Poll: Does music add to the atmosphere?

[Rheinmetall]

I'm surprised that some Escapists don't feel that music adds to the atmosphere...
There are two games that come to my mind where music plays a very important role in the atmosphere of the game: Silent Hill and Final Fantasy VII among others.

 

[Kapol]

Music does if (like everything) handled correctly. Now if you were trying to get a serious, tear-jerker scene and then suddenly have a metal rock balled start up, it's more likely to break it then make it.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

Oh my, yes.
I can't help feel Deus Ex: Human Revolution would not have been quite as big a hit if the exquisite, near-omnipresent soundtrack hadn't been tickling my eardrums. I wish I could pin down the genre, but the best I can come up with is that it has an "industrial" sound to it, and ye flipping gods, it fits only too perfectly.
.

agreed. this plus a few other games (most of the times in other games it's key moments/cutscenes, but in deus ex HR it really hit the spot the whole game through.) hell i still listen to the soundtrack on my ipod from time to time.


hearing is one of your senses...so why wouldn't it matter?

 

[Scarim Coral]

Indeed they do since those "save" room in Resident Evil always bring a chill to me whenever I listen to the music inside that room.
The safe room is just is usually just a table for the typewrite, herb and possibly a bed and yet this music make is so much atomsphere to it.

 

[Elementary - Dear Watson]

Of course t does! It's a surprise you had to ask!!

Try playing Bioshock with the Benny Hill soundtrack playing, and watch how the atmoshere drains from the game!

Try playing Skyrim with the Spice Girls blaring, and watch how your attitude to the game changes!

Try playing Need For Speed, or Forza with Tim Hecker and watch how you suddenly become the world's best sunday driver... stopping at junctions as a precaution...

Spoiler: Tim Hecker... sorry I listen to a lot of Chhillout, and couldn't immediately think of something everyone would know, so went to the extreme end!

And finally try playing Spyro the Dragon whilst listening to Radiohead, and watch how you suddenly lose all will to defeat Ripto, or whoever, and just see how many times you can drown/burn/electicute the purple bastard because life aint worth it anyway...

 

[Baron von Blitztank]

Indeed it does.
I was playing the last level of Serious Sam 3, normally it has quite dull music (which isn't helped by the grey stonework you're plowing through). First time I did it I was so bored and just wanted it to end. Next time I did it I went to the Steam web browser, took myself to YouTube and played all the War music from the game:

Spoiler: You know, these songs

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRR!!!!!!!!!!

Suddenly my attitude changed from "For the love of god, just end already!" to "Fuck yeah! BRING ON THE HORDES! MAKE THEM BLEED!"

Same thing kind of happens in Skyrim, my Dragon-killing skills seem to decaduple themselves whenever the "Dovahkiin" song starts playing during a dragon attack. I also seem to function best in Borderlands if I start playing some rock music in the background as opposed to listening to the normal and incredibly dull soundtrack.

 

[bojackx]

Not a single person has said no yet, so there's your answer.

Music adds to the atmosphere: Fact.

 

[V8 Ninja]

I definitely think that music adds to atmosphere. However, sometimes I feel the absence of music can also have an even more powerful effect when used in the right places.

 

[neonsword13-ops]

If done well always, changing the music can completely change a scene. Both of these songs are used as the world map music in a game, and as the story progresses the tone changes and having the change in music enforces it. Everything that game does manipulates your emotions.

Spoiler: From Persona 3

P3 does a wonderful job at progressing the tone of the game with music.

Like the world map, it also does the same inside of the dorm.

Spoiler

It keeps the basic beat but ditches the trumpet and the singer to include more piano, which makes the song less peppy.

Persona 4 did this as well when you were at home with Nanako.

Spoiler

 

[Titanor]

Every try watching a horror flick with the sound turned off? The scariest parts are not scary at all without the 'music'. Or rather, seemingly random dissonant tones that are used for tense moments.

Playing Myst as a kid freaked the hell out of me because many parts had minimal ambient 'music' while some were eerily silent... When used in the right places it really contributed to the whole creepy-cause-i'm-alone-on-this-weird-island vibe.
Reinforces what V8 Ninja was saying about how silence can be just as important as music itself...

 

[Shock and Awe]

Sometimes a good track can make a scene both incredibly epic, or sad, or whatever you need it to be. However, there are quite a few times where silence, or near silence is the best atmosphere possible.

 

[noble cookie]

Music in games is a big deal.

Halo and Metal Gear Solid, two of my favourite series would be nowhere near as awesome if they didnt have the soundtrack that they do.

Also, Final Fantasy (I have to go with VIII).

 

[Esotera]

You don't even need to start playing the game before it builds suspense. I.e., videos of two prime examples on the very slim chance that someone hasn't played both these games:


And those are just loading screens. Music is an absolutely integral part of most modern games, and can pretty much make a good level if used correctly.

 

[anthony87]

Damn straight it does!


When you hear that whistle you just know shits about to go down!

Also;


Possibly the only music that has the ability to make a fight on the moon between demigods even more epic!

(Take a guess which game I just got)

 

[Fijiman]

It depends. In some games the music can really add to atmosphere to make it a really awesome experience. Other times the music is just there to help keep the game from putting you to sleep. In some cases the lack of music can add to the atmosphere, such as in horror games in order to build suspense.

 

[GigaHz]

It depends on the tone and severity of the game.

Usually, if the game is darker or playing on the fear of isolation, minimal or no score is best with appropriate ambient effects. It creates a more unnerving atmosphere than wall-to-wall music because the game is leaving your subconscious to interpret the mood of a scene. Anyone who knows good tension knows that the best tension is built by the player's imagination. No one knows how to scare you better than you.

The problem with music is that it almost forces you to feel a certain way. This is mainly because the song is written to invoke an intended mood. However, it doesn't always work and if used too much can become numbing. It's even worse if the music selection doesn't fit what's going on in the scene as it can take you out of the experience.

So I'd say it definitely adds to the atmosphere, but if used incorrectly, it can just as easily take away from it.

 

[pilouuuu]

Yes, of course! For me one of the best examples is the music for Monkey Island 2. How it adapts according to the mood of the scenes, changing tempo and pitch... I can't believe there aren't more games that have a similar system nowadays!

 

[MetallicaRulez0]

Part of what made ME3 so atmospheric was the amazing musical score.

The best example of music adding atmosphere I can think of is Halo: Combat Evolved. The music MADE that game.

 

[ChupathingyX]

Yes, music can greatly improve the current atmopshere and mood of a game, however, sometimes a lack of music can improve the atmosphere.

 

[hazabaza1]

Absolutely. The suicide mission in Mass Effect 2 would not have been nearly as tense if not for the soundtrack. I just hope Mass Effect 3's endgame can compare. It has so far!