Battle music. Probably one of the hallmarks of the RPG genre, as well as stylish action and even fighting games. So many games use battle themes in expert ways to set particular tones or feelings while the player is taking on enemies or bosses. Most recently, Final Fantasy VII Remake did an excellent job of weaving sweeping, multi-part battle themes through various stages of boss battles, allowing the music to progress along with the player as they get closer and closer to the end. A lot of games tend to use this kind of music to build hype or excitement, to help influence the player into a particularly heightened state to suit the mood of the combat system.
But what about the battle themes that AREN'T there to get you hyped? Sometimes a game will swerve the traditional "hype music" format and use something different - comic, dramatic, serious - to extoll a different feeling. Maybe the developers DON'T want you to be excited or pumped up - maybe they need you to feel sadness, or pity, or fear. Maybe they want to make it clear that a particular fight is especially memorable.
One of Chrono Cross' most powerful moments is a crushingly difficult boss battle with music that sounds like it should be playing at a funeral rather than a duel:
And more recently, the battle theme for the secret boss fight from Kingdom Hearts III barely even counts as battle music, as it resembles a flowing multi-part orchestral suite:
What are your favorite examples of battle themes that don't feel like "battle themes"? When composers buck the trend of their games' established musical flow to hit you with something new or unexpected, does it stick with you? Share your favorites. I want to see what makes you hyped without hyping you up.
But what about the battle themes that AREN'T there to get you hyped? Sometimes a game will swerve the traditional "hype music" format and use something different - comic, dramatic, serious - to extoll a different feeling. Maybe the developers DON'T want you to be excited or pumped up - maybe they need you to feel sadness, or pity, or fear. Maybe they want to make it clear that a particular fight is especially memorable.
One of Chrono Cross' most powerful moments is a crushingly difficult boss battle with music that sounds like it should be playing at a funeral rather than a duel:
And more recently, the battle theme for the secret boss fight from Kingdom Hearts III barely even counts as battle music, as it resembles a flowing multi-part orchestral suite:
What are your favorite examples of battle themes that don't feel like "battle themes"? When composers buck the trend of their games' established musical flow to hit you with something new or unexpected, does it stick with you? Share your favorites. I want to see what makes you hyped without hyping you up.
