VGMusicologist

Holy crap, leave some for the rest of us! Oh my GOD, slaying me with cuteness! Whelp, I guess it's time for a replay. HOWEVER, I have one more point of data here regarding the Determination theme. There is an additional track in the Undertale data directory that uses this theme. I don't think it's in the OST, nor is it used in the game. It's called mus_kingdescription.ogg and it's a complete statement of this theme, done up in regal style with strings and harpsichord. This, more than anything else convinces me that it is intended as the theme of Asgore, and Bergentrückung is simply a battle theme. It makes sense that his theme is playing over the Game Over screen as his voice pleads with you not to give up; most of the game is basically you unfucking his giant mess and he knows it

That could be it, but it doesn't seem to me like something that benefits from musical highlighting. So I started thinking more about what Toriel and Asgore have in common. They're both magic goat-rabbits, they both use fire magic, they were once married, and they both really REALLY don't want to fight you. Could this theme somehow correspond to an aversion to violence? Of all the main characters that you fight in the game, these two are definitely the most peaceful in personality, but compelled to use force for various reasons. Or maybe it's a theme of regret or extreme ambivalence. The lower ostinato part sounds kinda shuffly... indecisive, and I could easily hear the upper line as a howl of protest. Maybe I'm reaching too much but as meticulously-crafted as some of this soundtrack is, I want to believe that this, too, has some subtext to it.

Oh that's wicked. I did not notice that; I think I don't yet have Flowey's theme in my brain really. It doesn't get hammered into you during the game like some of the others. Come to think of it, a catalogue of themes would be good to have in identifying and referencing significant usage. They have something like that started here, but it's not complete and I'm not convinced they have all of them right. I've made two other observations, both with question marks at the end. 1) The theme that plays at Waterfall includes a slow and morose version of the Ruins theme, which makes me think it doesn't correspond specifically to Ruins or Waterfall, but something else. Is this theme used anywhere else, and what does it mean? 2) The B theme of the battle with Asgore has a version of the A theme of the battle with Toriel in different meter. Does THIS theme appear anywhere else and what does IT mean?

So.... Undertale is kind of a masterpiece, and needless to say, I was blown away by the complexity of the soundtrack. In addition to a ton of memorable and unique character themes, the Undertale soundtrack makes admirable use of leitmotivic development and foreshadowing and even some musical misdirection. It also features some very subtle and clever allusions to to other soundtracks. I thought perhaps we could take a crack at unpacking some of the themes, how they're constructed, what they're trying to say, how they change as the plot progresses, etc. This is impossible to do without massive spoilers, so probably nobody who hasn't finished the game should be reading any of this. To kick it off, I'll start with ONE small thing I thought was wonderful: The song you hear at the Game Over screen is a statement of Asgore's theme (I'm pretty sure it's Asgore's theme anyway, though there are probably many many ways to interpret it), and it's also Asgore's voice urging you to stay determined and try again. This would hint at the tragedy of his story, the ambivalence of his role as both "end boss" and "needs your help desperately" IF you knew from the beginning what the theme meant. But the it doesn't get formally introduced until the final battle with him and this creates tremendous build-up and anticipation. It also gives you a lot to pay attention to and ponder during the second playthrough. The theme itself is in dorian mode which makes it sound simultaneously mysterious, heart-breaking, and uplifting. What are some things that struck you about this game's music? What important themes can you identify and how are they used?

If you ask me, this track feels not just like "town" but like "home town", in the tradition of say.....Chrono Trigger or Shining Force. It combines equal parts optimism and innocence and sounds far too plucky and sweet for the world it's set in. The point of this is to make a sharper contrast when the plot kicks off and the kingdom goes to hell. Chrono Trigger: Peaceful Days Shining Force II: Lively Town Xenogears: My Village is Number One Ocarina of Time: Kokiri Forest These are all towns you begin the game in and the music is really important in the "Once upon a time, everything was good..." part of a story. They're very bubbly and bouncy and like the theme of Prontera, there really isn't a shred of doubt that can be heard (I think that actually makes them kind of annoying after awhile). There are PLENTY of examples of town themes that do not feel homey or sweet, but I think the earlier on in a game you encounter a town, the more likely it is to be a happy one and that's really for the benefit of the narrative. Now that I've said all of that.....uhh....do you start Ragnarok Online in Prontera? I've never played it...