Soundtracks tell a story, and what better way to showcase that story than through what is essentially an interactive movie: a video game. Music changes the way we feel about something. The right soundtracks can make us feel uneasy or anxious, uplifted or happy; they can make you feel sad and sometimes even bring you to tears. So if we combine these two elements, an interactive story and music that makes us feel complex emotions, how does that impact us? A handful of students explained some of the effects their favorite soundtracks had on them.

Starting off strong, sophomore Noah Upjohn shared that his favorite soundtrack is from a game released in 2011, one that has been a favorite amongst many, it is none other than Minecraft. He said he likes that it reminds him of lofi music and that it’s good ambient noise. This man has taste. Minecraft has an amazing soundtrack, one of my favorite things about it is that it shifts depending on the region you’re playing in. Although that is fairly common in video games, the Minecraft soundtrack has a good habit of sneaking up on you. The music is almost constantly playing, but it gets to a point where it fades into the background and you don’t really appreciate it until it’s gone. Whether you are collecting materials above ground, mining for ore down below or exploring the fiery pits of the Nether, the sounds that follow you is truly immersive. I’m serious, ask anyone who’s played Minecraft how terrifying cave noises can be. The soundtrack was composed by German musician Daniel Rosenfeld, better known online as C418. C418 does an excellent job at grabbing the listeners attention and truly making them feel like they’ve been transferred to another world, while still managing to keep that sneaky background noise. This is likely the reason so many people like Noah Upjohn adore his music.

Next, I spoke with freshman Autumn Weiler, who shared that her favorite video game soundtrack was from a game set in ancient China, called Fate of the Empress. I had never heard of this game before. I spoke with Weiler, and she shared that she enjoys the softer background music. She listens to the Fate of the Empress soundtrack in game and sometimes on her own time. The music is inspired by traditional Chinese music and is written by Japanese composer Shigeru Umebayashi. Because I did not play this game and only listened to the soundtrack, I can’t say what the music is like in game. However, the soundtrack is beautiful and airy, it makes the listener feel like they are floating above the clouds without a care in the world. It makes me want to play the game and experience it in the environment it was meant to be enjoyed in. It is absolutely a soundtrack I would listen to in the future.

Later I spoke with sophomore Dominic Canton, asking him the same question, he told me his favorite soundtrack is from DOOM. Although I listened to the soundtrack released in 2016, the DOOM saga dates back to 1993. Canton expressed how a soundtrack can define a game, stating the loudness and aggression really adds to the game. In all honesty, I was not expecting to enjoy this soundtrack as much as I did. The DOOM soundtrack is energetic and fast in some parts, but slow and ominous in others. I look forward to listening to it more, it’s very exciting and makes me want to play the saga.