Videogame music: *exists* Music KZreadrs: L E I T M O T I F

@GameScoreFanfare

5 жыл бұрын

I've been outed.

@cyprus_

5 жыл бұрын

*Sideways would like to know your location*

@kaiiboraka

5 жыл бұрын

@@GameScoreFanfare you and 8-bit Music Theory lmao

@maximini4923

5 жыл бұрын

@@kaiiboraka and now Scruffy

@RohannvanRensburg

5 жыл бұрын

People seem to think the only two types of writing are forgettable "epic" pieces and leitmotivic writing. You can write interesting, thematic music without it being structured like a Wagnerian opera. Also, motivic writing is only such a big topic now because it's all but disappeared in Hollywood. It was considerably more common and kind of a given when trying to storytell with music, because how do you storytell without having and repeating elements that interact with others? It can be subtle. The Elder Scrolls has a handful of repeating ideas and motifs and it ties the scores together.

You didn’t need to remind me that red dead 2 won best soundtrack over Celeste. I’m still pretty salty about that

@bluecokedragon

5 жыл бұрын

I personally think that Celeste only have one great tune. The first level one I think. Red Dead 2 in my opinion is one of the strongest and most atmospheric osts in the industry. And some of the melodies are heart wrenching. But in the end, nothing beats Pirate Radio in Crack in Time:D

@crafteariee

4 жыл бұрын

That as well as beating Octopath Traveler's OST at that particular award last year. I think about it sometimes.

@skeletonboneguy2264

4 жыл бұрын

bluecokedragon exhale, reach for the summit, ressurections, scattered and lost, theo and madeline, my dearest friends?

@WhiteKnuckleRide512

3 жыл бұрын

@@bluecokedragon nah, all of Celestes tracks slap

@TheKaizokuman

3 жыл бұрын

Xenoblade 2 was eligible that year. I"ll never forgive it not being nominated.

I think mick gordon said something about how osts these days are supposed to be in the background and blend in with everything, and that they went in the opposite direction for doom 2016's soundtrack

@GameScoreFanfare

5 жыл бұрын

Yeah I probably should have given Doom a mention, if at least just visually. It certainly knows how to leave an impression!

@baronvonbeandip

5 жыл бұрын

That point when a wave comes in and the first drop of BFG Division hits. So satisfying.

@crysiscore2051

5 жыл бұрын

Huh? Doom 2016 has a very forgettable soundtrack. I remember electric guitars and a lot of noise but that’s not memorable.

@ekanastone

5 жыл бұрын

CrysisCore20 lies

@beastvicious8672

5 жыл бұрын

@@crysiscore2051 Gotta agree. His work on Killer Instinct is far better!

*For some reason* Minecraft's _"Sweden"_ fills me with peace and tranquility when listening to it

@GameScoreFanfare

5 жыл бұрын

Volume Alpha is full of such sweet melancholy. Honestly one of the best albums of the decade.

@duchi882

5 жыл бұрын

@@GameScoreFanfare I looked it up Its just the album I was looking for Thanks for sharing it!

@GameScoreFanfare

5 жыл бұрын

What a blessed day.

@zyaicob

5 жыл бұрын

@Tattle Boad ?

@ShadG

5 жыл бұрын

@@zyaicob He said this because he is a racist.

Person: "Triple A Video game music has gotten terrible recently!" Nintendo: "Am I a joke to you?"

@GameScoreFanfare

5 жыл бұрын

It is weird how we don't really consider big budget Japanese games to be AAA.

@anerdwithaswitch9686

5 жыл бұрын

@@GameScoreFanfare That is really strange, come to think of it. I personally think it's because, despite gems like GoW and RDR2, people tend to associate western AAA developers to be more in it for the money than the consumer, unlike how many people see indie games, regardless of how true that sentiment is. Nintendo and other Japanese AAA publishers, on the other hand, consistently puts out amazing games, and people don't want to associate them with other AAA publishers they consider "bad." Hence why I've heard many people call Nintendo "an Indie developer with the budget of triple A." Granted, that's just my take on things.

@noob451

5 жыл бұрын

I wasn't a fan of the BotW score. Very muted in comparison to every other title.

@anerdwithaswitch9686

5 жыл бұрын

@@noob451 I personally loved it because it adds to the post-apocalyptic, environmental atmosphere of BotW, but to each their own.

@monkakonga4305

5 жыл бұрын

@@noob451 only good track in that game is that accordion theme , or kass theme IIRC Nintendo made way better music in other games of the switch gen

I just finished the story of Celeste about 2 weeks ago, and the soundtrack is amazing. Some tracks are atmospheric, like the windy hills stage, some are unsettling, like the mirror temple, and some are exciting, like some of the boss fights. They all serve different purposes, and are remembered differently, but they do the jobs brilliantly.

@alexcr9778

5 жыл бұрын

Such a great game

@swwetsour7697

5 жыл бұрын

Amazing game

@switch2381

5 жыл бұрын

I always feel like Celeste is not appreciated as much as it deserves

In my opinion, game composers are usually the most consistently good music creators in the industry. Even series as long Final Fantasy have had some of the best OSTs. I think that a reason people have problems with modern soundtracks is the general reduced appreciation for orchestral music, unless it is very much trying to get your attention.

@GameScoreFanfare

5 жыл бұрын

Yeah, that's true! I suppose it can be harder to form an appreciation of orchestral music compared to electronic music.

@shivalah

5 жыл бұрын

Heitor Batista. If you want that theory proven: check Hellsing vs. Hellsing Ultimate. Hellsing Ultimate is the definite version of the Anime, except for the music part. The orchestral soundtrack is pretty fitting but mostly forgettable. Compare that to the soundtrack that plays when alucard has his first appearance in Hellsing 2004. And while I enjoyed FF15 for what it is, I cannot remember the battle music in it. What I remember are the waltz and „Wanderslust“, just because they stick out so much. While I was typing the „VS Leviathan“ song came up, and I was like „yeah pretty nice song,but you can fit it into anything where you fight a gigantic enemy“. I think developer often throw an entire orchestra at the question „what about music?“ and don’t even try to condense it to the pure essence of what they want the player to feel at that moment.

