Musical Masterpieces in Gaming

Video games are primarily visual in their artistry, featuring vast detailed worlds and distinct art styles that draw players deeper into the digital experience. However, it must be acknowledged that music in gaming is just as important as the  graphics, art style or plot. Music is as important to the game’s atmosphere and tone as any visual brushstroke, as music has the ability to captivate people and color the world with emotion. Certain video game franchises are not only revered for their characters and gameplay, but also for their legendary melodies that become instantly recognizable to gamers (and sometimes non-gamers as well). The Super Mario Bros. theme is one of the best examples of a universally recognizable video game theme that instantly calls to mind images of the stout Italian plumber hopping his way over chasms and Koopas to save his beloved princess.

Aside from the series-defining themes, some of the most memorable and powerful pieces of video game music are those that perfectly match the atmosphere of the game, tug at your emotions and accompany key moments of the plot. There are so many great songs that could be discussed, but I’ll just stick to a few examples. These songs also happen to be among my top favorites.

1. Dancing Mad - Final Fantasy VI- First up is the final boss theme from Final Fantasy VI, which played as you faced off against the insane Kefka Palazzo. Composed by Nobuo Uematsu, this masterpiece of synthesized pipe organ is also the longest boss theme in the entire Final Fantasy series with a whopping 18 minute run-time. The piece has four distinct parts, each symbolizing a different level to the mad designs of Kefka and detailing his ascension to godhood.
2. Song of Healing – Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask- This next piece by Koji Kondo is a great piece that tugs at your heart strings. As the name suggests, this is the melody that Link would play on his Ocarina to help soothe and heal the bodies and souls of those tainted by darkness or sorrow by turning their afflictions into masks. The song is slow, gentle and melancholy with just a small dash of hope lingering on the edge of the notes.
3. Earth – Assassin’s Creed 2- This is a triumph of atmospheric sound. Jesper Kyd brings back the soft synth, instrumentation and chorus that he dazzled us with in Assassin’s Creed. This time the track has an extra sense of mystery about it, as well as a sense of urgency. The song is a audio characterization of the Assassins and their struggle to maintain truth and justice against the Templar Knights. A struggle that can especially be seen through the newest Assassin that we are introduced to in Assassin’s Creed II: Ezio Auditore da Firenze.
4. Aqua’s Theme- Kingdom Hearts : Birth by Sleep- This is a somber piece that serves as the theme for the Keyblade Master Aqua. Yoko Shimomura crafted a theme with heavy tones of sorrow and weariness that matched the sacrifices and struggles that Aqua endured while trying to ensure the safety of her friends from the dark plans of Master Xehanort. Unfortunately, she was unable to prevent either of her friends from falling into darkness and her song reflects her ill-fated journey as she attempted to find and protect her friends.
5. The Sun Rises – Okami- This is one of the most uplifting pieces I have heard in a video game. Playing as the goddess Amaterasu with all her powers restored, you take on the Emperor of Darkness, Yami. The quick , upbeat tempo perfectly embodies the heroic final struggle that Amaterasu makes against the ultimate antagonist that has been plaguing the world. Masami Ueda and Hiroshi Yamaguchi’s use of traditional Japanese instruments here shines alongside Amaterasu as she battles Yami to determine the fate of heaven and earth.

The Evolution of Final Fantasy

The Final Fantasy series is one of the most beloved video game franchises today and is responsible with pioneering several concepts that would soon become standard for the RPG genre, such as the Active Time Battle (ATB) System. What also sets the Final Fantasy series apart from other RPG franchises is that each Final Fantasy title stands alone in terms of characters, story, gameplay and setting. This differentiation between Final Fantasy games means that most fans have their own personal favorites with the title of “Best Final Fantasy Game” a continuing subject of debate between hardcore fans.

Early Final Fantasy games all featured traditional medieval fantasy themes in terms of their artwork and setting. The character designs were relatively simple based on classic medieval  archetypes with knights, mages and mythical beasts. The medieval aesthetic continued until Final Fantasy VI where the art style shifted towards a more technological, science fiction atmosphere. This is primarily the because the artist in charge of design, Yoshitaka Amano stepped down as lead character, image and graphic designer. While FF VI was still set within a magical fantasy universe with Amano’s trademark style that features vibrant colors and wispy lines, there was an new industrial steampunk look to the game’s setting.

Following Amano’s departure, Tetsuya Nomura took over as lead character designer for the Final Fantasy series as well as eventually overseeing many other of Square Enix’s projects. Nomura brought a more Anime aesthetic to the Final Fantasy franchise and expanded on the sci-fi atmosphere that was briefly touched on in FF VI. From Final Fantasy VII onward, with a few exceptions, the majority of Final Fantasy games (Not counting the spin-off titles) feature a fusion of science fiction conventions with traditional fantasy elements. The most recent example of this is Final Fantasy XIII, which is set in the technologically advanced world of Cocoon ruled over by Fal’Cie, supernatural beings whose design is mechanical in appearance.

It seems to me that this trend towards a more “futuristic fantasy” is a reflection of the technological age we find ourselves living in now. After so many forays into the traditional fantasy universe, it seems that game developers like Square Enix are looking for fresh ways to present RPGs. As a genre that places particular emphasis on character development and story this type of thematic experimentation is welcome as it provides gamers with fresh visual experiences while delivering the classic FF gameplay and innovation that they expect from the series.

Interactive Adventures

The earliest games were simple distractions. Games like Tetris, Pong, Space Wars and Tennis for Two were small amusements that tinkering engineers had managed to construct. As the technology evolved, so did the quality of games.

Today we now have games that are the equivalent of blockbuster films in their popularity and appeal. Games like Bioshock, Mass Effect, Portal, Okami and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion are examples of games that are commonly appraised as being masterpieces of design, gameplay and storytelling.

Of course one of the challenges of judging games on this level is the fact that there are different genres. And with each genre comes a certain amount of unique expectations.  I highly doubt that an RPG like Final Fantasy will be expected to reach the amount of blood-pounding action as an FPS. I’m not saying that there is no action to be found in RPGs, but you won’t necessarily be needing hair-trigger reflexes as you would in a hectic Call of Duty team deathmatch.

That said, some of the best games contain elements of different videogame genres. Mass Effect is a great example of this, with its FPS action, RPG customization and Action-Adventure exploration. All of these characteristics are combined seamlessly with a deep and engaging story to create a novel experience for gamers. After all, who doesn’t love saving the universe from disaster? Though I guess for most gamers, saving the universe from utter destruction is pretty old hat by now.

For me, that involved experience is also what makes gaming so  much fun. This is why it has grown so much in the past few decades as an entertainment form and an art form. The interactivity of the experience is arguably the core of gaming’s appeal. In books and movies, we are merely observers watching the action unfold on the screen and in our imaginations. In games, no such wall divides the audience from the action. We become that space marine or wizard or Japanese high school student and their struggles becomes our own. This is especially true for RPGs which focus on immersive gameplay and plots more than the other genres. This also goes a ways towards explaining why so many grown men shed a tear when Aeris died in Final Fantasy VII (I’m not admitting anything here).

Looking  ahead, there are a lot of upcoming games that hope to exceed the success of their predecessors

To name a few:

• Mass Effect 3
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
• Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
• Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
• Batman: Arkham City

I’m cannot wait to see what these and other games hold in store and I’m looking forward to an interesting year in gaming.