The Music of Borderlands
Sat, 08/08/2009 - 00:54
A myriad of elements go into making a videogame.
Game developers must incorporate graphics, art, design, acting, and many others to create an interactive experience for the people playing their games. Developers are expected to combine all of these elements into one seamless package in a time frame of less than a few years.
The ability to incorporate all of these pieces of the puzzle is the difference between a good game and a great game. One element that is occasionally overlooked by developers is a game’s soundtrack.
What I Like To See In Music in Video Games
Music can make or break a set piece within a game, or be an important factor in an entire project. Up until recent years, a game was lucky to have a soundtrack that wasn’t simply a thrown together mash of bleeps and bloops.
That has changed. One popular release, Halo 3, had a soundtrack composed on par with many movies. When the right song is paired with a certain level or scene in a game, it can be an experience the player holds with them days, weeks, months, or even years later. These examples can be found during actual game play or during cut scenes, and can have huge effects on the gamer's experience.
One Example of Excellent Music Use (HL2 Spoilers)
So far my favorite example of music setting the pace for a scene in a game is in Half Life 2: Episode 2. In the chapter This Vortal Coil, Gordon Freeman has been fighting to keep his friend, Alyx Vance, from dying after being attacked by a giant insect called an Antlion. After finding a special Antlion larval extract with the help of a group of aliens called Vortigaunts, Gordon returns to his friend in an attempt to save her life.
While a group of Vortigaunts use the extract to keep Alyx alive, Gordon, another group of Vortigaunts and two others desperately defend against a horde of angry Antlions coming from every direction. At this point in the game, the song Vortal Combat kicks in, and a heated battle ensues. This was a huge turning point the game, in both plot and atmosphere. The storyline was at a crescendo, the pacing was absolutely perfect for the given situation, and the soundtrack couldn’t have been better.
Gearbox's Track Record: Brothers in Arms
“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; for he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother;” – Shakespeare’s Henry V
When I think of the Brothers in Arms series, and I hear the music in those games, this quote always comes to mind. I strongly believe that this quote sums up the theme of the games, which is bond between men during times of war. Brothers in Arms is a series of games developed by Gearbox Software, the same studio that is currently making Borderlands.
I think Gearbox hit the nail on the head when it comes to the soundtrack for these games. Listening to the theme of the first game, I can hear where the composer wanted to evoke those emotions most people experience when they think of war. Resounding choruses of trumpets backed by persistent rolls on snare drums really stick out for me, but I can still hear the tympani keeping a steady pace for everything. Even subtle additions like the flutters of flutes and clarinets shine through to add some variety. The whole package really fits with the theme and pace of the game.
What to Expect From Borderlands
Very little information has been released about the music of Borderlands. The only sources of information for music in the game are the game trailers and the very little game play footage that only consists of audio from the game with no one talking over it.
The impression I’m getting is that the game’s soundtrack will consist of fast-paced songs fitting the action of the game, with heavy use of guitar and percussion. It also sounds like some of the lighter songs will have some middle-eastern and/or African influences. The first trailer for the game showcased very fast-paced, percussion-driven music with light vocal additions. However, this musical style may have changed.
“When we made the decision to go over the top with the art style, to actually bring forward our concepts, that decision brought with it all the attitude and all the style and all the character, and even the humor of that concept art," says Randy Pitchford, President and CEO of Gearbox Software. "It liberated the game, it made the game fun, and there’s stuff all through the game … This kind of stuff just permeates the game.”
Is there a possibility that the change in art-style even affected the game’s music? If the latest game play trailer is any indication, it’s a huge possibility. The song in the trailer is No Heaven by DJ Champion, and it really fits the game nicely. The trailer really showcases the style and attitude that Randy talks about. Hopefully this game will look great and sound great.
Sat, 08/08/2009 - 07:01
#2
Agreed, nicely articulated
Agreed, nicely articulated and presented article.
I too often turn off music from most the games, again, to immerse myself in the game. Although this was the cause of a debate when me and my friend were playing Mercenaries mode on RE5. I wanted the music off, as I prefer to hear where the enemies are coming from on the surround sound and was annoyed with the same music in that mode all the time, whereas he prefered it because he said it helped him get into the flow, which I can understand.
Sat, 08/08/2009 - 09:19
#3
wonderful article
This was amazingly written and it shows, music is just as important in a videogame as it is in the movies. If the same tree songs permeate through the sounds of action and dialogue only to be repeated it seems silly and/or dumb. That is when people turn off the music. However when a game has its music done well, well then you get games like Halo 3 or Half Life , games where the music is placed just right, not really repetitive, certainly not needless, and is appreciated. Those are the games that are complete and really draw a person into the game. As you said in the article, not alot has been released about the soundtrack for BL but we can hope that since they had the insperation to go with this new art style that they found a new soundtrack to match it brilliantly. We will have to wait and see.
Happy gaming :)
Sat, 08/08/2009 - 14:17
#4
Very nice
Great piece, Joker. I mean the article, not your... junk. I wouldn't know.
Music is always one of those things that's really important, but you never really think about it. If you think of some games that have incredible soundtracks, and awesom cues, and then imagine it without the music, the whole experience feels very lackluster.
I really hope Gearbox gets this right, especially since it's an open world, free-roam kinda thing, and the implementation of music for those games has always seemed kinda tricky.
Sun, 08/09/2009 - 05:30
#5
The music sort of sounded
The music sort of sounded like 300's music. That's what I observed.
Sun, 08/09/2009 - 12:38
#6
Cool
Great article Joker.
Sun, 08/09/2009 - 17:25
#7
i remember playing that part
i remember playing that part in Half life 2 and agree that the music fit perfectly. I also think halo is a great example of that like when your about to fight a pair of hunters, a certain song plays. the same goes for the flood. i just remember playing the level 343 Guilty Spark in the original halo and getting ambushed by the flood and this awsome music came on which just set the mood in this horrific atmosphere. also in that 8 minute long borderlands gameplay vid when lillith and brick are about to fight the fire skag in Skag gully, theres this awsome music that sounds somewhat middle-eastern or Chineese
Sun, 08/09/2009 - 19:01
#8
Thanks
Thanks to everyone who enjoyed the article. Special thanks to BG for making great revisions that only made the article better.
Joker
Tue, 10/27/2009 - 06:16
#9
Who are the 3?
The 1st trailer shows Mordecai on the left, not Lilith in the middle and someone like Roland on the right. Brick?
What song is playing when the bus runs the creature over and the characters are shown??
Tue, 10/27/2009 - 11:08
#10
Song when bus runs over Skag
That's "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked" by Cage the Elephant. Really like them.
Nice job. The little bit of music we've heard in that E3 vid sounded really good. A good soundtrack has always been one of the main factors of drawing me into a game when I play. I often turn game music off, depending on what kind of game it is, to help immerse myself more in the game, even when the music itself is good, doesn't feel necessary to the game. The soundtrack to the HL2 series is one of my favorites. Though it's music pieces are sparsely used throughout the games, they constantly puncuate each scene and reflect on the atmosphere perfectly. I've never felt the need to turn the music off in that game because it feels just as much a part of the world as the characters themselves. It's never intrusive or overpowering and it helps invoke exactly the emotion you want from it.