Video game music can be the best part of a game. It’s one of the main components of a game’s aesthetic and can really add to the whole soul. The music of a game is the basis of the tone, and has as much (if not more) impact on the atmosphere than the visuals. That said, the music can indicate what kind of game you think it will be.
If the music is upbeat or cheesy, you might get the feeling that the game is supposed to be upbeat and cheerful, just for you to have a good time. If the music is slow, solemn, or dark, you may get the feeling that you’re getting into something serious, with an oppressive atmosphere. If a game’s music doesn’t fit, everything can make the game feel bad. It may not detract from the game, but there is always a chance.
Chip-tune is easy to replicate by humming, and if a piece is catchy, it’s also easy to replicate by humming. If you can hum it long enough, it tends to become memorable.
Some ind games don’t require music, they just require sound effects, various noises, and maybe the occasional bit of ambiance here and there. Expertly made examples of this would be Ditto and the Fallout New Vegas add-on Dead Money. Ditto has a very calm yet dark and oppressive tone, and the silence broken only by sound effects and the occasional trickling of water drive this home. Dead Money is meant to be scary. Its random noise environment emphasizes this to the fullest, working with the visuals to make you nervous on purpose. Boy, does he do well.
In the past, when the technology of the time hindered music greatly, music had to resort to much simpler means to convey atmosphere. They couldn’t use the detailed compositions of today’s music. Heck, they couldn’t really make anything sound like instruments. Instead, they composed loud melodies from compressed sound bites that make the chip-tune style unique. These loud melodies are simple and generally catchy. It is because they are catchy that they tend to be more memorable. Chip-tune is easy to replicate by humming, and if a piece is catchy, it’s also easy to replicate by humming. If you can hum it long enough, it tends to become memorable. Also, its simple nature makes it easier for you to remember it, but that doesn’t involve humming, so it’s boring, whatever.
Some games may have nice and appropriate music that just isn’t that memorable. You can remember it when you hear it, but you just can’t remember how it works on your own. These tend to be on the environmental side of things. Fez is great at this. It doesn’t really use loud melodies, just random notes that fit the tone you’re trying to convey. This type of music is usually slow-paced, providing enough space between chords so it doesn’t sound like an inconceivable jumble of sounds. This type of music is not bad, as it can fit very well with the game during which it is played. It’s just not shocking enough to hear outside of the game, that’s all.
The door is open for amazing things in the realm of game composition, but remember that with great power comes great responsibility.
As time passed, games gained access to quality sound instruments as well as other advances in the field of music. The floodgate of the variety of musical feats one could accomplish was now open. Games now have ways to do amazing things with their music, and it’s amazing. It is possible that some will continue to maintain the chip-tune style, updating it and making use of the complexity that they can achieve with current technology. The door is open for amazing things in the realm of game composition, but remember that with great power comes great responsibility. Hopefully future video game music doesn’t screw things up.