Does music/sound make a game great to you?

Communities Gaming
1

This is in the PC gaming section but it really applies to all platforms.

In the past year and a half now since I joined the PC gaming scene I have played quite a lot of indie games as well as some bigger titles. Many different genres, styles, mechanics, and atmospheres, though the music and sound in the games always seem more prevalent to me than the visual aspect. There have been a few cases so far in which I found myself liking a game more than I would have otherwise because I enjoyed the audio. Playing a game with somewhat bland mechanics is made altogether that much better because of the music and sound; specifically, Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery, Super Hexagon, and Proteus to name a few. To me, the audio is the most important reason why I enjoy a game.

Sword & Sworcery is a game where you walk around, look at stuff, solve a few puzzles, and fight a few enemies. Not all that much is actually going on when you are solving the puzzles. Walking around is kind of boring but not when listening to Dark Flute or Lone Star, by Jim Guthrie, from the soundtrack. The battles with the Gold Trigons are epic solely because of the track that plays during those fights. Aside from the beautiful art style, the music itself made the game one of my favorites.

Imagine how long you would play Super Hexagon if it had no music. It would have the same mechanics and visuals, but it would be a lot less interesting if those upbeat chiptunes were removed. I have turned off the music before and, while it may actually help in beating a level, the game just feels lifeless without it. The games does have some replayability because of the difficulty but this title is one I've put over twenty-five hours into. The music added that much replayability.

Proteus is a game where you walk around and look at the environment. That is all. Normally I would have passed on the game but after playing it for a few minutes and noticed how the world reacted to me via the music changing actually gave the game more replayability than it initially had. Not to say I played the game that much, I actually did go back a few times to the game because of the dynamic soundtrack.

There are a lot of other titles I feel that do music and sound incredibly well, like FTL, Risk of Rain, Bastion, and The Swapper, to name a few more. Even Planetside 2's long loading times are made tolerable with its loading screen music. Red Orchestra 2 makes every event during a match feel like it has an impact with the accompanying music.

 

Now that my reasoning is explained, how much do you value the audio in video games? Does it make or break a game for you?

2

Audio is one of the most important factor for me when playing an RPG game. It would take out all immersion when playing a game if there wasn't a good soundtrack. Shooter games, not so much. I would normally be too busy shooting someone to care.

3

I find myself putting increasing amounts of value into audio but it is not a gamebreaker for me. Simply because whilst immersed in a game I consume the music passively. Music is like a genius bass player; underrated and the song will be crap without him.

4

Music is very important.  It can make a good game great or vice versa.  It very much lends to the atmosphere, pacing, mod, and just general enjoyment.  Never underestimate the value of a good soundtrack.

5

If a game has bad music/audio thats a dealbreaker for me. Good audio makes a game, I don't care how good graphically the game is, or how fun the gameplay is, if my ears are not happy, I am not happy.

6

Yes, but sometimes silence can create an incredible atmosphere too. After many play-through's of Dark Souls, the music had started to get on my nerves so I turned it off. It was around this time that I purchased the Artorias of the Abyss DLC, 

I reached the point in the game where you enter this large coliseum like structure and face the legendary warrior, Knight Artorias. The lack of music in that instance made the fight incredible. You could have heard a pin drop. A fifteen minute (or so) long battle, and all that could be heard was the scuffing of feet, the clashing of weapons and Artorias' creepy breathing, all in this large arena in which every sound echoed off the walls. It was the most tense battle I've ever had in a game and one of those moments I'll never forget, and all because I turned the music down.

 

 

7

60% of what people experience with movies is sound so why not expect the same for video games?

8

I do love games that have good soundtracks and good sound design in general.

That said, I enjoy most music in games (although there are those that stand out, e.g. Bastion), and while some sounds can really get on my nerves, I rarely quit a game based on the music and sound.

9

For me it does. An awesome sountrack goes far in my book.

10

The examples I provided were to detail my own experiences in how I viewed the impact of audio in some games.

The questions were to see how other people value it in comparison to gameplay or story or art style or any other factors in games.

It would be nice if you would share your opinion on this topic too.

11

Great audio on a game is essential for me because i need fuel for my 200Watt Woofer. Command and Conquer Red alert has always had good music which makes the game. also so does the impossible game and others. i  see it as just as important as visuals 

12

Pretty much, I hate ear-raping or bad sounding games so much, that I wont play them even with the volume down sometimes

13

Yes, good sound design is crucial to the games atmosphere, it plays a large role in the immersion factor