Does bad music ruin your immersion in Otome games?

[pinkpinkatron]

Yes. Bad music can kinda of spoil the mood, also the same music looping eternally doesn't help

 

[chiorins]

yes, i turn down the BGM volume for bad music and turn it up for the best one

 

[serenelilacs]

Rather than bad music, more like familiar or exactly the same music, especially the distinct ones. I know they reuse bgm but when the games are released pretty close to each other, or I just happen to play these game one after another despite them released quite far from each other, it just ruins it sometimes. But that's more of a me problem. I think in games that I have played, most suit the scene well. It's just too memorable of a bgm for me to a specific game that ruins it.

 

[okita-so-go]

I generally play with the voice volume at 100% and the background music volume at about 10%, so it hasn't bothered me.
However, if background music that doesn't fit the scene plays, it might bother you.

 

[haru0117]

I believe background music is important.

Even if a wonderful scene is unfolding, if strange music plays, it ruins the whole story.

 

[Scarlette]

yeah, it would break my immersion in the game I'm playing especially if the music feels repetitive.... but usually I would just choose to mute the music as a solution and the problem would be solved lmaoo.

 

[1chi]

I've never encountered bad music in an otome however, I have encountered boring music. In those cases, I'm only too happy to turn it off and turn on my own

 

[Foxfire]

As long as it doesn't affect my immersion in the game I'm playing or affect the scene I'm playing, I really don't mind.

 

[eishishuu]

Yes

 

[cinderella]

now that i think abt it i have never seen an otoge with a bad soundtrack... but usually i set the bgm at 10-20 percent but its cuz of my inability to hear voices well

 

[freidynes]

i dont think it distracts me a lot but maybe that's also because i haven't really thought any of the otoges i played had a bad ost...i usually set the bgm volume a bit low (just enough where i can slightly hear it) and although i enjoy some osts, there are a few where i think it's too repetitive or i think the sound just doesnt suit the scenes.

 

[Yuki3548]

yes( •̅_•̅ )

 

[StarstuckGhost]

If it's repetitive or doesn't fit the mood, yes. But that can easily be fixed by turning down the bgm.

 

[はなび]

Music is one of the most important things to me in media and can enhance so much (of everything). Soundtracks aren't just there to make things less boring, but actually do so much to enhance the atmosphere and emotion and storytelling (and should contain storytelling within the music itself, like through motifs and reprises and stuff). However, I do tend to be more forgiving with otome games, as I do mostly treat them as novels (and novels don't have music), so unless I feel like the music actively does not fit with the scene or distracts from it, I am usually fine with it. The main point is the writing itself, after all.

But also, if you're going to make a visual novel (where there's still going to be music and general sound design), rather than just a novel, I feel like you should actually make use of that medium and focus on making the music good (as well as the decisions of when and when not to play something, and what music is chosen for different scenes). I also think there's so much potential in using music in innovative ways to help tell the story rather than just playing a limited number of tracks at certain times, like maybe having variations or layering of the same song in different ways, or having it change a bit more dynamically. Maybe the more interactive element of a visual novel could be utilised in some way, just like in many non VN video games, where the music is impacted by your interaction with the game? At the very least, I would like to see more cohesive soundtracks, where there is a main theme and characters themes, etc, that get reprised and modified, or just soundtracks with more storytelling overall. Again, I'm not as bothered when this sort of thing isn't done (especially for visual novels) as long as the music doesn't actively take away from the experience, but I think games are highly enhanced by a good soundtrack (not just in terms of sound, but as a storytelling device) that is carefully crafted by a composer.

 

[Murakuro]

Sometimes but then I tend to just turn down the bgm. I haven't really encountered a bad track in an otome game though.

 

[luvsubaru]

not really, the bgm is always on low for me since sometimes i feel like i can't concentrate properly on the characters voices

 

[shyshy1441]

I pretty much dislike repetitive BGMs, the ones that repeat on a short loop and/or there is a short silence between the repetitions. It doesn't necessarily breaks my immersion but annoys me

 

[badpun4you]

Not really

 

[mizumachi]

i hate it when the bgm doesn't loop and it fades to silence for a few seconds, then picks up again. it's bearable if the track is long but i think it was red bell's lament where the some of the tracks were around a minute long, and did this. it bugged me so much

 

[bokuranoOurs]

I wouldn't quit but Cupid Parasite's music almost made me close it.

 

[araaach]

a music in a game could be either of two : not a bother or a bother

i really hate when a music comes in a wrong timing, it would ruin my vibes that I've been waiting for, the reason i still want to wear my earphone to play an otome without va is to feel the atmosphere and immersed in the story

 

[voIuvreles]

Hmm not really, I don't really pay attention to the BGM of the games I play... but I do notice when it loops, and depends if it's a banger or not, I'd just lower the volume down hahah

 

[sabrinaaa]

Lowkey... yes.

On the other hand, a good music/bgm can make a mid-to-unbearable story become enjoyable

 

[Kikutan]

Not really lol, I used to turn the music low, there're nice music in otome games. I like theme songs and soundtrack in Starry☆Sky series and Girl's side 4, it's because of they telling stories about school life theme, they do fulfill emotion into music, and some of the piano playing nicely, once hear those songs I can recall the scenes from those games. (ﾟ3ﾟ)～♪

 

[MarietaStay]

I don't usually pay attention to the music in otome. I always turn it down as low as possible so I can hear the LI's voices better, even if it's not bad.