Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback The music is lackluster.

In Divinity: Original Sin 2, practically every single track had this amazing weight to it. They evoked a sense of wonder, perseverance, suspicion, power, adventure, paranoia, etc.
I've spent the past few years humming some of the tunes, and for me, the "Rivellon" track in particular is one of the biggest triumphs in gaming history when it comes to music and sound design.
It's beautiful, haunting, powerful, and brave, and I've spent so much time just standing aboard The Lady Vengeance in Act II just listening to it on a loop.

Now, of course, I understand that we're in Early Access. There's a lot of ground that we've yet to cover and situations we've yet to find ourselves in, but the only memorable tracks to me are the main theme and battle music.
In every other area that I've explored, the music doesn't feel as punchy, or impactful. As it stands now (and of course it could certainly change,) there isn't a tune that I'll be humming for years.
It feels very... generically orchestral.

All of this really hit me when I watched The Symphony of Sin stream at the 2020 Game Music Festival.
Every single track from D:OS2 was recreated beautifully and walked me through a whole range of emotions.
In Part II when the BG3 tracks came up to bat, it felt like all of the energy got sucked out of the room. It felt like I was on the phone and listening to the hold music for an upscale hotel.
I know that it's kind of a moot point since the music is likely already done and decided. I guess I just wanted to vent my frustration with a game that I've otherwise found to be an excellent experience.
I hope that the rest of the game that we haven't seen yet has music that's just as good, if not better than D:OS2 had.

Actually, I quite like the music. I turn it down low, so it's just in the background, but since I usually turn the music off in video games, that's saying something.

I don't dislike it, it's just largely forgettable and lacks impact.
You can honestly say that any of what you've heard so far is on par with D:OS2?

The music for DOS2 ended up being one of my favorite of all time. But I don't remember it starting that way, though. The music in BG3 is good, but it will take some time to see if it rivals DOS2. Also, I doubt we have heard all the tracks.

I think you might have some bias going that makes you perceive this dramatic difference in quality? The only thing that comes to my mind:
Borislav Slavov (the composer) recently said that he made instrumentation choices in BG3 that sort of reflect the BG1+2 soundtracks (heavy brass + choir, harp motif in the beginning etc.), but I find that there's enough "exotic" instruments, including synths + effects still in BG3 so you can clearly hear it's not just "generic orchestra".

For me the quality of BG3's compositions are just as top notch as DOS2, and in BG3 especially the transitions between different pieces as you do things in the game are even better than in DOS.

More is to come of course - we haven't heard much yet.

Whaaaaaat nooo the music of the game is pretty good. I just hope they stopped going the oblivion route and went for a more traditional+skyrim-like approach

Oh that's harsh.

I really like the music and sound work in general.

I guess its just a matter of taste. I think the music is epic.

I'll just leave this here.

https://youtu.be/3duWZPJm-9s?t=7994

It's like you have to listen only to pirates of the Carribbean main theme for the rest of your life.
The bg3 main theme is awesome and works similarly to bg2 main theme (begins really strong followed by a more soft melody) but it is everywhere in this game. I think more tracks would improve the experience immensely

The music in BG3 is phenomenal and one of best soundtracks of games lately.

DOS sound track is very uninspired except the main theme.

Yes? I can also say that music from other games far surpassed Divinity. I still, from time to time, find the theme from the Friendly Arm Inn running through my mind, to take it back about 20 years. There's a song from Darkstone as well, that comes up in my brain. I've got a rather extensive list of game music, from my rather extensive list of games, that has stayed with me over the years. I adored most of the Mass Effect music, and a lot of the Dragon Age music as well.

The problem is, what's good music? What makes music "memorable"? It's highly subjective.

I really like this one:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R8YZQ8HAwI&ab_channel=gamemusicisgood

can't say I am a fan of all the male choir - especially when it sounds so Nordic which I would normally not have an issue with but it pigeonholes Faerun in to something specific IRL. The same is true for that choir combat music in the bog battles it's so god damn repetitive and annoying.

You know which soundtrack was outstanding? Icewind Dale.



Yeah that was Icewind Dale.

I loved the DoS music and the other day I fired up DoS 2 for some reason because I was running out of ideas with BG3 EA and I was like man this music is so much better even at the menu onset.

I hope they change the menu music. I like the overall music theme in BG3 it's growing on me, and I do like virtually every other world track or battle track they have except for that cliché choir, which ironically probably cost them more to produce if I had to guess.

Anyway if you need me to refresh your memory, here you go:

Icewind Dale OST

I think the OST is pretty good, personally. The main theme in particular is really strong.

Though overall I would've preferred more use of brass in comparison to that string instrument Larian loves so much (not a musician, so can't really identify it better than that). There are locations where the BGM is very reminiscent of DOS2, the Druid's Grove for example. I would've liked more artistic nods to the OST from BG1 and especially BG2 instead.