Do you prefer noise or silence on pause menus?

[StaceyPowers]

There are usually multiple ways to pause a game. Do you prefer those pause menus to have silence, or the ambient noise of the game? I vastly prefer the latter, because it keeps me in the same headspace while I am up doing whatever, which helps maintain immersion.

[Shagger]

Silence every time. What if the reason your pausing the is so you can answer the phone, talk to someone or answer the door? Games that pause, but don't silence while paused are actually something of a peeve of mine.

 

I get what you're saying about ambient atmosphere, but pausing isn't a gameplay element, it's a quality of life feature with one function and that function is singular and obvious. There's no real point in a game keeping the music or some other sound playing to keep the player immersed because the only reason one ever pauses a game is because something in the real world need their attention and takes priority in that moment. The door, a phone, needing to visit the bathroom, getting hungry or whatever. So the immersion has already been interrupted by whatever you needed to pause for in the first place. That immersion will only come back when that person has dealt with whatever issue that necessitated the pause, settled down and is now ready to give the game thier full attention again.

Edited December 11 by Shagger

[kingpotato]

Silence or low volume background noise but every time I will prefer silence for the same reasons described above

[Boblee]

On 1/11/2022 at 8:53 PM, StaceyPowers said:

There are usually multiple ways to pause a game. Do you prefer those pause menus to have silence, or the ambient noise of the game? I vastly prefer the latter, because it keeps me in the same headspace while I am up doing whatever, which helps maintain immersion.

I don't really see any better way or option than for the silence feature. It allows you to get by the game without feeling lost or disconnected. 

[Scorpion]

I agree! Ambient noise in pause menus enhances immersion and maintains the game's atmosphere, making the experience feel more cohesive and engaging.

[killamch89]

I can see why ambient noise works for immersion, but I actually prefer silence in pause menus. It gives me a mental break from the game, especially in high-stress moments like boss fights or horror games. It’s almost like a breather before I dive back in.