The Thwack Heard ‘Round the World

If I asked you to describe the sound the dodgeball makes on impact, you might say, “Thwack!” Why does that exact sound resonate with you, instead of a “Schwaping!” or “Thwapang!,” and how do we nail that satisfying feel of rubber as it smacks someone’s cheek and makes their mouth and expression scramble? The audio elements in Knockout City™ are often just as important as the visuals—they make the game all the more enjoyable while staying true to our fun, functional, and funky roots. 

Ah, yes, I suppose I should introduce myself: I’m Matt Pirog, and I’m the Audio Director for Knockout City. The team has asked me to share how we balanced just the right amount of reality with that punchy, whimsical nostalgia that immerses you in the world and makes you forget you’re playing a game. After doing this for twelve years, I guess I’ve had some experience layering, mixing, and dissecting soundscapes to create an experience that feels right when you play, but it was the team that really brought it all together, as you can see from our latest look into the Velan Hideout:

The Joy of the KO

When I think back to how this all began, I can still picture our first pitch videos: three or so years ago, we had these visuals of players getting KO’d and ragdolling with Xs for eyes. That was when Eric, our Narrative Director, asked me to add grunt noises to the characters when they hit the ground, because no one dies in KO City. The game mechanics are innovative yet playful, but the characters are serious about the game, so we wanted to honor that juxtaposition in a way that worked from an audio standpoint. I wanted the players to feel it when they got hit, but in a way that was so ludicrous, it was comical. It’s that combination of simultaneous frustration of being KO’d and surprising joy that leaves you feeling like, “What was that? That was hilarious!” I can’t promise that it’s going to feel joyful every time you get hit, but it should still be fun. Nobody likes a sore loser.

Thwack!

It’s no secret that the dodgeball impact is one of the game’s signature sounds. We had to think creatively about how to weave together these full-collision sounds with dodgeball impact sounds and how to add a layer of mischievous charm. We sampled a lot of sounds to make this just right. For the “thwack!” sound for the ball, we created many layers that make up the complete sound. There’s the ball’s energy, which dissipates on impact with a “smack” and the rubber ball sound we all know so well. This is a common, basic-but-awesome way to work on sound design, as well as music. Throw all of your ideas at the wall, then remove the layers that aren’t helping you achieve your goal. 

So when you hear that sound, I want you to feel and smell the ball, like it’s in your hands. As a child, you likely played with footballs, baseballs, basketballs, etc., but I’m sure you can still remember the texture of that dodgeball. As the art for the game began to coalesce, the art team put that texture right on the ball. I’m not actually sure which came first, but it’s those kinds of details that make the game so spot on.

So, how do you know you’ve created a funny sound? When you hear a sudden “Boink!” or a “Crash!—especially in a serious situation, like someone getting injured by a wrecking ball—why do you feel the need to stifle a giggle? What makes it unexpected but still relevant and appropriate? When you get hit by something, you expect to hear the logical tell, but what if we layered children’s squeaky toys or monkey screams in there? “Waaa!” Well, that’s pretty unexpected, and it catches you off-guard for just a moment, leaving you with a delight that you might not even be able to put your finger on, but you walk away feeling lighter, despite your injuries. 

There’s a rich history of these sound design elements in 20th-century radio and film, which is rife with storytelling through sound. Think back to black and white silent movies with a campy, crescendoing piano motif. I don’t even need to embed a clip—you’re probably already hearing notes play in your head! So many of the emotions those sounds evoke still endure, despite the length of time that has passed since you last heard them. Why does that resonate? Even without a direct connection to it, you react. I’m honestly not sure why, but we use those same elements to incorporate humor and style into the game.

A good example of unexpected humor is when you get sucked into the tubes in Back Alley Brawl. That series of sounds is a lot more complex than it appears. The voice-over you get when you first enter the pipes is one of surprise. That higher-pitched character exclamation catches you off-guard, then gives way to “oofs” and thuds as you’re being knocked around with every twist, turn, and sharp bend. You’re getting pummeled, but you’re not losing health, so there’s a dissonance there between what you’re hearing and seeing. Finally, you’re spat out—looking no worse for the wear—in a satisfying sort of “Ta-da!” moment before you move on to wallop your next opponent. It’s a lot that happens in a brief period, and when you put it all together, it’s entertaining and hilarious.

The Crew’s All Here

When it comes to functionality, there are several different elements to consider. First, you have to love what you do. When you put years into developing a game, you should never forget how fun it is to do this gig. Otherwise, what’s the point? It’s a chunk of your life, and if you find the work enjoyable, it’s going to come through in-game. Creating a game is a personal and passionate process, but it almost never happens in a vacuum. Sometimes you have disagreements, but if you take the work seriously and don’t take people as seriously, you’ll do all right.

