Those of you who are gamers...how important to you is the game's soundtrack?

[Danger Mouse]

I love music, and if something has good music, be it movie, game, or tv show, my enjoyment of it increases substantially. If a game has a good enough soundtrack, I'll even sometimes try to track down a copy of it for myself.

I own soundtracks for Silent Hill 2, 3, and 4 (all of them amazing work), Star Ocean 3, Parasite Eve, and Persona 4. Take the silent hill games...they use incredible ambient music that the games would simply not be as effective without. Silent Hill 2 has some of the most haunting themes ever put to music, imho.

I've also been listening to music from this one game called 'Mother 3' which is just incredible. It was made for the game boy advance, but I have rarely heard music this emotional or heartfelt...here's a few examples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeAbX3PIQVw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w36PdRaRSi4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13diiCaT3hA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZQdrKGETyc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH8JL_jGS_w

Feel free to check out any of them, or just roll your eyes and ignore this thread, which most of you probably will. :P

Yes, I am a huge geek, but I like to think good music is worth appreciating, even when it is in an unusual medium that you might not have considered previously. Also, I really really recommend Silent Hill 2, 3, and Shattered Memories for anybody who wants both good music and a thought-provoking, atmospheric story. :hi:

[Skip Intro]

1. Oh God, give me Galaga or Frogger or Sinistar, and I'll provide my own soundtrack.

[Mojambo]

2. Couldn't possibly be less important.

The first thing I do with any game is mute the music so I can listen to my own.

[Danger Mouse]

3. I think that works for some games, like shooters, where to me the music doesn't matter so much...

:shrug:

[Mojambo]

7. That's a fair point.

I primarily play shooters and sports games where the music is definitely not key.

Of course I also play a lot of RPG's but I think the issue there is that with the longer play sessions that RPG's sometimes inspire the music just gets repetitive after a while.

[Danger Mouse]

10. With RPGs I especially find it to be true when there is music for random encounters...

...and it's the same theme EVERY. TIME. Mother 3, at least, has many different themes for encounters (at least a dozen if not many more) so it never gets all that repetitive.

More games, especially RPG's, should try that. The worst offender was Xenosaga Episode I...it was a great game with a great soundtrack, but there was little in the way of background music (very few dungeons had music) and there were only 2 battle themes...the normal one and the one for the last boss.

So every time you got in a fight, even a boss fight, it was the same music. Every time. That was unbelievably annoying.

[realisticphish]

12. this

i got so damn sick of hearing the music from morrowind... but if you turned the sound off, you couldn't hear goddamn cliff racers coming for you

[Mojambo]

14. All games need separate controls for music and effects. n/t

[chrisa]

4. I love the Donkey Kong Country soundtrack. David Wise ftw!

I never played the Silent Hill games, but those games also have a good soundtrack. Everybody knows that the only real canon ending to Silent Hill 2 is the dog ending. :)

I also like all of the mario soundtracks except SMB3, which I disliked (the game and music).

The Modern Warfares have mediocre soundtracks that have their moments, like in the level where you escape in Chernobyl. Meh.

I can't say much about modern games because I haven't bought any of them, since I only play MW2 (only) now when I'm bored, but playing modern games now makes me feel like I have wasted a big chunk of time that could be used to do something else.

[Danger Mouse]

5. Modern games, generally, are lacking something that older games had.

Games like Super Mario Galaxy and SMG 2 are rare cases in this day in age that 'have it' IMHO.

And yes, DKC and DKC 2 have awesome soundtracks. Bramble Blast is just amazing.

[chrisa]

8. That racing level where you were the parrot. lmao

:banghead: :nuke:

[Danger Mouse]

9. At least you had very pretty music to be frustrated to.

:-P

[NYC_SKP]

6. I played the middle one.

Nice, reminds me of music played during a deep tissue massage I had once, transcendental-like.

:hi:

[Danger Mouse]

11. Thank you.

:hi: :)

[Tindalos]

13. I have the Silent Hill 3 soundtrack.

That's my favourite one from that series that I've played. I couldn't get in to the more recent ones because I hate combat games, but I really want to play Shattered Memories. I have soundtracks for a few other games too, mostly PC.

Have you played Fatal Frame (aka Zero/Project Zero)? They have good music too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_zqTShJlfY

[Danger Mouse]

17. Shattered Memories is totally different from the other SH games.

No combat, you can only run, but you always know when you're going to be attacked. I find the 'chase scenes' to be panicky, tense, and claustrophobic...but it depends on what scares you. The game has awesome music, of course, and a great story. It really emphasizes exploration over anything else...and I love the snowy/frozen atmosphere. It's a departure for the series, and in my opinion, scarier than the fog. It really is worth looking into. I highly recommend it. :)

I haven't played the fatal frame games but I've intended to for a long time. :hi:

[Tindalos]

19. FF3 is the best I've played in that series.

FF2 is great until the end, which totally sucks, just so you know. I haven't tried the newest one.

I'm not sure if only being able to run in Silent Hill is better or not. The games freak me out, but I love them anyway. lol.

:hi:

[Danger Mouse]

27. Well, combat in the Silent Hill games was always seriously clunky...

so at least you don't have to worry about that anymore.

