From the iconic metal drops of the Doom soundtrack to the tinkling, unforgettable Super Mario Bros theme, music shapes our experience of the games we play. From the annoying brainworm to the epic rumble, it’s a key part of the gaming experience. Today we take a deeper dive into why soundtracks matter so much to our gaming experience.
The Art of Music
In the words of video game composer Grant Kirkhope, “The images tell the story, but the music tells you how to feel”. Music is a critical part of establishing the tone of a scene or a story, and a fantastic storytelling vehicle that controls our emotions. Video games are, by their nature, more immersive than even film- and we all know how a strong soundtrack can make or break a movie.
The horror genre has mastered this to the tee- think about how games like Dead Space artfully use their soundtracks to dial up the tension and keep us on the edge of our seats. But the effect isn’t unique to horror alone. A fantastic, emotion-driving soundtrack enhances how we experience the game, the emotions we feel, and how we respond to the matching visuals and plot. There’s a reason, after all, that some game development studios go all-out on music licensing just to find the right match for their game. The WWE franchise games, for example, take great pains to not only accurately recreate the in-game wrestling experience, but add extra authenticity to the gaming experience by using the featured wrestler’s genuine entrance music, completing the gamer’s immersion in building their WWE career.
With this in mind, you’ll find most modern composers working in the video game industry work closely with other team members, building the energy of their compositions carefully around the rhythms of plot and gameplay. With care and attention, they can build another layer of the game itself into the gamers mind as they play- from hairraising indications that a Big Boss Battle is on the way, to happy little tunes as the player helps local NPCs with their tasks.
Beyond the (Preloaded) Beat
But a great video game doesn’t just consider its background music. Think about the iconic radio stations from Grand Theft Auto V. Like or loathe the game, the giggles and smiles from the diverse radio stations on offer in the game is a simple, but remarkably brilliant, way to increase the in-game immersion as well as entertain players as they drive around Sin City. No doubt some of the reported $2B spent on GTA 6 will be spent on recreating this beloved facet of the fifth game.
Some games even allow us to curate this- like Saints Row 2, which allows you to ‘mixtape’ your own soundtrack from the games pre-loaded music. Other games, from GTA 5 again through to the Sims series, give you the ability to import your own music into the game entirely.
So if you’re guilty of turning the music off in your gameplay (we’ve all done it) it might be time to think again. Video game music adds so much to the gaming experience, you’re truly missing out if you don’t at least give it a chance to grow on you!