The team at Velan really takes that advice to heart, and you can literally hear their contributions in the game. Jeremy, our Game Director, has a presence to his voice that takes up a room. I feel like he was born with those full-range vocals, and, of course, we had to use him. He was the go-to placeholder for voice-overs in early development, from grunting to screaming and everything in between. His improvisations were spot-on, maybe because he knew what kind of energy to bring that would resonate with the gameplay elements. 

I love that other team members have added so many of their own personal touches—there’s no ego in this (okay, maybe a little). In this way, every Velan employee is a member of the audio team. I prefer to give people room to be their best selves and create a space for honest work and feedback. Not everyone is comfortable with the direct approach, so you want to create avenues for all types of communication. That approach has allowed the project’s audio to develop different qualities as we move forward. After a while, it starts to take on its own personality, and you can step back. It’s like watching your kids grow.

We’re With the Band

On that note (ha!), the music that accompanies the sound elements evolved over time to become the banger of a soundtrack it is today. We knew we wanted to make a game that’s inclusive for everyone, so we didn’t want to only focus on one aspect of music. We took elements of our early idea, which was more of a futuristic take on the ‘50s, and tested the limits of what was possible by experimenting with other styles and breaking free of the expectations. It started really coming together when we decided to go for the real deal, get real horns, get real musicians who brought that authenticity that sends shivers down your spine. When we found Sonny Rey and Matt Naylor, who make up The Soundlings, and listened to the way they melded different styles, instruments, and tonalities together, we knew we had found a great fit.

Speaking of, I know you’ve been asking for it, so here it is: The Knockout City Original Soundtrack! Rock out to your heart’s content while you wait for launch day on your favorite streaming service, and be sure to check out the bonus track, track #19, for a little something extra special.

Hey! Who Threw That?

If you were one of the lucky players who got to play in the cross-platform beta, you know that dodgebrawl in Knockout City is serious business. So, we spent a considerable amount of time considering how the audio works and how the player should use it to their advantage. It was essential to keep things as clear as possible because there’s just so much going on, and you need to know what the results of your actions are at all times. Audio notifies the player about everything that just happened around them, and sometimes, things that aren’t even in their periphery.

Imagine this: there’s a sudden loud clap directly behind your head. You had no idea anyone was even standing behind you. You’re going to have an instant, unstoppable reaction as your flight or fight response triggers before you even have time to consider what caused the sound. 

Sounds can shape your response in ways that you don’t even acknowledge. Because of this, when you’re competing against an opponent, these sounds play a vital role, so they need to be clear. If we make things needlessly complex by adding sounds of dodgeballs with the music that plays during a match, teammates shouting to “Pass to me!,” and the screaming taunts of enemies all at once, it’s going to get very muddy. There are elements in there that are very important to the player, that will help direct their next move, but if we layer everything all together without care and intent, it will end up just a dirty mess.

So how do we keep track of the details of the environment sounds in the levels? We use all relevant game parameters available to us for that particular moment. One, for instance, is azimuth. Basically, azimuth keeps track of what sounds are playing around you in 360 degrees. Is there an ambient sound in front of you? Birds over there? Ball coming up quickly on your right? Are these sounds important to gameplay? The ball coming up on your right certainly is. Azimuth, depending on how you choose to use it, can help add clarity to moments and perspective. Those sounds that give reality to the world, but are not important to moment-to-moment gameplay, should be dealt with accordingly. 

Your brain does this naturally in the real world, but when you try to focus on specifics in a video game, unintentional noise can build up as your surroundings compete for your attention. In a game, these things can’t all live together simultaneously. You have to carve out space for things to live so you can actually hear what the heck is going on. For instance, if a foe and a friend are coming at me, I need to hear the foe differently because they pose a risk to my character. 

This is especially important when it comes to the directionality of incoming balls. How do I hear someone trying to knock me out, so I can process and play the game better? If I throw a ball wicked-far away, and I have to run in the opposite direction, I still need to know what happened to that ball. I need that satisfying KO sound that lets me know it collided with my opponent. I wanted this game to be so intuitive from a sound design perspective that you could go into the hideout, play catch with the dummy a few times, then close your eyes and still be able to catch the ball when he throws it at you.

Listen closely, and you’ll be ready for every Cage Ball, Moon Ball, and even Sniper Ball that sails toward your head. I hope next time you get knocked out, the effort that went into the audio design will help you think fondly of it as an enjoyable experience—then get back on your feet and get back out there for more. Can’t wait to play with all of you! If you haven’t already, make sure you join our Discord community and follow us on Twitter for all the latest Knockout City updates.

Knockout City releases May 21, 2021, for PlayStation®4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Origin, Steam, and Epic Games Store, with full backwards compatibility on PlayStation®5 and Xbox Series X|S.

- Matt Pirog