Disabling in-game music increases immersion undoubtedly

[Asbsand]

There are definitely games with bad music design that have loud or highly dramatic pieces playing over moments when it should simply have focused more on atmosphere and immersion.

I find this annoying as hell with Witcher 3. I love its music but the way it's design, it just loops the same 3 tracks on shuffle with too narrow intervals depending on the region you're in and there are times when all the game needed was just silence and hearing the sound of the world itself when it's so darn well done. Particularly I thought the problem stemmed from the music not changing at nighttime. I'm a huge fan of Ocarina of Time and how daylight is bright and adventurous but nighttime oozes of reflective silence and even eerieness when you're in scary areas. It sets the tone so well IMO and that was the icing on the cake that TW3 was missing IMO.

 

[thepenguin55]

It definitely depends on the game, its style and the moment in the game. It's also definitely weirder in first person games. I played through the Tomb Raider reboot recently and for the most part the music works well in that game thanks in large part to the perspective always being in 3rd person and thanks to the very cinematic presentation of that game. Even then, there were a few moments in this game where I thought "its weird that there's music playing here", so there were moments that resulted in a weird disconnect for me. Also, the music really stood out in a bad way during gameplay of Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (which I also played through for the first time recently).

 

[Kyle Cross]

I couldn't disagree with you more. BotW not having much of a soundtrack ultimately made it noticeably worse for example.

Music can blend so well with a game it becomes as important as the core mechanics. Metal Gear Rising without its soundtrack? A crime.

 

[Deleted member 11517]

Totally get what you're saying OP, but it definitely depends on the game.
For example Resident Evil Revelations I dont even notice there being music - but I think there is? So muting it would definitely change the atmosphere of the game. REmake is similar in that respect, I think the Resident Evil games have really good sound design anyways, but yes especially RE Rev 2 does sound incredible on my sound system.


But yeah, it depends, for something like an online game, a fighter or something that I played already many of times I like putting on different music sometimes, it makes it feel fresh. Played hundreds of hours in RE5 online mode, always ingame music off, Lady Gaga on the stereo at full blast lol. Now if I replay it I have ingame music on, so it feels actually fresh again.

Unrelated maybe, but I really often play games I like forever and come back to them often , I rather do that than play the newest whatever currently hyped up game , I dunno maybe Im just strange, but especially hyped up games usually disappoint me big time so yeah. I stick to my favs and play a good sp game like Nier Automata in between.

 

[see5harp]

I don't fully agree as music can elevate a space to amazing heights. But I will often turn it off to get a sense of a location's soundscape, and I'm often surprised by what I hear, and how much those audio details can add to the sense of place and inform you of little details in the environment.

Click to shrink...

This. I can acknowledge the greatness of music but sometimes do feel as though I'm missing out of all of the cool sound design.

 

[Cinemikel]

I'd take nothing over the generic music in Marvel movies any day for my video games

 

[Kongroo]

I disagree 100%. In games just like movies, music is part of the ambiance.

 

[Themindkillah]

Hey, you know, my first reaction is to totally disagree with you. Because for me, music matters a lot. But I believe games are like a great meal. You can add a little more of this, remove that etc. That's precisely why there's sliders for music, dialogue, sound fx. You found what you like and you feel you're enhancing your game by doing so. It's totally valid and I'm sure there are others who do the same. Personally, I truly believe music elevates a game. If done right of course. Rime, for example, let you enjoy the natural sounds and then cranked up the music in certain parts to help its atmosphere. Another one that comes to mind is Lords of Shadow. An average game, but the soundtrack is just sublime. I can't imagine Symphony of the Night without music. All that matters though, is that you enjoy a game the way you like it!

 

[Richietto]

BotW had me so immersed with its incredible sound design with sprinkles of music when out in the wild. It's truly stuck with me. I won't disable very audible games all the time, though.

 

[Deleted member 11517]

I disagree 100%. In games just like movies, music is part of the ambiance.

Click to shrink...

Well, yeah, but if you for example dislike the music, turning it off can actually make the experience better and more enjoyable in some cases.


