I'd just like to know what game(s) everyone thought has the best/most memorable/emotional sound track.
personally i'd put my money on ffx (if i had money anyway videogames are just to tempting to buy)
this may also help ppl on this forum who are into the sound side of gaming,
It's hard to think of any computer game music that's impacted me since the days of Rob Hubbard (nothing to do with scientology,
he did all the best music on the C64), of these my favourites were
the the theme to Zoids, the theme to Spellbound. Also Chris Whittaker's theme to Amaurote and (how could I forget) Feud.
I liked the Brotherhood of Steel theme on Fallout (PC), the theme to Star Control II(PC) and the theme to the original Deus Ex (PC).
Two interesting uses of music within games I can think of are:
* Anarchy Online, which had a bunch of music snippets, and a big table that told the game how to (randomly) assemble songs at runtime
* Ultima IX, which I have not played, but I heard that the music had a number of themes representing the ultima virtues, and each town apparently represented the intersection of two virtues - so two themes were played at once, and had been designed to fit with each other.
Both pretty cool ideas :)
I?ve been playing Civilization III recently, and the high quality of the soundtrack really struck me. It plays music according to the era your civilization is in, so in classical times you get some nice classical tunes with some high quality piano work, and then as the game moves into the modern era, you get treated to electric guitar instrumentals with some brilliant wig out solos! And it all fits perfectly with the game and doesn?t get tiresome.
It?s great to hear virtuosic musicianship in a game.
Conkers Bad Fur Day without question.
The awesome Rock Solid club music (that we still play at parties), The excelent Great Mighty Poo opera song, and the all themed music was fantastic. Rare used to have the whole thing available for download, but it got pulled once they got bought out and changed the site. All excellent original music in its own right, it also complimented and elevated the game perfectly.
I love the music to the arcade game Outrun, especially the piano piece that plays during the end of the game when you put in your name. It's called Last Wave, and listening to it really takes me back to the days when I just started high school. If you ever played arcade games in the 80's, you *KNOW* this track. Incidently, Outrun 2, which should be released around about now, has a remixed soundtrack of the old music (You can hear samples of the [url="http://www.sega-am2.co.jp/jp/download/outrun2.html"]new remixes here[/url]. It sounds incredible.) You can also find a quite a few fan made mixes and midi's here and there around the net.
I've just downloaded a gig and a half of remixed fan-made game music.. they have a bittorent of the huge mp3 collection available. It's the *darn best download I've made in ages*.. [:)] A lot of them sound like chip music from the C64 but clearer. It's what I listen to when I'm working on stuff now. Tonnes of Final Fantasy tunes, and other oldschool music as well.
As an audio nutcase (and classically trained composer) I can't believe no one has mentioned the Thief series.
OK there is not much music, and what there is is simple, but it is used in a way that is much more like cinema than games (and that is a good thing). When it is used it is to get an emotional response, rather than providing something to "fill the silence" (ambient noises are used to do that).
Actually all the audio in Thief and Thief 2 really impresses me- though it is still static ("sprite based" in graphics terms). I'm waiting for games that do realtime synthesis, which is more like the 3d graphics in current games.
I'm not that keen on Thief 3- though perhaps that's because it makes me really motion sick and I'm not about to start taking motion sickness pills to play a computer game...
The Bioware RPGs are interesting too because they use simple interactive music systems- you guys must have noticed what happens when combat starts.
IMHO the coolest thing about the 3d Zelda games is the musical instruments (the virtual ones you play), and the way playing music is integrated into gameplay.
That "follow the music" thing in the lost forest was neat too.
I find the Ocarina of Time in game music annoying and much swearing has been directed at Nintendo for not providing a simple "music off" option.
For you Zelda fans who own the game, Project 64 lets you play N64 roms on the PC with fantastic resolution eg Zelda @ 1600x1200 in 32-bit colour with anti-aliasing, texture filtering, etc and 60 FPS. Just a LITTLE better than the N64 [:D] Audio breakup is rare too, it is almost a perfect emulator, and great if you want to hack up some N64 software.
Nintendo did a pretty darn good job of stamping out roms on the net though, so happy hunting.
Project 64 is free @ http://www.pj64.net/
My all-time favorite music from a games is Homeworld (1 not 2) though I am a big fan of Barber's "Adagio for Stings" (the music uses in Homeworld though ironically it is sung by a choir and uses no stings in the Homeworld version)
other than that there was Mechwarrior 2: mercenaries, fallout 2, and quake 2 for great atmosphere.
And the prize for the wackiest music for me has to go to the music from the catamari Damacy for the PS2.
The best music?
Probably from Deus Ex, "Return to Unatco"... which was one of the best fitting tunes I can think of.
