The Soundtrack of Your Many Lives
Celebrating the often subtle, always important role of video game soundtracks
There is an intrinsic beauty that will never be defined within music. As far back as history can recall, music has been a vital aspect in every era and it suits that the relationship of life and it is still as resonant within the digital age. A good game often needs a good soundtrack, although the very definition of good may be hard to determine as, ultimately, it is nothing more than a simple measurement of how greatly it impacts you.
Although it’s hard to overstate the value that music has brought to all facets of life, the memory of your first concert, the first time hearing that song, or listening to someone articulate the feelings that seem impossible to express. Although many assume classical music dates the origin of music’s public acclaim, there is evidence going as far back as ancient Greece that Romans would often travel to see a Grecian group of people clapping… although this may not be as popular nowadays…
Yet, amazingly, even in virtual reality, or a completely fictitious world, we will always need music, as it consistently has such a profound effect on the audience. There will never be a time where video games (excluding stylistic choice) will fail to be elevated by the beauty achievable in every genre.
This article will be a celebration of how amazing the very existence of music is, and how fantastic soundtracks can elevate their games to a level beyond, as they are able to strike such a resounding chord with their readers. I’ll be looking at four different types of music: Jazz, Orchestral, Heavy Metal, and Synthwave, and how such vastly different genres of music can all have an amazing effect.
Ape Out
An escapee gorilla, intent on causing havoc in the fantastically responsive jazz-themed soundtrack, is ab-ska-lutely amazing. Firstly, I apologise from the deepest recess of my soul for that joke, and secondly, Ape Out is a criminally underrated indie game with one of the most uniquely memorable soundtracks of any game that I have had the fortune to play.
Ape Out is an incredibly cheap, humorous, and responsive game all about fulfilling everyone's desire to become a moody, bluesy, hell-bent gorilla. With each movement, action, and attack resulting in a different note of a jazz-themed soundtrack, as you play Ape Out, you actively create your own insanely upbeat soundtrack that makes each time you restart a pleasure.
With an endless number of combinations of sound cues to get, Ape Out not only gives players a fantastic time but also embodies the very nature of Scat Singing within Jazz. There is no rhyme or reason, but it sounds amazing, often enrapturing the player in the quickening pace, crashing cymbals and rapid drumming. Often you will find yourself just walking around and trying different routines to see what beautiful sounds you can create.
Although the gameplay itself is incredibly responsive and goes hand in hand with the soundtrack created, Ape Out’s significance lies strictly in the level of response it engenders with the player. Given the control to make your own music (although within an arguably limited scope), Ape Out exhumes the power of Jazz.
It’s an overwhelming sense of rhythm that invites you to dance with it, each time you grab and throw an enemy, each crashing cymbal or snare drum can reflect and maintain the pace at which you're playing. For the aggressive bananas-to-the-wall type of Gorilla, you’ll be reminded of the greats of Charlie Parker, but if you’re a little bit slower, and enjoy taking your time it might even remind you of the instrumentals of Louis Armstrong.
Ape Out is the perfect vehicle to demonstrate the power of music within video games as it would be mad to assume that Jazz could be the core element of a hilarious game, while also maintaining interest through active engagement. With many considering Jazz to be a ‘dead’ genre, Ape Out brings to life the value of it, in a primal way.
Halo 3
One of my earliest memories of playing video games was watching my friend play Halo 3, as the orchestral magnificence of Martin O’Donnell swept me away. For a game all about attacking Brutes, Grunts, and taking out the horrific Flood, it’s strange that the iconic music stuck with me more than anything.
Halo 3 is nothing short of a masterpiece, with a fantastic story, brilliant voice acting, gorgeous visuals, and amazing gameplay. But who could have anticipated that the actual main Halo theme would not only be an amazing opening but remain in the hearts of so many so long after publication?
As the violins stir, there is a fantastic aura of rising power, which results in a fantastic culmination of orchestral brilliance. Halo 3’s utilisation of O’Donnell’s keen ear for the orchestral should arguably never fit into the actual game, with its roots in an era that couldn’t have ever imagined the very notion of “Virtual”.
Yet there it is, and it elevates Halo 3 substantially. The gradual increase in the choir’s intensity and the brutal entrance of the drums, only to be beautifully accompanied by the previously mentioned violins, is a tune I believe that most Xbox players can hear in their heads this very instant. There is a type of elegance and beauty that helps convey the work of art that Halo 3 truly is, and it is in large part owed to the mostly orchestral soundtrack.
DOOM Eternal
What a truly resounding game that took the world by storm. I remember clearly that a key focus for many critics and fans was the incredible score. With the use of a “heavy metal choir” and with an authentic level of power noticeable in every single one of the OSTs, DOOM Eternal demonstrated that breaking away from the generic can be beautiful, even if you have to be ripping a demon in half.
I’ve been to a lot of heavy metal festivals, and it is undoubtedly my favourite genre, all while having an incredible amount of meaning to me. It might feel slightly invasive to hear that a company will use your sub-sector of the fantastic world of music, however, when executed with as much care and ingenuity as is present in DOOM Eternal, it’s an indication of how amazing the power of music can be.
Arguably, there is nothing more fitting than a fantastically brutal soundtrack to accompany DOOM Slayer on his rampage across the hell-scape, giving players that added adrenaline kick that they occasionally need. It may even be subconscious at times, giving players a level of confidence that isn’t even recognised but is nonetheless there.
DOOM Eternal uses the genre of heavy metal in a carefully constructed way. It isn’t only to just add a touch of flair, but it aesthetically fits into the theme of DOOM. With many believing the now-outdated notion that heavy metal was a gateway into Satanism, it serves as the binding conduit to help DOOM Slayer not only make contact with the demons but kill any in his path.
DOOM Eternal’s clear appreciation for the history and impact of heavy metal are key indicators of music's power, even on the most passive of players.
Hotline Miami
I must first confess that Hotline Miami is one of my favourite games of all time, almost exclusively because of the soundtrack alone, and the impact that it had on me when I first had the pleasure to play it. It was my introduction to the world of Synthwave and I’ve been grateful ever since.
Although the hyper-violent gameplay, break-neck pacing, and amazing story also played a large role in my interest, it was the soundtrack that had me actively coming back to it. I must have completed the game several times, and each time I’m completely enraptured by the most unique soundtrack I’ve ever heard.
Following the retro-aesthetic (as it is set during the ’80s), Hotline Miami embraces the Synthwave culture and wears it proudly on its sleeve. Not only does it utilise the amazing audio of the songs included, but it also immerses the player in the rapidly modernising age of the ’80s.
Every single song on the soundtrack is fantastic at setting your adrenaline high and preparing you for going straight back in, often just to die again. The music pauses whilst you are dead, active encouragement to keep the break-neck pace, as you immediately want to resume the amazing track. Each song is hypnotically engaging, preparing you for any threats that you might encounter.
Though it was a genre that I had no experience with and had never heard of, Hotline Miami plays to its strength- incorporating the music and rhythm intrinsically with the gameplay. It is the prime representation of not only the power of music but also how fantastic music within video games can be.
With all four genres having such a profound effect on the games themselves, it’s a shock that truly amazing soundtracks are often few-and-far-between. Experiment with the games you are familiar with and embrace new audible changes. You will find with many developers, every choice is intentional, especially the use of sound.
