Track this topic | Email this topic | Print this topic

An article posted on Kotaku earlier today:

http://kotaku.com/5904337/the-real-reason-...dium=socialflow

The article, while brief, could be summed up as follows: "You didn't cry when Sephiroth stabbed Aeris. You cried when you heard that song." The author argues that the key element in the overwhelming emotional fan response to Aeris' death is not so much the plot as the music.

I think that his basic idea, that music leads to emotion, is rather undeniable; certainly, the strength of a JRPG is in many ways tied to the strength of its soundtrack. I think the arguement here should be expanded to include all video games, in addition to any film or TV series; emotional response is closely related to music in any format in which it is present.

I think the final ruminations of this article reach a little far, however. While music is important, I don't think it dwarfs the other major aspects of an emotional scene - the dialogue, the scene's visual composition and, of course, the story leading up to that point.

Here's an experiment (I'm going to use the FFX ending because it works well, but you can use your favorite scene). Go to about 2:14, and then hit mute. Keep watching through 3:50. Even with complete knowledge that there's a missing component, the scene is still powerful based strictly on the visual work and knowledge of the game's plot. You could try something similar, with just the spoken dialogue / non-music audio elements, and absolutely nothing else:
- "I'm sorry I couldn't show you Zanarkand... Goodbye!"
- "We're gonna see you again?"
- *Yuna falls, party gasps, sound of pyreflies leaving Tidus- a pause.
- "I love you."
Now, if you've played FFX, that by itself is a whole lot. It's the only time in the game that those words are ever said - as a result, they carry an incredible amount of gravity. Cloud's lines after Aeris' death are also quite well done, in my opinion, if a little forced.

In fact, I don't think that the music either scene (FFX ending or FFVII Aeris' death) would have such an effect on us if we hadn't already heard it throughout the story. The way we feel when we hear Aeris' Theme at her death is greatly influenced by the fact that we knew it and attributed a different emotion to it earlier in the story. This clash between new and old understanding of a song - achieved by the plot as much as by the piece itself - is what makes it especially powerful.

My response, then, is that music is more of an 'icing on the cake'; it isn't the most important factor, but it's a significant element that is built on the foundation of several other significant elements. As a result, it plays a more visible role in the process of generating emotion.

Thoughts?

This post has been edited by Death Penalty on 27th April 2012 20:43

--------------------

Currently Playing : Final Fantasy V
Most Recently Beat : Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Favorite Game : Final Fantasy X

The newest CoNcast is up! Have a listen!

From personal experiences listening to soundtracks before having played the games they go to I can say that the songs aren't nearly as powerful without context.
Doing your experiment, I can't really separate the music from the scene, I can still hear it in my head even with the scene muted.
So I'm going to say that the important thing is all the elements coming together, not any one of them being the most important part.

--------------------

FF games completed: I (psp), II (psp), III (DS), IV (psp), V (GBA), VI (GBA), VII, VIII, IX, X, XI: Nations-Rhapsodies of Vana'diel, XII, XIII, XIV, XV.
Spin-offs: FFIV: Interlude & The After Years, Crisis Core: FFVII, X-2, XIII-2, Lightning Returns, Type-0 HD, Dissidia, Dissidia 012, and Tactics (original & WotL).
Enjoyed them all.

That is game design/filmmaking 101. The music, or even the lack of music, can elicit emotion. I agree with you that they go too far; it's not the reason that scene is sad, but it elevates the emotion of that scene. It plays a complementary role.

--------------------

Praise Be To Helix!

I think music affects different people to different extents.

For instance, I haven't even ever seen the scene in FFVII where Sephiroth kills Aeris. Well, maybe I have, briefly, in a Youtube video or something. I've had that plot point spoiled to hell and back for me anyway.

However, listening to Aeris's theme itself, even without knowing where in FFVII it plays, actually sometimes makes me tear up. For me, the music itself contains or elicits certain emotions. I haven't ever had an emotional connection to Aeris the character (haven't played far enough into FFVII to feel that way), but the music has its own meaning.

