Current Events > i dont think music in video games get enough credit

(+) Yeah! (+)

as part of the design process

they seemed to really emphasize sound quality back in 90s- early 2000s gaming. insanely memorable scores that take you immediately back to that specific game

I'm hanging on to the other side

Nier and Nier automata do an excellent job integrating the score into the gameplay. Every track has multiple variations so that I can seamlessly switch from calm to tense to combat and back without you ever really noticing that the tracks have changed.

You've also got final fantasy XIV and their awesome boss battle tracks that are fully voiced. Not only do they make sure that the lyrics lineup thematically, but there's almost always a drop or shift for when the boss changes phases where the music really goes hard.

western AAA is obsessed with boring orchestral music punctuated by the occasional folksy southern gothic acoustic guitar

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

There's this one scene in Kingdom Hearts I absolutely love just because of how on point the soundtrack is

Grim Dawn has amazing music but not a ton of people play it

Playing cassette beasts right now, music is so chill, loving it for the music alone

https://youtu.be/tH_TvOFoS6E

this track made me realize how important music in vidya games are

Japanese OSTs get most of the praise but I think the West doesn't get enough credit

Deus Ex Human Revolution is still one of my picks for GOAT soundtracks and played a huge part as to why it's in my top 5 favorite games of all time

https://youtu.be/T9KAJKoR1sA
https://youtu.be/42xHkfucwS8
https://youtu.be/s2XnR0cKfnY

Music is one of the single most important aspects of a video game, and so many of the truly great games have music good enough to listen to on its own.

But when that music is perfectly paired with the gameplay, it unlocks a higher plane of immersion. Good music can even save bad games somewhat. I hated Mega Man X6, but I still had fun on some of the levels because the music was pretty fucking rad.

Especially the boss theme for Gate:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJB3436KEKY

Voice acting in games is recent. Before that, if a game had a story, it probably needed to rely on the music a lot more than is necessary now.

Hollow Knight's music is godamn beautiful and is one of the goats. Honourable mentions to TUNIC, Hades (and Bastion and Transistor), Octopath Traveler, and both Ori games.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

Whoa now, I was agreeing with you until Halo, which does actually have a strong OST, or at least an iconic main theme.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


The original Halo I thought had awesome music.

Overwatch has some good music for map intros but it's really short, and when you do competitive they play the generic dramatic music instead of the map specific music

I can't imagine doing any of the Halo games' final warthog runs without the incredible music.

Same thing for Mass Effect 2's Suicide Mission.

starcraft and diablo are my main western ones....goldeneye is good too

There's something - okay a lot - to be said for the simple scores of yesteryear. Clear simple tunes that were immediately catchy and recognizable. But don't get it twisted, modern games have BOATLOADS of musical competence on deck.
For a taste:

https://youtu.be/ALbVEmzY5S4

https://youtu.be/FP4duz43t_A

https://youtu.be/MXFQ0vp6UFk

https://youtu.be/hgPvUsKkflM

Or if you want something less classical

https://youtu.be/AGsjA1pXajk
People rag on this game for its release, but they made a bunch of bangers for it, including a whole line up of great radio stations.

https://youtu.be/EQmIBHObtCs

Like, I just have no idea how you can say there's no good music in video games... Well kinda, because one thing that's different is that these days the audio soundscape of a videogame is often a lot less music forward than in the olden days, so while the great tracks are absolutely there, a lot of gamers don't hear them as much.

And I'm not even going to post something from the Persona series because if you don't know that the games have good music I don't even want to know what kind of rocks you've been sleeping under... But I will share this banger I think a lot of people slept on

https://youtu.be/NApN0GduuwM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZREPde3fAc
Don't ask me about the details of this game just vibe

While we're sharing, a real blast from the past:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCdT5DTAnZU

I quite like civ 6's music -- taking a few simple themes and developing them for contemporary instrumentation as the time progresses

tremain07 posted...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZREPde3fAc
Don't ask me about the details of this game just vibe

Yeah, no, you can't say "don't ask me about details" and then share a picture of a nun who doesn't have underboob or sideboob as much as she just has a bit of her cowl lightly drapes on top of otherwise bare boobs in the most impractical dress ever.
This is a harem game, isn't it? And you have... how many body pillows from it?

KhlavicLanguage posted...

western AAA is obsessed with boring orchestral music punctuated by the occasional folksy southern gothic acoustic guitar

This. Its why I believe a lot of the younger generation of gamers sort of do the spotify "rather have my own music playing" thing since the orchestra stuff can sound pretty generic and boring. One of the things I like about indie devs is that the vast majority of them definitely get that great music helps enhance a game. The japanese still puts a great importance on video game music, its just the major AAA western devs that got to step up a lot of times. (Not rockstar though.....their original music tracks for red dead redemption 2 and even for GTA5 is pretty damn good).

