As a part of the SB Live's bundle, a special "EAX enabled" version of Unreal is included for play. EAX stands for "Environmental Audio Extensions" and is the name Creative has given to the SB Live's ability to control and correctly produce positional 3D audio via an enhanced form of Microsoft's DirectSound3D API. Typical 3D audio accelerators like the Diamond MX200 and the Turtle Beach A3Dxtrme only have enough processing power to propel 8 simultaneous streams of 3D audio. In Unreal for example, each sound rendered occupies a stream. This means that everything from firing that POS disruptor pistol to the sound of your footsteps, to the howls of the creatures demands one of those 8 streams.

Thanks to a recent driver upgrade, the SB Live cards support a staggering 32 streams of independent and positional 3D audio. No matter if it's a full field of F1 cars around you, or a squadron of WWII German aircraft, the SB Live pounds it all out no sweat thanks to its impressive audio processor.

And what nice 3D it is, there were instances where those Skarj baddies sounded like they were bringing our test crew In and Out burgers for dinner from behind our seated locations…(In and Out is a hamburger chain based on the West Coast, btw)

The sounds of people screaming and writhing in pain were particularly disconcerting, there's no scarier feeling than hearing someone being killed slowly and then homing in on their position by sound alone. My girlfriend even refused to play the EAX version of Unreal after just five minutes at the helm, stating that it was "too real" and was "freaking her out". (She says that about the Mossad's striking resemblance to actor Tom Cruise as well….)

For non-EAX or DirectSound3D compatible games, the verdict is less positive. Creative tries to help bridge the gap until more games are released with the appropriate support by having preset options for reverb control and other sound effects for a large variety of games. Preconfigured sound setups can be found for almost the entire "Top 50" games of 1997 and 98, including all your favs like Q2 and Diablo. The effects increase the pleasure of the experience over a standard 2D-only sound card to be sure, but after hearing the true environmental 3D audio in Unreal it leaves you spoiled and yearning for more.