CHENNAI: In a world that is dominated by massive online multiplayers with lots of explosions and clanging metals, it is necessary to hit the non-existent pause button and attempt to appreciate the finer things in life. Based on some games I’ve played recently, I’m going to credit them for their excellence in background music.
● Great in-game, but unmemorable post-game: Uncharted Lost Legacy, Call of Duty WW2, all had good music during gameplay – fitted in well with the mood of the game. Like, they played the right beats for a crazy shooting sequence, and then mellowed it during the ceasefire. But once the game was off, the soundtrack doesn’t linger in your head and trigger memories of the game.
● Most realistic: It’s been a while since GTA V and IV, but I’d still give them the prize for the best ‘realistic’ soundtrack. You spend a lot of time on vehicles driving from one location to another, and based on the mission it becomes necessary for you to set your own style. GTA is realistic as it mimics the sound of the external environments and offers a variety of radio channels, so you can select the one playing that perfect rock song while you push a truck off a bridge, or the smoothest of jazz when you are running away from cops.
● Iconic: Ranked right on top of my list, with the classics (Pokemon Emerald battle music and the theme of the old Super Mario) is the soundtrack of Cuphead, the toughest platformer with the best artwork I’ve seen so far. The merit of the game’s music is that despite being sort of repetitive, you can’t play the platformer without the music (I can mute the sound in CoD and still get my wins, but the same doesn’t work here). Influenced by Duke Ellington and other greats, the soundtrack uses the 1930s style swing music, performed by an entire orchestra of musicians. Each level has a different track associated with it — and since they are so difficult to complete, the effect of music repetition keeps the tunes stuck in your head, even after you’re done with the game. Maybe that’s the key to a game staying relevant — investing in violins over violence.
Anusha Ganapathi
@quaffle_waffle
(This economics graduate spends her leisure time preparing for the zombie apocalypse)