Summer is officially here, and as a British person it is the law of this nation for me to say it’s a bit hot, init? My AC-less apartment is being held together by a box fan and a dream. I haven’t had a proper night’s sleep in weeks, and I fear I’ve forgotten how it feels to be cold.
Critical Hit
Welcome to Critical Hit, where I (or someone else on the PC Gamer team) celebrate and lament all things videogame music, audio design, and the ways our favourite games make our ears tingle.
But if there’s any positives to come out of the scorching heat and never-ending sun, it’s that all the Vitamin D seems to be the perfect catalyst for summer-themed videogame bangers. I feel like there’s nothing a videogame loves more than stuffing weather-appropriate tracks into its scores. Is it a bit rainy in-game? Switch up the music to a softer arrangement. Dead of winter? Perfect opportunity to make the music all twinkly and a touch festive.
Summer music is no different, often leaning on beachy or water vibes for that big sunshine feeling. Ukuleles and steel pan drums are rampant to capture that vibe—think Destiny Islands from the first Kingdom Hearts game, or Ginger Island from Stardew Valley. They’ve got a real tropical feel to them, perhaps the best and easiest route to screaming “This is a summer track, everyone! Summer!”
Personally, though? I love when it’s a little more subtle. When it’s not actively trying to give “lying on a sandy beach sippin’ a drink out of a coconut that has a funky little umbrella in it.” That’s good too, don’t get me wrong. But I have a real soft spot for songs that give me vague, fuzzy memories of late summer nights or nostalgia for something I’m not even sure I ever experienced.
I absolutely adore Final Fantasy 13-2’s New Bodhum, which is a beachy little island similar to both Destiny Islands and Ginger Island. But the song—backed by Origa’s vocals—has this wonderful ethereal vibe to it. Plus, you know, the lyrics mention things like ocean waves and shiny in the sun so it isn’t completely subtle, but it’s just enough.
I also adore Tekken 8’s Seaside Resort theme. It starts with a little steel pan drum trill, but folds in electronic beats and high-pitched, distorted vocals that I would absolutely hear blasted at some mid-August DJ set in a beer garden.
But what about you? Are there any videogame tracks that scream summer to you? Which beach tracks have you yearning for the sand in real life, or perhaps even a classic water level song that makes you feel all summery? Be sure to drop a comment and le
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