Guild Wars 2

If I hit something with my weapon it feels like I’m waving it at enemies and they’re taking damage. It doesn’t feel impactful, they’re very weak, ill-fitting sound effects. Sound design is half of what makes gameplay enjoyable and satisfying, and they’re all pretty bad in this game. There’s no impact, there’s no feedback. If I hit something with a mace, it should not make a dull muffled thump that can barely be heard.

It could be improved a lot.

Agreed. This is one aspect of the game that I think needs drastic improvement

Try the Hammer on Warrior if you have one.

Some weapon sounds could maybe use a little updating, for sure. However, I generally disagree that weapon strike sound design is bad. I have a moderately decent sound system set up, but even when I’m wearing some fairly simple headphones, weapon sounds come through pretty cleanly for me. Maces have a clear bashing sound that is, rightly so, toned down from the two-handed hammer sounds. Sword and GS strikes have a satisfying slicing or stabbing sound depending on the class and usage, and pistols and rifles sound pretty clearly like gunshots to me.

One thing you might try is adjusting your audio levels to get the balance that you personally enjoy. I keep my music at around 40-50%, dialog volume at 85% (so player shouts are still able to be heard but are less obnoxious when in a big zerg), and everything else at 100%. When I have my subwoofer hooked up, even at minimum bass levels the weapon effect sounds can almost become too loud and dominate the audio landscape… in these cases I usually drop effects to ~85% too.

Warhorn sounds, on the other hand, could use a lot of work in my opinion. I feel for those who have Howler especially—for a legendary weapon with a grand total of two skills, the Howler always seems to sound lackluster when I see someone using it and try to listen in.

drunkenpilot.9837:

One thing you might try is adjusting your audio levels to get the balance that you personally enjoy. I keep my music at around 40-50%, dialog volume at 85% (so player shouts are still able to be heard but are less obnoxious when in a big zerg), and everything else at 100%. When I have my subwoofer hooked up, even at minimum bass levels the weapon effect sounds can almost become too loud and dominate the audio landscape… in these cases I usually drop effects to ~85% too.

My sounds are fine, thanks. I’m hearing the same ones you are. Nothing on my end will make them sound any better.

Revenant is a good example of weak sound effects, especially mace.

Excelsior.

I think the sound design in this game is fine, at least with the stuff I work with.
The daggers sound like what they are supposed to sound like: Handy blades. When pulled out or put away, they make a reasonable sound. Not as super unrealistic like in other games where pulling a blade is like “Sha-Shing-Duing-Gongzzzz”.

The bow does … bow sound effects.

And my pistols, the dark steel pistols, make a punchy sound that go well together with the big recoil, a lot of muzzle flash and particles from the gun powder (and my Asura’s surprised look whenever he fires a bullet as if he is surprised about the power himself) and even different sounds for the bullet casings dependin on what surface you stand on.

Explosives however feel so incredibly weak sound-wise. The Engineer’s rocket goes off, travels like a real missile and then what? “Pff-tzd”. What? “PFF-TZD”?? I called it the Kim Jong-Un missile from that day on: Loud, dangerous by the looks but as threatening as a wet sponge..