Devblog December 2025

General

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Audio Design First Update

During December I started working on the audio design update for the v0.4.7 update.
The v0.4.7 focuses on the Vore Sound design update, but for that I also need to update how the game and engine handle audio.

The last major update to the audio system was done in v0.4.0 with Unreal Engine 4. Since Unreal Engine 5 added new audio features and improvements, and the game contains many legacy and deprecated audio assets.

So during the main part of December I worked on updating the audio system, replacing deprecated assets, updating code and systems to use the new Unreal Engine 5 audio features. I first started updating all sound cue assets to use the new MetaSounds assets or soundscapes for dynamic ambiances. I replaced all AudioVolumes with the new AudioGameplayVolumes and switched to Audio modulation where it was more relevant.

To ensure I was fully updated, I read and tested the full documentation of Audio Systems in Unreal Engine. Working with Audio in Unreal Engine

With that, I was able to learn and better understand all the possibilities related to audio design, such as Submixes, Audio Gameplay Volumes, Audio Modulation, and the MetaSound system. During my tests, I created a large debug level to test everything, and I also updated the main in-game systems as I learned how the different systems work and what I could improve.

(Activate the sound on the video below)

I can’t show the debug level in details in the video but you have the idea.
I also checked many other Unreal Engine sample projects to see examples of best practices and how they worked.

Audio Design second Update and Wwise Integration

After the initial audio design research and development, I started working on the Cozy House ambiance, reworking the sounds, zones, transitions, effects, etc. but I encountered many issues with sound propagation.
The native Unreal audio engine is very good, but it doesn’t manage audio propagation in 3D spaces.
You can set reverb and ambiance zones with simple occlusion, but it’s too limited for my needs, and I need to set up many workarounds that will take a lot of time.

For example, in the Cozy House, in the cardboard box, the player will hear two orbs: one from the side of the cardboard box and one in the bathroom behind the wall. The only sound difference is the attenuation distance.

I can set an occlusion with a low-pass filter and reduce the volume, but that won’t take into account the wall thickness or material.
So I need to set up many submixes for every room, and in the code I need to lower the volume depending on the player’s position and the connected rooms.

For my primary tests that barely work with the main room of the house, but I will need to do that for every part that the player can visit. Because the player can go behind the fridge and furniture, inside the walls, etc., it will be a nightmare to manage that only with Unreal Engine’s native audio.

Here are just the world zones, ambience volumes, basic reverb, and additional collisions, etc.

So I prefer to use a solution that manages that for me.

I first tried Steam Audio: It looks powerful and works fully with the native Unreal audio system. However, the full integration is complicated, and the documentation is incomplete. Additionally, because it’s not widely used in the industry, I risk wasting a lot of time finding solutions to issues. Furthermore, I’m not sure about long-term support.

Then I tried Wwise Audio Middleware. It looks powerful too, the integration is easy, but it works outside the native Unreal audio system, and you need to set up the sound pipeline in external software. I’m not a fan of that, but it looks common in the industry, so why not?

With Wwise, I can set up advanced sound propagation, occlusion, reflection, diffraction, etc. I really like how it manages room zones and portals between rooms.

For now, I’m focused on that and I’m continuing my tests before taking a final decision. I also need to ensure that the project is approved by the Audiokinetic team that owns Wwise.

FMOD Audio Middleware is similar to Wwise, so if Wwise doesn’t fit my needs, I will try FMOD afterward. I prefer to take time in research and development now rather than waste time and have to backtrack later.

Wwise Audio Integration tests

Like I did with the native Unreal Audio system, I worked on a debug level to test Wwise features and possibilities and understand how everything works.

Here the spatialization in 3D space with a exagered reverb effect to show how the sound propagate in the different rooms.

(Activate the sound on the video below)

For sound reflection and diffraction, I need to wait for approval to be able to test that functionality.

I also tested the Wwise Interactive Music System with layers and transitions. (I used simple free samples for testing.)

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Test with the Audio Bus and effects in Wwise: (Activate the sound on the video below)

By the way, with Wwise integration, I had to update how I manage the audio settings and volume system in MMVS again.

In v0.3.1 I was using direct Sound Classes Volume control.
In v0.4.0 I moved to Sound Class control through Unreal Submixes.
In early v0.4.7 I moved to Sound Control Bus Mix to follow the new Unreal Engine Audio Pipeline.
And now still in v0.4.7 I added additional support for control Wwise Audio Busses Volume.

So MMVS now uses Sound Control Bus Mix and Wwise Audio Buses as followers to manage the audio settings.

The reason is that I want to keep the game as modular as possible and maintain the ability to switch audio systems if needed. Additionally, I keep the native Unreal Audio System usable for specific sounds, such as for game modding, making it possible to import custom sounds into mods without requiring Wwise.

Audio Tools and hardware.

For the moment I work with Zoom H5 Recorder, the H5 microphone, a SoundID microphone. For the software I use Reaper and Wwise middleware 2022.1.19 for the audio integration in Unreal Engine 5.4

All this is pretty new to me, so I take time to learn and practice. Also, I use software that natively works on Linux and Windows since I work on both OS.

Test Sound Design and advanced Localization

While I’m working on redoing the sounds from SoundCue assets to MetaSound, I tried to add missing sounds and improve the localizated sounds.

For example, with the Talas House doors, I recorded many new sounds for specific locations on the door, like the handle, the hinges, and the door frame. So when you’re small, you will not hear the same sound depending on where you are located relative to the door. Perfect for a game that plays with size differences.

(Activate the sound on the video below)

Here, the sounds are not perfect, and I only tried with a headset, but the idea is there, and that way I can practice and do my best by the end with the digestive system.

I also redid the interaction sounds. They’re non-diegetic sounds, so I’m trying to make sure they’re not confused with the other sounds in the game.

(Activate the sound on the video below)

Now I will continue my tests with the dynamic ambiances and try to do in Wwise someting similar to the Unreal Soundscapes.