Bethesda's development team discuss hand-picking the soundtrack for Fallout 4, which features some familiar tracks, some obscure ones, and original songs sung by Lynda Carter.

With only a few days left until Fallout 4 releases out in the wild, few could think of a facet of the game Bethesda has yet to cover. They’ve hit on everything from settlement crafting to unique perks, and even dedicated considerable time to the character customization. However, if there’s one element that has flown relatively under the radar it’s the music.

For Fallout 4, Bethesda has put more time and consideration into the music than in any of their previous games. In a recent post on their website, the developer explains that designing the music required as much attention as any other element, largely because the music is what sticks with the player throughout the entire experience.

To that end, Bethesda explains that the music in Fallout 4 is three times more expansive than any of the previous Fallout games. They say that about one third will be familiar tracks from familiar artists – the type of music that will be instantly recognizable by almost every Fallout 4 player. The second third will feature familiar artists singing lesser-known tracks, which is something Fallout hasn’t explored too much.

And finally, the latter third of the equation will be the make it break it tracks on the soundtrack. As Bethesda explains, these songs “are often obscure tracks from long-forgotten bands, with ludicrous lyrics and a distinctive sound,” which to us sounds like perfect Fallout fodder. It’s often the tracks that are the least recognizable, but that fit the tone of the game, that end up being the most memorable.

Speaking of tone, the post also details how Game Director Todd Howard and Audio Director Mark Lampert determined which tracks to go after for licensing. One of the more interesting revelations is that Howard would listen to the Fallout 4 licensed songs on repeat to see if they became grating or not. If a song still worked – without the DJ or the rest of the gameplay – then it apparently made it into the game.

Perhaps the most intriguing addition for Fallout 4’s music is a set of original tracks sung by Lynda Cater. Yes, that Lynda Carter. The Wonder Woman actress has been a part of many of the Fallout games, so Bethesda thought it might be interesting to give her Fallout 4 character a set of songs to sing. Apparently, these original Fallout 4 tracks will offer backstory to post-apocalyptic Boston, while also offering something a little less familiar. And hey, it’s Lynda Carter singing.

Yes, there may be a ton of Fallout 4 spoilers floating around the Internet right now, but those who want to stay pure are focused on the official news bits – those revealed by Bethesda. However, there’s very little left to cover in Fallout 4 at this point, but perhaps we can fire up the soundtrack and pretend we’re playing it right now.

Fallout 4 releases November 10, 2015 for PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

Source: Bethesda