Memnoch
Member
I disagree completely. The orchestral music makes the game for me, like say with Uncharted 4.
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I really don't like how video game music is no longer, well, video game music
- Thread starter Chao
- Start date
I realized there was a problem when i heard Nobuo Uematsu (i think it was with FFX ??) say "hey now we have so much sounds and ambiances in games, and voices .. it's ok we don't really care about the music anymore!! ican finally have a nap at work" (Well that wasn't exactly that but that's how it felt).
Truer words have never been spoken.
OfTheOverflow
Member
When I think about it, all of my favorite games have (what I consider to be) absolutely fantastic music. If a game has 'meh' or no music I get tired of it very quickly. Sound is easily half the experience for me when it comes to games.
wapplew
Member
Journey will be a different game with Guile's theme, I'll try it someday.
I feel like saying that every game had memorable music in the old days is overstating it a bit. The memorable stuff is, well, remembered. The bad stuff not so much.
I do happen to prefer soundtracks that are either very athmospheric or with a strong melody compared to "filmic" soundtracks, but that's more to do with the games I prefer to play than anything else. There's also plenty of games with strong melodies out there right now, and it's not limited to retrostyle indie games even if it's more prominent there. The newest Wolfenstein has a great guitar leitmotif running through many tracks.
Edit: The Extra Credits episode posted above points out some nice examples of high fidelity tunes.
I do happen to prefer soundtracks that are either very athmospheric or with a strong melody compared to "filmic" soundtracks, but that's more to do with the games I prefer to play than anything else. There's also plenty of games with strong melodies out there right now, and it's not limited to retrostyle indie games even if it's more prominent there. The newest Wolfenstein has a great guitar leitmotif running through many tracks.
Edit: The Extra Credits episode posted above points out some nice examples of high fidelity tunes.
P.T. with Guile's Theme, really.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
Per.
So.
Na.
So.
Na.
TheSpoiler
Member
Old music was the shit. Like it was far more memorable and perfect and just better than anything put out today.
Also, you mentioned SF4. After a bunch of decades and hearing the SF2 themes over and over (not to mention how much they remix them nowadays), it's easy to say you remember that over 4. The stage themes for 4 were shit, but I played 4 so much that I've memorized them. Conversely, I don't remember anything from SF: The Game The Movie because that game was awful and everyone wants to bury that. Same thing with Final Fight 1 - you hear the Stage 1 music so much throughout your life that of course it sticks with you.
Orchestrated stuff can still stick. FF7 does with many, many people. It's truly a matter of time if you actually enjoy the music itself.
Also, you mentioned SF4. After a bunch of decades and hearing the SF2 themes over and over (not to mention how much they remix them nowadays), it's easy to say you remember that over 4. The stage themes for 4 were shit, but I played 4 so much that I've memorized them. Conversely, I don't remember anything from SF: The Game The Movie because that game was awful and everyone wants to bury that. Same thing with Final Fight 1 - you hear the Stage 1 music so much throughout your life that of course it sticks with you.
Orchestrated stuff can still stick. FF7 does with many, many people. It's truly a matter of time if you actually enjoy the music itself.
I know that many indie games have fantastic music, I've listened to some Shovel Knight tracks and sounds awesome, but it's more the fact that bigger budget games are abandoning this kind of sound and use ambient music, that although it can sound really good, it's not what I will remember 20 years from now.
I love vg music remixes and covers, and I'm having a hard time trying to picture how an UC4 cover would sound like because I don't remember the music at all.
It would be cool to have catchy music in bigger productions too, but I guess it wouldn't fit with the more cinematic approach.
paradise_circus
Member
I disagree, if the creators really want something unique, they go for it. uncharted 4's score used way much more nate's theme than the previous games. it actually implements nate's theme almost all the time.
the previous scores used a different approach where the traditional music of the setpieces were implemented like arabic horns, lures and Arabic chanting in uc3 or throat singing and other tibetian instrumental sounds in uc2.
the previous scores used a different approach where the traditional music of the setpieces were implemented like arabic horns, lures and Arabic chanting in uc3 or throat singing and other tibetian instrumental sounds in uc2.
Yeah, the Persona series has a great soundtrack. While it uses real instruments it still sounds very video game like.
Each Ace Attorney game also has a killer OST. The newest one is no exception.
