Game Music Discussion

[Troels Pleimert]

Sorry for being :offtopic: ! (A bit.)

 

The "Quake"-soundtrack is downright nasty, and I mean that as a huge compliment to Reznor. For us NIN-fans, I'd say it also works as a fitting end to the "Self Destruct"-era, and even though his recent soundtrack work has been awesome, the "Quake"-soundtrack still contains some of his most accomplished instrumental work. It's certainly the darkest...

Yeah. I have a hard time getting through the Dragon Tattoo or Social Networks soundtrack, even though they're good. The same goes for Ghosts I-IV, actually. It's like there's something missing -- well, obviously, the movie is missing from the soundtracks, but that shouldn't apply to Ghosts. Yet the Quake soundtrack I can listen to on its own, and be quite happy about it, too.

 

I love the "Quake II"-soundtrack as well. Very different, but it does really get the adrenaline pumping. When you fire up a single player game, and "Descent Into Cerberon" starts playing, you know the Strogg are gonna have their biomechanical asses kicked.

Interesting you mentioned "Descent into Cerberon," my favorite track. :P (And I think probably everybody's favorite track off that disc, now that I think about it. It's that opening synth. It kicks tremendous ass.)

[Frede]

I suppose the community can deal with a few more :offtopic: posts, considering the near-wasteland that preceded this sudden flurry of activity :wink:

 

Yeah. I have a hard time getting through the Dragon Tattoo or Social Networks soundtrack, even though they're good. The same goes for Ghosts I-IV, actually. It's like there's something missing -- well, obviously, the movie is missing from the soundtracks, but that shouldn't apply to Ghosts. Yet the Quake soundtrack I can listen to on its own, and be quite happy about it, too.

I loved the soundtrack for "The Social Network", but the one for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is arguably too big a mouthful. I love the cover of "The Immigrant Song", though. While I also like "Ghosts I-IV", I'm unlikely to listen to all of that in one sitting as well, but I do love the album.

 

Interesting you mentioned "Descent into Cerberon," my favorite track. :wink: (And I think probably everybody's favorite track off that disc, now that I think about it. It's that opening synth. It kicks tremendous ass.)

I also the riffing on "Big Gun", but Cerberon is arguably the iconic track. The E1M1 of "Quake II." That you don't get the soundtracks if you purchase these games on Steam is nothing short of a crime.

[MusicallyInspired]

My favourite tracks on the Quake 2 soundtrack were always Quad Machine and The Underworld. Descent Into Cerebron is also excellent, though, and an absolutely perfect start to the game.

[Frede]

The entire soundtrack was spot-on, though I sometimes secretly wish Reznor had scored that game as well. Would have been interesting. Apparently, he turned down ID's request, claiming that "Quake II" didn't have the atmosphere of the first game..

 

Of course, he was later commissioned to do the music and sound effects of "Doom 3", but that was not to be either...

[MusicallyInspired]

I pause to call the Quake 1 soundtrack a soundtrack at all. It's a soundtrack in that it is a 'track of sound'. But I can't call it musical, really. It's just a bunch of sound effects mostly lol. It's a very interesting innovative direction and suits the setting of course, but I can't listen to it on its own. Much to bizarre for me.

[Troels Pleimert]

I pause to call the Quake 1 soundtrack a soundtrack at all. It's a soundtrack in that it is a 'track of sound'. But I can't call it musical, really. It's just a bunch of sound effects mostly lol. It's a very interesting innovative direction and suits the setting of course, but I can't listen to it on its own. Much to bizarre for me.

In my mind, it falls under the category "ambient." In the same family as Aphex Twin's excellent Selected Ambient Works II album, which is also "just" a collage of rhythm-less sounds. Quake's a bit darker, obviously, but good for setting a mood. :)

 

Just so we're clear, Descent Into Cerberon is the 9th track on the original Quake II CD, right? (The 1st track being the data track.) The track that plays in the first level is track number 7, which I can't remember what's called.

 

Also, we should probably move all this music talk to another thread. ;)

[MusicallyInspired]

Track 7 is Quad Machine which is the theme for the second level. The first level is indeed Descent Into Cerebron.

 

Also, topics split.

[Troels Pleimert]

Track 7 is Quad Machine which is the theme for the second level. The first level is indeed Descent Into Cerebron.

Ah. Maybe my mp3's were mistagged? Maybe I have a terrible memory.

 

Then again, YouTube to the rescue.

 

This is Descent Into Cerberon:

 

This is the music I remember playing in the first level of the game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvRYVSQS2_s ... er, which is Quad Machine.

 

Maybe my memory is shot after all. Oh well, both tracks kick ass. ;)

 

Also, topics split.

Yay! "Our hero!"

[Troels Pleimert]

Also, yay for Space Quest fans who listen to heavy music. ;)

[pcj]

Sorry for being mainstream, but I like Skyrim's music...?

[MusicallyInspired]

Track 7 is Quad Machine which is the theme for the second level. The first level is indeed Descent Into Cerebron.

Ah. Maybe my mp3's were mistagged? Maybe I have a terrible memory.

 

Then again, YouTube to the rescue.

 

This is Descent Into Cerberon:

 

This is the music I remember playing in the first level of the game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvRYVSQS2_s ... er, which is Quad Machine.

 

Maybe my memory is shot after all. Oh well, both tracks kick ass. ;)

Yeah, it's the other way around. Quad Machine is definitely level 2 and Descent is level 1. At least, that's the way my game played it. Perhaps because level 1 is so short it feels like Quad Machine was the first level. :)

 

Yay! "Our hero!"