@KnjazNazrath

5 жыл бұрын

5 days and no Uematsu fanbois who neglect the fact he was inspired by Elton John? And now that Bloodstained has released I can't just drop Yamane for cool points? Ah well, I guess Mitsuda is safe 'cause we're never gonna get a Chrono Trigger remake.

@TalesOfGod

5 жыл бұрын

I agree, it is important but there are composers that have a style that stands out even among video game music. I think that this is one main reason why Kohei Tanaka is so popular in Japan and why his orchestral pieces were quite different from others in the genre. He made the OST for many games and animes (like One Piece anime) but his greatest orchestral pieces usually came from a single series called Sakura Wars (Sakura Taisen in Japan) which is very popular in Japan but never got much attention in the West due to a lack of marketing.

@geraq0

5 жыл бұрын

@@shivalah I don't know, Gradus Vita gives me goosebumps every time (I'm a sucker for epic music) but I agree that Ultimate's OST can come across as a little bit generic sometimes. On the other hand, I love Shine, the original Hellsing ending, and I think the jazzy themes used throughout the series fit the tone of the scenes quite nicely.

"What Happened to Memorable Game Music?" Immediately remember Persona 5

@milowolfface9392

5 жыл бұрын

And like 30 other games from the last few years, but let him have his video

@tenaciouscreator5787

5 жыл бұрын

luis enrique vargas azcona Persona 3

@kflemonice

5 жыл бұрын

@@milowolfface9392 He did say there are many video games with great music nowadays.

@castafiorept7309

5 жыл бұрын

*a c i d j a z z , b a b y*

@Dia_mante

5 жыл бұрын

Life will change guitar theme~

The Sealed Vessel music is just perfection.

@Ismael-kc3ry

3 жыл бұрын

Hollow Knight ❤️

Phenomenal video, by far your best work yet. You managed to take a topic which has become trite in games discussion, quickly recap many of the popular arguments, and add a lot of new perspective from music theory and individual composer perspectives. It's also beautifully edited, with some top notch visual effects and well placed cuts. Thank you for putting so much effort into this video essay - it was a joy to watch, and I can't wait for whatever comes next!

@GameScoreFanfare

5 жыл бұрын

Wow, you are so very kind, thank you! I am glad you liked it! ☺️

Seriously, I can't understand how people can say this kind of thing when, in the recent years, we had OST like Persona 5's, Octopath Traveler, Crypt of the Necrodancer or Nier Automata just to name a few... Even Zelda Breath of the Wild. I know a lot don't think it has a memorable soundtrack, but the themes of the different Divine Beast were awesome! The one when a Guardian start to attack you is the as intense and stressful as it should be, and the town's music gives just the right atmosphere for the different places... I usually think the main difference is that, old game music way more... In your face? Like, I usually feels like the music was on it's own layer, while new ones tries to blend more into the full product, which can make it less present. To go back to Zelda, every musics are naturally louder than the ones in Breath of the Wild. Which isn't a bad thing, but can explain why people barely notice it.

@terdragontra8900

5 жыл бұрын

I lot of people don't like the minimalist music in Breath of the Wild's overworld, and that's understandable (though I disagree), however the towns' music is undeniably phenomenal. Hateno, Lurelin, and Rito village's themes are gorgeous.

@FlameRat_YehLon

5 жыл бұрын

I think it's kinda when games got better graphics, and arcades are less popular (at least in most genres), the role of the background track become more of complementary rather than catchy, and so a lot of the time the track won't be very melodic, which means it's hard to memorize the music. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's certainty something you can only feel but cannot remember. And this, to people with little knowledge about how game music works, could be "it's not memorable, so it's bad".

@jackrush1222

5 жыл бұрын

I think splatoon also has really good music and really conveys the feel of splatoon

@maxis2k

5 жыл бұрын

The issue with BotW music is exactly what you pointed out. When a major theme does appear, like in a boss fight or a cutscene, it's great. But those events are less than 1% of the game. The other 99% of the time, you're hearing the same few overworld songs. And those songs tend to be just four notes repeated. Every Zelda game before this had huge sweeping themes and recognizable melodies, even in the overworld. So changing this to have minimalist rifts is kind of...jarring. Especially when most everything else in BotW was trying to revive the feeling of old Zelda.

@jackrush1222

5 жыл бұрын

@@maxis2k those events aren't 1%. Sure BOTW is mostly overworld but what is your goal when you are in the overworld? Go to the places that have the big themes. Also, having an overworld theme would break it's post-apocalyptic atmosphere. You only hear music from certain locations as those locations are the only thing... Alive. A sad music isn't also appropriate as it would be the music too late for it. 100 years have passed, so people are just trying to live their lives in this vast world where a lot of things has been erased.

Instantly thought about Hollow Knight when i read the title. IN a few years time everyone from time to time will have a deep nostalgia over the themes in the game's OST

@GameScoreFanfare

5 жыл бұрын

Totally, I was anticipating the game's release (because it's Australian) and listened to the soundtrack the day it was released. By the time Mantis Lords came around, I knew the soundtrack was something special and would stick with me for a long time.

@pelieskola5708

5 жыл бұрын

it was almost a year ago when i played the game and i still just need to come back to its magnificent music.

@heuxheux

5 жыл бұрын

Yes

@Mimix2048

5 жыл бұрын

I knew it was something special when I opened the menu

@Mrjakokos

5 жыл бұрын

I already do

I think what makes your work so special is the attention to the story behind the composers. I didn't know about Darren Korb recording everything in his apartment. Little anecdotes like that go such a long way in making these vids so cozy. Great work as always man :)

@Ismael-kc3ry

3 жыл бұрын

Aye what’s up Daryl?

Is more like: "Why western AAA game music is shit?" Indie western games, and japonese game in general are pretty good.

@thaneros

5 жыл бұрын

Indies are killing it when it comes to music

@thejedisonic67

5 жыл бұрын

Except the bois behind the recent Crash and Spyro music, they know their stuff for remixes

@JTHECOMENTER

5 жыл бұрын

Japonese

@Violetenist

5 жыл бұрын

BF5 and BF1 technically had some great music in AAA standards. Then again, BF always has the top music in AAA games in general

@Eltanin

5 жыл бұрын

Indie western games and japanese games do tend to produce the best soundtracks. But then what happens if it's a japanese indie game? >Looks at the Touhou Project Oh right. Yep, best soundtrack confirmed.

