Shakespeare famously wrote, “if music be the food of love, play on!” That sentiment has lived on through the ages and is just as relevant today as it was back then. Music can evoke many different emotions, so when developers combine songs with the power of video games, it can potentially create something that will live long in the memory.
A recent example of this is the excellent Guardians of the Galaxy, which had several licensed tracks that were used to great effect during the game and could be listened to as players strolled around the ship. Here are a few more examples of music that helped to transform video games into something legendary.
5 Rock N’ Roll Racing
As soon as gamers hear the opening riff of "Bad To The Bone," they know they're in for a good time with Rock N’ Roll Racing. Music plays such an important part in this intergalactic racing game that people tend to forget the actual gameplay and focus on how awesome the music was. The game itself is an isometric racer where drivers from different planets must face off against each other. Each character has their own abilities and players can buy upgrades for their vehicle.
In all honesty, though, the thing that has endured over the years for fans of the game is the music. Other classic rock songs such as "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath and "Born To Be Wild" by Steppenwolf also appear. These tunes were a major selling point and helped to transform a pretty standard racing game into something truly special.
4 Bloodborne
There is some music in trailers that not only hype people to play the game but also meld so well with the subject, they seem to live on and become part of the game long after it is released. The song "Hunt You Down," which is featured in the trailer for Bloodborne achieves this feat. Many players would stalk the gothic streets of Yharnam with this song in mind as they faced death on every corner in this From Software classic.
As players progress through the game and become more powerful, the sense of the hunted becoming the hunter rings true with this song. There are many fitting lyrics to choose from which encapsulate Bloodborne, but it's the chorus of "Hunt You Down" that becomes the perfect embodiment of everything that makes Bloodborne special. “You can run, you can hide, you can pray, but I’m gonna cut you down."
3 The Last of Us Part 2
With The Last of Us Part 2, Naughty Dog managed the nearly-impossible task of finding the right balance between showing the sheer brutality of living in a world where death is always a moment away, and the beauty of small moments shared between two people. One such moment includes a cover version of "Take On Me" by A-Ha. As most people know, this 80s classic is very poppy, but the version played by Ellie on an acoustic guitar is a world away in terms of its tone and feeling.
For a game filled with horror and the worst examples of humanity, there are just over four minutes where there is nothing but love shown between two people as the rest of the world melts away. The other side to the style and inclusion of this song is the sense of melancholy because players know this moment won’t last, and the crushing reality of survival in a hostile world will soon take over.
2 Gears of War
The Gears of War franchise isn't the most subtle. Any game which features a chainsaw attached to a gun with the sole purpose of eviscerating enemies doesn't necessarily deserve to be taken too seriously. Therefore, fans have to give full credit to the marketing team for combining the haunting music of Gary Jules' take on the Tears for Fears classic, "Mad World," with one of the launch trailers. The tone and lyrics blend perfectly with the visuals to give a sense of hopelessness as Marcus Fenix runs through the destroyed streets of Sera.
Despite the trailer only running for just under a minute, it conveys so much emotion that fans can see why it is one of the best uses of music in a video game. The Gears of War sequels would also feature memorable trailers and music including "How It Ends" by Devotchka and "Into Dust" by Mazzy Star.
1 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto 3 was a game-changing experience upon its release in 2001, and Rockstar created something truly memorable bringing to life a fully 3D open world. Hearing music on the radio as players caused mayhem was great, but, in all honesty, none of the tunes particularly stood out. That is until Grand Theft Auto: Vice City came out and changed the relationship between video games and music forever. The soundtrack featured an extensive list of musical artists which perfectly suited the 80s setting. Not only that, but there were also parody advertisements and DJs who would often fill the airwaves with the developer's special brand of humor.
There are so many great songs to choose from, but the one which tends to stick in a lot of people’s memories is hearing "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson for the first time as they cruised around the streets. This was such an undeniably cool moment from a game filled with wonderful music. Sadly "Billie Jean" (along with several other songs) was removed from the recently released Definitive Edition of the Grand Theft Auto series, meaning that a new generation of gamers will, unfortunately, miss out on a moment that millions experienced back in 2002.