What are tinnitus sounds in Horizon Forbidden West?

In the Horizon Forbidden West settings menu, under the audio tab, there’s a setting called “Turn Off Tinnitus Sounds”, which allows you to “Choose whether to turn off tinnitus sounds in the game.” This is something very few, if any, other games have, so you might reasonably be wondering what it even means. Tinnitus is the “ringing in your ears” that you experience immediately after hearing a very loud noise. You might get it for a few seconds after hearing a loud bang, or for several days after attending a Motörhead concert.

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Horizon Forbidden West sometimes simulates the effects of tinnitus when Aloy hears a very loud noise, such an explosion very close to her, but you’ll more commonly experience tinnitus in the game when certain machines use special attacks on you. The Burrower, for example, emits a high-pitched sound that causes Aloy to clamp her hands over her ears for a few seconds. If you have tinnitus sounds turned on when this happens, all other sound effects will be drowned out by an intense, unpleasant ringing sound. If you have tinnitus sounds turned off, then you won’t hear this sound. Guerrilla Games presumably included this option because the tinnitus sounds are so realistic that they’re too much for some players.