It very much depends on the genre. Many western games, especially open worlds. Are very forgettable. While rpg's and fighting games usually are very memorable. Side-scrollers/platformers are very random. Some are very memorable but most of them generic.

@mathieul4303

5 жыл бұрын

I have the same opinion

@sarvanjugnarain7964

5 жыл бұрын

Red dead redemption 2 is open world western game but the music is phenomenal

@mosti72

5 жыл бұрын

Minecraft's music is awesome.

@espritdecorps7737

5 жыл бұрын

Fearch 93 Again sweetie have you heard of this little indie hit dmc5 ?

@agafaba

5 жыл бұрын

Is many the same as all? Personally I agree, a lot of western games provide forgettable soundtracks... thats not to say they dont fit in game but thats all they do.

I really dig Terraria's soundtrack because it has some really fun melodies while at the same time doing a great job of setting atmosphere.

@kolorless-cat

5 жыл бұрын

And really memorable

@thejamisonandfriendsshowhe5502

5 жыл бұрын

Absolutely

@senritsujumpsuit6021

5 жыл бұрын

Game does have big hitters indeed

@randombozo1306

4 жыл бұрын

I agree. Terraria is probably simultaneously my favourite game and one of my favorite soundtracks. Morning rain in particular has a very special place in my heart

@chocov1233

3 жыл бұрын

Sounds like Minecraft, in a good way, I love Minecraft and it's soundtrack because it is both memorable and atmospheric.

Nier, Persona, Bloodstained, Octopath Traveler, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Trails of Cold Steel, Dark Souls and hundreds of other games still have consistently amazing and memorable music. I don't think anything happened to it lol.

@EM10gamer

4 жыл бұрын

I’ll also say that most of those games are in a series. They had some pre-established themes and influence.

@d3ly746

3 жыл бұрын

@Walther Penne Most of these games are amazing what the fk are you talking about? lol.

@nathanwuchevich3734

2 жыл бұрын

I’d like to add to that. IMO the soundtracks of Days Gone, Far Cry 5, Ace Combat 7, and CoD Cold War are amazing.

@thehuman2734

2 жыл бұрын

@Walther Penne o look. A Redditor

@thehuman2734

2 жыл бұрын

@Walther Penne sure you don't.

If you're talking about memorable soundtrack and leitmotifs, it's a complete waste to not mention the touhou series. I don't even care at all about bullet hell game, but the music alone make me squeal in delight. A few of my favourite one are : -Necrofantasia(mind the volume) -Satori maiden - 3rd eye (this one is classical music style) -Emotional skyscraper (this one doesn't need explaining tbh) And many more, but if I try listing every track that i love there would be literally more than a hundred of it.

@emidualibe

5 жыл бұрын

my name isn't valstrax. The 2hu music is hella lit but i dnt think that their use lots of leitmotiv

@mynameaintvalstrax7131

5 жыл бұрын

@@emidualibe Eastern story is a leitmotif used by pretty much all main touhou title music , and the music is nonetheless is all memorable and catchy

@emidualibe

5 жыл бұрын

that not a lot, some remix endings too use leitmotivs and also two lvls in the game, but this is more the exeption than the rule (for exemple you dont find remilia theme in flans theme not even a bit) But yeah, the touhou music is hella lit, like i said earlier Some of my favs, but with shitty titles UN Owen but its UFO Sad.mp3 Star from undertale but not in undertale and in a game Bethoven but it-s a loli Fuck you because of you i can-t finish my MOF run u mirror mountain bitch FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK Megalovania

@emidualibe

5 жыл бұрын

Also i am basicily french exept its in belgium so my english might be ass shitty ass my titles

There are so many memorable soundtracks for me from the last two decades, and from different genres - Sotc, Journey, Undertale, Inside, TLOU, Ori. Some pieces in there make me cry simply by listening to them again, or otherwise leave me in awe. I liked the point you managed to make at the end, that it's all about emotion nowadays, and oh boy do some composers create emotional rollercoasters with everything they can! Some people need to change their perspective: the stuff didn't get worse, it just got *different* . Great video, and very informative, especially the hardware section!

It's really sad how many people will see a title, make an assumption of the video's content based on it (not an issue), ignorantly believe that assumption is correct without watching the video (very much an issue), and then make a fool out of themselves by making an angry comment that agrees with the video but argues against their imagination of what the video would be about. Have some common sense, people.

@GameScoreFanfare

5 жыл бұрын

THANK YOU. 😭

>What happened to memorable game music? Toby Fox: "Am I a joke to you?"

@gurtison6883

3 жыл бұрын

me

Probably one of the most complete "takes" in this timeless argument ive seen. A really wholesome video all around! :D

I think that's mainly why RPGs & Sandbox Open Worlds often get the most recognition these days. They often are focused more on emotion and staying in certain areas for extended periods of time. Staying in these areas help repeat a melody and make it memorable. People love Dark Souls and Nier's soundtrack not only because they have fantastic pieces, but because it's difficult and that emotion is associated with the music. RPG battle themes in general are widely loved and considered memorable because of the emotion, repetition, and potential struggles/triumphs being associated with these battle themes. Minecraft has an extremely memorable soundtrack due to it's fitting soundscapes, simple melodies, and repetition. I didn't say this very well, but hopefully you gained something out of reading this. (Xenoblade is a banger though nobody can argue there)

@GameScoreFanfare

5 жыл бұрын

You really remember those Dark Souls boss tracks when they kick your ass 100 times.

It’s also a matter of selective remembrence. We remember the good soundtracks from back in the day and forget about the ones that didn’t stand the test of time, because they weren’t as good. Contrast that to today, we are living in the present and experiencing basically everything that is being created, good or bad. It’s current and so we’re still talking about it. It’s the same situation as boring people complaining about contemporary pop music not being as good as popular music of the past, when it’s just the case that we just don’t listen to or remember any of the crappy songs of the past because people didn’t care enough about them to maintain their relevance.

