Music in Horror Games

Music is a very important, and often overlooked part, of video games. There is no better way to build a specific atmosphere than with a fitting score. And even though our visual trumps our audio memory, it can't be denied that specific tunes have a much deeper emotional impact. There is hardly any Nintendo fan, who won't become excited after hearing the Zelda Main Theme.

Music is an integral part in creating memorable moments. The last stand during a final boss is only half as epic, without the fitting music pushing the player to its limits. A great score doesn't only accompany the level. It tells a story of its own, enhancing your experience in the process. As an example take a listen to Sawmill Thrill from Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.

©Nintendo

Even without any pictures you can exactly tell what is going on. The dramatic chase through the Sawmill followed by the calm middle section before heading into the final mayhem. It's perfectly crafted for this specific level and only works there.

In my opinion the music of a game is even more important for its atmosphere than the graphical presentation. And that brings me to the actual theme of todays Thoughtpiece. Music in Horror Games.

As some of you may know I'm a big fan of Horror. And while I prefer the methodical horror of, for example H.P. Lovecraft, which slowly creeps its way towards you, I also appreciate the tenser kind of horrer that a game like Outlast provides.

For a Horror Game to truly work there are many different puzzle pieces that all have to fit together. And the Music is one of the most important. So how does music factor into the atmosphere of a horror game?

Horror Groove:

First let us take a look at actual Music, because the absence of such can also be a strong building block of atmosphere.

The music used for horror games is often a duo of sorts. Slow and sinister chords are broken up by irregular high screaming ones. It creates a dissonance that doesn't sound bad, but makes us feel uneasy. In a recent study scientists revealed that these irregular chords, which they labeled ''non-linear chaotic noise'', is similar to distress cries emitted by children or baby animals, when they are in danger. It triggers a biologically ingrained response in us.

In the study music containing such ''non-linear chaotic noise'' was often linked to feelings such as fear or anxiety by the participants. Researches also found that music clips where the melodies suddenly became higher provoked greater emotional reaction. This is also linked to biological behavior. A scream goes higher when the vocal chords go tenser, which is a likely result if scared to death. If you're interested and want to delve deeper into the topic, then you can do it here.

Source

Creating a piece of music for the Horror Genre can be quite the challenge. You have to balance the ''non-linear chaotic noise'' with the internal harmony of the piece.

And for Video Games there is another layer. The music can't be to effective. Take a chase scene for example. After some exploration of a dark area, where the music was kept to a minimum, you are spotted by whatever hunts you, and a intense chase scene starts. The previous gameplay has all led up to this. The tension has been building and now it unloads. Now the music has to support this. It needs to scare you, but at the same time push you forwards. It needs to get your blood pumping in fear for your life, but not paralyze you with it.

As an example for such a piece of music just take a listen to the River Twygz Bed from Paper Mario. It's distorted noises create a creepy sound, which makes you feel uncomfortable. 

©Nintendo

Now Paper Mario is a relatively harmless game, but this soundtrack alone made the River Twygz into a threatening area, where you want to spend as little time as possible. And that is exactly what these music aims to achieve. You shouldn't feel safe or at ease, but constantly threatened.

The Music should create the same feeling as the visuals. In a way they should reflect eachother. Through small changes the familiar can turn into something absolutely horrifying. That goes for musical and visual aspects of the game.

The Sound of Silence:

Now let us take a look at the other way of using music in Horror Games. Well that's not entirely true. It's not music, but rather the absence of such. Horror often needs a minimalistic approach. No grand set pieces, but dark and confined environments. The same goes for it's music. While orchestral arrangements can be quite intimidating, they don't have the effect needed for a horror atmosphere. They are simply not capable of creating fear.

Instead a minimalistic approach with no background music can prove to be much more effective. It let's you focus on your surroundings, taking them in and learning to fear them. Sounds can provide relief in a tense situation, and when you hear nothing for several minutes, but the sound of your own footsteps the tension slowly builds to unbearable levels. In that situation anything that breaks the silence is considered a threat. A game which made good use of this was Dead Space. Abort the USS. Ishimura where countless lonely corridors, abandoned rooms and hallways. While you slowly wander them, and dread the next attack of the Necromorphs, you hear nothing but your own heavy footsteps. The lack of music is there to show your loneliness, but you know that your not alone. Distant mechanical noises and air vents, which under other circumstances would be quite normal noises atop a mining ship, suddenly become threatening. Are they normal? Or are the Necromorphs close by?

The lack of music in most areas of the game also increases the impact, when the developers decide to use audio. This creates a jarring shift in tone, which is then often considered as a ''non-linear chaotic noise'', which, as we know, creates feelings of fear and anxiety.

In that regard ambient noises can be used to the same effect. Something that would otherwise be considered normal can become quite menacing under the right conditions. A door opening or closing. The Wind rustling some leaves. All these sounds, or the lack of them, can be used to craft an atmosphere.

It is hard to describe musical atmosphere with words, but I hope you understand what I mean. Music plays an important part in the atmosphere of a video game and even more so in the Horror genre. Used right sounds can make even the most peaceful looking scenery seem threatening. It's a small ledge to balance on, but one worth aiming for.

I hope you enjoyed this small excursion into the world of music. I am by far no expert on this matter, more like a novice if we are generous, but hopefully I managed to get my thoughts across properly.

So what are your thoughts on this subject matter? What sounds or noises make you feel anxious or scared? Let me know in the comments below.

And as always

thanks for reading