We talk a lot about video games. We love playing them, learning how they are made, and talking to other fans about them. We talk to a lot of developers about the making of games, but one kind of creator that tends to get left out of the conversation is game composers.
The sound and music in games are just as important to the overall experience as level design, narrative, visuals, or some of the other, flashier and more conspicuous aspects. Whether you're working on a small indie title or a large AAA title with hundreds of hours of gameplay, sound design, scores, and soundtracks are what keep the player tuned in and engaged. Good sound makes a game feel whole, but great sound can change a game and the player forever.
This is something we want to celebrate. This week, the teams at Windows Central and iMore are taking a look at the video game music that defined us and the composers who made it. We delve into why game music can be powerful, what goes into making the best scores in the business, and even just some of our favorite tracks for fun.
More importantly, we learned how key to game development music composition can be, and what developers can do to make their audio just that much better.
- Jesper Kyd's iconic work on Assassin's Creed 2 remains a gold standard for soundtracks
- Why NieR: Automata's Ending E soundtrack is a masterpiece
- What makes for great game music? Inside Ori, Halo Infinite development with Gareth Coker
- The story behind the Old Gods of Asgard, Remedy Entertainment's favorite band
- Evil Dead: The Game composers on bringing the grisly sounds of the franchise to a new generation
- Why The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's sound design is perfect
- Kingdom Hearts is more than Simple and Clean
Have some game music you want to shout out? Tweet at us at @WCGamingTweets and @iMore and let us know some of our favorites.