Woody Invincible
Banned
Anamanaguchi made the Scott Pilgrim game fantastic. More chiptunes, boyos!
This is what I wanted to say. It's not a choice I dig, but I get it.
I disagree, but I don't think it's for lack of trying as much as it is money being tighter on RPGs than back in the day. It's hard to put out 4+ discs worth of incredible music with less time and money. Or sometimes you're just Sawano.
Itaremustbedangeres
Member
I don't know but I'm glad we got stuff like the witcher 3's soundtrack because this is actually a soundtrack I like to listen to. Normally I don't listen to game soundtracks outside of games because they got nothing memorable going for them (in most cases and in my opinion)
but the magic that the composer for the witcher 3 did is just mindblowingly awesome:
Whispers of Oxenfurt (instrumental)
but the magic that the composer for the witcher 3 did is just mindblowingly awesome:
Whispers of Oxenfurt (instrumental)
I kind of agree. It's good that we have more kinds of music and more variety in video game music these days. There definitely still exists great melodic VGM. The thing that bums me out is that I'm still interested in playing the same games as when I was young, only now they changed the style of their music to something that's less interesting to me. It's also a little disappointing that much of the melodic music is so retro-inspired. Like the evolutionary branch of VGM thats both very melodic and using modern sounds is a bit underrepresented.
TheSpoiler
Member
Oh yeah, Sega is still killing it with their soundtracks.
I still remember 4's soundtrack, and so on with 3, 2, and even 1 for the most part, even if it's the battle music between them.
Shit, Isshin is great too.
I still remember 4's soundtrack, and so on with 3, 2, and even 1 for the most part, even if it's the battle music between them.
Shit, Isshin is great too.
I like orchestrated music, but still, I agree that most games don't get it right.
I think leitmotifs are the key. They're the reason everyone remembers the songs from, let's say, LOTR or Star Wars.
In video games, I can use Assassins Creed as an example. Having played up to Rogue, the only game I remember the music is AC2, because it had a fantastic leitmotif throughout.
More leitmotifs, people!
I think leitmotifs are the key. They're the reason everyone remembers the songs from, let's say, LOTR or Star Wars.
In video games, I can use Assassins Creed as an example. Having played up to Rogue, the only game I remember the music is AC2, because it had a fantastic leitmotif throughout.
More leitmotifs, people!
Nowadays, composing for games is a tight balance between many things:
- Games are more cinematic and more appealing to the masses everyday, so it pushes the composer to make movie music.
- The producers want big epic music most of the times.
- Make good use of all the elements of the music without going too far and becoming something too complicated to listen. In the 80's you were limited to a few tools, but nowadays you can make anything in terms of music.
- Using chiptune today may seam cheap, given you can combine it with any kind of electronic music.
- Making a short, melodic looping tune like the old times can make the players turn it off if it's repetitive.
- Some gamers are tired of the big epic music and want something more "video gamey", but it's hard to pass this type of music when AAA producers are spending a lot of money and want some big epic movie orchestral music.
In my opinion, Super Mario Galaxy was a good balance in terms of electronic and not too generic orchestral music. But it's hard to find games with a similar style
- Games are more cinematic and more appealing to the masses everyday, so it pushes the composer to make movie music.
- The producers want big epic music most of the times.
- Make good use of all the elements of the music without going too far and becoming something too complicated to listen. In the 80's you were limited to a few tools, but nowadays you can make anything in terms of music.
- Using chiptune today may seam cheap, given you can combine it with any kind of electronic music.
- Making a short, melodic looping tune like the old times can make the players turn it off if it's repetitive.
- Some gamers are tired of the big epic music and want something more "video gamey", but it's hard to pass this type of music when AAA producers are spending a lot of money and want some big epic movie orchestral music.
In my opinion, Super Mario Galaxy was a good balance in terms of electronic and not too generic orchestral music. But it's hard to find games with a similar style
Yep, the whistlability™ of video game music has diminished quite a bit (particularly in AAA titles), but luckily there are still some developers (mostly indies) that pay tribute to the good old days and inject their games with instant earcandy.
My favourite video game soundtracks of the past five years:
Shovel Knight
Double Dragon Neon
VVVVVV
Hotline Miami 1 & 2
My favourite video game soundtracks of the past five years:
Shovel Knight
Double Dragon Neon
VVVVVV
Hotline Miami 1 & 2
That's kind of the problem though. You have to go indie to find such music. It's not quite the same.
