Music is an essential part of any video game. It evokes emotion, sets the tone for the moment, and adds that extra layer of polish to an already amazing experience. Games like Final Fantasy (insert number here), Gears of War, BioShock, and Metal Gear Solid are just some of the titles where the music plays a vital role.
Fans of games can attest to how amazing some of their favorite scores are, and can probably pick out any scene within these games just by listening to the music. But then the Xbox 360 came along, with it’s custom soundtrack feature built in so that any game could play whatever music the gamer desired.
While some in the industry like Marty O’Donnell from Bungie aren’t too hip with the custom soundtrack option, one can’t deny gamers are given a pretty cool opportunity to try out music with games they didn’t think possible.
Like many gamers I have spent long nights with my iPod and Xbox 360, trying out various movie and game scores with different games trying to find those gems.
Games, when matched with a certain piece of musical score, just come to life like never before. Trust me when I say this, after playing the following games with new music, it’s going to be hard to go back to the original experience.
While tricking out the exotic cars and winning respect from the local thugs is a big draw for the recent entries to the Need for Speed franchise, the biggest adrenaline rush is running from the cops. There is nothing like being in a chase scene worthy of Hollywood film.
So why not have music that matches the moment? Neither Most Wanted nor Carbon have bad chase music. It is some of the best. But it still can’t match the musical wonder of David Arnold or Hans Zimmer.
Try running from the cops in a tricked-out dark blue Corvette while listening to the chase music from one of these James Bond scores. Your heart will pump, the adrenaline will rush, and a smile will appropriately appear. And for those who aren’t into movie scores, Paul Oakenfold’s "Ready Steady Go" plays beautifully with the chases.
Notable Tracks:
–"Molossus" – Batman Begins
–"Hovercraft Chase" – Die Another Day
–"Iced Inc." – Die Another Day
–"Come In 007, Your Time is Up" – The World Is Not Enough
–"Ice Bandits" – The World Is Not Enough
–"Bim Bam Smash" – The Bourne Supremacy
–"Ready Steady Go" – Paul Oakenfold
The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion – Lord of the Rings Soundtrack
The default music in The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion is great. It sets the mood for game, but doesn’t interfere with the experience. Calm and serene, but not epic, the music can sometimes get lost during the game, and not evoke any powerful emotions.
Enter the Lord of the Rings soundtrack by composure Howard Shore. Every single track on this amazing compilation fits perfectly with Oblivion. If you don’t get goosebumps the instant "The Shire" begins to play as you peacefully walk through a small town outside one of the major cities, complete with farmers tilling the fields and a winery sitting at the foot of a hill, then there is no saving you.
Even better is the battle music from any of the amazing encounters from the movie. Play these when storming a dungeon to give them an epic feel as opposed to the eerie default music of Oblivion otherwise creates.
Note: Pretty much every single tracks works, but these are just some of the better choices. You’ll see why they fit. Use your imagination.
Notable Tracks:
–"The Shire" – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – The Complete Recordings
–"Bag End" – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – The Complete Recordings
–"Weathertop" – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – The Complete Recordings
–"Rivendell" – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – The Complete Recordings
–"Moria" – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – The Complete Recordings
–"Caras Galadhon" – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – The Complete Recordings
–"The White Tree" – The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King
–"The Grey Havens" – The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King
–"Fangorn" – The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers – The Complete Recordings
–"Gandalf the White" – The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers – The Complete Recordings
–"Theoden King" – The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers – The Complete Recordings
–"The Last March of the Ents" – The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers – The Complete Recordings
–"The Tales that Really Matter" – The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers – The Complete Recordings
Jason Bourne is one of the most believable spies ever to hit the cinema, showing people that you can be cool without all the macho craziness that is James Bond. In the video game world, Solid Snake is Mr. Bond while Sam Fisher sits firmly in the Jason Bourne seat.
Sam deals with believable threats and as such, should have a ripping soundtrack to go along with his adventures. In the past, Splinter Cell games have had amazing scores, and Double Agent is no different. It is a step back from the Chaos Theory music (my personal favorite), but still holds its own. Where music is lacking though is the multiplayer. It only kicks in when the match is near completed, and doesn’t convey the sneaking feel as well as it could.
Enter The Bourne Supremacy soundtrack. Unfortunately, unlike the Lord of the Rings, there are only a few tracks which fit the bill for multiplayer. The first is "Berlin Foot Chase" The hurried pace of the music, coupled with the few high points makes playing multiplayer a much more entertaining experience with this music. Another track is "Moscow Wind Up."
Coming in at over ten minutes, this music could last an entire multiplayer match and slowly builds in tempo, which works perfectly with an intense multiplayer match up. If you are also in the mood for a trip down memory lane, the Chaos Theroy OST works wonders as well.
Notable Tracks:
–"To The Roof" – The Bourne Surpremacy
–"Berlin Foot Chase" – The Bourne Surpremacy
–"Morcow Wind Up" – The Bourne Surpremacy
–"The Drop" – The Bourne Surpremacy
–"The Lighthouse" – Chaos Theroy
–"Ruthless" – Chaos Theroy
–Ok the whole freaking album!
Geometry Wars is an interesting beast. On the one hand, almost any music can work with the gaming experience. Classical, rock, punk, rap, pop, or metal seem to fit the mold. On the other hand, there is a very specific genre which fits the bill perfectly.
Trouble is, unlike the previously mentioned genres, this type of music is not as prevalent in the states. Trance, or more specifically uplifting melodic trance, works incredibly well with the Geometry Wars gameplay. It doesn’t distract the gamer from the experience, but at the same time enhances it.
Luckily for gamers, because of the state of trance in the USA, it is relatively easy to come across free premium content, specifically in the form of podcasts. Some of the best are DJ Maluu’s Trancecast, DJ Jonno, and Jordan Wales Trance Mutation Broadcast. Both come in around an hour, and have no commercials.
Notable Tracks:
–"Airwave" – DJ Jonno
–"The Future" – DJ Jonno
–"Episode 4" – DJ Maluu’s Trancecast
–"Episode 5" – DJ Maluu’s Trancecast
–"Trance Mutation Broadcast Episode #33" – Jordan Waeles
Gears of War – Resident Evil Movie Soundtrack
Gears of War is gritty in-your-face action but the music, while amazing, doesn’t convey just how scary fighting against the Locus Horde can be.
That is where the Resident Evil movie soundtrack steps in and set the mood straight. The two Resident Evil pieces are straight from the action sequences in the movie and should make any encounter with the Locus be pumped full of adrenaline. Sawing a drone in half with Marylin Manson’s guitars blarring in the background just doesn’t get any better.
Notable Tracks:
–"Seizure of Power" – Resident Evil
–"Cleansing" – Resident Evil
Music is a vital part of videogames. Some scores are amazing while others fall short in varying degrees. We can all agree though no matter how impressive a track can be, it does get old. So why not take advantage of the features the Xbox 360 gave us, and create some memorable moments with old and new games alike. Plug in and enjoy, and remember: there are likely many other combinations which work better than these, that others have found. So feel free to share your discoveries with the rest of us.
