It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that video game music is the main reason I make music (the Metroid Prime soundtrack especially is the reason I developed an interest in electronic music), and my biggest influence. From the 90s SNES classics to the recent Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, it feels like most major events in my life have been at least partially accompanied by some kind of game-music score.
I recently finished the previously-mentioned FFVII Remake and Rebirth. As expected, Nobuo Uematsu knocks it out of the park, and there are literally a dozen songs I could point to as supreme examples of modern composition in those two games. But for me, one song (and all its variations) stands out to me: Hollow Skies.
The somewhat sparse arrangement, guitar tone, the way the song swells toward the end. The first time I heard it, I was overcome with a feeling that I have a hard time putting to words. Nostalgia, sadness, optimism, peace, all at once. I go back to it almost daily, and when I first heard the alternate versions in Rebirth I set the controller down and just basked in the music. It makes me feel like everything is okay, the world melts away, and I can almost become one with the music, if that makes sense. It soothes the constant sense I’ve had for four years or so that something is wrong or that trouble is just around the corner and allows me to just be.
There are other songs that do something similar for me - Donkey Kong Country 2’s Bramble Blast, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles’ Mushroom Forest, Hollow Knight’s City of Tears, Metroid Prime’s Phendrana Drifts and Torvus Bog.
I’m curious what video game songs have had an impact on you? Why do you think does it have the impact it does?
Sidenote: I’d like to try to keep this as spoiler-free as possible in case people haven’t played the games we discuss.
It’s more of a score than a particular song but that jarring ambient atmospheric shit in the silent hill games goes harrdd. Back and forth between the light and dark parts of the game it’s super effective psychologically building and releasing tension with the plot.
Also, the music from super puzzle fighter II turbo is an all-time favorite. Great capcom reprise.
I guess ryu stage and hsien-ko are probably the favs but all of them are great.
This one has always stuck in my head. I think it’s because I enjoy the mix of electronic and symphonic that it has. It also pairs well with the atmosphere of the world that the game is in.
I’ve always been a big fan of Treasure.
My brother and I used to play Quake (well, with the NIN soundtrack sometimes, but) with Coil’s How to Destroy Angels and Unnatural History in the background. That left a good mark on the ol’ noggin.
Love Forbidden Forrest, Aztec Challenge, and Caverns of Khafka. I love the Paul Norman wrote his games and the music for them as a one man show basically. Nice dark themes, and quite atmospheric for the time.
The GTA V Pause Menu Music. A Tangerine Dream masterpiece.
For me, this piece really succeeded to transition the player into and out of the game. It felt like it was an invitation. Like some elevator music, but for life.
