These past few months I have talked about very many aspects of video games; art, graphics, revamps, and much more. But one thing that I have failed to mention is one of the most important aspects of video games- the music. Gaming soundtracks have changed so much from the classic 8-bit tracks from Mario to the “barbaric choir” of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. There are many different soundtracks to many different games, and there is something for every single gamer.
A lot of gaming developers believe that the music makes the game. Composer Akira Yamaoka was hired to write the soundtrack for the Silent Hill series. This is what he said when asked in an interview about how his sound differs from other gaming composers:
When I make music for Silent Hill, I don’t really think about making music for games. Silent Hill is a horror game, and I want people to be scared. But at the same time I like to convey the message. So I don’t really think about making this music for this stage… I try to think about what message we want to convey to the players.
I am a HUGE Akira Yamaoka fan. Before ever reading this article I was able to clearly receive and understand the message that he was trying to convey. His style of music was intended for a survival horror series involving situations of terror, the ultimate nightmare that captures you on a psychological sense and shakes your inner core. He does is by combining some of the most interesting instruments. If you listen to a piece of his work you can hear the electric guitar, the scrapping of metal, the beat on the side of a trash can. It all combines to leave a terrifying piece of music. Here is Devil’s Laughter from Silent Hill: Shattered Memories…
While he can create pieces like this he also does a fantastic job at the more subtle, slower pieces. There is not much banging or grinding, or horrific laughter. Instead there is the sweet sound of a piano. In certain cases I find this to be more terrifying than the previous song. I suppose it is that psychological factor that playing in. You listen to this slow piece expecting for something loud and scary to jump out. Sometimes it does, and sometimes not. Here is Promise (Reprise) from Silent Hill 2…
The soundtrack makes the game. Without it the game can be flat and emotionless.
