Issue 5 brings together our two most personal obsessions: the games we play, and the sounds that make them whole. While the bright lights and colors catch our eyes, the secret attraction in every game is its sound: the soundtracks that excite us, the atmospheres that haunt us, the hooks we remember from our childhood, and the interactive music that points to the future. 

Plunge into a (real!) deep-sea diving mask to play the scariest horror game—with no visuals. Visit a student orchestra in Lima, Peru as it prepares a tribute to the music of Zelda, and watch the Toronto game and music scenes collide to make Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP. Ken Levine and Patrick Balthrop tell us about the art of building a world through sound in the aeriel epic BioShock Infinite, while Tetsuya Mizuguchi teases the mystery of Lumi, the virtual pop idol.

Plus! Interviews with ubiquitous voiceover star Nolan North, moody DJ and producer Mux Mool, and sultry chanteuse Lana Del Rey. The bastard love-children of metal and chiptunes. A song for Super Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto. And much much more! 

Written By: Dan Bruno, Matthew S. Burns, Chris Dahlen, Sarah Elmaleh, J.P. Grant, Kirk Hamilton, Jon Irwin, Jason Johnson, Patrick Klepek, Jon Lynch, Jonathan Mann, Gus Mastrapa, Reid McCarter, Julian Murdoch, Lana Polansky, David Raposa, Danielle Riendeau, Luis Wong

Art By: Craig Adams, Steve Courtney, Keenan Cummings, Johnny Dombrowski, Nicola Felaco, Peter Jellitsch, David Lemm, Jonathan McGhee, Edward McGowan, Nicole Nodland, Richard Perez, Diego Rodriguez, Tim Saccent, Daniel Schludi, Jack Teagle, Chaunté Vaughn, Kyle White, Ping Zoo