If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On

[Liberty2k7]

Videogames are often compared to the medium of cinema. They can both recreate a part of the world we live in and re-enact the experiences we all have. Personally, I have always felt that music plays a big part in how I experience a game or film. I think it's an inspired addition to the GTA series, that Rockstar have decided to create an original score to accompany missions and activities. It will help them to really dictate the atmosphere of that moment being experienced in the game, and will add an extra dimension to the storytelling dynamic.

 

I am really looking forward to seeing what they have in store for us in this department and I think it will really add a more cinematic feel to the overall experience of GTA. In an interview Dan Houser mentioned that they had learnt a lot from Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne 3 in regards to the musical scoring. I think this is great because the music in both of those games had a profound effect on me when I played them.

 

Anyway, I was wondering what sort of soundtrack you guys hope to hear during missions? We have already heard comparisons to Kavinsky/Drive OST and Hans Zimmer, so it sounds as if we are in for a real musical treat. Below are a few songs and examples of how music is used to complement the cinematography of a film. Careful, there may be a few spoilers so proceed with caution. Its just to give you guys a feel for how Rockstar could use music in V. Please post some suggestions that you might have, if possible. Rockstar are obviously making an original soundtrack, but I want to know what you guys think will influence them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please excuse the quality of the last one from Breaking Bad and also skip to around 1.35 for when the song kicks in (TV On The Radio, yeah bitch!).

 

Anyways, thanks for reading and contributing (if you do).

 

TL;DR? What do you think the soundtrack to V will be like?

Edited May 29, 2013 by Liberty2k7

[Mr.Mordecai]

Ah, yes. My Honors English class is reading Twelfth Night right now.

 

OT: I think it'll have a "Cali"/Glamorous vibe from what we've seen so far.

[Liberty2k7]

Ah, yes. My Honors English class is reading Twelfth Night right now.

 

OT: I think it'll have a "Cali"/Glamorous vibe from what we've seen so far.

Haha well I thought the title was quite fitting. Yeah I reckon there will be a good variety tbh. Some hip-hop/trip-hop influenced beats for the Franklin oriented missions, an 80's vibe for Michael and I dunno for Trevor, some subtle slide guitar ala left 4 dead maybe. For the big missions I'm expecting some epic orchestral Hans Zimmer sort of stuff.

[Apxidia]

Videogames are often compared to the medium of cinema. They can both recreate a part of the world we live in and re-enact the experiences we all have. Personally, I have always felt that music plays a big part in how I experience a game or film. I think it's an inspired addition to the GTA series, that Rockstar have decided to create an original score to accompany missions and activities. It will help them to really dictate the atmosphere of that moment being experienced in the game, and will add an extra dimension to the storytelling dynamic.

 

I am really looking forward to seeing what they have in store for us in this department and I think it will really add a more cinematic feel to the overall experience of GTA. In an interview Dan Houser mentioned that they had learnt a lot from Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne 3 in regards to the musical scoring. I think this is great because the music in both of those games had a profound effect on me when I played them.

 

Anyway, I was wondering what sort of soundtrack you guys hope to hear during missions? We have already heard comparisons to Kavinsky/Drive OST and Hans Zimmer, so it sounds as if we are in for a real musical treat. Below are a few songs and examples of how music is used to complement the cinematography of a film. Careful, there may be a few spoilers so proceed with caution. Its just to give you guys a feel for how Rockstar could use music in V. Please post some suggestions that you might have, if possible. Rockstar are obviously making an original soundtrack, but I want to know what you guys think will influence them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please excuse the quality of the last one from Breaking Bad and also skip to around 1.35 for when the song kicks in (TV On The Radio, yeah bitch!).

 

Anyways, thanks for reading and contributing (if you do).

 

TL;DR? What do you think the soundtrack to V will be like?

