Current Events > Why do western games generally not have good soundtracks

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://youtu.be/Tx3AbguQZHU

https://youtu.be/twoOZHLFpiY

https://youtu.be/d1NTpgzhXAY

https://youtu.be/-WpnPSChVRQ

Why don't western games know how to go HAM like this on their soundtracks

90s and early 2000s western games had good soundtracks

i like littlebigplanet entire soundtrack =]

also THUG

Skyrim has a great soundtrack

i also thought the cat lady had a soundtrack very fiting for the content of the game. maybe wont listen to it outside of the game but that is me with most game soundtracks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xa9u0oV8f0

edit: actually i think only track id listen to outside of the game would be #7. it plays when you play as the cat and feed the cats iirc. very cute =]

Many do though?

I've been playing Old World lately and that game has an amazing soundtrack.

Of all Daisuke's songs you really picked one from Strive?

alphagamble posted...

Of all Daisuke's songs you really picked one from Strive?

Hell fucking yeah! I did that song ROCKS

Crimsoness posted...

Skyrim has a great soundtrack

It's alright

Blue_Inigo posted...

Why don't western games know how to go HAM like this on their soundtracks

You mean like Brutal Legend?

Plenty of western games have awesome soundtracks... BUT, if we're sharing XC3 music, I gotta share my favorite.

https://youtu.be/wwIMS20A0jM

Tim Follin retired

Jeremy Soule.

now that i think about it yeah all the game game osts i can listen to outside of the game context are mainly japanese made games wtf.

ofc this is excluding thug and lbp which use songs from established artists tho. i guess same with gta franchise n any other games that license songs from an already established artist.

Crimsoness posted...

Skyrim has a great soundtrack

There's like one song

I think western devs emulate Hollywood movie-esque stuff instead of strong melodies

There are some good western OSTs occasionally

Mass Effect 1 & 2
Assassin's Creed Syndicate
Cyberpunk
Super Meat Boy

Borderlands consistently has decent music, outside of the main theme.

Aside from the annoying title screen song for Skyrim that plays every 5 minutes in the game I can't think of a single western piece of music

The dev hires a composer then their own lead music dude fights with the composer and asserts authority to mix the soundtrack as they see fit.

People who unironically say western games should not be taken seriously.

__starsnostars posted...

I've been playing Old World lately and that game has an amazing soundtrack.

Was going to post this. It has one of my favorite video game songs ever (and the whole soundtrack is great)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNBKupTbUf4

Rebel Galaxy had a great one, mostly licensed though:
https://youtu.be/Tn55SH8dOv0

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


alphagamble posted...

I think western devs emulate Hollywood movie-esque stuff instead of strong melodies

These.

I asked this question before, and the consensus was that Japanese OSTs tend to focus more on melodies, while Western ones tend to go for more atmospheric, ambient sounds.

Western indies seem to be the exception, but a lot of them are inspired by Japanese games anyway.

Endofall posted...

Its less western but a matter of scale. Bigger AAA games with a lot of focus on the action, on sound effects, on voice acting, will have the soundtrack be more in the background and more atmospheric. Meanwhile games on a smaller scale will have the music be front and center so they need to be catchier and stronger.

Yeah that's true; if we open it up to indies then there are plenty of great OSTs to share.

FTL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG6Ys2opFD0

Hades
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqKoFKVxTYM

The Mummy Demastered
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko2Q2IRmxo0

TUNIC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYipn6d21eI

Celeste
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rwAvUvvQzQ

Spark the Electric Jester
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zgEAV4C2Us

Crypt of the Necrodancer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa90OVJkBos

Etc.

Got to play more indies instead of the typical AAA stuff that tries to emulate the hollywood movie orchestra'ish type of music.

Shovel knight, teenage mutant ninja turtles shredder's revenge, scott pilgrim, undertale, streets of rage 4 (which has a mix of the original composer and guest artists), river city girls, etc. etc.

Cyber shadow had one of my favorite osts of 2021.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI8OT_GTBGQ&list=PLkf4QziW11DNV-s8Q13hxxlKOero5jAVF
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyMHqudnuWI&list=PLkf4QziW11DNV-s8Q13hxxlKOero5jAVF&index=9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8jzdMgCSfs&list=PLkf4QziW11DNV-s8Q13hxxlKOero5jAVF&index=13
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z-_W-Rn_Ms&list=PLkf4QziW11DNV-s8Q13hxxlKOero5jAVF&index=19

(Honestly damn near every single one of that game's ost is fire, and its by a single guy, lol).