Please don’t stop making content! It’s always so good!

@GameScoreFanfare

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I'll try!

@maggieent3215

5 жыл бұрын

@@GameScoreFanfare if you ever run out of it, filming a dog barking to megalomania would be a video that counts as content.

I think soundtracks can be kind of categorized by the impact they have during the gameplay or cutscenes, usually in order to alance out another aspect of the experience that's lacking (voice acting, cinematography, camera work...) and is the reason why indies rely on music the set the atmosphere so much (which I personally like better than the AAA approach since we're playing games, not watching a movie).

I definitely feel like indie games tend to lead the pack in terms of memorable soundtracks these days. Games like Super Hexagon, Towerfall, and Stardew Valley would be nothing without their fantastic soundtracks. Really I could go through my Steam library and just keep listing off indie games with phenomenal soundtracks. Environmental Station Alpha, Night in the Woods, Return of the Obra Dinn, Downwell...

@danielleanderson6371

5 жыл бұрын

Undertale has been mentioned on this very channel in its own video. I wanted to highlight some other games. Note that I also didn't mention Celeste or any sort of rhythm game. I love the soundtracks for those games, but they have plenty of credit already.

@infernal-core

3 жыл бұрын

Inmost?

FTL Ori and the Blind Forest Dust - an Elysian Tail Subnautica FF15 Nier Automata Mass Effect Divinity OS2 Stellaris A Hat in Time Any Monster Hunter Game And these are just the few games I personally played. Honestly, the problem isn't that there's no good music anymore, it just gets buried under heaps of mediocrity.

@sonicbhoc

5 жыл бұрын

That sounds like the industry as a whole. The good stuff is buried under a sea of mediocrity.

@ericraululyeetusdelyeetus5028

4 жыл бұрын

Also persona, don't forget persona (smt too)

No love for A Hat in Time? I swear, that games OST felt nostalgic to me listening to it like a week after I started playing it.

@monkakonga4305

5 жыл бұрын

Fucking this Hat in Time, Cuphead, SFV and Oddysey are the best oat ever Hat in Time music has that new but nostalgic fell mixed perfectly

As a fire emblem fan i have no video game music complaints, it's always been and probably always will be a musical feast

There are so many great soundtracks today! Mostly in narrative single player games. My favorite is Nier Automata.

@ericraululyeetusdelyeetus5028

4 жыл бұрын

@Walther Penne uhuh....and what do you play?

@DerCriado

3 жыл бұрын

What the fuck

@Walamonga1313

3 жыл бұрын

@Walther Penne 1-It's not boring 2-What does Sony have to do with it lmao

@d3ly746

3 жыл бұрын

@Walther Penne "I stopped gaming on modern platforms" Ok boomer

@LongForgottenOne

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, but music like Nier Automata has become more the exception (among others) than the rule. Most have become like Killzone or Darksouls. Yes, they sound good, but it is either generic action music that could fit any game, or atmospheric music that sounds like isolated sounds that do generate emotion, but don't actually tell a story and you can barely distinguish when a track ends and another one begins.

Leitmotif reminded me of Celeste's "Reach For The Summit" song. It's probably the pinnacle of this technique.

@deus_ex_machina_

3 жыл бұрын

Celeste itself is on top in so many different areas, from gameplay, speedrunning, music, themes, even accessibility.

@AzjaVhera

3 жыл бұрын

Was looking for this title among others in the comments

@WhiteKnuckleRide512

3 жыл бұрын

Look I love Celeste but I genuinely don’t think a real argument can be made that Undertale isn’t the best use of leitmotif in possibly any video game to date. The game didn’t even click for me as much as it did for so many other people, but there are very few moments in video games that hit me as hard as hearing final boss theme and realizing what it actually was. There are a ton of other examples, obviously, but even if it was just that one I think I’d say the same.

Great video! I loved the overview of limitations and innovations, and how they create memorable music!

Ahaha it's funny, just after you described the way hearing the music from Hyper Light Drifter made you feel, that Oxenfree track took me right back to teenage obliviousness, voices in the static, and a growing sense of horrible dread.

I definitely think that the memorability of a song is due mostly to how much it catches your attention. One of the most memorable songs ive heard in any video game is roaming the wastes (mor ardain theme) from xenoblade chronicles 2. From the begining it of rabs you by the balls with the trumpet and doesnt let go until the night theme plays.

Play furi if you want memorable video game music

@cicron10

5 жыл бұрын

You're mine is my favorite.

@TheCivildecay

5 жыл бұрын

All the track by "the toxic avenger" are awesome in that game.

@sonicbhoc

5 жыл бұрын

@@TheCivildecay I'm more of a Carpenter Brut and Waveshaper guy myself

@TheCivildecay

5 жыл бұрын

@@sonicbhoc I prefer Carpenter Brut's tracks on hotline:Miami over those in furi

*Plays Octopath Traveler* *Hears Decisive Battle II* It never was gone.

@felixpif

5 жыл бұрын

Mario Bouchard I was hoping to see this

@mikedusenbery6464

5 жыл бұрын

Xenoblade Chronicles 1 and 2 have incredible soundtracks

@waah919

5 жыл бұрын

@@mikedusenbery6464 Yeah I don't understand how people sleep on the Xenoblade soundtracks. They are the soundtracks we would have gotten in classic RPGs had they not been limited by technology.

@mikedusenbery6464

5 жыл бұрын

@@waah919 It's all the sony fanboys that are pissed off that Yasunori Mitsuda would work on a Nintendo exclusive title.

@deviancepurplehaze6045

5 жыл бұрын

@@waah919 Nier Automata

This is so smart. And it praises Steam Gardens for all the right reasons. You verbalized what I have been feeling towards all those issues. Thanks!

Persona 5 Royal's "I Believe" is incredibly memorable and recognizeable even from its first beats alone, despite literally only playing twice in an entire playthough-- on the way to the final boss, and landing the final blow. In fact, you might never even hear the full song, as both sections it plays in can be ended long before the song is finished. Everything from its composition, the lyrics, its theme, its melody, the timing of when it plays in the story, it all serves to evoke a certain feeling that, after hearing it the first time on the way to the final boss, you'll feel the same way any other time you hear it afterward. It's a masterpiece.

