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Volition Has Absolutely Killed It With Licensed Music Adding To Gameplay In SR3

G

Gowans

Member
I always wondered why Games didn't make use of recognisable popular music like the film and TV industry.

Bar music games I can only think of a few Brutal Legend comes to mind first.

But my god after completing Saints Row 3 this weekend I can honestly say they have now set the bar for using Licensed music to enhanced the game play experience.

Three key times for me in the game the music kicked in, turned up and got my heart pumping and my face smiling as I kicked arse to songs I know.

The last one in particular has to go down as one of my favourite and most memorable gaming experiences ever simply down to the background music, god knows how they top it.


Saints Row 3 Spoilers:
Parachuting on to a Penthouse party at the top of a Skyscraper and into a firefight to Kaynes Power

Destroying waves on on-comers in wresting to "The Best Around" from Karate Kid

And the final mission racing through down and fighting through a climb of guards to rescue a character to "I Need A Hero" which I loved in the case scene in Short Circuit 2, timing it perfectly for the whole length of the song.


Anyone else have any examples of this or would like to see more of this?


EDIT: This is not about the song selection on the radio channels
 
I'll have to agree, since I greatly enjoy going on a killing spree while "Sports!" by Tim and Eric plays on the radio.
 
George said:
i looked at the track list on Wikipedia the other day and it looked pretty shitty to me.
Click to expand...

Smh... they have the Dear Hunter's "In Caude Venenum" on there, amazing band, amazing song, and the rest of the music is pretty good too.

Suffice to say, YOU ARE WRONG SIR.
 
George said:
i looked at the track list on Wikipedia the other day and it looked pretty shitty to me.
Click to expand...

It is, I was pretty disappointed. At least there is a mixtape option so you can pick out the handful of good songs.

Choreography for the set pieces is better, guess that is where the budget went. :)
 
The cleaver thing isn't the standard BGM from the radio tho.

The songs that aren't on the radio, when they take control of the music, play the specific song they want (in a vehicle or not) to set the mood and turn it up, loved it.
 
Looked at the track list right now, and most of it is stuff I've never even heard about. But I saw there were a couple of good songs on The Mix (Mötley Crüe, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Faith No More, Bonnie Tyler and Talk Talk), and one of the channels had a Marilyn Manson and a KMFDM track.
 
Duki said:
that has nothing to do with gameplay wtf
Click to expand...

For me it absolutely does, its additive, sets the mood for how you play. Just like a exercise playlist can change how you work out.


AGAIN THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE TRACK LIST OR RADIO STATIONS.
 
Well I have to mute the TV everytime the commercial comes on for the game cause I hate the song that plays. So If that's anything to go by I'd rather games avoid licensed music altogether.
 
George said:
i looked at the track list on Wikipedia the other day and it looked pretty shitty to me.
Click to expand...

Yeah it is really bad especially compared to 2, but the OP was talking about using songs in exactly the right place in some missions which I agree does add somewhat to the enjoyment of that mission.
 
Derrick01 said:
but the OP was talking about using songs in exactly the right place in some missions which I agree does add somewhat to the enjoyment of that mission.
Click to expand...

Yup thank you.

Anyone else have similar experiences or has this been done to the same effect in other games?
 
Snuggler said:
I'll have to agree, since I greatly enjoy going on a killing spree while "Sports!" by Tim and Eric plays on the radio.
Click to expand...


I had no idea any of their music was in the game. But it makes sense since they did that promo video for it. Are there any other songs by them?
 
Hah, the
Karate Kid
one sounds hilarious! I can only think of one game that used a song like this, DJ Shadow "Building Steam From A Grain Of Salt" in Splinter Cell: Conviction.
 
My favorite part so far has been when
You and Pierce sing the entirety of 'What I Got' in the car...for no reason.
 
The use of the
Kanye
song was great (should that be spoliered since its at the beginning oh the game?)
I think the station variety wasn't as good this time, remember the first game having a Bossa Nova station and This?
 
