and gunshot sounds as well as the interactive background music. I enjoy these games as a hobby. (laughs)

Suzuki:A lot of music is something I enjoy and that I listen to. Music from dramas and movies are often the things I find inspiring. Recently, I was impressed by some music in movies and dramas. TenetA drama series called DarkThe opening song to ‘The Greatest Song Ever Written’ is a wonderful example of this. The songs that have stayed with me the longest are those I heard a while back. Hans Zimmer’s music, and John William’s Star Wars music. For Star Wars, I love Episode 3 so much!

Which emotions are you hoping to draw from your players, besides the sound design and music score?

Tamura:Fans who played the original RE4 will feel some comfort. [and]It is clear how careful we took with the original when creating this remake. If this is your first experience with RE4, I hope you enjoy it.

Suzuki:The same sentiments are mine. The original RE4 was full of drama and horror, and it made for a very entertaining and enjoyable experience. The game was updated to modern standards and we recreated the balance. That is what I want the players to feel. When they finish the game they will be able to look back at it and say that it was scary but also fun.

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