One of the best parts of playing video games is often the soundtrack. For decades, video game music has been memorable and often adds to the gameplay experience. Many iconic tunes, themes and entire orchestrations have been inherently tied to some of gaming’s most important characters and moments.
The relationship between music and gaming is a truly special one, and it deserves more recognition and appreciation. Here are some of the most important ways that video games have been shaped by music over the generations:
Atmosphere and immersion
Ask any diehard fan of gaming, be it indie games, role-playing games, or anything else, but music plays a massive role in adding to the vibe of any game title. This began with 8-bit NES games of the 1980s and extends to modern console games and online casino slots.
In fact, online casino games have some of the best soundtracks out there these days. Studies have shown that music can have a direct impact on player’s decisions when gambling. Some players prefer fast-paced games with high-tempo music and multiple bonus opportunities, where they can withdraw quickly. To see for yourself, check out the expert advice at Casinomeister. These have some of the best music of any online games available.
Video game music composers can create some of the most intricate scores of today. They write their tunes with everything they see in mind, whether it’s a long and important cutscene or a highly difficult yet pivotal boss battle.
Without these soundtracks, video games would still be enjoyable of course, but video game soundtracks have evolved and adapted to their respective hardware over the years and have experienced just as much technological and artistic evolution as gameplay and graphics. This makes them one of the most important parts of a fully-fledged gaming experience.
Mood, emotion and storytelling
Just like in television or film, music in video games has an utterly massive impact on the emotional tone of a scene. They can be sad, triumphant or made to pump you up for something epic.
Unlike television and film, video games are obviously interactive, and the best video game scores reflect this. Video game soundtracks are known for changing on a whim. One moment you’re walking through a quiet forest minding your own business, with soft strings and woodwinds accompanying you on your journey. The next moment, you’ve been ambushed, and the song has completely changed to boisterous brass and horns, full of emergency and apprehension.
Video game music is in touch with the mood of the moment because gaming itself can be a rollercoaster of emotions. This is why video game soundtracks are often significantly longer than film soundtracks. Some of them have hundreds of songs, compiled and composed by many different musicians.
Video game music has been so influential to gamers that organisations such as Video Games Live have dedicated themselves to bringing these moments to life with real musicians and real instruments, oftentimes heavily reorchestrated and rearranged to make them even more epic.
The soundtracks of video games are so impactful that even people who don’t play video games will find themselves listening to them. Silent Hill, Final Fantasy, Castlevania, The Legend of Zelda and countless other series have found themselves in the earbuds of non-gamers, and who can blame them? A good tune is a good tune.
Dynamic reactive soundtracks
Arguably the most unique and innovative aspect of video game soundtracks is that they can be dynamic. Once again, video games are interactive, which means players are constantly making choices that can affect the story or the battle. Not too long ago, someone figured out how to make player choices affect the soundtrack too.
Dynamic soundtracks in video games are probably a lot more common than you realize, as this feature is usually implemented in a very subtle manner. When you are low on health, you might notice the melody of the song changes to be a little more sinister. When nighttime comes, the song may move into a new vibe that possesses the same underlying harmony, melody and whatnot, but with a different spin. This could be a new instrument or a different tempo.
This dynamic element is something that can only happen in games. Influencing the music, either inadvertently or deliberately, is something that adds a level of magic that is truly special.
Character themes
Some of the most iconic video game characters of all time are so important that they will have entire songs dedicated to them. Zelda’s Lullaby from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Aerith’s Theme from Final Fantasy VII are two famous examples.
Character themes help reinforce the significance of a game’s main cast, helping them feel more three-dimensional and alive. Hearing an iconic theme emerge during a climactic moment is something that gamers everywhere love experiencing. It’s great not just for reinforcing certain moods or story-driven plot points, but to also establish a connection between a very specific mood with a pivotal character.
In the fighting game community for example, games like Street Fighter and Tekken will have individual character themes for every member of the game’s roster. For players who have a favourite character to use, they often use these themes to boost their morale in tournaments and help show their love for various fan favourites.
Gamers all around the world have frequently identified with video game character themes, helping increase the cohesion of gaming communities. Capcom probably didn’t expect Ryu’s Theme or Guile’s Theme would become the monster hits that they are now, especially with how passionate people can become after just hearing the first two seconds of them. That’s just how much impact and influence a single song can have on millions of people worldwide.
Incorporating real-life music
Not to imply that video game music is not “real”, but video games have done an excellent job of taking music made by famous musicians and putting them in their interactive environments.
One classic example of this everyone knows about is the Grand Theft Auto series. Every game has several radio stations to choose from, most of them with music made by real rock, rap, soul, jazz and punk legends. This adds an incredible layer of realism and immersion, to the point that any game that has cars these days risks being criticised for not having a similar kind of soundtrack.
Real-life music has been used in more interesting ways though as Fallout 3’s soundtrack completely blew everyone away with its strange, daring but extremely successful blend of 1930’s big band, swing and jazz music with over-the-top gore, violence and post-apocalyptic themes.
No one can really explain why it works, but it does. Listening to Benny Goodman, The Inkspots, Ella Fitzgerald or Duke Ellington while decapitating super mutants with cleavers or blowing up ghouls with plasma grenades is, somehow, one of the most fitting combinations in modern gaming history.
Perhaps the ultimate example of video games using real-life music involves Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater soundtracks, which helped to popularise grunge, alt-rock and many other genres to just about anyone who owned a PlayStation back in the day. Even people who never picked up a skateboard in their lives ended up becoming massive fans of the kinds of bands that were only associated with skaters at the time.
