The advantage of orchestrating for video game music with traditional orchestral instruments is that recurring themes can be distributed among instruments, allowing repetition to be less noticeable, while themes can more effectively be remembered by the player of the game.
When writing video game music, and writing thematic music in general, it is essential to find a balance between instrumentation and compositional technique. While the choice of instrument can evoke certain moods, the decision on how the score will be technically written, is of equal importance. A balance between instrumentation and compositional technique is a measure of a composer’s skill and expertise.
Game music composition should be decided on the basis of several key points. These include the time and setting of the scene, the desired emotive response, and in many cases identifying the target group. While these key points can be seen in every game project, the process of writing music for a game is different in every case. Composers need to be flexible and have the ability to change to meet the needs of individual projects.
Game Music for Strikeforce Psi
Recently I had the opportunity to write and program the music for Starlitsky Games’ Strikeforce Psi, a 2D side scrolling shooter made for release on Xbox and PC. The music needed to be written to coincide with four locations, each needing to capture the environment of the location while also linking together recurring themes.
Harbor Level Game Music
The music for the harbor level needed to capture the setting of a dark harbor scene whereby the player is a hero figure fighting off enemies. The music needed to be dark, tense and heroic, helping to put the player in the frame of mind of the character and the scene. The music also needed to be grand, as the first track has to set the mood for the entire game.
Arctic Level Game Music
The game moves to an arctic level and the music had to quickly and effectively show that change. It was immediately obvious that the arctic level needed to be cold and sparse but also had to show a connection to the overall game’s score.
Desert Level Game Music
The music in the desert level changes significantly in instrumentation and compositional technique as was needed to capture the environment of the desert. There are more rhythmic and percussion elements and a sparser use of instrumentation.
Jungle Level Game Music
A heavy rhythmic and percussion element was used again for the jungle level, and with the exception of a jungle flute, an almost non-existent use of melodic instruments. This helps to capture the mood of the jungle scene. Some sparse vocal elements also complement the heavy percussion.
Instrumentation and Compositional Technique
When composing video game music, a composer’s main role is to make creative decisions about how a game’s music can achieve its goal. That is, to effectively capture the mood of a game and evoke the desired emotional response. A composer should use their knowledge and expertise to choose suitable instrumentation and compositional techniques.
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Tags: compositional technique, listen