The Importance of Music

[sleeve]

I was playing War of the Monsters today and out of the many things I enjoy about the game, one of the subtler ones is its fully-orchestrated soundtrack. I'm not talking about some cheap MIDI facsimile but an honest-to-goodness 40-80 piece orchestra, with violins and trumpets and cymbals played by real people. It's something you really don't see too often -- which is really unfortunate given that most games have more than enough space to accomodate real instrumentation.

Personally, my enjoyment of a game is greatly enhanced when that game has a real orchestrated soundtrack or at the very least a well-composed soundtrack with well-executed MIDI. One of the reasons I enjoy shooters like Soukyugurentai, Radiant Silvergun and Salamander is because of their top-notch soundtracks. Even games that are flawed for some reason, like Medal of Honor: Frontline, I still enjoy because MoH has a gread soundtrack.

It works the other way too. I despise the way Squaresoft uses low-grade MIDI in the Final Fantasy games. Why go to the trouble of promoting your soundtrack composer the way Squaresoft does when you're going to play that music through the modern-day equivalent of a dull-edged Victrola?

My question, in light of recent exciting soundtrack-related announcements such as Ennio Morricone working on Red Dead Revolver and Hitoshi Sakimoto working on Breath of Fire V, is this: How important is in-game music to you? Is it enough to sway your opinion of a game? If you had a choice between a great looking game with average music or an average looking game with great, fully orchestrated music, what would you choose?

[Lhadatt]

It depends on the type of experience the designer wants to deliver.

If you're looking for dynamic music, then you go with midi. Just make sure you have very high-quality instrument banks. Another choice would be a mod-style format with nice samples. Good melodies and arrangements can compensate for the lack of real instruments.

For normal "classical-style" BGM though, orchestrated is the way to go -- unless the orchestra is crap or you want some non-classic/non-movie soundtrack style music (aka electronic, techno, whatever). I guess declaring redbook or some other traditional digital audio standards a must would take care of the quality issues.

As for Square... they just need to be shot.

[EvilMog]

For me a game's soundtrack is VERY VERY VERY important. If a game has great music it can suck you into the game. I honestly think a game can be made or destroyed by the quality of its music.

[Captain Vegetable]

A soundtrack is of the utmost importance to me.

Unfortunatly, with a name like video games, the audio aspect of any given creation is always shirked, with few acceptions.

But for me, "excellent" in the way of audio isn't cutting it either. It must be well composed, as well as unique. Panzer Dragoon Orta is a prime example of how sound, when done right, is simply unbelievable in terms of immersion and does it's part to bring the characters in the game their own musical culture.

Orta has this old world drum and woodwind ansamble, packaged with a new wave techno. The result is subtle, deep, engrosing, and mind blowing.

More games need better soundtracks.

[gamevet]

I can say that Lunar on the Sega CD was far more enjoyable, because of the fully orchestrated music, pumping out of the CD. It made me a true believer in the Sega CD, but needless to say, it was one of the few highlights of that little console add-on.


I really enjoyed games like Wipeout and Galactic Attack, because of the mood the soundtracks helped present. I can't imaging Galactic Attack with a lesser soundtrack present, being quite as enjoyable.

[JefmcC]

Music is very important in todays games. Personally, I like the music in Hitman 2.

[AaronChance]

Good topic! I was actually thinking about this lately myself when I was playing Bloodrayne after a session of Orta. Orta has a great soundtrack and really helps me get into the mood of playing, even though I didn't really notice until I switched games. Bloodrayne's soundtrack for the most part sucks, but then I hit this point that had a piece of music that was just plain perfect and I ended up playing far longer than I had planned to.

So for me, music can either enhance or dull the experience. It's not a deal breaker for me, I'll endure a bad sountrack with a great game attached, but its likely to reduce my overall playtime.

Which is why every single xbox game should support the custom soundtrack option. A pox on the developers who choose to ignore this. Yes, even those games that have great soundtracks, because not all people have the same taste in music. Also, if you play a game enough, you will have heard the soundtrack way too much.

[bahn]

Hitman 2 is a VERY good example (although the soundtrack was pretty repetitive). As some have already stated, I believe that it's become a very essential element among today's gamers. Action games for example seems to be on particular genre where it's seems especially important as in the case with Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. There's a nice variety of musical accompanients which vary in pace, ambience and attitude. Everything really does feel in place and helps you to become immersed with the on-screen action. I can't stand though when I come across a game with low-quality, redundant tracks --- it tells me someone on the development team (or just the company overall) didn't consider the music to be important at all in delivering a fully enjoyable gaming experience.

And on a side note...this is why I love TNL Radio so much, lots of good gaming tunes on there to enjoy; including stuff I've never heard of!

[Will]

I think music is pretty high up there with the rest of the game's aspects. I've been recently playing Headhunter and that has one great soundtrack that felt very cinematic. Also as well Rygar and it's orchestral epic movie sound, Turok Evolution with the tribal drums and primal yet very atmospheric music, SSX Tricky and it's funky upbeat and sometimes ethereal music, Shinobi and it's very Japanese flavor music mixed in with techno which gave it a good sci-fi/ninja sound, Guilty Gear X and it's awesome rock music, Pikmin with it's dreamlike and innocent music, Metroid Prime also has a very sci-fi alien sound and the list goes on.

All those games have music that is perfectly implemented and just click with their subject matter.

[FX]

For me, music is key.

It's just as important as graphics ( but not as important as the gameplay ). I like music that sticks in my head long after I turn off the machine. Finding that particular chord that puts me into the fight is crucial toward my enjoyment of the game.

Music is one of the main reasons why I love the KOF series so much. Every game ( except 2001 ) offer something different, and then you have the CD version remixes to listen to. I DARE you not to like the arranged WWIII ( Ikari Team theme ) from KOF 99'.