Gowans007 said:
Yup thank you.

Anyone else have similar experiences or has this been done to the same effect in other games?
Click to expand...

I do like the idea of setting the tone with licensed music if it's going to be used anyway. I think Driver: San Francisco did a good job of subtly matching the tone with a few set music pieces.

Generally, I think that's the best thing, when it sets the tone but also lets the game speak for itself without distracting from it. Already mentioned, but I'd consider RDR's use of "Far Away" the ideal. I'd also say it's OK for Saints Row to be an exception and for its choices to feel ironic or purposeful.
 
Alpha Protocol has a boss fight with a coked-up, knife-wielding, 80s-obsessed Russian mobster playboy on and around a dance floor in his mansion. The whole time it's going on "Turn Up The Radio" is going full blast. It's fucking perfect.

Edit: GOD DAMMIT SNUGGLER
 
The classical music is the most fun one. Nothing beats mowing down pedestrians to the tune of "Flight of the Valkyries".
 
Nearly lost it when I was driving around on a sidewalk flinging people into the air and "I need a Hero" came on the radio. Makes me think of Short Circuit 2
 
Could not get that song out of my head that's in the trailer and have watched it numerous time just to hear it.
 
This is what kept me playing Brutal Legend...even when the gameplay turned to crap, the use of the tracks to line up with the action sequences worked brilliantly.

This really needs to happen more, certainly for those games that are shooting for a more cinematic feel. Heck, it doesn't even need to be in action. One of my favorite uses of this was Mafia II's drunk singalong with Dino. Just such a perfect moment in the game.
 
THere seems to be less tracks than in previous games (sr1 had lots of classic tracks) but they really use them well in this one.

SR3 is such an awesome game
 
Gowans007 said:
I always wondered why Games didn't make use of recognisable popular music like the film and TV industry.

Bar music games I can only think of a few Brutal Legend comes to mind first.
Click to expand...

How old were you in 2002?

Vice-city-cover.jpg
 
Only played the "Power" mission but yeah that made the mission that much more epic. If only we could replay missions, I would not mind replaying that again.
 
Yep. Without spoiling it, the last mission was 100 times as awesome because of the music selection. This is how you do it, devs.

bill0527 said:
How old were you in 2002?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/ce/Vice-city-cover.jpg[IMG][/QUOTE]

Someone didn't read the OP.
Click to expand...
 
GSR said:
Alpha Protocol has a boss fight with a coked-up, knife-wielding, 80s-obsessed Russian mobster playboy on and around a dance floor in his mansion. The whole time it's going on "Turn Up The Radio" is going full blast. It's fucking perfect.

Edit: GOD DAMMIT SNUGGLER
Click to expand...

they wanted to license this for this boss fight but it didn't work out for some reason.
 
Gowans007 said:
Saints Row 3 Spoilers:
And the final mission racing through down and fighting through a climb of guards to rescue a character to "I Need A Hero" which I loved in the case scene in Short Circuit 2, timing it perfectly for the whole length of the song.
Click to expand...
No fucking way :lol

That is awesome!
 
I didn't really like it. I don't like that Kanye West song and I need a Hero looped at least twenty times. Maybe without the vocals.
 
Gowans007 said:
Saints Row 3 Spoilers:
Parachuting on to a Penthouse party at the top of a Skyscraper and into a firefight to Kaynes Power
Click to expand...

I haven't played Saints Row 3 yet but The Ballad of Gay Tony did something kind of similar in its final mission:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q7IQ7tg_aA#t=9m20s

Red Dead Redemption still has my favourite instances of this:
Arriving in Mexico for the first time with "Far Away" playing, and "Compass" playing while John rides back to his family
 
Snuggler said:
Again, he's talking more about using licensed music in specific moments instead of just radio stations.
Click to expand...

GTA also used specific music for some story missions. I know San Andreas did anyway.

Saints Row 3 was more in your face about it though.
 
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