Could you do a video on the soundtrack of I Am Setsuna? I really believe the creativity there shines due to the forced limitation of making all tracks on piano. One of my favourite modern OST's.

This was a great vid! I've never gotten too involved in the debate due to my love of indie games basically negating the argument's reason for existing before it could get near me, but it was cool to hear how the process of game ost composition changed over the last 3 decades too. :D

@GameScoreFanfare

5 жыл бұрын

Indies are the exception!

Not going to lie, this is probably the most interesting video (or even lesson in general) about music that I have ever seen. You know exactly what you are talking about and how to deliver the message. You tackled so many different things here and put it together beautifully. I wish I could subscribe twice.

"What happened to memorable video game music?" Plim plim plom

man you cite so many great games for this video. hyper light drifter's soundtrack is definitely one of the best video game ost's of all time.

It didn't go anywhere. If you think this you're just looking in the wrong places. This is just what the title makes me think by the way.

@GameScoreFanfare

5 жыл бұрын

I knew that would be the case, which is why I addressed it in the first 90 seconds!

@Tom-101

5 жыл бұрын

@@GameScoreFanfare ah okay nice^^ i guess its a good bait to get people in haha

@GameScoreFanfare

5 жыл бұрын

I just don't think it's a very good answer! Or an answer at all really!

@Stephen-Fox

5 жыл бұрын

@@GameScoreFanfare It's a better answer than "They have more instruments now so you're wrong" (with an implied "early game system's onboard synths aren't 'real instruments'" in there as well), mind, which I've seen before - approximately the equivalent of responding to "I wish Nintendo would go back to the Metroid Fusion art style for the next 2d Metroid rather than the 2.5d stuff they used for Samus Returns" by yelling "You're wrong because Fusion lacked polygons!"

@Tom-101

5 жыл бұрын

@@GameScoreFanfare hmm you mean my answer? I agree that a lot of AAA titles nowadays have boring non-memorable or generic osts with little effort. But as you've shown in your description you're aware that indie games such as undertale and a lot of nintendo games such as Splatoon exist. So it's not like its gone, its just not the focus anymore in big budget cinematic experiences. Indie games have to make up for what they lack in visual options in other areas akin to games back in the era you talked about at the start. And Nintendo games have just always had that charm I think and never fully lost it.

When I hear this complaint I just ask them if they know the Elder Scrolls theme, or the Halo theme, or the Witcher theme. It's such a none issue, like Bloodborne has a wicked memorable & distinct soundtrack, I wouldn't sacrifice that atmosphere for a few more melodies, or the beautiful introduction to Rapture in Bioshock, much less the intro to Columbia in Infinite. I seriously don't understand where people are getting the notion that music has gotten weaker or worse with time, I wouldn't trade any of my favorite soundtracks of the last 10 years to relive the music of the last 30, except the original Pokemon soundtrack, that shit is engraved in the folds of my brain so deep, nothing can replace it.

@drascin

5 жыл бұрын

...I'm not going to lie. I played the entirety of Witcher 3 and I can't for the life of me remember what the Witcher theme sounds like.

@Walamonga1313

3 жыл бұрын

Elder Scrolls has a theme?

@unknowjlm

3 жыл бұрын

@@Walamonga1313 I think he meant Skyrim, otherwise I don't hear it neither.

Definitely forgetting the first four Ratchet & Clank games with David Bergeaud. I feel like there would’ve been a lot to say about his compositions

I remember getting into video game music with Kirby 64. I loved the mechanical sounds and the sad tone of the Factory level, I liked the desperate music of Zero-two, I also loved the silly electronic music of the Pyramid. Then my love of gaming music grew and grew even to modern music. The dragons' theme in Breath of the Wild, the "OH CRAP RUN NOW OR YOU'RE GOING TO DIE BECAUSE YOU FORGOT TO SCROUNGE FOR SHIELDS!!" piano of the Guardians in the same game, almost all the Splatoon music (heck, I try to sing the "lyrics" to most of them. So imagine me on a bus just suddenly trying to "sing" Blitz It), Undertale's music is definitely very memorable, and I dance to Cadence of Hyrule's music. But yeah, i think it just depends on the artist, game genre, and most importantly the musical taste of the listener. I grew up with a variety of genres with electronic becoming dominant (My love of the Pyramid theme vs the Splatoon soundtrack). Though I also love songs that give that feeling of urgency (Zero-Two vs Guardians).

I think we need to stop thinking of "good music" as just memorable melodies and leitmotifs. Trent Reznor's score for Quake is one of the most brilliant OST I have ever heard, and that is entirely amelodic. The OST in Portal 2 is also stellar, although even that has some memorable melodies

Ys VIII's OST is one of the most astounding soundtracks in recent memory, especially its first level theme, Sunshine Coastline. I do agree limitation breeds creativity, a lot, but those composers who learned to make standout tracks from very little when it was all they had haven't gone anywhere.

@GameScoreFanfare

5 жыл бұрын

They kind of have though. You get occasional tracks from the OGs, like the few Kondo did for Super Mario Odyssey. But there's barely anyone who got started in the 80s who are still making entire game soundtracks, most of them are now in supervisory roles. The only one I can think of still doing full scores is Yoko Shimomura.

@d3ly746

3 жыл бұрын

@@GameScoreFanfare The thing is Falcom still has Hayato Sonoda (Legend at composing memorable atmospheric/location music [eg. Parm, the Spinning Town]), Takahiro Unisuga (Absolute legend Uematsu-tier composer; he is the one who composed Sunshine Coastline) and Yukihiro Jindo (Another legend; outsourced but has worked with Falcom for ages now. Specializes in epic orchestral compositions and techno tracks). Their music have been plagued by Singa a bit (I'm only talking about Hajimari no kiseki & CS4) but overall score is still done mostly by the legendary composers Falcom hinted that their next game will have more Unisuga tracks.

