Games and music albums that just “fit”
One of my favorite features of the Xbox 360 was the built-in music player. I had countless CDs downloaded to my console, so I had an ever-present library of tunes to play. Sure, music is a built-in part of the game meant to capture emotions or help portray certain feelings at significant moments in the game, but sometimes you just need something else during those long achievement grinds and multiplayer sessions. I did this so much back then that there’s a few albums and games I can’t see images of or listen to without having them mentally connected in my head to each other. Distinct memories of two different forms of media that complement each other in the best ways. I’d love to hear if you have any examples of this down below or over on our X page. But for now, let’s dive into a few albums and games I can’t have without the other.
1. Anberlin: Dark is the Way, Light is a Place/Bioshock 2
It should be no surprise that my favorite band and one of my favorite series go together. I spent an absolute ton of time replaying Bioshock 2 initially; multiple playthroughs of the story and countless hours on multiplayer took up a large chunk of my 2010–2011 game time. In September of 2010, Anberlin just happened to drop my personal favorite album of theirs. Carrying some slightly more haunting tones and darker themes, it fit perfectly as a backdrop to my adventures through Rapture. Every time I hear “Down” or "Depraved,” it takes me back to certain parts of the crumbing city. The intro track “We Owe This to Ourselves” almost serves as a battle cry for Subject Delta’s recuse mission.
2. New Found Glory-Catalyst/Halo Reach
Coming off of Halo 3 was around the time I started to lose a majority of my multiplayer friend group. Long gone were the party-filled nights, and I moved into queueing solo. As good as Halos music typically is, you have to admit that after 30+ hours, it can be a little tiring. In came NFG, a perfect blend of pop punk at the time with a slight edgey twist. The right combo for me to get fired up before a match or zone in during a more tense bullet exchange.
3. Linkin Park: A Thousand Suns/The Sims 3
This one is weird, I’ll be honest. At some point in time, I made the decision to go for 100% on Sims 3. While a fun completion to go for and a more diverse achievement spread compared to the more recent Sims 4, it’s a grind. For one simple reason: needing to complete 1,000 wishes or the Sims ever-rotating requirements and tasks they want done. Trust me, you can only listen to the Sims default music for so long, and after a while, I turned on this album for unknown reasons. Is it weird enough to fit? One of Linkin Park's more experimental albums blended well with the repetitive and godlike nature of playing the Sims. I can’t explain it, but when I hear a song off this album, random tidbits and images from Sims 3 pop into my head.
4. In This Moment: The Dream/Dead Rising
This entry is pretty straight-forward; I was just obsessed with this album. Beautiful Tragedy, the band's debut album, along with Megadeath's “Rust in Peace,” were the first hard rock/metal albums my dad gave me, and I was hooked. Dead Rising was one of the earlier games that was released on 360 and became a cult classic overnight that I fell in love with. Something about mowing down zombies in mundane ways while listening to Maria Brink scream like a banshee just fits, you know? It makes for a nice contrast to the otherwise quaint and melodic elevator music that typically fills Willamette Mall in Dead Rising.