Music in games: How important is its role?

[The Seventh]

I say it adds to the mood of the game.

Think of it like this:

What if movies didn't have music?

It wouldn't give as much of a mood.

Same with game music.

[Helios]

Music is essential for a game to be truly good.

Take System Shock 2, for example. You are the last surviving person on a gigantic starship filled with zombies, aliens, hacked robots, and crazy AI's; all of which want to kill you. The game's spooky soundtrack does an excellent job of adding to the game's atmosphere. Without a soundtrack that helps set the game's mood, SS2 would not have been as great as it was.

So yes, music plays a very important role in videogames.

[Tupin]

Try playing a game like Resident Evil 4 or Bioshock or Halo without a soundtrack.

It takes away the mood of the game.