Nostalgia stems from whatever we find integral to our understanding of the world, and I think it's beautiful to consider how even if video game music these days sounds so different from what many of us once knew, today's soundtracks will breed new memories and new creativity for future players.

great vid! made me think of how my favourite moments from playing fire emblem: three houses was all linked to music: "chasing daybreak" for post-time skip; "shambala" (the dubstep track) for confronting those who slither in the dark; "apex of the world" for confronting edelgard. just bangers all over that brought me to youtube to try to revisit those tracks

Really well put together video and commentary! definitely thankful that this turned up in my reccomended

Yes, but undertale and furi exist. The music in these is enough for this decade.

@sonicbhoc

5 жыл бұрын

Furi is amazing, for sure. Synthwave is now my favorite genre of music.

@jambott5520

3 жыл бұрын

@@commanderleo I only used two examples because those are the first ones that come to mind, being two of my favourite games. Hotline miami has a fucking amazing soundtrack, and there are plenty of other games with similarly amazing soundtracks. I coulda mentioned katana zero, doom 2016/eternal, hades, persona 5, ghostrunner, and many others. It was just a quick comment.

**clicks video, ready to hum along with every SNES melody featured**

@pervertpenguinproductions2425

4 жыл бұрын

I'm just imagining somebody humming extremely aggresively.

1:38 mentions that RDR2 won best soundtrack me: IT SHOULDVE BEEN OCTOPATH

@Kidomaru222

5 жыл бұрын

I personally think it should have been Celeste. Either way, i think multiple OSTs should have won over RDR2's :(

@cmv_1869

5 жыл бұрын

Kidômaru-Kun anything but RDR2

@Walamonga1313

3 жыл бұрын

@@cmv_1869 For real

It's simple: I see Hyper Light Drifter; I click.

I was waiting for the moment he mentions undertale One can say about this game whatever he want but the Ost is and will still be among the best of this decade Very entertaining and informative video as always 👌

@swwetsour7697

5 жыл бұрын

Along with Celeste!

@crysolidgnawpetrol

5 жыл бұрын

Victor Snyder oh I totally agree

@Exel3nce

5 жыл бұрын

most bashtalk about undertale is invalid anyway so yeah, undertale is fcking great, and its music just phenomenal

That final touch before the summery really clicks with how I feel, and love, modern game music(hyper light drifter, hollow knight, etc). No track from the game plays in my head when I think of them, just the feeling I got. And when I listen to the music from the game I get a wave of memories of events and feelings I get from the game and exploring their world. Although the original Mario soundtrack was memorable, I don't feel like it carries the same weight as these games, as most games now. Most games now really strive for greatness.

you covered one of the topics that has been bugging me my entire life. I was always too skeptical to actually talk about it with anyone. this was super informative and enjoyable to watch, you seriously need more attention! please don't stop what you're doing!

What would you say about Final Fantasy XIV's soundtrack, and its evolution from A Realm Reborn through the newly released Shadowbringers?

Thank you! I’ve been watching you for a while and your videos have been great but this one really takes the cake. Also I definitely agree- modern scores aren’t worse but they often mean different things- working towards bolstering a mood or teaching a mechanic (think Zelda). The part about making a “memorable” soundtrack really hit me- that’s interesting that game scores are sometimes “designed for memorableness”

@GameScoreFanfare

5 жыл бұрын

We're still talking about them, so they have to be memorable in some way!

I really enjoyed this video. I love how fair you were in describing the different influences that impact current soundtracks. I think conversations like this help creators continue to make wonderful music. Especially that last section about emotion. Excellent.

One of the best examples of leitmotif to me is the FTL soundtrack by Ben Prunty. Almost all the tracks feature variations of a leitmotif, with each one reusing it to produce different atmospheres, often relevant to the alien species they're used for. The Mantis theme is mysterious and foreboding, the Rock one feels sturdy and resilient, the Engi one is very peaceful, the Zoltan one evokes science and wisdow, the Lanius one, in addition to being pure awesomeness, feels like an ancient alien race is waking up, etc.

Nier Automata has a very memorable soundtrack with my favorites being possessed by disease and Bipolar nightmare. Dragons dogma has clash of fates, coils of light and into free before licensing issues.

Perfect example of an ost with memorable melodies nowadays is FFXIV. Constantly find myself humming themes from this ost.

Interesting choice ending on an Oxenfree piece. It's one of my favorite games of the decade and it has a pretty strong soundtrack despite not being a melody-palooza like games in the '90s often were. I also appreciate the deep cut of showing Lightning Returns footage--not many people know that game, but the whole XIII trilogy has good music. And, yeah. Undertale. Basically a proof-of-concept that melodies were much more prominent back in the '90s, and that we can still make soundtracks like that today if we want to. By reducing the aural photorealism ("auralrealism"?) and ambient background noise, and focusing on more distinctive sounds / instruments / timbres, you can make a melody stand out much more prominently. All you need at that point is a catchy melodic idea. (Which I would argue is actually the hardest aspect of music to master. Rhythm and harmonies are a lot easier to sidle or analyze your way into. But a good melody is visceral and on some level requires inspiration.)

@GameScoreFanfare

5 жыл бұрын

Great comment which I entirely agree with. But I did want to mention, the main reason I chose the Lightning Returns clip was because I was talking about time constraints, and I loved the matching of me saying "composers are brought onto projects late in the development cycle" with Lightning being like "only thirteen days to go." Makes me giggle every single time. 😄

@Josh_Fredman

5 жыл бұрын

@@GameScoreFanfare Ah, of course! I shoulda thought of that. =]

Wow, this video covered this question so throughly. Excellent work. This video was amazing.

This is yet just another thing that reinforces my opinion that DOOM 2016 is among the greatest games ever made

I still think that Persona has one of the best (when not the best) soundtracks out there.

@tyler-xo3rb

5 жыл бұрын

Just say Persona 5, we know it's the only one you've played.

