One of this year's biggest surprises has been Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. Its story is one of the best comic book narratives told in gaming, its characters are grounded and well-written despite many of their otherworldly natures, and its licensed soundtrack is one of gaming's best of all time. While many of those elements work well enough on their own, it seems like the general consensus surrounding the title is that its soundtrack, full of licensed music from the 70s and 80s, is one of the major elements that ties everything together.
Although there are plenty of games full of licensed music, it seems less and less common for titles releasing now to be full of tracks not made specifically for the game. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is the perfect example of why studios should consider using a licensed soundtrack when working on a game. Recognizable music helps provide a familiar aesthetic and gives a lot of insight into who the playable characters are.
Guardians of the Galaxy's Use of Licensed Music
The licensed music included in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy does a lot to help the game's narrative and characters, despite being more of a background detail than a plot point itself. Essentially, Guardians could certainly work just fine if it didn't include licensed music. However, the fact that it has so many of the 70s and 80s most recognizable tracks means that players will likely already be familiar with the vibes and feelings associated with much of its soundtrack before even starting the game.
This means that when the needle drops happen throughout the story, the player is more easily able to relate to the characters and understand how they're feeling. Based on each character's song preference, players are also able to infer parts of their characters without needing to be told anything directly.
What Other Titles Can Learn From Guardians
The use of licensed music in Guardians of the Galaxy makes its characters feel much more human, despite their alien origins, because there's already common ground between the game's cast and its players. Other games can learn a lot from this because, while not every game has a talking raccoon as one of its leads, there's often a disconnect between a game and its player that could be bridged by subtle character moments surrounding music.
A great example of this is in Saints Row: The Third when, in a moment early in the game, two of its main characters drive to a mission while listening and singing along to "Love is What I Got" by Sublime. The two characters laugh and talk a little bit about the song and is generally a memorable moment from the game, but serves a much more important character-defining role as it humanizes Saints Row's cast. Moments like these really help players form attachments to a game's cast, as everyone has their own specific memories of enjoying music and, if a game includes a scene like that, it helps the players feel a genuine sense of connection.
Obviously, including licensed music is far easier said than done, as it often requires a significant portion of a game's resources to acquire, but it's usually worth it in the long run. Another reason why studios might be hesitant to include outside soundtracks is because of Twitch's infamous DMCA bans. That being said, as regulations surrounding streaming video game music change, hopefully, studios will be more willing to allow its characters to let their hair down and relate to a game's audience more by simply listening to some familiar tracks.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.