--------------------

Check the "What games are you playing at the moment?" thread for updates on what I've been playing.

You can find me on the Fediverse! I use Mastodon, where I am @[email protected] ( https://sakurajima.moe/@glennmagusharvey )

Quote (ILoveMoombas! @ 27th April 2012 16:05)

From personal experiences listening to soundtracks before having played the games they go to I can say that the songs aren't nearly as powerful without context.
Doing your experiment, I can't really separate the music from the scene, I can still hear it in my head even with the scene muted.
So I'm going to say that the important thing is all the elements coming together, not any one of them being the most important part.

I couldn't agree more. Final Fantasy music is some of the most powerful music, to me. However, while I do enjoy music from the games I haven't played, they don't feel the same, emotionally, as the others do. It requires all elements of the story combined with the music to make the experience an emotional one.

Honestly though, I don't remember there being music when Aeris was killed. I remember sounds and then music coming on when the dialogue after the scene began, but no music while she was being killed.

Edit

I watched the scene again. There isn't really "music" until the point where the materia falls out of her hair and hits the ground. It may be because I have seen this before, but I don't feel a lot of emotion about it until the music starts playing. Then it becomes a rushing of memories about my first time through the game and I start feeling emotional.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qnyxd7Vq0Q...--eedit2-->

This post has been edited by Sephiroth on 30th April 2012 18:46

--------------------

Climhazzard is the timeless evil robot who runs some of the cool stuff at CoN (mostly logging chat, since there are no quizzes at the moment), all the while watching and waiting for his moment to take over the world. -Tiddles

Music is absolutely one of the most important things in telling us what to feel. For a TV example, I challenge you to watch or rewatch Lost and ignore the crescendos of the violins when they want you to feel ways about stuff. If you do this, it actually just comes off as comic.

The example given of the music in the Aeris death scene is great. The music and timing there still gives me little shivers when I imagine it.

Or, for another example, in FFVI the scene in the WoR where you get the airship. The quiet intro where you're walking down the stairs and Setzer reminisces, culminating in the Falcon's theme as you take off. The dialogue hits it spot on in time with the tune, and it's brilliant. Perfect, really.

Outside of Final Fantasy though, look at the music from Lavender Town in the original Pokemon Red/Blue. It's seriously the creepiest thing I've ever heard in a game, and the fact that it's 8bit actually ADDS to it, rather than take away.

--------------------

If you've been mod-o-fied,
It's an illusion, and you're in-between.
Don't you be tarot-fied,
It's just alot of nothing, so what can it mean?
~Frank Zappa

Sins exist only for people who are on the Way or approaching the Way

Quote (MogMaster @ 11th July 2012 11:09)

Music is absolutely one of the most important things in telling us what to feel. For a TV example, I challenge you to watch or rewatch Lost and ignore the crescendos of the violins when they want you to feel ways about stuff. If you do this, it actually just comes off as comic.

The example given of the music in the Aeris death scene is great. The music and timing there still gives me little shivers when I imagine it.

Or, for another example, in FFVI the scene in the WoR where you get the airship. The quiet intro where you're walking down the stairs and Setzer reminisces, culminating in the Falcon's theme as you take off. The dialogue hits it spot on in time with the tune, and it's brilliant. Perfect, really.

Outside of Final Fantasy though, look at the music from Lavender Town in the original Pokemon Red/Blue. It's seriously the creepiest thing I've ever heard in a game, and the fact that it's 8bit actually ADDS to it, rather than take away.

Pokemon Red/Blue is very impressive because the limitations were so severe. They could do much more, even on the SNES sound chip.

A good example for mood setting is Super Metroid. The individual songs on the soundtrack do not jump off the page, but herd together while descending through Zebes the ambience is effective.

--------------------

Praise Be To Helix!