30 day video game challenge day 8

Samus has obscure tastes

     When asked which game has the best soundtrack, I very nearly fell into the same trap that I have blundered into so blatantly throughout this blog. I almost chose another Zelda game. But this is a multimedia blog, well sort of, and not a Zelda blog. It is an easy trap to fall for however when you take into consideration that during the vast majority of JRPGs you will find yourself adrift in an ocean of elevator music. No, an ocean is too calming of a comparison. Envisage an ocean of sandpaper and chalkboards and you will be closer to the ear bleeding monotony that I am trying to convey. So despite Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask and Wind Waker all sharing fantastically imaginative and catchy soundtracks bursting with charming folk ditties and haunting orchestral melodies, I have broken the spell and opted for something completely different.Up yours conventionalism.
                         
     In my opinion, Metroid Primes OST serves most effectively as a game soundtrack. It ties in seamlessly with the environment, theme and pace of the game. It is so smooth and naturalistic in fact that you may not even notice it at first. I know this seems strange but it is more commonly the terrible soundtracks that stand out as you will have noticed your eardrums evacuating the vicinity and chances are it is enough to make you switch off the game, or drown it out with your own soundtrack. And by that I mean putting on your own music, not singing karaoke loudly over the top of it. I mean that could work I suppose, whatever floats your boat. But I digress, what makes Metroid's soundtrack so successful is its bond with the game itself. I believe the game would be considerably less playable with a different soundtrack, the music of Metroid effectively attunes to the sci-fi theme yet also manages to achieve a completely unique and alien sound further enhancing the immersion of the game. The environment appears more convincingly other worldly simply through the use of a subtly ambient soundtrack. I will provide a few examples; this piece is the general theme for the vast icy region. Somehow it even sounds like ice. And that is absurd because ice does not have a sound, but there it is. I said it. Tell me you don't hear it and I will show you a liar. And here is essentially the first thing you will hear after crash landing on a hostile and alien world. For some reason that does not seem strange, it feels like exactly the sort of thing you would hear on a different planet, right? Well, assuming you crash land next to some sort of extra terrestrial iTunes. With Apple I am sure it is possible. Incidentally, Aliens seem to enjoy their techno. I approve.

    The Halo series has achieved a similar feat with via the genius of Marty O'donnell and his trademark orchestral approach to a sci-fi soundtrack. Success is often measured by familiarity, and I am sure everyone recognises the Halo theme. Halo has even spawned some of the most creative and memorable promotions within the gaming industry, such as this lovely piece. However I can't help but think think that ship sank when big names such as Steve Vai and Breaking Benjamin were invited along to cheese things up a little. The evocative chanting tied in perfectly with the completely bizarre yet brilliantly unique design of Halo's ring world, let your imagination run wild- introducing known artists and familiar genres spoiled the experience somewhat. If I wanted metal versions of my favorite game soundtracks I would have performed terrible cover versions myself as a troubled teenager. This is where Metroid comes out trumps for me. Immersion is key for making a memorable and replayable game, and a soundtrack can be surprisingly make or break for immersion levels. Of course if you wanted to take easy street, you could just follow the examples of Grand Theft Auto and Saints Row by filling your game with 80s hits- thus making everything ten times more amusing when your killing sprees and rampages are accompanied by Bonnie Tyler's Holding out for a Hero and some other of the planets most absurd tunes.