Gaming With Music

[CH David]

When I would play my video games (360 has been busted, need to buy a new one but haven't) I would always listen to music during the game. Obviously I would pause it during dialogue scenes if the game didn't do that already. I found that while playing certain games, certain music would fit better than others.

Halo Series - I always found it a lot better when Linkin Park's Meteora album was playing. I had put that album on my old X-Box, and while I was playing, it got me into a rhythm where I was on an unstoppable roll. Hit The Floor and Faint were two that really did it for me, as for some reason they would always come on during a big battle.

Assassin' Creed I & II - I actually had a mixed playlist going while playing, but I always found that Three Days Grace always helped me out, get me more focused on the task at hand, especially the song Animal I Have Become. Sometimes I even have flashbacks to some of the stuff I was doing in the game when the songs come on.

NHL '08, '09, '10 - Like Assassin's Creed, I had a mix of things going while playing. For NHL '08 and part of my season of '09 I had stand-up comedy going. Surely it would take my focus off the game right, so I could listen to the jokes and not worry about goals? Nope. I still kicked ass on the ice, and laughed at the same time. The latter half of '09 and into '10 was more alternative and hard rock. Nothing specific, a little Offspring, TAT, Lordi, among others as well.

Those are just a few of the games that I can remember what I listened to and helped me focus while playing the games. So what games do you usually listen to music while playing, and what band or songs help you get into that zone where you almost can't be stopped?

 

[The Holy One]

I'm with you on the Xbox situation CH b/c mine just got the red ring two months ago. I always find my performance better when I play some music while playing video games. I guess it makes me get in the certain mood to play a game or whatever reason I don't know but here are some of my favorite game/music combinations:

Final Fantasy/Kingdom Hearts (RPGs in general) & Breaking Benjamin - When I usually play games like those that have some intricate story b/w good and evil and has some heroic quest that needs to be done. I always listen to their songs whether it's I Will Not Bow, Dance With the Devil, or So Cold. I feel like their music has that battling feel to it.

GTA/Saints Row & Limp Bizkit/Avenged Sevenfold - Most of their songs that I listen to have that destructive sound to it which is most of what the games consist of. I mean ridding around will blowing shit up listening to Burn It Down or Crack Addict just feels right.

NBA Live or 2K/Madden/College Football/SvR & Hip-Hop Genre - I mostly listen to T.I., NWA, Pastor Troy, Nelly, or Young Jeezy while playing sports games. It's kind of a weird and acquired taste that I got from my cousin b/c that's what he would play when we went against each other in those type of games.

Street Fighter/Mortal Kombat/Super Smash Bros. Brawl & Linkin Park/Hollywood Undead - These two bands are very similar imo. They incorporate Rock and Rap in their songs and provide some dark lyrics to them. I find it suitable to kick some ass while listening to songs talking about overcoming abuse and torture.

 

[The Holy One]

Another one that I would like to add:

Assassin Creed/Prince of Persia & Alter Bridge - Alter Bridge seems to have those songs that fit the adventure type games like Coming Home and One Day Remains. It always keeps me in the mood of the fast paced action of these games.

 

[Carpathian Florist]

Xasthur and Final Fantasy VIII, no idea why these two seem to mix so well for me but after replaying that game obsessively in 2007 with Xasthur cds on repeat I haven't been able to separate the two in my mind.

 

[WestsideWonder1992]

Any Rap really for Call of Duty 5, MW2 and NHL 09,but seeming as the ps2 doesn't have ingame music I have to use my cdplayer or Ipod.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I just tend to listen to the regular game music, I have never bothered to use my x-box for music.

I only really play the Smackdown vs Raw, Pro Evolution Soccer, Guitar Hero and GTA games, and I prefer to have the commentary on the football and wrestling games, GTA I find it easier to concentrate on whats going on if I just listen to the soundtrack and the sounds of the city, and obviously you cant have your own music on while playing guitar hero lol

 

[Dagger Dias]

So what games do you usually listen to music while playing, and what band or songs help you get into that zone where you almost can't be stopped?

The only time I really listen to music while playing video games is when levelling up or doing something boring.... Or when I am really ticked off at a boss that I cannot defeat and need some angry tunes in the background.

When I gain levels in RPG's I like to listen to things like Dragonforce (Disciples of Babylon, Fields of Despair, Fire Still Burns), Nirvana, 80s hair metal, and really long songs such as Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" or Bonnie Tyler's "Rebel Without a Clue" due to how long they are, and trust me on this one, you can get a ton of levelling done in the same time it takes to get through an 8 minute song once or twice. It's kind of like the montage from where Cartman is gaining levels in world of warcraft while that one song plays in the south park episode. That's what it's like for me, and I listen to music while levelling up because then it isn't as tedious or boring.

Then there's during difficult boss fights. I'll put in some Metallica or other angry music, or if I'm lazy I'll just use other game's boss themes such as "Fighting of the Spirit" from Tales of Symphonia or the Fiend Battle theme from Final Fantasy 4. Either of those two fit great with any boss fight, no matter what the game is.

Other than those two things, I generally always listen to the in-game music since, as a game designer myself, I can appreciate playing the game with its own music playing as that is a part of the game.

 

[The Raven's Epitaph]

I listen to music through my Xbox 360 aswell.

I do it for comic effect sometimes. I've been known to go on a GTA IV spree and try and survive for as long as possible whilst listening to the Benny Hill music. It gives me a good old laugh, but so does shooting an RPG at somebodies face when they're sat reading a newspaper outside a hospital...

I also did the final mission of GTA whilst listening to epic music by artists such as Two Steps from Hell, Immediate Music, X-Ray Dog and different film soundtracks composed by John Williams, Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman.

You don't know how epic it was listening to Immediate Music doing the final mission of GTA IV though. I replayed the final mission just for that epic feel one more time. If you've listened to any of the above, then you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

 

[Leafy]

Well I don't usually listen to music during video games. Only when it's tedious like Dagger does.

But the most epic experience I ever had listening to music during video games was during Operation: Anchorage in Fallout 3.

I was walking through this winter battlefield with explosions all around me and I had Pearl Jam's Ten album going on through the media speaker and "Garden" came on.

And it melted my face.