@JGar453

5 жыл бұрын

@@tyler-xo3rb he certainly wouldn't be wrong referring to any other persona game, they have good music

@harrylane4

5 жыл бұрын

@@tyler-xo3rb because the 3 and 4 dont have incredible soundtracks? (They do, you're just salty bc he has a joker pfp)

@d3ly746

3 жыл бұрын

@@harrylane4 Are you high persona 3 soundtrack was fire

In my opinion the most memorable music theme ever is Woodtick in Monkey Island 2 - Le Chuck's Revenge. It adapts itself perfectly, changing depending on the place you're visiting. And also the Special Edition managed to modernize it well, making it fully orchestrated instead of MIDI, but retaining the interactivity. More games should have music like that.

Music as a whole has definitely shaped me as a musician, but old-school video game music is what defined me as a musician. The theme song for Turrican II is a fantastic example of what I absolutely love with old game music. It alone has given me so much inspiration and that's just counting one singular song out of hundreds upon hundreds of fantastic pieces I have listened to over the years! I may have been born in late 1997, but I very much got to grow up mainly with games from the 80's and 90's. I am grateful for this as I have an appreciation and love for those eras of games - and in turn their music - which I truly doubt I'd ever gotten had I been born later when the melody-heavy electronic video game music had stopped being the mainstream whereas orchestral as well as techno and dubstep took its place...

Good grief, do I give the "You're just not looking hard enough" answer often, as even I continue to be surprised by what's out there, old & new. AMID EVIL, Bastion, Black Mesa, Destiny (Especially Music of the Spheres), Dust: An Elysian Tail, DUSK, Enter the Gungeon, Journey, Ori & The Blind Forest, Risk of Rain, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Wolfenstein: The New Saga (Mick Gordon sure knew how to get my tears spilling as much as my blood boiling with The New Order & The Old Blood!) & so much more out there are just hitting holes-in-one on my 'course' (Even Bear McCreary had some nice stuff made for Dark Void & SOCOM 4 prior to his God of War [PS4] gig), then there are such series as Ryu ga Gotoku/Yakuza, Ace Combat & many more (I hear Sonic the Hedgehog largely doesn't struggle to deliver musically either) consistently creating themes people create so many positive associations with. Not to mention I've heard some fantastic work made for community projects ('Gravity' by Robbie "Scias" Johnson for Halo SPV3 may be an all-time favourite fan-tune for the Halo franchise, with Jafet Meza & gang making some swell stuff for Installation 01). We're definitely in a time when composers are more keen to hit their best notes at the rightful moments rather than for a consistent length of time as well as letting the sound designers work the ambience. TLoZ: Breath of the Wild spacing out it's music outside of the Hyrule Plains, The Last of Us largely waiting for it's moment to provide emotional punctuation, DOOM & more working in their music layer after layer (What Mitsuhiro Kitadani pulled off with the in-game use of 'LRSSG Briefing IV' for Ace Combat 7 was one special surprise) & so forth. But I'd definitely say there's still plenty of memorable music to be found even from some of the most recent releases. It just might be that not all of it's put front & center at the title screen (Xenoblade Chronicles, The Walking Dead: Season Two, Tales from the Borderlands & Enter the Gungeon are examples I can name that certainly do) or played on a consecutively catchy loop.

@neoaydinkhairullah8756

4 жыл бұрын

Imma add touhou here Ok

@pervertpenguinproductions2425

4 жыл бұрын

And celeste Nice

@Bizargh

4 жыл бұрын

Might as well retroactively mention nu-Prey as well (Raphael Colantonio, Matt Piersall & Ben Crossbones certainly had quite the additions to Mick Gordon's contributions). And to add to the mention of community projects, I can all-too easily suggest tunes from Zera: Myths Awaken (Previously Sypro: Myths Awaken, but a C&D from Activision had them adapt to an Original IP) such as 'Canvas Falls', beauties for total conversation mod Sonic Gaiden such as 'Rainy Plateaus Zone Act 1 & Act 2' & 'Dream Mountain Zone Act 1' as well as what's so far been recently released for Boreal Alpyh with 'An Unrelenting Threat' a favourite pick (Their 'Hazardous Environments (Remix)' is a proper good one though).

I grew up with Zelda. and damn its iconic and instant goosebumps when I hear it. Just so memorable

This video is a perfect example of why I love video game music, through and through. Also, Beacon Beach at the end there hit me like a truck. Keep being awesome, and thank you for this video.

@GameScoreFanfare

5 жыл бұрын

It's actually Towhee Grove! But I love Beacon Beach as well. Such a great game and OST, I'm very excited for Afterparty.

@rezahydra

5 жыл бұрын

@Game Score Fanfare That’s the second time I’ve mixed up those two LOL. I’m also extremely excited for Afterparty as well, with OXENFREE already being my favorite game I’ve ever played!

Your videos are very clever and on point and I practically always get goosebumps from the ways you use the tunes. Thank you ! Please keep having fun doing these :)

But here I am with Titania' Theme (What Angel Wakes Me) from FFXIV : Shadowbringers still stuck in my head. Make it stop. *plays Rak'Tika Greatwood Theme instead*

@esuelle

5 жыл бұрын

Soken's talent and contribution to FFXIV cannot be overstated. It's a huge responsability to be in charge of a Final Fantasy soundtrack, and Soken delivers.

@DavidTimothy

5 жыл бұрын

I've had the melody from the lvl 80 dungeon (being vague to avoid spoilers) going through my head for days... Soken has really nailed the melodic style and Shadowbringers is so full of juicy melodies that he milked for so many great moments. Loved it.

I remember seeing an Extra Credits video on this topic. Would love to see your views on this topic. ^_^ *cue dramatic pressing of the play button, to resume the video.

It's impressive just how much a game's soundtrack can influence a player's experience. Stickerbrush Symphony from Donkey Kong Country 2 is my favorite soundtrack (Grimm/Nightmare King Grimm from Hollow Knight probably being a close second). I played the levels that had it over and over again JUST to keep hearing that song and, years later, I didn't remember its name but it never really got off my mind, so it was easy to find it again. I've heard it so many times, but I still love it so freaking much

video game music nowadays meld so well with the games atmosphere, and contribute to it so well, that we hardly notice it anymore. Its simply part of the games over all feel.

Final Fantasy XIV not only has most original pieces of music in a video game, they are amazing songs.. so theres that.