The cool thing about shattered memories is that it messes with you psychologically. Throughout the game, you are asked questions that change your experiences...how characters act, how the monsters look, the pictures and memos you find...all of them change to reflect your personality. Answer all the questions honestly for the first playthrough, and you might find some things hitting disturbingly close to home. Even what you choose to examine (for instance, taking interest in somebody's liquor cabinet) influences your in-game experience.

That reason alone makes the game fascinating to play and gives it serious replay value.

[Tindalos]

29. I'm seriously going to have to play this game now.

Even if I never sleep again.

[Danger Mouse]

31. If you do, let me know how you like it.

:hi:

Don't get me wrong...I think it has some flaws...but overall I like it as much as SH2 and SH3. Just don't try to save pictures (you have an in-game phone that is very much like a blackberry and it can take pictures)...you don't really need to save them anyway, and it can cause a pretty serious glitch.

[Tindalos]

32. Thanks for the heads up.

I liked SH2 and 3 best, so that's a good sign

:hi:

[jobycom]

15. I like to start off the evening with some lively jazz, then mellow to some Sade as the lights dim...

That's how I play the game.

[Brickbat]

16. There was one song in Myst: Exile that I loved so much I would just hang around in that area

listening to the music for awhile. I'd have to go back and see which part it was, but I loved it at the time.

[Danger Mouse]

18. I totally do that in some games.

:hi:

[kimmylavin]

21. I just started Myst: Exile!

Literally yesterday. :)

And I already love the music/sound fx, just like all the others...

[lazarus]

20. Some music can really help

I have the soundtracks to all the God of War games and Kingdom Hearts games, for instance.

And Bayonetta. I've bought so many different versions of Fly Me To the Moon since playing that game.

But many games, the music just exists in the background. GoW and KH were different, the music really helped with the atmosphere.

[Danger Mouse]

26. Kingdom Hearts has some gorgeous music. I had the Hollow Bastion theme as my ringtone for awhile.

And yes, I really am that much of a geek.

[kimmylavin]

22. Pretty important.

I think I take all gaming lessons from the very first Myst.
They actually tell you to turn down the lights and "immerse" yourself in the game.
So I do. :)

My husband's getting me into PS3 games now; for some reason I am having a really hard time learning to use the controller! I think my favorite so far (besides "flower" which is just awesome in its own way) is Bioshock; very atmospheric and creepy.

[JHB]

23. Depends on the type of game

And this is from someone who would choose appropriate "inspirational" music to play in the background in the "paper and pencil" days...

I've found the music in small handhelds to be mostly annoying, but those have taken a quantum leap in quality since the last time I played one (Gameboy Color? over 10 years now), so I really can't say anything about current games.

But for current computer and console games? Yes, good music, varied music, really helps immersion, and if done with skill and inspiration can make the difference between ok and great (or, lacking those, send it in the other direction).

[Danger Mouse]

28. Did you check out the links above? Those tunes are from a game boy advance game.

Very impressive, I think.

[JHB]

33. Wasn't in a place I could listen, earlier....

Much better, but still a little too tinny and "digitized" for my taste.

It did remind me of some history on the subject: a 1985 game called http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternate_Reality_(series)">Alternate Reality (score by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Gilbertson">Gary Gilbertson) was one of (possibly the) first game to make sophisticated use of sound and music, including having an actual score, not just "theme tunes".

Some downloads links allegedly available on http://www.eobet.com/alternate-reality/">this page. (haven't tried them out myself yet, can't vouch that they aren't outdateed). Just remember this was a "first", because it will probably sound like one (especially in the "tinny and digitized" depatment).

[Xithras]

35. Agreed, it's really dependent on the game type.

Action games? No music at all.

Strategy games like Starcraft 2? The right score can really pull you into the game.

[charlie and algernon]

24. the music in Modern Warfare 2 is heartbreaking in some levels

The Russian invasion scenes especially. You and your squad are running through a destroyed suburban community in a frantic, intense gunbattle while this mournful string piece is being played. It's chilling.


Edit: Found it on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh5J0602u1c&feature=related

[RandomThoughts]

25. I don't play computer games anymore.

No money to buy them, most games require that you buy them with dollars and stuff.

So really have not played many computer games in years.


Although when issues are corrected, I suspect I will play some computer games, some of them are fun. I plan on trying the new Star Wars online game, I expect I will receive pay out due by the time it is released.

[wickerwoman]

30. Bad music can ruin an otherwise good game.

If I'm going to spend 60 hours playing something I'd rather not do it listening to the same forty second theme looped 5,400 times.

I liked the music in FFIX (and cried during the space separation scene- I'm big enough to admit it).

[WillParkinson]

34. Music helps to set moods in some games..

For me some ominous music prior to battle or a good beat during battle can be great, as long as it's not overdone.

[TheMightyFavog]

36. Fallout 3.

Galaxy News Radio's soundtrack stole the show. Talk about a great counterpoint to the post-apocalyptic atmosphere...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txPqV0lZaSE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYF5KI5RnsM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i47axy1aRTA&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDeBSbAeLKU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xWX62Gk41Q&feature=related

And then there's the Grand Theft Auto Series, particularly Vice City and San Andreas.

EA Sports Has great tracks, Particularly the FIFA Soccer series. Here a few songs I got hooked on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQa0QMCtTDA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXF2VE1Urtk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=742jQKcIj8U&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krfEruzQem8&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKoS5X4SMrY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od7-fyGa9DQ&ob=av3e

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG1fCgSyxjk (From NHL 10)