Video Game Music

Remember a few weeks ago when we had the discussion in class about video game music? We talked about listening to it out of context. Well, I shared that because of my love of Final Fantasy VII, I have the three disc soundtrack on my iPod, but don't listen to it that often. I was going through my music the other day and I discovered that I have another album on there, I don't remember where I got it or how it got there, but it's classical versions of many of the Final Fantasy VII songs. Listening to them not only filled me with nostalgia, but also with the desire for the Advent Children (the movie sequel) soundtrack because it possess many of these same songs but they're redone (yet again) to sound "harder" i.e. guitars and rock band. So I don't remember my initial stance on the people who listen to video game music without needing the game, but I'm officially one of them now (if not before) because I absolutely love these songs. I've spent the last few days listening to their various versions.

This makes me philosophical because these songs are ably to evoke a pretty good emotional response from me. Every time I hear "Aeris' Theme," I still get choked up. I get sad over the loss of this fictional character (for those of you who don't know, she dies about a third of the way through the game, but it's so unexpected and well done, it's one of the greatest moments in video game history). And when I hear "One Winged Angel," my heart beats a little bit faster and my breathing increases, as if expecting a fight (this is the song at the end of the game, when the main bad guy, Sephiroth, is unleashed and about to destroy the world). So with the general sense of nostalgia aside, I started thinking about why these songs get to me so much. Is it because those moments were done so well that they really have a way of making the gamer care? Or is it that, because I love this game so much, I've built it up in my head so much, that I've given them power?

I think it's probably a combination of both. I think the game developers did a great job with story and characterization, so that when these moments do come up in the game, they really stay with the gamer because you're really connected with the characters and have so much invested in them. Maybe that's commentary on the effectiveness of the original songs. With that said, I think that remembering my initial experiences has caused me to build up these emotions in my head. I've actually sort of removed myself from the real experience and I dwell on this one I've constructed. In a way, I've made myself care about what happens so that when I hear these songs, I'm almost not reacting to them anymore, it's more like they're the switch that starts the memory in my head. It's a little abstract and I'm not sure I've worded it in a way that makes complete sense, but I think you get the general picture.

The same thing can be said for all music I think. We link it with certain memories and emotions so that when heard again, it's supposed to trigger these things in us. It's the reality bending nature of music, but that's another post. I never expected a classical version of old midi file fight music make me so philosophical.