How gaming soundtracks set the mood for your gameplay experience
5 min read
Soundtracks truly add a special touch to many parts of the gaming experience. Whether you’re relaxing at home with your favourite console games and a Spotify playlist, or searching for casino slot games with a mellow or high tempo soundtrack, soundtracks can be the foundation that helps you wind down and settle into the gaming groove.
This applies right across the gaming industry, though. You could be sitting in a board game cafe with friends, having some food and some drinks, and the music is keeping everything bouncing along at a nice tempo. Other gaming soundtracks are used to instill feelings of dread, horror, or a party-like atmosphere. Some games have become iconic for their soundtracks and are still celebrated decades after their release.
However, in the modern gaming world, with numerous options and multiple ways of playing, ranging from physical games to online platforms and immersive technologies like Virtual Reality (VR), how do they set the tone in contemporary gaming, and how can they dictate the mood for your broader experience?
How developers leverage music to enhance their designs
Irrespective of the types of games you enjoy, you’ll be hard-pressed to find popular titles that don’t have some sort of soundtrack that helps to drive the overarching theme of the design. Gaming experts cite it as one of the most essential variables when breaking down the quality of a gaming title. Music plays a key role in conveying the aura and bringing out the overall image that the product is trying to project.
Picking apart some examples
Even if we dissect a couple of popular slot gaming themes, we can see the differences between them by simply looking at their music. Candy-themed slot games often have a high-tempo, bouncy soundtrack. It helps to accentuate the lightness of the theme and the overall positive connotations that many people associate with desserts, sweets, and similar treats.
Irish-themed games, which often delve into Irish mythology – such as the legend of pots of gold at the end of the rainbow and leprechauns – typically feature a soundtrack driven by woodwinds, evoking the sound of traditional Irish instruments. This helps to layer the theme on multiple levels subconsciously.
If we’re looking at slot games that have acquired the image rights for a popular TV or movie show, then they will use the music to maximise their initial investment and ensure that gamers recognise their branding rights. Game of Thrones, one of the biggest shows of the century, is an example of this.
Although the TV show has been commodified to a point beyond saturation and seems to have more spinoffs with each passing year, its presence in slot gaming and the use of its music are instantly recognisable. All of this is finely tuned to evoke a feeling of nostalgia, familiarity, and an exhilarating connection (at least for seasons 1 to 4) – and ultimately, sets the mood, making gamers comfortable to play as they are familiar with the show and its soundtrack. These feelings of nostalgia are triggered, of course, depending on what generation you belong to. Some music and sounds will provide a sense of familiarity to some, whilst doing nothing for others. It’s just the same in the casino world. Gambling Trends by Generation are an interesting thing to familiarise yourself with when identifying which games you might get along with best.
The power of soundtracks that set the mood
The gaming industry is such a colossal juggernaut of a global presence that there is literally something for everyone. Even people who claim they do not enjoy gaming will find something they enjoy if they look (or listen) closely enough. Traditionally speaking, gaming was viewed as a hobby or pastime, reserved for those who had the time and money to invest in expensive PCs or home video game consoles.
Nowadays, whether it’s casino gaming, an XBOX or PlayStation game, or a high-spec PC title, there are dozens of prominent genres. Games that genuinely push the boundaries in their genre exemplify the perfect execution of music integration.
Games like Resident Evil remain memorable nearly 25 years on because of the soundtracks they had. The unique blend of ambient music and, in later games, artists who are still going strong, such as Depeche Mode (who even had a song featured in a recent Marvel show), helped introduce a new generation of gamers to older music.
The macabre, spooky feeling of games like Resident Evil was in stark contrast to the serene songs and ambient music that played during the loading screens. In other iconic games, such as Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and San Andreas, the soundtracks featured classic tunes from a diverse range of genres, including Dr. Dre, Toto, and more recently, artists who still perform global arena tours, like Robbie Williams.
For a generation of gamers, these soundtracks didn’t just set the mood; they introduced us to new artists that we now listen to regularly, and there’s a nostalgic element that only the greatest games can muster up. They go beyond setting the mood and etch into our psyche for decades, so getting the music right remains one of the most crucial elements of game design.
Final thoughts
Gaming soundtracks have been a seminal part of the industry for nearly 50 years now. While their impact and value have never been more critical than in the age of console gaming and online casino gaming, they ultimately make up one piece of the overall experience. A game could have a 10/10 soundtrack, but if it doesn’t deliver with its design and its overall fundamentals, then it’s going to get stale pretty quickly.
Likewise, if a game has a flawless design and playing experience, then a soundtrack that can help add that extra bit of special appeal is the icing on the cake. Ultimately, games have evolved to such an extent that it’s not simply a matter of a handful of songs that help define them, especially in console gaming. You can connect your own Spotify or Apple Music account to your system and listen to your preferred music.
However, in the world of casinos, particularly in slot gaming, it remains a hugely important element. It can be the unique selling point that helps a game stand out in a highly competitive global environment
::: RenownedForSound.com’s Editor and Founder –
Interviewing and reviewing the best in new music and globally recognized artists is his passion.
Over the years he has been lucky enough to review thousands of music releases and concerts and interview artists ranging from top selling superstars like 27-time Grammy Award winner Alison Krauss, Boyz II Men, Roxette, Cyndi Lauper, Lisa Loeb and iconic Eagles front man/songwriter, Glenn Frey through to more recent successes including Newton Faulkner, Janelle Monae and Caro Emerald.
Brendon manages and coordinates the amazing team of writers on RenownedForSound.com who are based in the UK, the U.S and Australia.