I usually turn off the narrator if the game has one lol. If I cant turn it off I stop playing , end of story.

 

[The GOAT]

Yeah, if any music is arbitrarily playing, just to play, of course it won't fit. Music, in the context of what is going on visually, can be a very powerful thing.

How would Marston riding into Mexico feel if you didn't hear that song kick in? It would have lost a ton of impact imo.

 

[Pandy]

Immersive

Click to shrink...

And here's the same thing 2 years earlier with 4,310,000 less views. Lower quality, but better gags.


More on-topic. I will turn off in-game music/sounds if they are ruining the experience, but a lot of games nowadays do a pretty good job of at least making it relevant to the on-screen action.

EDIT: Somebody turned off the music in Madworld? FFS!

 

[Kongroo]

Well, yeah, but if you for example dislike the music, turning it off can actually make the experience better and more enjoyable in some cases.


I usually turn off the narrator if the game has one lol. If I cant turn it off I stop playing , end of story.

Click to shrink...

Sure you can turn off the music if you don't like it. But that just means that the game failed. A good game just like a good movie, will have music that compliments the visuals and increases immersiveness. Skyrim without the ambiant soundtrack would be like Game of Thrones without the theme music. It would feel wrong.

 

[Vadara]

The only game I ever played through with the music disabled was Madworld. I HATED the music in that game. I absolutely love the game though.

I wish there was a mod to change the opening intro to Fallout 4 because I hate that one wished the same for Street Fighter 4 because I hated that one too.

I guess the Fallout 4 intro music is okay but the game takes forever to load and I get sick of hearing it over and over, loading mods and such.

Click to shrink...

This is the wrongest opinion I have ever heard in literally. my. entire. life.

it is so fractally wrong in every single aspect that it's honestly now my proof that a loving god does not exist, because it is so fundamentally incorrect that my brain is hurting just to read it

 

[catvonpee]

This is the wrongest opinion I have ever heard in literally. my. entire. life.

Click to shrink...

Sorry

 

[Deleted member 11517]

Sure you can turn off the music if you don't like it. But that just means that the game failed. A good game just like a good movie, will have music that compliments the visuals and increases immersiveness. Skyrim without the ambiant soundtrack would be like Game of Thrones without the theme music. It would feel wrong.

Click to shrink...

My point was that there are some games where the music just doesnt fit / is bad so in that respect yes, they obviously failed, doesnt mean they failed in other aspects too necessarily.

 

[Zoantharia]

I assume we are talking about open-world games here, in which I will be perhaps one of the few person to agree with OP. Save the music for the towns and special events and all that, I don't want to hear the same thing looping over and over again for hours while I prance around in the area. In fact, I found the occasional piano tinkles (like where the piano begins to play very softly hinting at the start of a song and then disappears) more annoying than the lack of music itself. I appreciated the ambient noise, the birds chirping, the grass crunching under my feet, etc and I think it immersed me in the world more than if say the Hyrule Field theme were playing in the background nonstop (town music was excellent though, Hateno Village is my favourite)

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

It seems like such a waste to play through a game without the music.

 

[Karppuuna]

Only games where i disable the music is realistic racing and sport games.

 

[Crono]

i disable music in every mmo I play. Idk why but I just cant do it.

 

[floridaguy954]

There should be a place for both ambience and music.

Some games would benefit from switching between music and ambience.

Click to shrink...

Tom Clancy's The Division actually does this right. You have some missions with music and others that just rely on environmental ambiance and transmission chatter.

 

[Kongroo]

My point was that there are some games where the music just doesnt fit / is bad so in that respect they obviously failed , doesnt mean they failed in other aspects too necessarily.

Click to shrink...

Of course. I'm just arguing that muting music does not automatically increase immersion.

 

[LavaBadger]

If I'm playing a sim, where the point is to wholly immerse myself in a world, to lose myself in it, then I understand your point. Music, short of playing out of a radio or some other in-universe activity can only distract.

