Gaming has been rewarding in many ways from the occasional rich storyline to incredibly fun game mechanics. However, music has become more and more of an integral part of gaming and games. Some older games like Fallout and its sequel had oldies in them setting the unique memorable mood for the games. I for one could not play Fallout 2 without the wonderful intro with Louis Armstrong’s A Kiss To Build A Dream on. No one can deny the fact that the song contributes a great deal to the Fallout universe.
The best thing about the music in games is the rewarding feeling of discovering a new band or a fantastic song. The first band and song that I remember the best is Late Goodbye that was based on a poem written by Sam Lake (Sami Järvi) who many concider the mastermind behind the Max Payne games. Performed by Poets Of The Fall the song gave flight to the ending credits making Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne a damn fine film-noir game experience. Also it provided a very significant lift to the band, which consequently has been successful with every single album so far thanks fans worldwide much gained by the game.
Perhaps my favourite is Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater’s ending credits. If you’re an MGS-fan you’ll have one teary experience at the end of the game. Starsailor’s Way To Fall was the best way to the end the game. The song telling the always-heart trembling story of Snake and Big Boss. To me Way To Fall was a song about a father and a son, Big Boss and Solid Snake and how they both were so deceived by the ones they served. A wonderful ode to the relationship between the two.
Most recent finding was Faunt’s M4 part 2 which fit the mood and vibe of Mass Effect spot on. The song itself fits the story and setting as well. For me, M4 part 2 is about war. Losing your comrade and trying to fight alone in a setting where you can’t win.
Great songs come with great games. I continue to look forward to that.
