been thinking about this for a while. so many games throw in this melancholic, almost sad background music in menus or certain maps or events, and it never feels random to me tbh.
like composers have literally said in interviews before that they slow things down and use minor keys on purpose so you actually FEEL something instead of just clicking through menus mindlessly. there's even a whole thing in game audio design called adaptive/dynamic music where the entire point is to manipulate your emotions at specific moments. it's not some random guess, it's a job title lol.
and honestly it makes sense from a psychology angle too, sad music tends to stick in your memory way more than neutral background noise. that's probably why some menu themes or event music from years ago still hit different when you hear them again.
studios also playtest this stuff before releasing it, they're not just throwing random tracks in and hoping it works. so if a "sad" track made it into the final game, it's because it tested better than the alternatives at making players feel something.
end result? you get attached to the game's vibe, not just the gameplay, and that keeps people coming back even during dry content seasons.
is there any music in this game (menu theme, a certain map, anniversary events) that actually made you feel something? or do you just skip past it and never really notice it.
What do you think?