I'm here to serve. *bows*

[mjomble]

Best game soundtracks? Fallout 3 and New Vegas.

 

'Cause I got spurs

That jingle jangle jingle...

[pcj]

Well, duh, the radio is amazing.

[Troels Pleimert]

Best game soundtrack ever, in my opinion, is Matt Gray's The Last Ninja II.

 

It's more than just an ordinary C64 soundtrack. It's a full-fledged album. And it's a frighteningly rocking one at that. I never knew the SID chip could rock this hard.

 

Track #2 is earcatchingly awesome; track #3 is power-balladly awesome; track #12 is epically awesome.

 

Fun fact: Matt Gray went on to be one of the four individuals responsible for Cher's "Believe" single. The one with the autotuner. Don't worry, the Ninja soundtrack is nothing like that. The Ninja soundtrack kicks ass.

 

Edit: Oh yeah, forgot. Link.

[Datadog]

If I were going to throw in my favorite collection of songs assembled for a game, I'd have to go with "Brutal Legend". That game introduced me to dozens upon dozens of under-rated songs from classic metal bands and something about the experience even encouraged me to go back, explore entire discographies, buy some classic CDs, and even develop actual opinions on whether "Paranoid" or "Master of Reality" was the better album. The music was a real world-opener for me. I had no idea heavy metal was so diverse until then.

 

I also rather like Fallout's "Galaxy New Radio", but there's just not enough songs in that game! I swear I heard the same Andrew Sisters tune about five times in one hour. "Oh, bingo, bango, bongo, I don't wanna leave the Congo, da-da-da-da-da-daaaa..." When I know all the words to a song without even trying to learn them, you know there's not enough songs in the game.

 

As far as original game soundtracks go - I've always loved both the soundtracks to "King's Quest 6" and "Chrono Trigger". Every piece of music in those games jumps out as both memorable and catchy to me. And "Psychonauts" - pure, epic gold.

[Frede]

Picking one favourite game soundtrack is quite hard for me, but at the moment, I'm gonna pick "Outcast". As you can tell, this shit is epic. Goes for the game as well, and if you buy the game on GOG.com, you also get the soundtrack as an extra download.

 

As for the "Fallout"-series, I've never played the third game, but the soundtracks of the first two are awesome as well. They actually gave me more than a few childhood nightmares ;) The theme for the town Modoc in "Fallout 2" is a standout. I've rarely heard sadder music.

[mjomble]

As for the "Fallout"-series, I've never played the third game, but the soundtracks of the first two are awesome as well. They actually gave me more than a few childhood nightmares ;) The theme for the town Modoc in "Fallout 2" is a standout. I've rarely heard sadder music.

The radio music in the newer ones mostly matches the intro themes of the first two.

In fact, the theme of Fallout 1 ("Maybe" by The Ink Spots) is one of the radio tracks in F3.

And then there's "

" which they wanted to use in F1, but couldn't.

[Frede]

That does sound good indeed. I love how they used Louis Armstrong's "A Kiss to Build a Dream On" in the "Fallout 2"-intro. I grew up with my dad's jazz records, so hearing that voice was an unexpected - and pleasant - surprise.

[mjomble]

I love how they used Louis Armstrong's "A Kiss to Build a Dream On" in the "Fallout 2"-intro.

Indeed. Didn't care much for the game itself (I've been spoiled by 3 and NV), but that track went into my regular playlist right away.

[Frede]

Armstrong was fantastic. Let's let

union of geniuses cement that ;)

 

I'm a huge fan of the two first "Fallout"-games, which is odd, since I'm generally not very interested in RPGs. I think it's the retro-future post-apocalyptic setting. I have a huge fascination with dystopias in general, and the universe of those two games caters to that. I'd try "Fallout 3" and "New Vegas", but I fear my increasingly crappier laptop may explode if I try to run them.

[mjomble]

I'm a huge fan of the two first "Fallout"-games, which is odd, since I'm generally not very interested in RPGs. I think it's the retro-future post-apocalyptic setting.

Yeah, the setting's awesome. It's the only thing that made me endure the gameplay mechanics, which I felt made the game almost unplayable at times.

Though most people who liked the first two are not particularly fond of the new direction, so I guess it's a matter of taste.

 

Wait... are we going off topic by discussing actual games in a thread about game music that was split off by becoming too off topic in a thread about actual games?

[Frede]

Admittedly, I do like what I have seen from the third game. Like the whole concept of Megaton, for instance. I'm guessing I'd still prefer the gameplay of the first two, but at least it's not "Fallout Tactics" all over again.

 

Oh, and to get this back on-topic, I have completely neglected to mention the "Hitman" soundtracks. Huge bummer that Jesper Kyed isn't returning for the fifth game. His soundtracks for the first four games rank as some of the best and most memorable that have ever been written.

[pcj]

Yeah, the whole Fallout series is amazing. And its soundtracks.

[Frede]

I renewed my "Fallout"-addiction this weekend. I'd completely forgotten just how nightmarish some of this music is. I'm not afraid to admit that some of these cues still give me the chills, and honestly, I think most of the eerie atmosphere of the first two games can be attributed to Mark Morgan's soundtracks. They really do evoke the feeling of a scorched Earth.

[Sslaxx]

Mark Morgan was known to me mostly for Zork: Nemesis, so it was pretty nice to hear some of his motifs used in the Fallout 1 and 2 soundtracks.