Video from Youtube user: gmaster2647
The Duck was listening to some music from a most beautiful game, “Okami”, and when I heard this one song, I immediately knew it needed its own Resonance post. This song, called “Giant Monster in Wait”, had quite an impact on me when I first played the game, and it remains as one of my favorite songs from the game because it is the most successful in terms of making me feel like a part of the game. This is why I love such songs, because they draw you into the game and make you feel like what’s happening is really…happening. We all know video games aren’t real, so any fear, excitement, uneasiness, whatever is dampened by the fact that, no matter how immersive the game is, we can never forget that it is just that, a game.
But, this song manages to close that gap between game and gamer. It plays just before a boss battle, and I remember clearly the first time I heard it. This strange sound from an instrument I had rarely heard before (I’m pretty sure it’s a biwa, in case you’re wondering), a few twangs here and there, echoing, like the clattering of something moving about in the darkness, and then it starts up (about 32 seconds in), quiet at first, but it quickly builds, getting faster and louder, like whatever was clattering around out of sight has just come at you out of the darkness that once concealed it, out of nowhere and unexpected. And then it slows again, but this doesn’t ease your fears. It already happened. It may be gone now, but it’ll be back, you just know it, and you wait, dreading whatever may happen next.
This song honestly made me feel quite uneasy when I first heard it. Normally, I’m not afraid when I’m approaching a boss battle. What’s scary about fighting a fake monster on the TV? As I mentioned before, we know it’s fake, so we don’t feel anywhere near the same apprehension we would feel if we really were just about to battle a fierce monster. You’d be scared if you really had to fight Bowser, wouldn’t you? But, fighting him in “Super Mario 64”, were you afraid? I doubt it. But, this song somehow struck real fear into me. It made me scared, and I couldn’t bring myself to go through the next door for some time. The music just made me feel something bad was up ahead, waiting for me, and I didn’t want to face it. I had to work up my courage before I could finally continue on through the next door. And that is exactly why this is the best song of the game in terms of drawing the gamer in and making them really experience the game.
What about you? Does this music make you feel uneasy? Would it make you think twice about entering the next room? Can you think of any songs that are similar?
Giant Duck in Wait
Wow, this post really sent me down memory lane, plus I know exactly what you mean. I hadn’t realized it till now, but thinking back on my memories of Okami (for PS2) I realize now that the sense of dread that I had felt was probably produced by the music.
Man, I miss Okami. That game deserves a sequel.
That song just creeped me out so much when I first heard it, and even listening to it now, it still gives me chills.
“Okami” is a great game. It does actually have a sequel on the DS called “Okamiden”, though I’ve never played it.
Oh, right. I had completely let that fly by me. Thanks for the reminder though, I might give that a try ;).