Sandbox Mode: The Creative Side of Video Game Soundtracks

Gamers have always been fascinated with video game music. For some, it evokes the memory of playing games in the living room on a Saturday morning. For others, as world-renowned video game composer Inon Zur says, “You really feel that it’s personal. It’s about you, and it’s about your achievement.”

In my article, “Level Up: The Evolution of Video Game Music,” I talked about the background and technical gear involved in gaming music’s birth. However, I didn’t tell the tale of the composers who made everything possible. From Emmy and NYX Award–winning composers to indie game musicians and developers, all strive for the same goal: to entertain and delight while capturing a mood that suits the game’s genre. I had the pleasure of peeking behind the curtain and interviewing some composers to get their insights on the matter.

Why Video Game Soundtracks Are So ImportantWhat About Gamers?Going Back to Your RootsHow It All BeganCapturing the SoundsBringing the Past to Life

Why Video Game Soundtracks Are So Important

The most critical aspect of a video game is its original soundtrack, commonly referred to as the “OST,” as each piece plays a specific role while also seamlessly blending everything together. It can be challenging to achieve because if even one piece feels out of place, then it can disappoint a once enjoyable experience.

While every game will have a catchy theme — along with level- or location-specific components — different characters will often have a theme song as well. In addition to dialog, this music helps to build a character’s story arc and can most certainly set the mood. One recent example of this comes from the award-winning gameDetroit: Become Human.

Detroit: Become Human – Behind The Music

Indie game developer Jacob Foxe of Verdancy Vale reveals why he thinks soundtracks are so important. “Soundtracks offer a sort of unchallengeable way of providing a connection between the player and the game. Composers can set a mood, direct tonal shifts, cue character themes, and so much more, and I think players can pick up on those mood changes far more quickly than they ever could with dialogue and/or graphics alone,” he says.

Darren Korb of Hades, Bastion, and Pyre agrees. “I think game soundtracks have a shortcut into people’s hearts. The repetition, the context, the emotional connection — all of that stuff gives game music a head start, so to speak, on people becoming attached to it. I also think the interactivity of the music with your play experience can make the music feel personal in a pretty unique way.”

Emmy Award–winning composer Inon Zur of the Dragon Age Series, Syberia, and the Fallout Series provides some insight on the topic as well. He explains, “When you are watching movies or TV, you’re leaning back and watching, whereas when you’re playing video games, you are actually leaning forward. And you know you’re at the edge of the chair, unlike movies and TV. In video games, you’re actually part of the action.

“…Todd Howard just said in one of his latest Starfield interviews that one thing that is so special about video games is every time you play, you could say that you achieved something when you knew there was a goal, and you were able to conquer a goal and be rewarded for that. This is something that is so great about video games that just doesn’t exist in other media.”

Into the Starfield – Ep.1: The Endless Pursuit

Into the Starfield Ep.3: The Sound of Adventure

What About Gamers?

So, we’ve seen what composers think. But what about the end users? They’re the ones who the game is targeting, after all. So, I asked them. And these gamers all offered very similar opinions.

One responds, “Visuals and gameplay alone can’t convey the entirety of a game’s environment and vibe.” Others say that it’s “a supplement that makes it more immersive to others” and that “audio cues spark a certain emotion or feeling.”

Going Back to Your Roots

Have you ever wondered what game video composers first remember playing? Did the soundtrack stick with them? Or did they continue playing out of sheer enjoyment? Most importantly, did it inspire them to begin writing music? Of course, technical evolution means that each game is a product of its time, but it also provides an idea of how the composers first began writing music for video games.

NYX Award–winning and VGMO-nominated freelance composer Chase Bethea chimes in on the topic. “The first video game I remember playing was at my childhood friend Joshua’s house, on his dad’s PC. We played Wheel of Fortune on MS-DOS or Dragonfire on the Intellivision. However, it wasn’t until I played Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on Sega Genesis and Donkey Kong ’94 that the soundtrack impacted me.”

Sonic the Hedgehog 2: Original Soundtrack

Donkey Kong ’94: Original Soundtrack

Foxe brings up one of the most popular OSTs of the late ’90s and early ’00s: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. “This soundtrack had such a way of taking me on an adventure when I was a child, and I’m still captured by that magic of listening to the music while programming, gaming, or exercising.”

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Original Soundtrack

How It All Began

Every artist — whether painter, author, or musician — has an origin story. Remember in the second grade when the teacher asked you what you wanted to be when you grew up? Oftentimes, it would be a doctor, professional athlete, astronaut, or firefighter. What about composers? Did they ever imagine composing music for video games? I was surprised by their answers, as none of them really expected this opportunity or artistic work to come their way.

