Game Music and You

[UnstableArk]

Haven't seen this 'round these parts, so I figured I'd start one up.

 

Basically, how important do you think the music in a game is? Does it add to the impact of a game or is it there just to fill in the silence? Is it all that different from the music of film to you? Is it just as important as developing a story or gameplay?

 

To me, music can make or break my game experience. Even if the game has good, responsive gameplay and a decent story, I can't force myself to continue if the music is just too damn grating or unappealing. Yoshi's Island DS would be my prime example.

 

Go ahead and rant about your thoughts regarding the tunes or share some of your favorite composers, songs, nostalgia bombs, what have you. I'm sure we all have something to say about this.

[Hot Heart]

I think it's always been important, but developers are now able to take advantage of it to a greater extent than before. Besides adding to the emotional impact it can be a useful tool. We can tell we're in 'trouble' in a game because suddenly more dramatic music kicks in (or music we've grown accustomed to hearing and automatically associate with combat). And that's only scratching the surface.

 

I will say that I'm not a fan of game soundtracks that contain vocals (as in actual lyrics). It might work in certain instances but I did not like it in Red Dead Redemption and since the lyrics aren't always suited to the actual game/game's story, it just sticks out too much for me.

 

Which leads me onto 'EA Trax'. I hate it. Especially with regards to Burnout. I much preferred Burnout 2's sort-of-dynamic original music that would slightly 'intensify' whenever you boosted. I could not stand listening to Paradise City one more time.

 

Also, Sonic 2 & 3 had great music.

[deanb]

If a game has good music then I can boot up the soundtrack in music player of choice and it can be as good as playing the game. "ah a plucking harp as I wander through the trees of Cyrodil" "plodding about on my chocobo" "Oh shit it's an intense gunfight"

 

As Hot heart said I do like the games with dynamic music. First time I was drawn to it was a making-of for InFamous. They have a system where it mixes and samples on the fly. Though all in all it's not very memorable.

 

Red Dead's soundtrack was shit. End of story. Hey it's a western, doesn't mean we need country music, especially with words. I think the only time it worked was after you were off back home to the ranch. (might not help I wasn't too keen on Red Dead)

 

See actual proper songs works well with racing games or say Fallout. Games where you have a radio/CD player (player player player). Fallout tunes were especially good. Fit the mood quite well. Good plodding about songs. Also I quite liked the specially made radio show. Nice touch. The radio stations were also tied to the story too (at least with FO3)

[Yantelope]

A good soundtrack can turn a good movie or game and make it a classic. Metal Gear Solid has one of the most epic sound tracks ever. I'm also regretting not getting the Deus Ex HR Augmented Edition because I'm really enjoying the soundtrack to it. It's a bit muted but in a way that makes it more powerful. What ever happened to the big soundtrack music battle we had going for a while?

 

Red Dead's soundtrack was shit. End of story. Hey it's a western, doesn't mean we need country music, especially with words. I think the only time it worked was after you were off back home to the ranch. (might not help I wasn't too keen on Red Dead)

 

I disagree. I thought it set the atmosphere okay. It was kind of forgettable mostly but when you get to mexico and that song starts playing was extremely memorable for me. For some reason I think it made the loneliness really sink in.

[Saturnine Tenshi]

I don't want to say music is adventitious... only it is. In the same way that I can read an engrossing novel and find myself helplessly enamored by the characters, I can play a video game with non-existent or prosaic music and still find the characters captivating.

 

That isn't to say it's not a wonderful thing when you're rendered captive by an emotional scene and a poignant tune begins. It can weave that moment into clarity, and make the feeling so much more visceral. Often, I'll find myself listening to music with notes emotionally attached to a particular portrait of a particular game and it will strengthen a wholly separate scene which, in turn, will latch onto that melody in the future and gift the same effect.

 

So while I don't feel a game absolutely needs harmony that strokes your ear-parts, I would rather have something to remember. Something that brings me back to the game, to its tale and our journey together long after it's over. This is why I have so many video game soundtracks.

[Mr W Phallus]

Disappointed to hear all this hate for the RDR soundtrack. I was a bit unsure about it first, mostly because it took me completely by surprise, but it was a beautiful and unexpected moment and I wish more video games were so creative.

 

As for video game music in general, I think it's one of the few areas - if not the only area - so far where video games can stand up to established art forms such as films and say, 'hey look, we can have artistic merit too'. From early 8-bit days where composers would manage to squeeze an amazing amount out of what little they had to work with, to more recent examples - I sometimes like to listen to 'Cohen's Masterpiece' from the Bioshock soundtrack before I go to sleep.

 

I never game with the volume turned down whilst listening to my own music, admittedly this is partly to do with getting audio feedback from the sound effects, but also because I consider the soundtrack to be an important part of the gameplay experience. Obviously I tend to make an exception for something like Pokemon, where I eventually get sick of hearing the battle theme over and over again, but even then I hold off turning the volume down as long as possible.

[Luftwaffles]

Soundtracks is a lot of the time what attracts me to a game. I would have never discovered Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory if it wasn't for Amon Tobin doing the soundtrack work, and the soundtrack is partly why I enjoy Splinter Cell: Conviction so much more than other Tom Clancy games like Rainbow Six Vegas 2 which seemed to take the same arpeggiated riff and play it over and over again when you were getting shot.

 

I've always liked the radio in games as well, and I would say radio is actually one of the main reasons I prefer GTAIV to Just Cause 2. Sure, you can't do nearly the amount of ridiculous things in GTAIV as you can in Just Cause, but stealing a car from an older lady and seeing that she was listening to jazz and then stealing a car from a bunch of thugs who were then listening to 90's rap definitely added to the immersion of the game in a way that Just Cause will never really get close to for me.

 

And then there are some games like VVVVVV where the soundtrack actually keeps me playing the game longer than I usually would.