It doesn't help that most indie's are usually trying for retro styles to boot.
Agree with you op.
Playing uncharted 4 made me realize this too often. When exploring Madagascar in that car I was expecting some cool music like idk guerdo valley from oot but nope, still damn ambient sound. / hardly any music.
Games these days are too focused on ambient and indie games are too focused on electronic chip tune ish tracks. Too much retro
There needs to be a good balance like Mario Galaxy or DK tropical freeze.
Playing uncharted 4 made me realize this too often. When exploring Madagascar in that car I was expecting some cool music like idk guerdo valley from oot but nope, still damn ambient sound. / hardly any music.
Games these days are too focused on ambient and indie games are too focused on electronic chip tune ish tracks. Too much retro
There needs to be a good balance like Mario Galaxy or DK tropical freeze.
CrazyArcadia
Member
Ys VIII soundtrack sample which I think is superb. Game releases next month, action RPG.. Also shoutout to Etrian Odyssey series with extremely well-composed music by Yuzo Koshiro
I think it doesn't even only come down to budget. We had forgetable OSTs in past 8/16/32bit days as well. It's not about having 4 discs of music IMO, a tight well-done OST can come with 10-20 standout music pieces and blow you away anyway. That comes down to the skill of the composer. A lot of indie games are great with limited music track selection, Shovel Knight, FEZ and Super Hexagon for example.
Nintendo as well, whatever you might think of them otherwise, is on a roll with their soundtracks (stand-out titles of the last few years including Mario Kart 8, Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze and Xenoblade X - though for the latter, the style might be divisive).
Cinematic games and blockbusters go for the movie orchestra style which some might prefer over whistle-tunes and which, tbh., fits the setting and atmosphere of certain games a lot better. And even there, it comes down to "is the composer good enough?" because a powerful theme played at key moments and variations at especially dramatic scenes can still stuck in your head. Early Halo games, Mirror's Edge, Uncharted etc.
I personally mostly prefer old-school game games over cinematic experience games, I replay often and don't want to be immersed as much as I just want to zone out with tight gameplay, reflexes, flashy colours and a strong music with a lot of beat. So I prefer the more classic videogamey music. On the other hand, when I am playing a more cinematic game such as lately Alien: Isolation, now imagine that with Castlevania: Symphony of the Night OST - to stay with kinda "gothic horror" - playing. Wouldn't work (or... at least would work a lot differently).
It's a complex matter:
1)no more chiptunes: chiptune music makes us immediately think of videogames, but let's listen at this for example, it's clearly chiptuned rock/metal, you can hear electric guitar, bass, drums etc(if you want to know how it sounds with real instruments listen to this), so not all the games music was "game" music, already in the 8bit era.
2)music was more like soundtracks, it was somehow tied to the character and the environment trying to describe them, this for example makes you immediately think of Egypt or Middle East, it's rather quiet so it makes you think of a quiet place... like a pyramid? And... well there's a frog too, in fact the music was used here(ancient levels of superfrog):
and that leads us to a big problem of modern games...
3)... lack of variety: modern games want to be "realistic" and "coherent", most of them have a human as main character and all of them have a coherent level design, there's no way that in a modern game you'll pass from a forest level to a desert level to an ice level like in 8/16 bit games so music is descriptive no more, most it does is passing from quiet theme to action theme to boss theme.
1)no more chiptunes: chiptune music makes us immediately think of videogames, but let's listen at this for example, it's clearly chiptuned rock/metal, you can hear electric guitar, bass, drums etc(if you want to know how it sounds with real instruments listen to this), so not all the games music was "game" music, already in the 8bit era.
2)music was more like soundtracks, it was somehow tied to the character and the environment trying to describe them, this for example makes you immediately think of Egypt or Middle East, it's rather quiet so it makes you think of a quiet place... like a pyramid? And... well there's a frog too, in fact the music was used here(ancient levels of superfrog):
and that leads us to a big problem of modern games...
3)... lack of variety: modern games want to be "realistic" and "coherent", most of them have a human as main character and all of them have a coherent level design, there's no way that in a modern game you'll pass from a forest level to a desert level to an ice level like in 8/16 bit games so music is descriptive no more, most it does is passing from quiet theme to action theme to boss theme.
old manatee
Banned
DooM has some of the best video game music I've heard in a while.
