The Games are Alive with the Sound of Music

I have only really recently started to appreciate the music included in a game. Music can make or break a game. A good soundtrack serves a number of purposes to keep the player interested. I will be using a few examples of soundtracks that have made an impact on me in this article.

One of the most iconic soundtracks ever to be in a video game has to be the soundtrack to Tetris. Even as I write this I'm regretting it because I know I'll be humming it for the rest of the day. I didn't play very much Tetris as I grew up, but as a gamer it seems to be impossible to not know the soundtrack to it. It's so simple, yet one of the best soundtracks in that it is as catchy as it is. Every game wants music that people will remember, and this is certainly a soundtrack gamers will remember for a very long time.

Mario is a game that will always be a part of gaming culture. With new Mario games being released by Nintendo, that theme tune will never be forgotten by the community. It is a little more advanced than the Tetris theme, but no less catchy. The fact that the theme for Mario was made in 1985 and is still a theme that people love to hear says that it is a work of art. If you asked gamers for the most iconic video game theme, a majority of them would answer Mario or at least have considered it.

One soundtrack I love is the Final Fantasy 10 soundtrack. I studied music in secondary school partially because of this soundtrack. "To Zanarkand" is the first song you hear as you load up the game in the introductory scene. I enjoy piano music as it is, but my favourite piece is To Zanarkand. The soundtrack in this game perfectly portrays the emotions the characters are feeling, and no matter how big or small a team is that works on it, I think that's an achievement in itself. Final Fantasy 15 has every soundtrack in the game, but I wanted to use a specific one as an example.

For anyone that has played The Elder Scrolls series, I think I can safely say that the Skyrim soundtrack is still in our heads. Every time I opened it, Dragonborn would come on, and every time I would either hum or sing along to it. That song in particular took the gaming scene by storm. The game itself was brilliant, and the music added to just how good it was. The atmospheric feeling of being in a cave, to the epic music of fighting a giant or dragon. This game made everything feel like you were the hero.

There are some very well known games and game franchises that, as much as I want to include them in this, their soundtracks are not very memorable to me personally. Sonic and Halo are two that come close (Especially the opening Halo theme). The closest though would probably be Zelda. I know the soundtrack, and if I was brought up when Zelda was in its prime, I think I would feel more impacted by it, but unfortunately I missed the Zelda phase of my gaming life. Although the music for it is amazing of course and if they are memorable to you tell me why they are in the comments.

These are just a few of the amazing soundtracks in gaming today. I can't wait to hear the simple catchy soundtracks, or the full orchestrated soundtracks of the future. Tell me what soundtracks helped make you fall in love with a game in the comments.