Ultimate Hunting® - DevLog #5: Sounds

Development is moving forward every day, step by step. Today, let’s talk about sounds and the important role they play in the game. Our team is small, so creating some elements takes us a bit more time.

Remember to turn on the volume while watching videos!

Ambient Sounds

The African demo map is more than just a landscape; it’s a living world where every sound matters. The desert, savanna, and riverbank all sound different. The wind carries grains of sand, and a distant insect buzzing can build tension better than music.

See those bushes? Move carefully; the rustle of leaves can reveal your position and scare off nearby animals. Step on dry branches, and every crack might mean something hears you before you notice.

At night, the world of sound becomes even richer: cicadas, echoes from the bush, and finally that eerie, unsettling silence.

Near rivers, you’ll hear mosquitoes, especially after dark. Around animal droppings, flies start buzzing, a subtle hint that game might be nearby.

You can watch and compare how different surfaces sound in the video below.

Animal Sounds

In the demo, you’ll encounter three animal species, each with its own set of sounds. The hardest one to find wasn’t the biggest animal; it was the warthog. The sounds of a wild boar or domestic pig might seem similar, but they don’t reflect the character of this tough African fighter. For example, we can find 50+ sounds of the Blue Wildebeest calling, but most are too low-quality to use in the game.

Our sounds mainly come from paid libraries, or we try to create them from scratch, but this is difficult and time-consuming. Some may think there is nothing complicated about it - you don’t need many sounds, and I agree.

Most of the animals will need key sound types: communication, warning, response to a call, fear, pain, and death. For particular species, we’ve also added charge and agitation sounds, depending on what triggers the animal’s emotions.

Weapon Sounds

Every weapon has its own character and sound, depending on its configuration. Change the caliber or barrel tip, and you’ll hear the difference. Add the small details that make it feel real: reloading clicks, breath control, the sound of an empty magazine, or slow, focused aiming.

We spent time discussing what a gunshot should sound like. Some wanted a powerful boom, others preferred a more restrained tone. In the end, we added a “Gunfire Gain” slider to the audio settings so players can fine-tune the intensity of gunfire to their liking.

And if you ever fire inside a confined space, like a cave… well, you’ll find out for yourself what happens!

Other Sounds

Beyond the obvious, the game is filled with subtle effects that create the complete experience: the character’s breathing, clothes rustling while crawling, an engine humming, a trailer creaking, or the distinctive click when using an item. Every slight sound has its purpose.

We also included mission effects, NPC voices, and ambient reactions that respond dynamically to the player’s actions. This way, the world feels alive, breathing, reacting, and drawing you in.

We are happy with the sounds so far. There is always room for improvement, but we are doing as well as we can with our small team.

Regards,

UH Team