Judging a video game on its OST

I’m wondering if anyone else out there gauges whether or not they want to buy a video game based on its OST? I do this to some extent, like with the Shadow Hearts series and Chrono cross, but at the same time I’ve been put off some games due to a rather generic OST (should’ve listened to my gut feelings with Tales of Vesperia oh man) and I’ve been prevented from playing them.

Among those games is also Persona 4 which I want to play but I feel like I’ll have it on mute the entire way through as a result if i ever play it….. I guess I sorta answered my own question but idk, what do you guys think?

I usually only listen to vgm in-game, so no.

I do listen to vocal tracks from SH games, of course~ Why am I posting in VGM’s GD, now?

Because I have a spectacular aura about (…it cuts off there) according to my rep thing… at any rate, I guess my real question is that is it fair to do so as opposed to whether or not people do it?

I’m kinda saying this cause I like listening to VGMs as much as "real" music myself, though I guess remembering the context kinda adds to the "punch" of the song (ICARO’s piano arrangement does that to me, White Blood from MGS4, and Challenge from FFX… oh damn) but i’m talking about judging pre-playing.

I don’t do that, and I don’t really see that as a good way to judge games. Mostly I look at the features of the game, what type it is, character art, get some reviews from people that played it… Mostly I collect music after, if I liked a game.

I just bought Opoona a few days ago pretty much solely on the basis of it having a soundtrack by Basiscape and the fact that it is $10 new. 😀 But I’m not a big gamer anymore anyway and if it weren’t for my enthusiasm for VGM, I don’t think I’d even know much of what’s going on in the game world these days. So most of the time my only interest in a modern game comes from having some interest in its soundtrack and I would at least try playing one based on that alone.

Maybe this discussion wasn’t intended for people like me… :laugh:

I would say the video games that make the most impact on me and the ones that I remember for years to come usually tend to have quality soundtracks. I mean, take HALO. Just another shooter, right? I mean it was somewhat innovative for it’s time I guess — but it had a cool story and a kick-ass soundtrack!

A great soundtrack can really raise the quality of an entire game.

I’d be more likely to try a game if it had a good soundtrack, but I’m not sure if I could buy a game just for the soundtrack. Music, although important, is only one element of the experience. So I’d say you couldn’t judge a game solely on its music.

Why am I posting in VGM’s GD, now?

I guess my real question is that is it fair to do so as opposed to whether or not people do it?

Well, fair or not, people judge games by the music, just as people see a movie based on the trailer, or vote for a candidate based on a political ad, or buy gum based on the wrapper.

It is possible that a game won’t be as good as its soundtrack, but of course it’s also possible that the attention to detail in the music is a sign of the attention to detail in the whole game. The music may only be one element, but it’s one of the more important ones, up there with gameplay. It can make a boring, grind-y game compelling (Final Fantasy VIII draw-fests), or relegate a well-made game to obscurity. Just to pick one example out of a thousand, Bio Senshi Dan was a really solid Famicom platformer with lots of upgrades and branching paths, ala Metroid. In terms of graphics, playability, time investment, enemy design, and level design, the two games are basically equal. But one is a legend; one isn’t. Why? Bio Senshi Dan didn’t have Metroid’s soundtrack.

So I don’t know that the music is the best way to judge a game. There are hidden classics out there without strong soundtracks. But music is important to the experience, and it seems like as good a starting point as any.

I’m like nothingtosay in that I usually hear a soundtrack and only then get interested in the game. That’s why I played Tower of Heaven, Xenogears, Tetris Attack, Metal Gear Solid, and too many others to name. I probably wouldn’t have any idea what was going on with video games if I didn’t listen to the soundtracks first. The music is also why I replay games knowing that they’re crap, but wanting to give them another chance. The music is reason enough to pop in, say, Robocop for the NES one more time.