@GameScoreFanfare

5 жыл бұрын

Soken is insane. I don't know how he manages it.

@utgardar687

5 жыл бұрын

I was coming here to mention this one. Shadowbringers has some fantastic music in it.

Steam Garden has the Persona 5 vibe :) Great video! Now I want to play games all day...gotta stay strong.

@marinanicole5693

5 жыл бұрын

So you know that we're out there

@Ismael-kc3ry

3 жыл бұрын

Because it’s jazzy? Lol

I have never watched your videos before, but this was so well done! The video went perfectly along with what you had to say, and what your message really made it through in this way. Wether or not some ost's are memorable, I definitely will remember this video when I listen to ost's now. Subscribed.

I would just like to put it out there that Final Fantasy has never stopped putting out quality music. I've been listening to "What angle wakes me" almost constantly for the past two weeks since Shadowbringers released!

I still think octopath traveler should’ve won best score 2018

@CrashJakFan1994

5 жыл бұрын

Supgamer Or Celeste.

@oliverwatson7170

5 жыл бұрын

@@CrashJakFan1994 celestes is great but octopath is just mind blowong

@mariotennisman

5 жыл бұрын

*Decisive Battle II plays in the background*

@mikedusenbery6464

5 жыл бұрын

Xenoblade Chronicles 2's soundtrack is incredible

Please tell me you've heard Lufia 2's ost on the SNES. Talk about pushing boundaries.

@poodychulak

5 жыл бұрын

Tales of Phantasia used an extensive wav sample library for instrumentation and inserted a _full vocal intro_

Great video! Your best one in a good while! Looking forward to more

I can't believe this video went by in its entirety without ever mentioning the words "Final Fantasy".

I really hope you make a video on Persona 5’s, the Persona series’s, or even Atlus’s games’ OST. I absolutely love P4 and 5’s soundtrack and would love to hear what you have to say about it.

It got left in Hollow Knight and Celeste.

Off the top of my head, modern games with incredible and memorable music: - Octopath Traveler - Persona 5 - Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze - Nier Automata - Fire Emblem - Atelier-series - Etrian Odyssey - Pretty much anything by Nihon Falcom

the most memorable piece for me right now has to be the super mario bros jungle theme from super mario maker 2. I've been non stop humming that song

It's hard to agree with that idea that video game music is no longer good nor memorable, many of my favorite OST are from modern games (Undertale, Persona 5, Persona Q2, Skyrim, Axiom Verge, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, VVVVVV, The Messenger, Shovel Knight, Transformers: Devastation, Guild Wars 2)

@abbasaltake1414

5 жыл бұрын

There is just more.. .Xenoblade 2, Nier automate, Splatoon 2.. Lol there are shit tons of memorable music.

@TheCivildecay

5 жыл бұрын

hollow knight, celeste, hotline miami, Furi, enter the gungeon, mass effect (2)... the claim that modern music doesn't have memorable tracks is total bullshit.

@pikminologueraisin2139

5 жыл бұрын

FFXV

You did an entire video on game music, you even made a point to mention start up screens in modern games, and yet you didn't mention once the absolutely generation defining and Genre conquering Music that is the Halo Opening for Halo CE, or its amazingly well done improved versions for the mainline Halo games after that?

@GreatGodSajuuk

5 жыл бұрын

Also like most of these videos dos games don't exist for them, even though there's so much good music on that platform. There's probably as much of it as the consoles and if you for example grew up in Eastern Europe then that was the defining sound of videogames in the 90s, not consoles.

More people should know about Chris Christodoulou, the guy that made the music in the Risk of rain series

On the topic of repetition, many revere the Undertale soundtrack because of Toby Fox's work in connecting the more than one hundred pieces in the game. Things like the Napstablook fight having a role in Dummy and Spider Dance really cements the leitmotifs into the listener's thoughts.

I disagree with your assessment of Donkey Kong Country and Metroid. They were *more* ambient, yes, but they still had very up-front and apparent melodies. In my opinion, at least.

@GameScoreFanfare

5 жыл бұрын

Nah, I agree. What I love about them is that they balance their atmosphere with their melody. But that is really only for certain (arguably the best) tracks that strike a balance, there are some true ambient pieces in them, and in general they chose to focus on the ambience over the just straight melody like everyone else was doing.

It's not that they're bad. Modern game/cinema music is a "less is most" mentality. Think BotW, or Doom. Occasional melodies (and music in general), surrounded by mostly ambient sounds/ no music at all.

@bazzfromthebackground3696

5 жыл бұрын

I would like to add, I'm not the biggest fan of this mentality. Some melody somewhere, is better than none, nowhere.

@mynameaintvalstrax7131

5 жыл бұрын

@@bazzfromthebackground3696 It's just the differences between melodious or harmonious music, like you said though, i,'ll take melodious music over harmonius any day of the week Leitmotifs is one of the most powerful tool a game dev can use to bring weight to a scene, it' s very sad that most developers fail to use music to their fullest potential

@007GoldenLion

5 жыл бұрын

But the little music BOTW and Doom have is very memorable...meanwhile I don't remember the music of Red dead or COD

@Kidomaru222

5 жыл бұрын

@@bazzfromthebackground3696 Your Black/White mentality is very problematic. Melody is not appropriate in every situation.

@d3ly746

3 жыл бұрын

@@bazzfromthebackground3696 Modern game/cinema music is a "less is most" mentality. Go play any modern JRPG and tell me that

I was ready to go ham on you with that title but you got me good. I think this is up there with your best work! My favourite modern ost is currently The Last Guardian. I hope you give it a listen one day.

@GameScoreFanfare

5 жыл бұрын

Team Ico have perhaps the most consistently good soundtracks out there. Helps that there's only three, but each one is amazing.

@thejawajedi87

5 жыл бұрын

@@GameScoreFanfare You're right, the team just make outstanding labours of love each time. There's something so sweeping and beautiful about TLG suite that moves me to tears even 2-3 after playing the game.

@Drstrange3000

5 жыл бұрын

That soundtrack is absolutely amazing! When the first note dropped in the opening, I knew it would be a great game!

Thank you for this video! Thanks for your time and your work :)