That is the power of video game music, original or otherwise — establishing connections and making entire communities.
The relationship between music and gaming is a truly special one, and it deserves more recognition and appreciation. Here are some of the most important ways that video games have been shaped by music over the generations:
Atmosphere and immersion
Ask any diehard fan of gaming, be it indie games, role-playing games, or anything else, but music plays a massive role in adding to the vibe of any game title. This began with 8-bit NES games of the 1980s and extends to modern console games and online casino slots.
In fact, online casino games have some of the best soundtracks out there these days. Studies have shown that music can have a direct impact on player’s decisions when gambling. Some players prefer fast-paced games with high-tempo music and multiple bonus opportunities, where they can withdraw quickly. To see for yourself, check out the expert advice at Casinomeister. These have some of the best music of any online games available.
Video game music composers can create some of the most intricate scores of today. They write their tunes with everything they see in mind, whether it’s a long and important cutscene or a highly difficult yet pivotal boss battle.
Without these soundtracks, video games would still be enjoyable of course, but video game soundtracks have evolved and adapted to their respective hardware over the years and have experienced just as much technological and artistic evolution as gameplay and graphics. This makes them one of the most important parts of a fully-fledged gaming experience.
Mood, emotion and storytelling
Just like in television or film, music in video games has an utterly massive impact on the emotional tone of a scene. They can be sad, triumphant or made to pump you up for something epic.
Unlike television and film, video games are obviously interactive, and the best video game scores reflect this. Video game soundtracks are known for changing on a whim. One moment you’re walking through a quiet forest minding your own business, with soft strings and woodwinds accompanying you on your journey. The next moment, you’ve been ambushed, and the song has completely changed to boisterous brass and horns, full of emergency and apprehension.
Video game music is in touch with the mood of the moment because gaming itself can be a rollercoaster of emotions. This is why video game soundtracks are often significantly longer than film soundtracks. Some of them have hundreds of songs, compiled and composed by many different musicians.
Video game music has been so influential to gamers that organisations such as Video Games Live have dedicated themselves to bringing these moments to life with real musicians and real instruments, oftentimes heavily reorchestrated and rearranged to make them even more epic.
The soundtracks of video games are so impactful that even people who don’t play video games will find themselves listening to them. Silent Hill, Final Fantasy, Castlevania, The Legend of Zelda and countless other series have found themselves in the earbuds of non-gamers, and who can blame them? A good tune is a good tune.
Dynamic reactive soundtracks
Arguably the most unique and innovative aspect of video game soundtracks is that they can be dynamic. Once again, video games are interactive, which means players are constantly making choices that can affect the story or the battle. Not too long ago, someone figured out how to make player choices affect the soundtrack too.
Dynamic soundtracks in video games are probably a lot more common than you realize, as this feature is usually implemented in a very subtle manner. When you are low on health, you might notice the melody of the song changes to be a little more sinister. When nighttime comes, the song may move into a new vibe that possesses the same underlying harmony, melody and whatnot, but with a different spin. This could be a new instrument or a different tempo.
This dynamic element is something that can only happen in games. Influencing the music, either inadvertently or deliberately, is something that adds a level of magic that is truly special.
Character themes
Some of the most iconic video game characters of all time are so important that they will have entire songs dedicated to them. Zelda’s Lullaby from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Aerith’s Theme from Final Fantasy VII are two famous examples.
Character themes help reinforce the significance of a game’s main cast, helping them feel more three-dimensional and alive. Hearing an iconic theme emerge during a climactic moment is something that gamers everywhere love experiencing. It’s great not just for reinforcing certain moods or story-driven plot points, but to also establish a connection between a very specific mood with a pivotal character.
In the fighting game community for example, games like Street Fighter and Tekken will have individual character themes for every member of the game’s roster. For players who have a favourite character to use, they often use these themes to boost their morale in tournaments and help show their love for various fan favourites.
Gamers all around the world have frequently identified with video game character themes, helping increase the cohesion of gaming communities. Capcom probably didn’t expect Ryu’s Theme or Guile’s Theme would become the monster hits that they are now, especially with how passionate people can become after just hearing the first two seconds of them. That’s just how much impact and influence a single song can have on millions of people worldwide.
Incorporating real-life music
Not to imply that video game music is not “real”, but video games have done an excellent job of taking music made by famous musicians and putting them in their interactive environments.
One classic example of this everyone knows about is the Grand Theft Auto series. Every game has several radio stations to choose from, most of them with music made by real rock, rap, soul, jazz and punk legends. This adds an incredible layer of realism and immersion, to the point that any game that has cars these days risks being criticised for not having a similar kind of soundtrack.
Real-life music has been used in more interesting ways though as Fallout 3’s soundtrack completely blew everyone away with its strange, daring but extremely successful blend of 1930’s big band, swing and jazz music with over-the-top gore, violence and post-apocalyptic themes.
No one can really explain why it works, but it does. Listening to Benny Goodman, The Inkspots, Ella Fitzgerald or Duke Ellington while decapitating super mutants with cleavers or blowing up ghouls with plasma grenades is, somehow, one of the most fitting combinations in modern gaming history.
Perhaps the ultimate example of video games using real-life music involves Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater soundtracks, which helped to popularise grunge, alt-rock and many other genres to just about anyone who owned a PlayStation back in the day. Even people who never picked up a skateboard in their lives ended up becoming massive fans of the kinds of bands that were only associated with skaters at the time.
That is the power of video game music, original or otherwise — establishing connections and making entire communities.
