From the simple themes of Zelda and Mario to the complex and almost abstract stylings of Mass Effect's synthetic sound music has the power to change the level of storytelling and immersion in a game.
I came upon this interview with the dude that scores Battlestar and scored SOCOM 4. It's a great read about how music impacts games and how to smartly use music to adapt to how you're playing.
My most memorable game soundtrack is hands down Hitman 2. Jesper Kyd was all I listened to for some time after that.
I'd say the GTA games have been great from the "fake" songs in GTAIII to the huge licensed titles in Vice City, San Andreas, and GTAIV. It can be fun to just cruise around and listening to music.
ReplyDeleteDiablo 2 had a distinct sound to some of the music that can trigger memories if I hear a couple notes (hidden in the Borderlands music for example).
And whenever I hear Stabbing Westward - The Thing I Hate, it immediately reminds me of Duke Nukem Time to Kill.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjRfv_9hO3M
Anyone who knows me also knows that I am a huge fan of great game/movie scores and sound tracks (as in effects, not music). Some games that immediately come to mind in terms of audio are Oblivion and Uncharted 1/2 for the music score. Battlefield BC2, in my opinion, has the best sound effects of any game out there.
ReplyDeleteAs for best overall music, I have to admit that Zelda holds a special place in my heart. One of my favorite tracks is a piano arrangement of Into Golden Sunset, the ending song in A Link to the Past: ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLEtFYLebbc ). Actually, wish I had my cousin play this at my wedding.
Anyway, I could go on about this forever. HD, Blu-Ray, Video Games... etc. none of these are truly good unless you have a great audio system to give you the proper full experience.