I agree with everything you've mentioned in your post, and I want to give you 1 thousand 's lol. The fact that R* has decided to include original scores on the level of Hans Zimmer's work is honestly one of the most exciting aspects of the game for me so far. I absolutely cannot wait to be fully immersed in the game with a proper soundtrack that draws on our emotions as we play. Based on what little rumors I've come across thus far, I think R* will definitely pull inspiration from some recent/modern action movie scores such as 'The Dark Knight', 'Inception', or 'Mission Impossible 2'. I think it will be a safe bet to assume we will hear soundtracks that bear a striking resemblance to ones we've heard from classic heist movies such as 'Heat', 'The Town', 'Point Break', or perhaps even 'Oceans Eleven'. Additionally I'm hoping for some inspiration to come from Steve Joblansky and Trevor Rabin. I think the game could also really benefit from some dark/serious moments in the game accompanied with appropriate soundtracks to really pull our emotions in

 

I do think that we might actually hear Kavinsky - Nightcall directly (if it hasn't already been confirmed by now).

[bwasroy]

The type of country music (Waylon Jennings) that was hinted at in the Trevor trailer was very promising. This type of genre was overlooked in GTA IV but many of the cuts on the country radio station were halfway decent.

 

It's always pleasantly surprising the types of music that the Houser brothers pick out (owing partially to their music upbringing before the creation of Rockstar games). The use of Womack & Womack in TBOGT was really inspired and a favorite cut of mine. It was more than purely soul music, and something more akin to Ashford and Simpson than Delaney Bonnie on an urban-to-downhome axis.

 

(GTA IV also introduced several good new bands I hadn't heard of in 2008 like the Greenskeepers so hopefully Rockstar has made similar discoveries this time around.)

 

This isn't a Scorsese movie, though, so I don't necessarily think that the comparison between the use of music in films and music in video games is necessarily very analogous. I suppose what I'm trying to get at by this line is that while I support the idea of having more than just radio stations, there's also something to be said for the use of the music in RDR potentially detracting from a staple element we've come to know and love from the franchise.

 

 

[Liberty2k7]

I agree with everything you've mentioned in your post, and I want to give you 1 thousand 's lol. The fact that R* has decided to include original scores on the level of Hans Zimmer's work is honestly one of the most exciting aspects of the game for me so far. I absolutely cannot wait to be fully immersed in the game with a proper soundtrack that draws on our emotions as we play. Based on what little rumors I've come across thus far, I think R* will definitely pull inspiration from some recent/modern action movie scores such as 'The Dark Knight', 'Inception', or 'Mission Impossible 2'. I think it will be a safe bet to assume we will hear soundtracks that bear a striking resemblance to ones we've heard from classic heist movies such as 'Heat', 'The Town', 'Point Break', or perhaps even 'Oceans Eleven'. Additionally I'm hoping for some inspiration to come from Steve Joblansky and Trevor Rabin. I think the game could also really benefit from some dark/serious moments in the game accompanied with appropriate soundtracks to really pull our emotions in

 

I do think that we might actually hear Kavinsky - Nightcall directly (if it hasn't already been confirmed by now).

Nice to know there are like-minded people out there! Could imagine some oceans 11 style funky bass lines during a heist actually, so long as it fits the scene. The moments in the game where important parts of the storyline are developed will definitely have some epic orchestral moments I am sure!

 

@bwasroy I totally get where you are coming from with the Scorsese comment and let me make something clear, this is GTA not Reqiuem for a Dream or Inception or any other film that has that sort of atmosphere. I just hope/think that Rockstar will create some very impressively cinematic, emotionally affective moments with the new score! I think it can work well with the story while still retaining the brilliant atmosphere of a GTA game, maybe even improving on it!

[bwasroy]

I agree with everything you've mentioned in your post, and I want to give you 1 thousand  's lol.  The fact that R* has decided to include original scores on the level of Hans Zimmer's work is honestly one of the most exciting aspects of the game for me so far.  I absolutely cannot wait to be fully immersed in the game with a proper soundtrack that draws on our emotions as we play.  Based on what little rumors I've come across thus far, I think R* will definitely pull inspiration from some recent/modern action movie scores such as 'The Dark Knight', 'Inception', or 'Mission Impossible 2'.  I think it will be a safe bet to assume we will hear soundtracks that bear a striking resemblance to ones we've heard from classic heist movies such as 'Heat', 'The Town', 'Point Break',  or perhaps even 'Oceans Eleven'.  Additionally I'm hoping for some inspiration to come from Steve Joblansky and Trevor Rabin.  I think the game could also really benefit from some dark/serious moments in the game accompanied with appropriate soundtracks to really pull our emotions in 

 

I do think that we might actually hear Kavinsky - Nightcall directly (if it hasn't already been confirmed by now).

