1. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
Game Title
Uncharted 3: Drakes deception
Provide detailed descriptions from chosen examples that establish…
Clearly state what production technique(s) you think have
been used to create specific soundtrack elements
Setting
This scene is set in a small bar in London, where the two main protagonists – Nathan
and Victor – are going to make a deal and sell a genuine Elizabethan artefact to a
man named Talbot. The music at the start fits in with the scene as Nathan and Victor
do not know what will happen at the deal. It could end up with them being shot, so
the drums at the start insinuate tension and state that something bad could happen.
When Nathan finds that the money is fake, the slow, long notes from string
instruments like violins and cellos increase the tension in the scene as the deal was a
trap and a fight could break out.
Mood
The overall mood here is tense and aggressive. Tension can be felt throughout the
whole cut scene as the viewers are not sure what will happen to the main
characters. The drums and violins are used very well to support this suspense and
tension. Aggression can also be felt when Nathan fins the money is fake. Voices are
raised and the violins make the player feel annoyed as Talbot has set up a trap for
Nathan and Victor and Talbot could have easily stolen the artefact.
The games genre is a third person shooter action-adventure. All the music in this
scene perfectly fits the genre. The drums work well with the third person shooter
genre as in real life the drum beat could represent your heartbeat as you try to
dodge bullets and survive. The very first piece of music on the cut scene also helps
with the action-adventure genre as it is a powerful piece and the many different
instruments sound adventurous.
In this scene, Nathan and Victor have travelled to London, England in order to sell a
genuine artefact that Nathan has found on his adventures. When he gets to the bar,
the music inspires tension as nobody knows what will happen next. Then, Nathan
discovers that the money is fake, so takes back the ring, but there is no escape so
Victor and Nathan fight those working for Talbot.
I think the starting drums and stringed
instruments were created in a recording studio.
This is because they sound like genuine
instruments and not computerized. Also, a lot of
music from the Uncharted series is from a
recording studio and the developers intended for
these instruments to be loud because it is the
start of the game and they wanted the
introduction scene to sound serious.
The instruments used here were used to strongly
set a tense atmosphere. The developers
intentionally made use of the loud drums and
infrequent guitar notes at the start to make the
mood this way
Game genre
Narrative
As with the mood, the drums and guitar at the
start of the scene were also used to fit the
shooter-action-adventure genre. This music is
loud, powerful and epic-sounding and perfectly
fits these 3 genres.
The music throughout the scene fits the narrative
mainly because the player is unsure of what will
happen, so the suspense increases through use of
instruments such as the loud drums or guitar.
2. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
