The realm of game audio was rich and full of compelling work this year, which made choosing our Best Sound of 2012 a tricky proposition. But as anyone who's had a chance to spend some time running around on the Bionis can tell you, Xenoblade Chronicles features an incredibly solid bit of ear loving. Every facet of the game's sound design, from the voice acting to the music, is top-notch and well deserving of praise. Our review of the
soundtrack is glowing for a reason — some great names of the JRPG music scene put in a great performance. With competition like Dust: An Elysian Tail, Mass Effect 3, and many others, Xenoblade Chronicles stood out among truly great company, and for that reason we're happy to give it our 2012 award for Best Sound.
Mass Effect 3 continues the series' tradition of excellent audio design. Consistently competent voice acting makes scenes of intense drama possible, Clint Mansell helps make this the best ME soundtrack yet, and every gun has its own uniquely satisfying pop, click, or pew. And who can forget the spine-chilling call of the Reaper?