“Not really! I grew up loving and playing games since I was about five years old. I started singing around the same time and began playing guitar and writing music around 11 or 12. I started playing in bands and eventually studied recording. Those interests didn’t intersect for me until my childhood friend asked me to do all the audio and music for this little indie game he was making, which ended up being Bastion!” says Korb when asked about his introduction to writing soundtracks.

Bastion: Original Soundtrack

Bethea says he followed a similar path. “I didn’t imagine writing soundtracks. However, I did imagine my music being part of something more. From 2001, many peers and colleagues told me that my music sounded like it should be in a video game. So, in 2009, I decided to pursue it. I certainly would have composed for games way sooner if I knew it was a career.

“I realized in 2008 that I wanted to work in the video game industry, and it clicked when I was working at Music Plus Television or Vlaze [Media Networks]. I had composed some orchestral music for a video clip, and a college friend told me that it sounded similar to Castle Crashers. From there, I researched the game, compared the music to mine, and realized I can do this. So, I began to pursue my career in video games.”

Zur, on the other hand, started his career as a film and TV composer, and just like the others, he didn’t necessarily expect the opportunity. He recounts, “I was writing lots of music for Power Rangers and other TV programs, and I liked it but was missing more depth when it came to writing music and recording orchestras. And then, the opportunity presented itself, but not in the way I thought it would because I didn’t know anything about video games at this time. I wasn’t a gamer. I was definitely not into video games, and I didn’t even know that there was any serious music attached to video games.

“So, when I received the call from the person who became my mentor and agent for many years, Bob Rice, he asked me if I wanted to write music for video games. The first thing I said was, ‘No, thank you. I’m not interested.’ But you know what? He said, ‘Do you know anything about it?’ I said, ‘No, I don’t.’ Then, he started sending me examples, and the more I listened and the more I went into it, it was like, ‘Wow. This is something that I definitely want to try,’ because I remember he sent me a Star Trek live orchestra that Ron Jones recorded.

“‘Cool! I’d love to do this.’ So we soon had an opportunity, and the first game I did was Star Trek: Klingon Academy, and I actually ended up recording the Seattle Symphony for that, and it was really a breakthrough.”

Star Trek: Klingon Academy Original Soundtrack

Capturing the Sounds

Creating video game soundtracks requires not only time and patience but also great gear. From 1978 up until about the early ’90s, musicians generated music using synth chips, MIDI, and samples. However, there has been a drastic shift. Because gear has become more easily accessible to the public, more composers now can record virtually anything they want or need and take advantage of hardware and software that wasn’t available before.

In a recent interview, Zur, a Steinberg Cubase user, said that he didn’t need the most expensive software. Each musician’s workflow is different, so even having a few sound libraries on hand will help provide layers and layers until you can find the perfect sound.

Bethea, another Cubase user, not only utilizes unique instruments, like tabletop chimes and pan flutes, but he also works with software plug-ins, like the Roland ZENOLOGY, Ilio instruments, and the PluginGuru Unify.

How I Composed – “Concrete Rose” – Cubase to ELIAS

Others, like Foxe, have a setup with a MIDI keyboard and an M-Audio AIR 192 audio interface, and they record with the Image Line FL Studio, which includes a plethora of instruments and samples.

Though Korb has plenty of gear nowadays and also has recorded at the famous Abbey Road Studios, his primary studio setup is 500 Series hardware connected to his Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 recording interface, along with his go-to mics, the AKG C414 XLII and Shure SM7B. He uses guitars like the Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul and also uses a Moog Matriarch.

Bringing the Past to Life

From orchestras to guitarists to even big bands, one thing is clear: classic soundtracks have forever impacted the music world. Zur explains why this is. “The old video game scores are great. We still play them because we still love them. Unlike music for movies that are dictated by the picture, you’re not locked to the picture in games,” he says.

Here are just a few of many examples that prove video game soundtracks help inspire and entertain audiences around the world:

Legend of Zelda Theme (PAX East 2014)

Super Mario Bros Meets Metal

Tetris Theme – Contemporary Big Band/Clussical Fusion Verion (The 8-Bit Big Band)

Wrapping Up

Whether there is a cutscene or a part of a level that builds more tension with silence, or there is too much distracting dialogue or noise, the soundtrack is the one thing that can truly make or break the game. So, the next time you launch a game, turn off your external music and then start playing — it just isn’t the same without the soundtrack. It’s not just the graphics or the plot; the music makes you feel like you’re a part of the game.

If there is gear you need to help you create video game scores, then please call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700, and they’ll gladly assist you in acquiring everything you need.
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