Poll: [Poll] Game Soundtracks: Are They Getting Better?

[Grey Warden]

Does anyone else think that game soundtracks have improved greatly in recent years?

Dragon Age: Origins, Assassin's Creed II, and Mass Effect 2 all have excellent scores that enhance the gameplay and underscore dramatic moments. And let's not forget games like Brutal Legend, which features what is arguably the best licensed soundtrack in recent memory.

Do you listen to game soundtracks and/or purchase them? Which ones do you like best?

Discuss.

 

[4fromK]

i had to vote no, as my classic gamer leanings and fetishism for game soundtracks betray me whenever listening to a new game soundtrack. the songs are nice, and they tend to fit the game well, but I havent played a game recently whose entire soundtrack (or even a single song from a soundtrack, for that matter) i would rip and load onto my iPod, like I have done with soundtracks like secret of manna, final fantasy VII, Donkey kong country 2, etc. so no, game soundtracks arent getting better IMO

 

[The Lawn]

While I will admit the music sounds nicer... the songs are becoming samey.. and much less memorable.

I think the most memorable piece of gaming music in recent history has to be the following:

I can't think of any other game that has a theme that memorable, at least not one within the last 5 years.

 

[The Zango]

Yes i agree with the ones you listed here and yes i have the Assasins creed, ME2, Dragon age and GOW III soundtracks.

 

[omega247]

Orange Box soundtrack is awesome, I have it on my ipod

 

[Kungfu_Teddybear]

ME2's theme song is one of my favourite game theme songs ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeYS_7oN9OA&feature=related

 

[Vampire cat]

TES IV: Olbivion has a great main soundtrack. Unfortunately, the ingame music is sort of dull at times, but the music for caves and ruins interiors is great for the creepy setting! This is a relatively new game.

C&C Red Alert had a bunch of awesome sound tracks. And this game is really old. Same goes for Lucas Arts' Outlaws. Very old game (still a heck of a lot of fun to play!) with very memorable and amazing soundtracks!

So no, it hasn't gotten better. But it hasn't gotten worse. Some games does it poorly, some well. Thats how it is, and will always be.

 

[Grey Warden]

ME2's theme song is one of my favourite game theme songs ever.

I assume you mean The Illusive Man's Theme?

 

[Kungfu_Teddybear]

ME2's theme song is one of my favourite game theme songs ever.

I assume you mean The Illusive Man's Theme?

The Suicide Mission theme

 

[slipknot4]

Some games wore steps in the right derection, some wore horrible... like modern warfare 2's soundtrack... it was awesome for about 4 plays but then it just got repetative...

 

[chozo_hybrid]

Where's the "Old ones have always been just as good" poll option?

Some of the old stuff, like Castlevania and Super Metroid tracks have some of my favorite music and themes etc.

 

[Audio]

go to youtube and look for 'Peter Gunn Theme' and compare it to the TF2 theme

As far as marketing goes, i'm sure the gaming industry knows that chucking out a decent soundtrack boosts sales . Also promotes the game itself i believe.

 

[Yumi_and_Erea]

I actually think it's diminished in recent years.

Game-music generally falls into 4 categories: atrocious pop-tunes for crappy spin-off games; blissfully ignorable background fodder that you can take or leave; rather excellent works of art that heighten the experience of playing and help immerse the player; and truly epic scores that you not only cherish in-game, but which you also actually love as a standalone piece of musical genius.

The atrocious pop-tunes have stayed at roughly the same level, as did the fodder.
I actually think there's been an increase of the third category, with more and more developers realizing the importance of good music.

But that last category, the truly spectacular and overwhelming stuff, has diminished in recent years.
Truly epic games have truly epic scores, or at least one or two epic songs, and I'm seeing less and less of that.

The credits-music for Conker: Live And Reloaded; the Cathedral of Blood track of Serious Sam; Say Hello from Phantom Crash, and pretty much the entire OSTs of Final Fantasy IX and Jet Set Radio Future, they were all brilliant and yet, they're things of the past.

No new games have risen to take their place, and without those peaks of excellence, everything else just becomes more bland and samey.

 

[Billska]

[link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6ljFaKRTrI[/link]

You tell me! I mean, come on. Who doesn't like this.

 

[Casual Shinji]

They're just as good, but the orchestral size has increased.

 

[DazBurger]

I know this site hates this game, but HALO dammit.

The Halo 1 soundtrack set the mood, the HALO 2 soundtrack stunned you, and HALO 3 made you cry... At least if you were a cryboy of a HALO-fan.

Well... Needless to say, I love the HALO soundtracks... And that is one of the reasons I dont think Crysis 2 is going to be anywhere Reach. Soundtrack baby!

 

[Georgie_Leech]

I've noticed it seems to be ciclical. It goes up for a few years, down for a few, up for a few...

 

[Simalacrum]

It really depends on how long a timeline you look at...

If your thinking this generation only, then no, music hasn't improved or gotten worse - its been relatively consistent.

Now, considering the advancements of technology, and you might get a different perspective - for example, a lot of the sounds in current-gen games would not have been possible in 8/16/32 bit era's... we're now able to use full-scale orchestra's in video games, which can improve the game. That said, its also lead to the demise of all those classic 8-bit sounds, which were pretty damned awesome.