Nice to know there are like-minded people out there! Could imagine some oceans 11 style funky bass lines during a heist actually, so long as it fits the scene. The moments in the game where important parts of the storyline are developed will definitely have some epic orchestral moments I am sure!

 

@bwasroy I totally get where you are coming from with the Scorsese comment and let me make something clear, this is GTA not Reqiuem for a Dream or Inception or any other film that has that sort of atmosphere. I just hope/think that Rockstar will create some very impressively cinematic, emotionally affective moments with the new score! I think it can work well with the story while still retaining the brilliant atmosphere of a GTA game, maybe even improving on it!

I agree. My foremost concern is this, Rockstar tried to reach similar benchmarks with LA Noire and succeeded in creating nothing more than a playable book. They created an amazing, beautiful, rich world that just wasn't successfully engaging. I would hate to see GTA V attempt to reach for the golden ring of creating a very strong title but fail to grasp it because the story emulates movies too closely. (That being said, The Four Clover "the bank heist" mission from GTA IV succeeded in getting dangerously close to this fine line. So if Rockstar can stay true that thin line, I think this type of atmospheric focus can both succeed very well and emulate scenes from classic films.)

[Liberty2k7]

I agree with everything you've mentioned in your post, and I want to give you 1 thousand  's lol.  The fact that R* has decided to include original scores on the level of Hans Zimmer's work is honestly one of the most exciting aspects of the game for me so far.  I absolutely cannot wait to be fully immersed in the game with a proper soundtrack that draws on our emotions as we play.  Based on what little rumors I've come across thus far, I think R* will definitely pull inspiration from some recent/modern action movie scores such as 'The Dark Knight', 'Inception', or 'Mission Impossible 2'.  I think it will be a safe bet to assume we will hear soundtracks that bear a striking resemblance to ones we've heard from classic heist movies such as 'Heat', 'The Town', 'Point Break',  or perhaps even 'Oceans Eleven'.  Additionally I'm hoping for some inspiration to come from Steve Joblansky and Trevor Rabin.  I think the game could also really benefit from some dark/serious moments in the game accompanied with appropriate soundtracks to really pull our emotions in 

 

I do think that we might actually hear Kavinsky - Nightcall directly (if it hasn't already been confirmed by now).

Nice to know there are like-minded people out there! Could imagine some oceans 11 style funky bass lines during a heist actually, so long as it fits the scene. The moments in the game where important parts of the storyline are developed will definitely have some epic orchestral moments I am sure!

 

@bwasroy I totally get where you are coming from with the Scorsese comment and let me make something clear, this is GTA not Reqiuem for a Dream or Inception or any other film that has that sort of atmosphere. I just hope/think that Rockstar will create some very impressively cinematic, emotionally affective moments with the new score! I think it can work well with the story while still retaining the brilliant atmosphere of a GTA game, maybe even improving on it!

I agree. My foremost concern is this, Rockstar tried to reach similar benchmarks with LA Noire and succeeded in creating nothing more than a playable book. They created an amazing, beautiful, rich world that just wasn't successfully engaging. I would hate to see GTA V attempt to reach for the golden ring of creating a very strong title but fail to grasp it because the story emulates movies too closely. (That being said, The Four Clover "the bank heist" mission from GTA IV succeeded in getting dangerously close to this fine line. So if Rockstar can stay true that thin line, I think this type of atmospheric focus can both succeed very well and emulate scenes from classic films.)

I agree I enjoyed playing LA noire and thought it was a very unique experience but I never really explored the city and found it difficult to get immersed in the game the same way a GTA title always seems to deliver. I think there is a good middle ground between the cinematic atmosphere created by a soundtrack, and retaining that old GTA vibe, all the while remaining fresh and innovative. I have faith that Rockstar can pull this off, and if the game is similar to how I imagine in my head, its going to be incredible.