Echoes of Virtual Worlds: A Multidimensional Analysis of the Role and Contribution of Environmental Sounds in the Ecology of Open World Video Games

The genesis of open virtual worlds, commonly referred to as "open worlds", marked a fundamental watershed in the history of video game design, shifting the axis of experience from linear action to spatial existence. In this ontological transit, the sound component has undergone a radical metamorphosis: from a simple aesthetic accompaniment or functional feedback, audio has risen to a critical infrastructure for the ontological credibility of the virtual world. The present report aims to dissect, with academic granularity and technical rigor, the contribution of ambient sounds in the construction, navigation and perception of such digital spaces.