OrbitalBeard
Member
God bless Mick Gordon.
Dice
Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
Haha just yesterday I was playing Witcher 2 and the characters were just standing around in no danger having some mundane conversation where they go over information and think of what to do next and in the background what this ridiculous sweeping epic music and I thought the same thing. They clearly just worked up some general OST and spammed that everywhere instead of making nice tunes that complimented the different places you do and what happens there. It's such a common thing these days.
smudge
Member
I've always loved game music, from the early days of z80 sounds on my Spectrum128k when sometimes I would just wait 5-10 minutes for the game to load just so I could listen to the music of games like Target Renegade, Joe Blade or Auf Wiedersehen Monty.
I still love modern game music, recently playing Stellaris and the sound track is great. Witcher 3 had great music, Eve-Online has a great OST. I was often distracted in boss fights in Dark Souls 3 because I wanted to just listen to the music. I love the remix albums from OCremix even for games I never played.
I've always loved game music and expect I always will as I have been enjoying it for 30 years.
I still love modern game music, recently playing Stellaris and the sound track is great. Witcher 3 had great music, Eve-Online has a great OST. I was often distracted in boss fights in Dark Souls 3 because I wanted to just listen to the music. I love the remix albums from OCremix even for games I never played.
I've always loved game music and expect I always will as I have been enjoying it for 30 years.
The12thGripper
Member
Video games still have melodic tunes, you just gotta expand your horizons a bit.
Basically play more Japanese games.
Basically play more Japanese games.
Lionheart1827
Member
Shovelknight was one of the last games that gave me that huge memorable game music earworm. The composer to that nailed it.
Velocity 2x's soundtrack was also awesome.
Velocity 2x's soundtrack was also awesome.
That just depends on whether you like that kind of music or not. I'd heartily disagree with you. Valiant Hearts has some dope orchestral music, as does Child of Light, Ori, Journey, Xenoblade Chronicles, Guild Wars 2, Dragon Age, Skyrim and Assassin's Creed (the older ones in particular) to name a few.
xenorevlis
Member
I actually really enjoyed many of the songs in Uncharted 4. Also, how you approach encounters will affect the music as they recordered many elements that work together but you don't hear all of it if you're only stealthing or not engaged in full on action combat.
https://youtu.be/kqdOnh9-74w
https://youtu.be/Yad_apvFaVw
https://youtu.be/yeDOlCYqF3Y
https://youtu.be/1JTnXVeAtmY
There are many games with memorable tracks still coming out, but like with most media music itself has really been done in so many variations that things are less "catchy" these days as so much sounds similar. It takes a real cohesion with orchestra approach or other music to really imbue itself within your memory. Cohesion with the visuals and sound effects or dialogue, that is.
https://youtu.be/kqdOnh9-74w
https://youtu.be/Yad_apvFaVw
https://youtu.be/yeDOlCYqF3Y
https://youtu.be/1JTnXVeAtmY
There are many games with memorable tracks still coming out, but like with most media music itself has really been done in so many variations that things are less "catchy" these days as so much sounds similar. It takes a real cohesion with orchestra approach or other music to really imbue itself within your memory. Cohesion with the visuals and sound effects or dialogue, that is.
NinjamicWZ
Banned
Indie games do some of what I love from the 80's and 90's for the most part, and even in the more mainstream AAA world there's still some amazing music being made. DOOM 2016 just murdered everything with genre bending stuff I'm surprised to enjoy, and I'm actually finding myself growing fond of some of the more filmic, orchestral scores that I would have snoozed through and rolled my eyes at for most of last gen.
However, I do think there's a very clear void where the mid 90's Nobuo Eumatsu, Yasunori Mitsuda, Rika Muranaka and Michiru Yamane sound was at. They don't work the way they used to and few games are being made that beg that kind of sound. Styles are styles, though... can't expect people to emulate each other that way, and I wouldn't really want them to. I hate biters and impersonators maybe more than I dislike droughts and the ending of the spirit of an age.
My advice is don't close yourself off to newer music that sounds different. It's actually really amazing sometimes, and just that: different. It's easy to do a disservice to yourself and miss a lot in the moment. I know have many times.