It was also cool how it would seamlessly change between the "states" of the song when you were discovered, hiding and at several key locations of the area.
Chrono trigger was also good... LBA... Zelda 3 & 64... many others were good. I didn't like the metroid music as much, just got on my nerves rather than providing a good setting.
Tales of phantasia at least requires a mention because they had vocal lyrics in a snes soundtrack.
Zelda ocarina of time
Total annihilation
Chrono trigger
Body harvest
And for all of those OC-remix addicts out there
http://www.ocremix.org/songs/Zelda_64_Ocarina_Boogie_OC_ReMix.mp3
Pure Zelda 64 goodness[8D]
Hi ho,
okay, I recommand you to the following scores:
- Baldur's Gate (I,II + add-on) *hehehe*
=> That's a brilliant orchestral score, with live percussion performance (~ 30 membranophones altogether) and real brass recordings and a perfect synth-orchestra (sounds really authentic). There are many theme developments, of course with some kind of "musical complexity" (no standart string-triad-wailings ? la Jeremy Soule).
The main motif (2nd, 2nd major 3th upward, then a 3th back and two 2nds down) is almost used in every cue, but in such an interesting and artistic way that it is a real pleasure to recognize it in each track.
- Ultima IX (and of course the extracts of U. X)
=> That score is the live recording of a 40-piece essemble with many strings, string-like instruments and mediavel flutes, called a "sweetening orchestra".
The soundtrack contains plenty of wonderfully composed themes for each location (mainly mediavel towns, castles and dark dungeons) the Avatar - the main character of the game's story - has to visit. Of course there are also some fighting cues and short suites for the game interrupting video seuqueces.
Two main/franchise themes dominate the whole score: The heroic Fellowship theme (for the Avatar's kindreds) and the dark, chant-like Guardian motif, which represants the absolutely evil antagonist of the Avatar.
The soundtrack itself is about 75 mintues long, the average length of each track amounts to 2-3 mintues.
The 6 tracks of Ultima X are good as well, because they're performed by the big Northwest Symphony and contain a little of the matierial of U. IX.
- Diablo II: Lord of Destruction (add-on)
=> that's a really nice performance of the popular (mostly metal) Diablo themes by the City of Prague Symphony Orchestra.
Not very long (only 5 tracks of 5-8 mintues), but quite interesting and - somehow - very moving.
- Jurassic Park - The Lost World
=> I don't know if you have this already. If not: JUST GET IT NOW!! *g* That's Giacchono's first live orchestra score. There very adventurous themes and cues in good and variative developments. The performance is perfect, because of the great Seatlle Philharmocis.
- Heroes of Might and Magic II
=> An epic fantasy score, such as Merlin or Willow, but more coherant and homegeneous (not so many emotional changes). The orchestra sounds very good but is sampled by big synthesizers. The opera-like voice performances (mostly tenor and sopran) are of course live recorded. ;-)
- Myst II: Riven
=> Not really an orchtral score, but still worth a listering!
It provides you with a dark, epic atmosphere that never really gets loud, so it also carries a bit of an ambient (almost new age) flavor to it. Perfect not just to go with the game (I have to assume, since I am not a Myst gamer myself), but to work, read or write. It's mellow, but it doesn't sound common or simple. It is one of those albums you wish you could get more of, so I end up playing it once and again and again in my stereo... ^^
- Super Smash Brothers
=> That's an orchestral suite containing 15 well arranged medleys of the most beautiful Nitendo gamemusic themes (the Super Mario Theme, or the Zelda Ouverture for instance).
The whole work is performed by the Tokyo Philahormonics in a perfect sound quiality. Although it's a live concert recording, there're no end clapping, ovation or other noises.
I have cut them away (thanks Audacity 1.5). All!!! ;-)
-Warcraft III
=> Not as good as World of Wacraft, WC III has a very pleasing soundtrack, with epic-dramatic themes, as well as some very calm and beautiful cues. The "Cinematic Suite", a cut-together of the orchestral video sequences, is definitively the best!
- and - last but not least - WORLD OF WARCRAFT
=> That's a fantasic instrumental soundtracks. Most of the pieces, particularly the one of the main locations, are orchestral live recordings. The tracks are very long (average ~ 6-8 minutes) and all in all the scores measures almost 80 mintues.
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Hope I've convinced you of the geniality of these game osts! ;-)
Please excuse my poor use of language. That's of course the guild of our poor German education system!!! ^^
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Greetings from Cologne
Dustin Naegel
i think ffx was a good soundtrack was very good although there are two others which i preffered. firstly the zelda series (particularly Ocarina of Time) and i also really enjoyed Metal gear solid 2 as well