It’s unlikely that anyone reading this needs to be preached to about the evolving role of musical scores in video games. For some of you, however, perhaps the interest has evolved into a fascination with the audio component of games for its own sake. If you’re on that threshold, but haven’t yet crossed over into including game music on your iPod, a quick primer may be in order. We’ll take a look at six of the best recent original soundtrack releases, chosen both because of their excellence and for their wide availability in either CD format or as an iTunes download. We'll then check out video game music cover bands, remixes, and the legendary Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu. CrysisInon Zur’s driving, rhythmic tracks for Crysis strangely blend traditional instruments with alien synths and militaristic percussion passages. The result is a relentless pace of action and suspense that carries the soundtrack from beginning to end. Your computer may not be able to handle the game, but your CD player shouldn’t have any trouble with the accompanying music.Uncharted: Drake’s FortuneFew soundtracks have so accurately captured the vibe of a game world as Greg Edmonson’s score for Uncharted. Whether it’s a brief snatch of tribal drums or a splash of Spanish guitar, the soundtrack is awash in the pulp adventure tone of Nate Drake’s quest for his ancestor’s lost treasure.Blue DragonWhile Nobuo Uematsu will likely be best remembered for his oft-cited work on Final Fantasy, his recent score for Blue Dragon takes things in a slightly different direction. While still rooted in familiar and traditional harmonies, the score for Blue Dragon adopts a much more childlike and whimsical tone than Uematsu’s earlier scores. Only the true believer will have much patience for the occasional digressions into questionable rock vocals, but the rest of the score hits the expected level of excellence you’d expect from one of the first masters in the genre.Mass EffectYou can’t mistake the synth-filled sweeps of the Mass Effect soundtrack. Almost every track carries the game’s identity in its tone, somehow taking the campy sounds of old school sci-fi movies and making them new and relevant. Composers Jack Wall, Sam Hulick, Richard Jacques, and David Kates seem to know exactly when to scale back arrangements, sometimes presenting an almost bare instrumentation that works to great effect.Halo 3A few of the original Halo’s most recognizable tracks have crossed the threshold where even casual players recognize them and hum along. Even so, some of Martin O’Donnell’s and Michael Salvatori’s best work was saved for the final act of the Halo trilogy. In a two-disc set, the soundtrack traces its way through the battles and revelations of Halo 3. Both new music and brand new arrangements of familiar Halo tunes are given the full treatment of choir and orchestra, and the result is a fitting culmination for a franchise responsible for some of the best music in gaming.LairSeveral hauntingly lilting and memorable musical motifs weave their way in and out of John Debney’s contemplative tracks for Lair, even while his more energetic and robust battle themes call to mind the sweeping grandeur of John William’s work on Star Wars. Taken as a whole, the soundtrack is a surprisingly deep and varied listen, particularly where traditional orchestral work is interlaced with the solo female vocalist’s plaintive melodies.
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You want good music? Brotip: Look up Touhou. That doujin shooter series has music so good that it would make the likes of Yasunori Mitsuda and Nobuo Uematsu slit their wrists!
Touhou's music has LOADS more remixes that are sold in Japan on CDs. And those remixers(IOSYS, Cool&Create) get loads more recognition than the ones we have.
Some links:
knowyourmeme.com/.../touhou-project-%E6%9D%B1%E6%96%B9project
touhou.wikia.com
gensokyo.org
Music is probably the most under appreciated element of video games. People just take it for granted. But try playing one of your favorite games muted sometime, and feel how empty it is. You never fully appreciate it until it's not there.
The best example I can think of at the moment is this flash game I played the other day called Upgrade Complete. The underlying mechanic of it was that you had to buy 'upgrades' for everything with the money you received from this simplistic arcade shooter in the game. And I do mean everything. The money you start out with goes towards the "Play" button, you literally can't start without it.
But what made me think of it is that you have to buy the music. Until you do, there is no sound. You're just pressing buttons and watching the results. Besides the "Play" button, you don't have to buy anything else in any particular order, so the first time I bought it right away. The music started out as cheesy 8-bit, and as you upgraded the game, it got more detailed. By the end it was a sweeping orchestra as you played. Then I tried going through the game without music until the end. I got bored, and bought it a little early. Without the music, the game did not hold my interest for as long.
The Soundtrack for Shatter is amazing. I'd recommend that to anyone who is a fan of great music. I got it during a sale and after listening to it I felt bad for not paying full price.
I good soundtrack can change the shape of a videogame's reception.