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Listen "EP 16 | How Video Game Music Shapes Narratives (with MarcoMeatball)"
Episode Synopsis
Marina sits down with professional opera singer-turned-voice actor MarcoMeatball to talk all things video game music.
We talk about how FFXIV and Granblue Fantasy: Relink blend genres, the sadness in Bloodborne’s soundtrack, how vertical music sequencing is used in Nier Automata, how ambient music is used to shape a narrative, and much more. We also talk about the music in the games we’re currently playing, as well as some of our favourites.
Grab some headphones, and let’s dive in.
* * * * * * *
TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:51) Meeting Marco
(05:40) Marco’s Recent Games: Granblue Fantasy: Relink, Warframe, Yakuza: Kiwami
(09:54) Bloodborne, its brilliant sounds design choices, & how its music sets its narrative tone
(15:26) Baldur’s Gate 3 takes us back to medieval times
(18:18) Initial thoughts on Nier Music
(19:25) Warframe, using music to displace pain, and whether context matters
(21:21) There’s so much good video game music out there
(22:50) How Enshrouded’s music surprised Marco
(24:05) Nier Automata, Chaos Language, and the game’s use of vertical music sequencing
(32:01) FFXIV and blending genres
(38:02) Music, storytelling, and how the player feels
(43:05) FFXIV and Answers’ narrative misdirect of the century
(46:14) Community question: “How does ambient music help the player understand the tone of the narrative?” (Elden Ring, Bloodborne, World of Warcraft)
(52:07) Final thoughts & outro
* * * * * * *
SOCIALS:
Quest Markers: https://linktr.ee/questmarkers
Marco’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarcoMeatball
Marco’s socials: https://linktr.ee/marcodmeatball
Marina’s socials: https://linktr.ee/marinaryan
We talk about how FFXIV and Granblue Fantasy: Relink blend genres, the sadness in Bloodborne’s soundtrack, how vertical music sequencing is used in Nier Automata, how ambient music is used to shape a narrative, and much more. We also talk about the music in the games we’re currently playing, as well as some of our favourites.
Grab some headphones, and let’s dive in.
* * * * * * *
TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:51) Meeting Marco
(05:40) Marco’s Recent Games: Granblue Fantasy: Relink, Warframe, Yakuza: Kiwami
(09:54) Bloodborne, its brilliant sounds design choices, & how its music sets its narrative tone
(15:26) Baldur’s Gate 3 takes us back to medieval times
(18:18) Initial thoughts on Nier Music
(19:25) Warframe, using music to displace pain, and whether context matters
(21:21) There’s so much good video game music out there
(22:50) How Enshrouded’s music surprised Marco
(24:05) Nier Automata, Chaos Language, and the game’s use of vertical music sequencing
(32:01) FFXIV and blending genres
(38:02) Music, storytelling, and how the player feels
(43:05) FFXIV and Answers’ narrative misdirect of the century
(46:14) Community question: “How does ambient music help the player understand the tone of the narrative?” (Elden Ring, Bloodborne, World of Warcraft)
(52:07) Final thoughts & outro
* * * * * * *
SOCIALS:
Quest Markers: https://linktr.ee/questmarkers
Marco’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarcoMeatball
Marco’s socials: https://linktr.ee/marcodmeatball
Marina’s socials: https://linktr.ee/marinaryan
In God we trust