Entry 540 - Dishonored

 

Style: Video game music, minimalist ambient, modern classical

Primary Emotions/Themes: Isolation, betrayal, revenge, calculated rage, creepy

Thoughts: Dishonored is a game that has a special place for me. I really enjoy games that give me freedom on how to achieve an objective. Ever since System Shock, there has been a combination of first person shooters and RPG's that I absolutely adore. This genre would move to the next level with Deus Ex. After the pinnacle though there was little to be said for the genre... until Dishonored.

I was introduced to the game by a close friend who is no longer with us. It's a hugely important game for me for several reasons. It marked the return of the style of game I enjoyed so much. With that came huge waves of nostalgia. Not only because of the wonderful game itself, but also the memories that come with long lost friendships. It's bitter sweet. 

The music in Dishonored is something special. It's so simple, yet so incredibly immersive, it balances the line between demanding attention and blending in perfectly with the games actions. The game does this in many ways, but primarily through the clever use of ambient composition techniques in classical instrumentation.

The music itself is incredibly eerie and borders on diving into a deep darkness. There are sparse melodies played on piano, strings and sometimes through electronic instrumentation. Most of the melodies never draw much attention to themselves, merely existing to deepen a specific mood or emotion. This combined with a healthy amount of reverb on the instruments, gives the music a bit of an otherworldly feel.

While the music has more going on than a typical ambient record, the overall effect is very similar. The music is designed to amplify its surroundings without drawing the listeners attention away from the primary task at hand - that is playing the game. In their own context though, the music is quite excellent and does not require the accompaniment of the game to be enjoyed.

These more reflective tracks are not the only type of music found within the 40 minutes of the soundtrack however. There are combat tracks that rely heavily on percussion to drive a sense of urgency. There are several vocal tracks ranging from the excellent closing piece to an utterly creepy song sung by children playing. There is just enough variety in the soundtrack to keep the listener engaged throughout.

I'm not sure I've adequately described the music on Dishonored and just how good it is. This soundtrack stands on its own musically to the point where I bought a five LP boxed set specifically for this one record. The game is quite a few years old at this point and the genre RPG/Shooter genre (also known as immersive sim) has had quite a few games since Dishonored. None of them though quite captured the feeling of nostalgia that this game did for me though, and the music is a huge part of that.

Written August 26th 2023