Tropes can be found across the entertainment industry, regardless of medium. Movies have their own set of unique tropes and trends, as do TV shows, all slowly growing from unique ideas that became immensely popular and were soon branded as the staple way of doing things. The video game industry is no different, and while a lot of its tropes are so subtle that gamers would never realize their existence, others are pretty blatant, and the 'Musical spoiler' gaming trope is certainly one of those.
Most often seen in RPGs and action-RPGs, the 'Musical spoiler' trope takes very little effort to find. Players won't need to spend hours combing through multiple games of the same genre to determine how this trope works. It's simple, overt, and it's a bit of a double-edged sword, capable of both getting a player more excited over an encounter, and taking the wind out of it.
The Musical Spoiler Gaming Trope Explained
The 'Musical spoiler' gaming trope can be spotted in just about any RPG, often taking place right before a battle. This trope refers to when a musical cue plays just before the player encounters whatever creature, monster, or enemy is awaiting them, and it spoils what's coming next. This will often take place when the player is walking through an environment, minding their own business, and they hear a distinct change in the music, indicating that something bad is about to happen, likely a battle encounter. This is also used frequently for boss encounters, with the music spoiling the grand nature of the upcoming fight before the player has even laid eyes on the beast.
The Best Examples of the Musical Spoiler Trope in Gaming
The Final Fantasy series has some of the best examples of the 'Musical spoiler' trope in gaming. Throughout the series, players will be thrust into a random battle encounter. Entering an encounter will often be accompanied by a loud swoosh noise, which is then followed by a musical cue that's specific to the scenario. Once players get a feel of the game's music, they'll be able to predict what they're about to face based purely on the music they hear. This is especially noticeable when it comes to boss fights, with Final Fantasy's music usually ramping up quite a bit right before the boss appears.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is another excellent example of the 'Musical spoiler' trope in gaming. The process of walking around Skyrim's open world peacefully, only to be met with the sudden sound of drums and choral chanting and the warning that "enemies are nearby" has become an infamous meme in the gaming community, and that battle music will always be used to keep players on their toes.
In a similar vein, Halo: Combat Evolved foreshadows its biggest reveal through its music. Halfway through the game, the player encounters the zombie-like Flood, and right before the reveal, the incredible score kicks it up a notch, delivering some of the most unsettling, unidentifiable sounds ever put on a disc, and warning the player that they're about to face off against something otherworldly and horrifying. The Castlevania series does something similar, with its upbeat score playing throughout the level, but coming to an abrupt end once players enter the boss room. This sudden cut in music, and transition into an even spookier theme gets players both excited and worried about the next room, knowing that a terrifying monster or demon is waiting on the other side of the door.
