Most game music these days is boring. I'm sorry, but it's true.
Series like Resistance and Call of Duty are all good fun, but it’s unlikely that you’d hear the music out of context and recognize it -- and to me, that feels like a failing...
...I can hardly remember the themes of any American game titles from the last two console generations, even in cases where melody would be warranted.
The question I'd like to ask is: Should videogame music aspire to be easily recognized as such out of context? Furthermore, does it need to be in order to be successful?
To those of us that have grown up gaming, this track (skip to 1:22, past the much talked about J-pop song) from Street Fighter IV just sounds like game music. I don't know how to describe exactly, but when the electric guitar comes in, I know without a doubt that it's music from a game.
In contrast, neither of these pieces have that effect on me, and one of them (from Morrowind) is one of my favorite tracks from all of video games. Both are beautiful orchestral pieces that are an evolutionary step beyond the chiptunes of yore. Personally, I would like to see a larger percentage of games write full orchestral scores -- currently, many critically praised games have soundtracks that are less than memorable. Just look at these games as an example. Notice that this issue isn't limited by genre -- arcade shoot-em-ups can have great music also.
What are other people's opinions about the subject? Does gaming demand overt presentation of melody in its music? Or are more subtle approaches effective? What's your take on orchestral vs. electronic scores?
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