Music – Why It’s More Important Than Graphics

One writer's take on why he thinks that while gameplay trumps presentation, music trumps graphics.

[Iltapalanyymi]

Exactly. graphichs are the least important thing in games for me anyway.

[ThanatosDMC]

I'd rather have both.

[starchild]

I'd rather have both too. I think graphics and sound/music are both equally important. But I also think that many people don't realize just how important music and sound is to our experience of a game.

For me Music is just as important as graphics. I've been playing Castlevania Lords of Shadow lately and the soundtrack is just exceptional and significantly adds to my enjoyment of the game.

[MONKEYDLUFFY]

Yes.

[TheOneWhoIsTornApart]

I don't think it's more important but I think it is one of the most important main ingredients that make a game great.

[curtis92]

Graphics matter initially, the music is what sticks with us.

Okay, that's for me anyway...

[HighResHero]

Technically graphics continue to improve but if the art is timeless people will remember it (Okami as an example). Some music can stick around and have a lasting effect for similar reasons.

[curtis92]

Agreed but what I mean is for any individual game, graphics catch our eyes and help build that amazing experience but going back to that game 10 years later, after the graphics are now outdated, the nostalgia that punches you in the face is the music.

[SilentSolid]

emm wut?

And why can't we have both?

[MegaSackman]

Or why this necessity of finding the most important factor in gaming?

[GW212]

I strongly disagree but will say that that music is more important than what we typically take it for.

Mass Effect music was, in my opinion, the best of any video game I've ever played.

[Dr Face Doctor]

I'd generalize it more to 'sound' rather than just music. I've played many a shitty looking game that still had tons of atmosphere because of the music and sound design. Plus, like the other guy said, music is always what sticks with you; you might get a great song stuck in your head but I've never spontaneously thought about how good a game's graphics were.

[hankmoody]

Agreed. It's really 'sound design' as a whole that should've been said rather than just music. Case in point, check out Dead Space. The sound design in that first game was flat out amazing, from the surround sound to the music by Jason Graves.

[xSHADOWx]

The Last of Us proves this statement!
We got the best of both worlds!!
Graphics + Sound
:)

[RiPPn]

Probably my single biggest complaint with Assassins Creed 3 was the music, or lack there of. But like above have said, both are essential.