Final fantasy 7 remake's ost is by far one of my top 3 osts that came out of the last generation. (Others being red dead redemption 2's and persona 5's).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRnSm7nPf3U

That just made that final mission amazing. The emotion felt when this started up right after your horse dying, god DAMN.

Mad-Dogg posted...

This. Its why I believe a lot of the younger generation of gamers sort of do the spotify "rather have my own music playing" thing since the orchestra stuff can sound pretty generic and boring.

Yeah, no, I remember being a kid and having friends who'd say this when we were playing Smash Bros: Melee or MGS or even FFIX.
Ultimately, some people just don't like the repetitive nature of videogames. And if you find "orchestra stuff" boring, you really ain't listening to it. It can be interesting as hell. Although I do love a good chip tune.

Since we're all posting great vgm
https://youtu.be/VjPWTEtuv74

the_final_bahamut posted...

Yeah, no, I remember being a kid and having friends who'd say this when we were playing Smash Bros: Melee or MGS or even FFIX.

......I'm talking about younger gamers in the modern day, in a post fortnight, apex legends, overwatch, big budget AAA game orchestra tunes and call of duty dominated gaming world, not kids who grew up listening to goddamn metal gear solid, final fantasy, and smash bros melee music, lmao. In that era even the vast majority of GBA chiptune music was amazing so of course young ones coming up then will get the appreciation for good music. (That, and spotify sort of not even being a thing back then, so yeah...).

The age group I am thinking of is more so my nephew's, who is about to graduate from highschool this month and if he is on his PS5 (which is actually not too often at the moment.....got his license like two years back, a GF and the occasional part time job so its hard to keep him in one place, lol) he is hanging with his friends and cousins on call of duty warzone. Maybe can see him on the occasional single player game like resident evil 4 remake.

EPR-radar posted...

Voice acting in games is recent.

...if 1981 is recent, sure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVnCNVnz690

(also, Funkytown is in there, for some reason)

Mad-Dogg posted...

......I'm talking about younger gamers in the modern day, in a post fortnight, apex legends, overwatch, big budget AAA game orchestra tunes and call of duty dominated gaming world, not kids who grew up listening to goddamn metal gear solid, final fantasy, and smash bros melee music, lmao. In that era even the vast majority of GBA chiptune music was amazing so of course young ones coming up then will get the appreciation for good music. (That, and spotify sort of not even being a thing back then, so yeah...).

Except, as I was saying, I remember other kids back then being like "let's put on the radio" or "let's listen to my mix cd!"
Sorry, but your "music was better in my day, that's why darn kids listen to spotify" doesn't really hold water.

Questionmarktarius posted...

...if 1981 is recent, sure.

Okay, *good* voice acting in video games is recent. And I say that as someone who is ride or die for the original SH2 voice recording, but like... speaking from a standpoint of acting or technical competence or writing its uhm.... it's about the spirit of the thing.

Also; https://youtu.be/8N_PXTGdlGw

the_final_bahamut posted...

Sorry, but your "music was better in my day, that's why darn kids listen to spotify" doesn't really hold water.

How in the fuck did you get "music was better in my day, that's why darn kids listen to spotify" out of my original post...the exact same post that also had...One of the things I like about indie devs is that the vast majority of them definitely get that great music helps enhance a game. The japanese still puts a great importance on video game music, its just the major AAA western devs that got to step up a lot of times. (Not rockstar though.....their original music tracks for red dead redemption 2 and even for GTA5 is pretty damn good.

Like, it isn't like this was some sort of hidden behind a spoiler bar post either. Its literally the next sentence over. Why the fuck would I be praising indie devs, rockstar, and/or games that released like 3 years ago or so if I am the type that would think "music is better in my day"?

God damn do better, lol.

I'm still trying to find out how you added 2+2 together and got =banana when it comes to what you said when the only thing I was talking about going off my original post was "a lot of younger gamers today listen to spotify compared to leaving the in-game music on". (Which I gathered just from reading the occasional reddit topic whenever that subject comes up. Its just a thing that seems like it has a higher average of happening if its a late teens/early 20s poster answering the question).
https://www.reddit.com/r/pcgaming/comments/80u4jk/do_you_guys_ever_run_music_spotify_pandora_etc_in/

Jet Set Radio Future goes harder than most albums or playlists

Almost all of mine are Nes/Genesis with the exception of 1 as follows in order:
1. Chrono Cross(PS1)
2. Faxandu(NES)
3. Legacy of the Wizard(NES)
4. Ultima Exodus(NES)
5. Shadowrun(Genesis)
6. Starflight (Genesis)

Mad-Dogg posted...

