The Importance of Video Game Soundtracks

The importance of sound design in video games, or indeed any media, cannot be understated. From explosions and gunfire to wind and rain beating down, these aspects of visual media are there to enhance the illusion of reality. But what of musical scores and soundtracks? Today I want to look at how these are used and ultimately the meaning behind their specific uses.

As with a lot of games theory, the history of film must be considered. Back in the early years of film, music was laid over the moving images partly due to the lack of sound recording equipment, but also to cover the sound of the projection equipment. Once these issues were solved, however, music continued to be used – why? Well it also had the effect of expanding the films reality, allowing the viewer to become more engaged with the film and gain a much deeper experience and relationship with the film.

This is why film soundtracks have become so iconic. From the absurdity of “Ride of the Valkyries” in Apocalypse Now to the constant ticking of Hans Zimmer’s work on Dunkirk, music has become a vital part of a successful final product. Video games too rely on their soundtracks due to their audio-visual nature. These products rely on the music and visuals syncing together at the right time to immerse the player in the virtual world that has been created.

So how are video game soundtracks used to entice players into spending hours upon hours in these virtual realities? Firstly they are tools for psychological manipulation. Not in a sinister way, but in a way that raises the tension of the game and keeps the player focused. A great contemporary example would be the use of dramatic, fast paced and grand scores utilised in multiplayer games. 2015’s Star Wars: Battlefront made perfect use of John Williams’ original score from the Star Wars film franchise, as did older titles like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and its much loved and much parodied “Rangers Victory Theme”.

But my current favourite inspirational soundtrack has to be Battlefield 1’s orchestral score played periodically throughout multiplayer matches. It is used to highlight flag captures and loses as an additional method of providing the player with information, whilst also ramping up the tension in the closing moments of a match. This emboldens the player to be as epic as the music inspires them to be and perform that final big push of the match, emulating the playing of regimental and national anthems of the empires that clashed during the First World War before major battles.

Another contemporary example of music being used to provide the player with information can be found in 2016’s DOOM. Here, the soundtrack has a novel method of tying the soundtrack to the player’s actions. Mick Gordon, the composer, broke the individual tracks into smaller sections, also known as leitmotifs, based on the level of calmness or aggression, and then told the game to play these segments based on the number of enemies in the area at any given time, blending them together seamlessly. In practice, this means that sections of levels where the player is only walking have a calm, quiet tone that works to build the tension, but when surrounded by enemies, or fighting a boss battle, the music is fast, frantic, and aggressive. Not only do the leitmotifs inform the player as to their relative safety but they spur the player to play more aggressively and move quickly during high risk arenas, demonstrating another method of psychologically manipulating the player through sound.

But it’s not all about mind games; soundtracks in games are also used to create a sense of time and place in the game world. This can be established via diegetic sound (sound experienced by both the player and entities in the game) or non-diegetic sound (sound only the player is aware of). The Fallout series is a great example of these two ideas working hand in hand. The games original score is a representation of the post-apocalyptic world’s isolation and bleakness, whereas its licensed soundtrack, played by radios in game, is comprised of jazz, swing, blues, and rock and roll, and is symptomatic of the retro-futuristic culture that existed before the nuclear war.

But you can’t discuss diegetic soundtracks without bringing up the game that most heavily relies on it – Grand Theft Auto. The GTA series has usually had a relatively minimal original score, only really being utilised during the opening and closing credits, and instead used its in-game radio stations to provide the player the ability to create their own soundtrack on the fly. The inclusion of many different genres from rap, classic rock, hardcore punk, electro, and jazz all offer the player further agency and control over the game world and have their own influence on the overall experience.

The use of radios in these games also grant the music its diegetic quality. In GTA the radios of passing AI controlled vehicles can often be overheard when on foot, and will turn off upon exiting a vehicle. Playing the radio of your Fallout characters “Pipboy” (an iPhone for the 1950s version of the 21^st century) will reveal the player’s location to nearby enemies, great for springing traps or getting a mini-nuke to the face.

Finally, let’s briefly talk about Life is Strange, which has an interesting twist on the idea that music evokes a sense of time and place in that this idea is applied to the player themselves, and not the game world. Both the licensed soundtrack and original score are designed around the nostalgia of millennial players, comprised of mainly indie rock presented diegetically and non-diegetically in order to capture the highs and lows of youth. Combined with the games setting, the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, and a perpetual “golden hour” (a photography term for mid evening, where the world is bathed in the golden glow of the sun) lighting design, and Life is Strange evokes almost the idyllic millennial coming of age story. It feels like the beginning of that last school summer holiday, where the world is yours and will continue to be forever.

These are just some of the many ways games use soundtracks, and I hope these cases enable you to discuss these further. Sound design is some of the most important work that can be done when creating video games, and a good musical score implemented well will always elevate the game to higher levels of art and appreciation. Thanks for reading.