But most games aren't that. Most games, like movies, are aiming to provide you with an experience through a number of elements. (It's why "video" game is almost a misnomer.) Music can be a powerful tool to set the stage or evoke a certain reaction in someone. It can invest you in that world in a way that ambient sound cannot. It's all down to the vision of the creator and the desired affect.

 

[FUNKNOWN iXi]

I was ready to disagree with you, OP, especially when I saw Ori since its music is so good, but your video convinced me to at least try it out in another replay; I've been meaning to replay it again anyway :]

 

[BourbonJungle]

Nothing immerses me in a game more than turning down the audio altogether, throwing on a podcast, and just spacing out. I'm sure the game's audio team would just love me :P

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I did this for No Man's Sky and pretended my intergalactic explorer was an old-school podcast fiend.

 

[Skillet the Squirrel]

It really depends on the game. Some games use music really well which can do wonders for immersion, and others the music is just generic noise to me. Even a game that has an excellent soundtrack can at times benefit from turning off the music. Red Dead Redemption has an exceptional soundtrack, but turn it off and just walk around in the middle of nowhere listening to the insects, wildlife, shots in the distance, etc. It can feel more alive without the soundtrack in some instances.

 

[WillyTheBikeGuy]

Totally depends on the game. I turned the music off in CS:GO to be able to hear footsteps better. Years later I installed it on a new pc and I had forgotten it even had music.

Would Silent Hill be better without the music? Doubtful. Light ambient tracks can really help set the mood. Music shouldn't overpower the smaller sound effects, so maybe just adjust the levels before turning it off completely.

 

[Deleted member 888]

It can in some games, but once you play the Souls series or Nier, you understand what is usually the real issue is shitty soundtracks, or poor mixes, in most games.

Less can be more as well, not everything needs to be dudebro dubstep remix 2.0.

 

[KrillinLikeAVillan]

Yeah i do this too for games with good ambient sound design, i mostly have the music on but i turn it off periodically for a change of pace.

 

[petran79]

80s-early 90s PC DOS gaming without sound cards was my most immersive experience ever, especially the PC speaker SFX

 

[Zen]

To you OP I have one answer.

 

[Richietto]

I couldn't disagree with you more. BotW not having much of a soundtrack ultimately made it noticeably worse for example.

Music can blend so well with a game it becomes as important as the core mechanics. Metal Gear Rising without its soundtrack? A crime.

Click to shrink...

It made it worse, for you. The sound designers knew exactly what they were doing and what effect it would have, and they succeeded. You just didn't like it.

 

[StrappingYoungLance]

I just turned the use of music in Assassin's Creed Origins from "normal" to "frequent" so I think I disagree. :P

I do think ambience can work great in certain instances - used well music can even enhance that ambience. Music can do so much to enhance the experience in a game and make it memorable I can't imagine ever deciding to straight up turn it off (well, perhaps if Prey's use of music had remained the same between that pre-launch demo and the final release - that was ear-splitting. :P ).

It made it worse, for you. The sound designers knew exactly what they were doing and what effect it would have, and they succeeded. You just didn't like it.

Click to shrink...

Yes, I'm pretty sure they're aware that what they're saying is their opinion of the measured sound design choices Nintendo decided to make. ;P

 

[KnightimeX]

Imagine how boring Resident Evil 2 would have been without an OST.
It's cool when SOME areas of a game turn music off but jeez, the whole game? Nope!

 

[CopperPuppy]

Could not disagree more. That Blow describes music as "insulation" to be "slathered on" is hilarious.

 

[CoLD FiRE]

Disabling the music in Ori is a crime.

Click to shrink...

Seriously! OP needs to get new ears.

Sure, I would understand disabling music in a racing sim or in a game with an obnoxious soundtrack or something but OPs example doesn't really help his arguments.

 

[gcwy]

Wow, thank you for this thread. I play most of my games with music disabled, it immediately becomes a more enjoyable experience 90% of the time.

 

[8byte]

I'd honestly love a game where all of the music happens in world, ala Baby Driver.

Anyone know of anything like that?

 

[GamingEnthusiast]

Could not disagree more.

