The power of sound: how music brings games to life

The power of sound

Today I played through the Maquette puzzle game for the 40th time. Well, not really. But somehow yes. Let me explain.

I'm actually not a great music person. I don't play an instrument either way, not even the recorder, and I don't listen to too much music either. Sure, I have my artists who I appreciate very much, such as Leonard Cohen or Eric Clapton, but that I consciously sit down and just listen, and also that I let myself be showered, for example while working - that rarely happens ever.

Table of contents

1 Back to the beginning 2 Emotional travel support 3 Rhythm in the hero's blood 4 Imposing, but irrelevant 5 Open your ears! Why is that? Well, on the one hand I am probably just a trivialist, on the other hand I have always been a person who likes to put the things he enjoys into context. I don't associate a lot with a song at first, even with a very good one, but as soon as it triggers memories of moments or feelings in me, then I can really enjoy it.

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About the author

The power of sounds: How music brings games to life (6) Source: Lukas Schmid Lukas Schmid has been working in various positions at Computec Media and thus at PC Games since 2010 , first as an intern, then as a freelancer, then as a volunteer, editor and now as chief editor for pcgames.de, videogameszone.de, gamesaktuell.de and gamezone.de. He loves action, adventure, action adventures, shooters, jump & runs, horror and role-playing games, you can hunt him with strategy titles, most rogue likes and military simulations. Every Saturday at around 9 a.m. he tells you in his column what is annoying or happy about him. Hate comments and love letters in the comments under the column, to [email protected] or on Twitter to @Schmid_Luki.

Back to the beginning

And back to the beginning: Today I felt that 40th Maquette played through. Since I've played and learned to appreciate the title, the really famous, licensed indie soundtrack has been in Spotify's permanent rotation.

Recommended editorial content At this point you will find external content from [PLATTFORM]. To protect your personal data, external integrations are only displayed if you confirm this by clicking on "Load all external content": Load all external content I consent to external content being displayed to me. This means that personal data is transmitted to third-party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy . External content More on this in our data protection declaration. And when I hear the music, I experience the actually banal, but wonderfully told relationship story from Maquette over and over again. Once again I witness how the couple experienced their ups and downs from the game, including the very emotional ending - don't worry, there are no spoilers at this point. When I hear the music, I'm immediately back in this world, and it's as if I were starting from the beginning every time, even if in truth, of course, I only really wandered through the campaign once (plus one more quick run for the Trophies).

Nice puzzle gameplay, very nice story: Maquette would be a nice game even without the music, but it only becomes unique for me through the music - and almost immortal. I am reminded of it again and again, and I know that even years from now I would remember details and moments from the adventures, which would not be the case without the soundtrack.

Emotional travel support

And that's the case with me, someone who, as I said, is anything but in love with music. This shows how immensely important good tone (don't worry, that's the only bad word game, but you can't do without it) is for video games.

Second example: Celeste, as in my columns a few times mentions one of my all time favorite foods. What do I think of first when it comes to my mind? The tens of thousands of deaths that I've died? The touching act?

Recommended editorial content At this point you will find external content from [PLATTFORM]. To protect your personal data, external integrations are only displayed if you confirm this by clicking on "Load all external content": Load all external content I consent to external content being displayed to me. This means that personal data is transmitted to third-party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy . External content More on this in our data protection declaration. No, even here, where I adore every single aspect of the adventure, the music pops in my head first and before I know it, I hum it to myself. It is indispensable for me and expresses the feeling I have when playing, just perfectly. So what power music can have!

Rhythm in Hero's Blood

It is also impressive how sounds can guide you as a player. I am happy to use the boss music against Ganondorf in the final boss fight of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. It basically perfectly depicts the emotions you feel when you face the Demon King for the first time. At first the music is loud, chaotic, the many sounds overwhelm you. Then it becomes quieter, you can find your way around, but it continues to boom threateningly, because the danger is still great. Only then does it gain positive power, i.e. at the point in time when you finally recognize the weak points of your adversary, and ends in hopeful sounds when finally good triumphs over evil and Link sinks his blade into the boss's skull.

Recommended editorial content At this point you will find external content from [PLATTFORM]. To protect your personal data, external integrations are only displayed if you confirm this by clicking on "Load all external content": Load all external content I consent to external content being displayed to me. This means that personal data is transmitted to third-party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy . External content More on this in our data protection declaration. Am I interpreting too much in here? Maybe, but if the music is able to trigger these emotions in me so perfectly coordinated with what is happening, then as a composer you have done everything right, regardless of whether it was completely intended or not.

Imposing, but irrelevant

Now as a counterexample, Uncharted, no matter which part of the series. I really like the series, especially Uncharted 2 and Uncharted 4. Remember individual moments? It's not that easy for me to do, even though the games are bursting with great set pieces and narrative moments.

Why? Well, again I can be accused of seeing connections here that do not exist. But Uncharted's soundtrack, as elaborately produced as it may be, is just that: Elaborately produced. In the end, it's just beautiful orchestral sounds that do nothing other than accompany my shooting and climbing orgies nicely and inconspicuously.

Recommended editorial content At this point you will find external content from [PLATTFORM]. To protect your personal data, external integrations are only displayed if you confirm this by clicking on "Load all external content": Load all external content I consent to external content being displayed to me. This means that personal data is transmitted to third-party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy . External content More on this in our data protection declaration. It is only with difficulty that I succeed in recalling individual scraps of music here, if at all. My memory has no audio framework to cling to, and ergo the games blur into a beautiful mass of gameplay and story for me, which I still like, but which after all this time doesn't trigger much in me.

Open your ears!

So: A cheer for video game music, which is of course underestimated, but in my perception its effect is underestimated. While you're walking through the virtual lands of PC and console adventures, don't turn off the music and listen to the podcast because it doesn't matter. Get involved with what is being served to you aurally, because it is not an appendage, but, if done well, an integral part of the experience.

The reward are wonderful, substantially intense memories, and the possibility of your to relive favorite stories over and over again, even if the credits have long been running.

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