Editorial | The importance of "Quiet Time" in video games.

By Sam Coles:

Video games generally want to hold your attention, whether it is pulse pounding action or a captivating story with characters that you have grown to love throughout the game or series over the years. However there is one small but important part of a game and that is “quiet time”. I feel that it is important as sometimes a game can be overwhelming when it is nothing but non-stop action, where you almost get a headache after exploding heads as your gun has continuously coughed cordite for two hours.

What do I mean when I say quiet time? It’s where you have finished an action sequence or a particularly intense moment and the game dials back and slows down, it is a time for you to reflect upon what has happened and the situation finally sinks in and plays with your emotions. These parts are generally remembered in games because everything slows down and you can smell the roses both figuratively and literally. I’m not saying that every game needs it, but there are times in games where you feel overwhelmed you have to step back a bit and slow down, a game with relentless action can get stressful sometimes which I found when I played Doom 2016. I want to go over a few examples that utilise quiet time.

Call of Duty is not known for its subtlety, most people would think of a Michael Bay extravaganza. However they are actually one of the few good examples for dialling it back in their campaigns, well in the early days. Yes in Call of Duty 4 and Modern Warfare 2 they have moments where they slow things down and let the player breathe as you it changes gears.

In Call of Duty 4 you are tasked with capturing Al Asad, as you and Captain Price kick the doors in and he guns down all the arm guards and then proceeds to kick seven shades of blue out of him, you hear a phone ring and then he says one name “Zakhaev, Imran Zakhaev”. The game then switches gears and we are told an anecdote about his exploits in Chernobyl where he was tasked to assassinate Zakhaev unsuccessfully of course. However instead of being thrown into a warzone with explosions everywhere, there is nothing but an ambient track, the baron wasteland and Captain McMillian accompanying you. It was a complete juxtaposition from the rest of the game, and might I add that this was a game where a nuke goes off, it was a nice change as it let you relax and take your time before it threw you back into the fray.

Metal Gear Solid 3 is another good example, now I know what you’re going to say “Sam it’s a stealth game of course it’s always quiet”, which you are partially right but the tense situations keep you on edge whether it is the boss fights or slipping past guards. No there is a moment and I think you will know if you have played or heard of this game, and that moment is the ladder scene. After going through a lot from fighting The Pain, The Fear and The End, you are tasked with meeting EVA at the top of a mountain, but Kojima was not sure how to transition that so he created the ladder scene.

Now this may sound boring and tedious but is great, as all you hear are the sound of Snake’s boots hitting each step of the ladder and a distant voice singing the main theme. This is a time to reflect on what you have been through because you have been through a lot by this point, not only the player but you could argue that Snake is reflecting on what he has done and the foes he has slain.

Red Dead Redemption is great, as you would think that it being a western it would be nothing but gunfights and bar fights, but most of the time you are alone with nothing but the sound of wildlife, horse shoes clopping and the ambient soundtrack that cuts in now and again. It is a great break from the missions where you may have been firing a Gatling gun continuously to clearing a gang hideout; it lets you collect your thoughts. Not only that there are certain scenes that work in the same way, when you first enter Mexico a track by Jose Gonzalez plays this is a reflection of John Marston’s situation of being alone and far from home, which lets you reflect of how far you have come in the game.   

Quiet time is not only a good way to reflect on what has happened it is also great for creating atmosphere; Dark Souls is a prime example of this as majority of the game is nothing but silence. You’ll traverse these dark and oppressive environments with nothing but the sound of your armour laden feet, flesh tearing under the pressure of your sword and the distant moans of torture souls. It’s only in boss fights where there is any kind of sweeping musical score and prominent sounds, but in general gameplay it is quiet making you feel uneasy, where there is dread around every corner you turn and every door you cautiously open.

Quiet Time in video games is essential, it is a great way to take a break from the action and reflect upon what you have just been through letting you think in depth about the situation. Not only that, it can be a powerful way to build atmosphere to make you feel on edge and catch you off guard. The next time a game slows down and changes gears really have a think about why it is doing it and you might be surprised why.