Silence in a video game doesn't always mean the game's creators ran out of budget for an original score or came up short of a voice actor. Because like in films, silence can convey more meaning than moving pixels or a few sound bits. Silence in video games, if utilized right, can be an ambiguous template of meditation and conclusion for the players.
It's a bout of calm and peace to make players fill in the gaps and reflect for themselves. Sometimes, it's the calm before the storm in a horror title. Other times, it's a brief reprieve from all the action and violence. Whichever the case, these following video games surely have their memorable moments of silence.
9 Dead Space
- Release year: 2008
- Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Cloud Gaming
Dead Space is getting its remake soon and fans can only hope that the people responsible for it didn't ruin all those nerve-wracking walks through silent and crumbling corridors only for a necromorph to jump out of a vent momentarily. Because arguably, these brief windows of false safety are more effective as scare scenarios compared to the more musical chase sequences.
The player's imagination, after all, can get a little too playful and traumatized during Dead Space sessions. Players begin to notice more mundane objects that might contain surprises. Is that vent safe? Does that door house a necromorph behind it? Or is that corpse really dead? Silence can be as much of an enemy in Dead Space as the necromorphs.
8 Alien: Isolation
- Release year: 2014
- Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Linux, OS X, Nintendo Switch, Luna, Android, iOS
Dead Space's primary inspiration is obviously the Alien films. Thankfully, Alien: Isolation encapsulated what it was like getting chased by a xenomorph in a dimly lit space vessel. Like Dead Space, Alien: Isolation borrows a lot of the first Alien movie's silent instants, using them as a way to give viewers trauma they never knew they could experience.
Alien: Isolation handles silence a bit differently, however. Most of the time, there's only one deadly enemy chasing the players. That would be the xenomorph. Silence here accompanies players as they narrowly or even inadvertently evade the xenomorph; it's like a panicked companion who warns players of impending danger. In a game like this, even silence as a companion is as good as any.
7 Limbo
- Release year: 2010
- Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
Limbo showed everyone back in 2010 what the power of monochrome and a 2D environment can do for horror. It's simple yet nightmarish and imaginative. From the start of the game, players are already greeted with shadows and silence as they traverse through the oppressive landscape.
And even as players are getting chased by the Spider, the game's audio dares not intrude on the terror that the players are already experiencing. Thus, the horror here is more genuine. There's no music to dictate what the players should feel or how panicked they should be, making the visuals more haunting, which is impressive for a game with graphics this basic.
6 Silent Hill 2
- Release year: 2001
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 2, Xbox, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360
Sure enough, silence is an important gameplay mechanic in Silent Hill games, and Silent Hill 2 is no exception. It's also generally regarded as the best entry in the series. Silent Hill 2's exploration sequences are silent. There's nothing but darkness, footsteps, and the players' eerie imagination to fuel this fever dream nightmare.
Of course, there's the occasional loud falling or knocking noise and the inexplicable monstrosities, but silence makes them all worse. Because, each monstrous cry, loud noise, or even the mere thud of James' boots while walking adds up to the tension. The silence here does a good job of portraying what James should feel due to his overwhelming guilt and anxiety. Quite immersive.
5 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
- Release year: 2004
- Platforms: PlayStation 2, Nintendo 3DS
It's part anime, part-Hollywood action movie nonsense, and that's what makes the Metal Gear Solid series so unique. Most of the titles past Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater include Hideo Kojima's penchant to create arthouse film-type cinematics and these typically include silence.
Such stretches in the game provide players (and Snake) a respite — a fleeting period of clarity and healing that they should all cherish before going back to a life of war and strife as the commando version of James Bond. And what better way to convey that ambiguous message than before and after an overly long ladder-climbing sequence?
4 Half-Life
- Release year: 1998
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Shield Portable
The first Half-Life game and even the second one to a certain degree lacked some overly present musical themes and scores. That's why the first game initially made the impression that it was a horror game during its opening and early progression. But more importantly, it was the player character's silence that made the game immersive.
Gordon Freeman doesn't talk at all and this allowed players to insert themselves into that character. The lack of music also makes players less distracted as they soak in the environment and its cues — which fosters observational and deduction skills for in-game puzzle solving. Arguably, this fuels player creativity and resourcefulness, given that there's no music to "lead" or indicate what they should feel.
3 Kentucky Route Zero
- Release year: 2013
- Platforms: Linux, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android, iOS
Kentucky Route Zero is a story-based game where players assume the role of a countryside truck driver as they travel around Interstate 65 in Kentucky. After they get lost, they end up in fictional places and meet some interesting people with their own stories to share.
It's up to the players what to make of these stories and these people. The lack of music makes the game a meditative experience where players are free to judge and decide the tone of every scene and conversation. Pretty soon, players will find themselves filling in for the conversation voices and imagining the character's faces.
2 Shadow Of The Colossus
- Release year: 2005
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3
Hunting down a mere 16 enemies across a huge map would have impatient young gamers groan, but there's a certain magic to Shadow of the Colossus that made it age well even today. There's no soundtrack to keep players entertained as they travel from boss to boss. Music is mostly limited to the boss fights and cinematics.
However, these also turned out to be some of the more memorable scenes in the game. Players get a chance to reflect on the gravity and epicness of their adventure and whether it's futile or not against a backdrop of somber silence with only their trusty horse as a friend. It definitely helped that the landscape is gorgeous.
1 God Of War (2018)
- Release year: 2018
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows
The silence in 2018's God of War is less about letting players soak in the environment and more about Kratos' awkward relationship with his own son. He wasn't fit to be a father and a family man, and this kind of silence unless he's giving orders to Atreus reinforces his emotional reluctance and baggage to be a proper father.
And then there are those uneasy boat moments with Atreus where Kratos is forced to "connect" with his son. There was no music, just the sound of the oar breaking the water and a few janky stories from Kratos to Atreus. There's a mixture of grief, therapeutic musing, and the difficulties of parenting all poured into those silent boat rides. Thankfully, God of War: Ragnarok continued this father-and-son tradition.