Music can make or break games.

Click to shrink...

This. Heck, there's been some games i've played that were so average but the soundtrack for it was so undeniably good, it made the game above average.

 

[Tuorom]

Yea I totally agree, but as has been said

I agree in principle, but in practice most games don't have good enough sound design to pull this off.

Click to shrink...

Most games don't put enough effort into it. Playing Skyrim with only atmospheric sounds would be amazing. Playing games like Doom 3 with only the flow of air through vents, the creak of the structures, the far off sounds of demons, would be so immersive.

With that said, music is one of my favourite things in games and I wouldn't want to play games like Final Fantasy, Elder Scrolls, or Street Fighter without it.

 

[Tuorom]

I'd honestly love a game where all of the music happens in world, ala Baby Driver.

Anyone know of anything like that?

Click to shrink...

Grand Theft Auto

 

[Raven117]

I cannot disagree more with you OP.

With the exception of a few games (Like Souls or Hellblade), almost always the game is enhanced by a good soundtrack. Hell, Neir (the first one), is elevated well beyond the game itself because of its god-tier soundtrack.

 

[Sylverstone]

Weirdly enough, the soundtrack for Xenoblade Chronicles X helped immerse me, even as people were saying that it was horrible.



Noctilum's theme playing as I explored it for the first time did absolute wonders, and the climax hit as I discovered the rest of the continent beyond the dense forest. No way having that without music would have the same feeling of immersion.

Of course, it varies. But can you really do that for games that have their soundtracks tailor-made for the experience?

 

[Kovacs]

I agree 100%.
I also disagree 100%.

What I really think is that it comes down to the individual game.

As a load of people have already said the right incidental music can change everything. There may not be as many universally known examples in games as in cinema, but I couldn't imagine watching Jaws without the music.
Walking through the snow and ice in Skyrim, just the wind roaring and the waves crashing on the shore. Yeah, that's time to let the environment stand alone to create the atmosphere. Realistic racer? Yeah, give me track and engine sounds and that's it. Goofy little fun platformer or puzzler? Nah, give me a tune to go along with it. Dramatic kick-arse revenge showdown in an action adventure? I want crashing guitars and beat to hype it up further.

Mind you, anyone that plays Lumines with the music turned off needs their head examined!

 

[Tarot Deck]

Nope, both the lack of music and the use of music COMBINED is what provides the best immersion.

Current Wolfenstein is a great example of this.

Click to shrink...

/Thread.

BotW music is beautifully used as well.

 

[Zelda]

OP isn't completely wrong. I personally get tired of certain music in certain games (particularly if I'm replaying a game) and when I turn it off I definitely feel like I'm more "into the game world", especially games with a lot of ambient sound. WItcher 3 is a good example I think, the same battle music playing every time you encounter an enemy gets quite annoying. I think wearing headphones or having a surround sound setup is a must for the best effect though.

 

[Raigan-etc]

Disagree, music adds so much more to a game, those GTA V missions where the OST would kick in was amazing.

Skyrim also had an incredible soundtrack that really fit with the world and drew me in so much, the magical and majesty of that soundtrack when in Winterhold going to the Mage college was something that ill never forget

 

[bottledfox]

I like ambience, and I like music. But above all, I like ambient music. Good ambient music helps set the tone without undermining my immersion.

 

[Recluse]

I agree, the first thing I do is music down to 0, ambience up to 100.

The only games I play with music on are Shmups.

 

[UCBooties]

I can appreciate ambiance when it's part of the design, but if music is part of the design I don't want to pull it out. I can't even imagine playing Skyrim without the music on...

A more specific example: Towards the end of Tales of the Abyss, Luke faces off against

Spoiler

Asch

which is a confrontation that the game has been building to for most of the run time and has huge thematic weight

Spoiler

because of the clone thing.

As the two rush together, the theme song for the whole game bursts in and, as cheesy as it sounds, it was the closest I have ever felt in a game to the "fuck yeah" moment in every shonen series where the theme song plays while the main character goes all out. Can't imagine missing something like that for the sake of ambiance.