However, I do think there's a very clear void where the mid 90's Nobuo Eumatsu, Yasunori Mitsuda, Rika Muranaka and Michiru Yamane sound was at. They don't work the way they used to and few games are being made that beg that kind of sound. Styles are styles, though... can't expect people to emulate each other that way, and I wouldn't really want them to. I hate biters and impersonators maybe more than I dislike droughts and the ending of the spirit of an age.
My advice is don't close yourself off to newer music that sounds different. It's actually really amazing sometimes, and just that: different. It's easy to do a disservice to yourself and miss a lot in the moment. I know have many times.
Such a ridiculous complaint. First of all, if you want simple melodies, there are still about a million games that offer you that. Second, there's nothing wrong with more complex music or ambiance.
Besides, plenty of retro games had music/sounds that were mostly just meant for ambiance.
Besides, plenty of retro games had music/sounds that were mostly just meant for ambiance.
supernormal
Member
I think videogames can employ various different styles for different purposes. For example use the more thematic "melodic" pieces for marketing and comercials while keeping the atmospheric tracks for actual gameplay when suited.
I mean look at a game like TLOU, the music was very atmospheric in that game, and not very memorable per se, yet the actual theme with the acoustic guitar is instantly recognizable.
I also agree with this. The most awesome soundtracks always find a ways to include recurring melodies and themes over and over either on different tempos, on different instruments or whatever.
I mean look at a game like TLOU, the music was very atmospheric in that game, and not very memorable per se, yet the actual theme with the acoustic guitar is instantly recognizable.
I also agree with this. The most awesome soundtracks always find a ways to include recurring melodies and themes over and over either on different tempos, on different instruments or whatever.
AAA and AAA wannabe games chasing film-score trends suffer, but outside of that there's plenty of great music, and even AAA games manage to have good soundtracks when they do their own thing and avoid that.
Then again the Uncharted point kind of lost me because Uncharted has always been generic film score stuff to me. Uncharted 4 is actually the first time I've really noticed the soundtrack adding to things at points, so I guess it wins by default?
Then again the Uncharted point kind of lost me because Uncharted has always been generic film score stuff to me. Uncharted 4 is actually the first time I've really noticed the soundtrack adding to things at points, so I guess it wins by default?
This has been going on for quite a while: Lots of games these days have this sort of generic orchestral soundtrack to create a 'serious' cinematic feel and while it sounds nice and soothing it's also very forgettable.
I usually don't mind but it can be very grating sometimes, like for instance with Castlevania Lords Of Shadow. If there's one series that is renowned for its legendary memorable music it's Castlevania so I was very disappointed it received the same Generic Orchestra treatment like so many other games and I couldn't replay a single tune in my head after finishing it.
It looks like Generic Orchestra is here to stay though..
I usually don't mind but it can be very grating sometimes, like for instance with Castlevania Lords Of Shadow. If there's one series that is renowned for its legendary memorable music it's Castlevania so I was very disappointed it received the same Generic Orchestra treatment like so many other games and I couldn't replay a single tune in my head after finishing it.
It looks like Generic Orchestra is here to stay though..
NESpowerhouse
Perhaps he's wondering why someone would shoot a man before throwing him out of a plane.
The strange thing is I actually ended up liking the soundtrack more the more I played the game. The same thing happened with Mass Destruction in Persona 3. Choke it up to Stockholm Syndrome, I guess.
Videogames didn't just get 'more cinematic' though.
Cinematic videogames started happening while every other type of videogame continued happening. New spheres appeared and expanded, they didn't separate or change inherently. Countless non-cinematic games are still made.
OP and others in this thread just need to play different sorts of games. As already mentioned, plenty of indie games, arcade games and JRPGs still feature great, catchy soundtracks. Pity about Street Fighter 4/5 though.
JohnnyFootball
GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
I agree with nothing the OP says. The soundtrack to Deus Ex Human Revolution is one the GOAT.
It accomplishes everything that a soundtrack should and even elevates the game.
It accomplishes everything that a soundtrack should and even elevates the game.
RespectThySole
Member
Yeah, that song was so overused. Really annoying.
Luckily, The Witcher 3 ended up having one of my favorite gaming soundtracks. The Witcher 1's was good too.
I agree on Uncharted 4's music OP. Only memorable for being a disappointment.