How in the fuck did you get "music was better in my day, that's why darn kids listen to spotify" out of my original post...the exact same post that also had...One of the things I like about indie devs is that the vast majority of them definitely get that great music helps enhance a game. The japanese still puts a great importance on video game music, its just the major AAA western devs that got to step up a lot of times. (Not rockstar though.....their original music tracks for red dead redemption 2 and even for GTA5 is pretty damn good.

Like, it isn't like this was some sort of hidden behind a spoiler bar post either. Its literally the next sentence over. Why the fuck would I be praising indie devs, rockstar, and/or games that released like 3 years ago or so if I am the type that would think "music is better in my day"?

God damn do better, lol.

So your statement isn't that western studios (apart from indie devs and rockstar) do "boring orchestral scores" and that's why young people listen to Spotify? Because that's still "music was better in my day".

https://youtu.be/rwf0nxBSU1Y

Played a bit of discworld today. the soundtrack sounds a bit too sharp in the treble (in-game) but I think it is ok overall. Fits the environment pretty well imo.

Also voice acting in this game is better than many games I've played lol. This came out in 1995

the_final_bahamut posted...

So your statement isn't that western studios (apart from indie devs and rockstar) do "boring orchestral scores" and that's why young people listen to Spotify? Because that's still "music was better in my day".

.....no man, no.

Read carefully. Slowly this time.

"western AAA is obsessed with boring orchestral music punctuated by the occasional folksy southern gothic acoustic guitar"

Me quoting this: This. Its why I believe a lot of the younger generation of gamers sort of do the spotify "rather have my own music playing" thing since the orchestra stuff can sound pretty generic and boring.

What does this part of the sentence imply? since the orchestra stuff can sound pretty generic and boring.

What you should be getting out of this is "because the orchestra stuff from AAA western studios (BTW, don't leave the AAA out of your post. This key difference actually matters and leaving this out changes of context of my post....don't do that) can sound pretty generic and boring, that is the reason why this poster quoted that post and believes a lot of the younger generation of gamers opt to use spotify instead of listening this specific type of music"

What you came up with "Because that's still "music was better in my day".? Yeah, that is out of left field and is completely changing the meaning of my post. I don't know if there is some sort of language barrier at play or whatever, but yeah, I don't mean whatever this is.

some real "you like pancakes? so you hate waffles huh?" shit going on in here

KhlavicLanguage posted...

some real "you like pancakes? so you hate waffles huh?" shit going on in here

lmfao, basically

Mad-Dogg posted...

.....no man, no.

Read carefully. Slowly this time.

"western AAA is obsessed with boring orchestral music punctuated by the occasional folksy southern gothic acoustic guitar"

Me quoting this: This. Its why I believe a lot of the younger generation of gamers sort of do the spotify "rather have my own music playing" thing since the orchestra stuff can sound pretty generic and boring.

What does this part of the sentence imply? since the orchestra stuff can sound pretty generic and boring.

What you should be getting out of this is "because the orchestra stuff from AAA western studios (BTW, don't leave the AAA out of your post. This key difference actually matters and leaving this out changes of context of my post....don't do that) can sound pretty generic and boring, that is the reason why this poster quoted that post and believes a lot of the younger generation of gamers opt to use spotify instead of listening this specific type of music"

What you came up with "Because that's still "music was better in my day".? Yeah, that is out of left field and is completely changing the meaning of my post. I don't know if there is some sort of language barrier at play or whatever, but yeah, I don't mean whatever this is.

Okay, so "Western AAA games" is a pretty broad swath of the gaming landscape. And, according to the poster, enough of the landscape that it made kids go to spotify instead of listening to game music. I responded to that with "nah dude, I remember kids doing that back when we were playing mgs and ffix and stuff like that" and the poster literally went "In that era even the vast majority of GBA chiptune music was amazing so of course young ones coming up then will get the appreciation for good music."
Like that is literally "game music was better in my day".

the_final_bahamut posted...

Okay, so "Western AAA games" is a pretty broad swath of the gaming landscape. And, according to the poster, enough of the landscape that it made kids go to spotify instead of listening to game music. I responded to that with "nah dude, I remember kids doing that back when we were playing mgs and ffix and stuff like that" and the poster literally went "In that era even the vast majority of GBA chiptune music was amazing so of course young ones coming up then will get the appreciation for good music."
Like that is literally "game music was better in my day".

It's a fair observation that the soundtracks of the biggest games today is less focused and more ambient than the soundtracks of the biggest games in the past. I guess using that anecdote doesn't work as well since you have an opposite anecdote but the observation itself is still sound.

Metal Gear Rising perfected the art of blending music and gameplay together