Survey - Music

First off, I'd like to say that I've been doing tabletop roleplaying for 25 years IRL, and we have a buttload of music we use while we play to set the moods required - The PoE music is definitely among the best that we use. It's up there on the Hans Zimmer-level.

Those I love the most are these:


Hall of Grandmasters - that rock-like intro, into intense combat-like music I totally love. It is amazing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4fszzNwcZI

Main Theme - Love the soft intro into the theme itself. Amazing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKFFgdlktuQ

Lioneyes Watch - Loving the way it slowly picks up the pace as you go along. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5-1iV27kik

The Forest Encampent - The change in the track that occurs around 2:35 is simply amazing. Love listening to it. https://youtu.be/OoSc7yUSlYk?t=151

1. Lioneye's Watch
2. Solaris Temple
3. Highgate
4. Izaro's Labyrinth Exterior
5. Warden Quarters

That's about right.

Top 5
- Izaro's Theme
- Heart Of Corruption
- Daresso, King of Swords Theme
- Vaal Oversoul Theme
- Dominus, High Templar Theme


Worst 5
- Path of Exile (Game theme track)
- Act1 music in general
- Act2 Music in general
- Sceptre of God
- The Sewers

5 favourite tracks:

1) The Caldera Of The King
2) The Warehouse District
3) Izaro's Labyrinth Interior
4) Izaro's Labyrinth Exterior
5) The Grand Arena

I have to highlight "The Warehouse District" because I love the build up so much. I almost always get goosebumps around 1:05-1:15. For me it really stands out if you only listen to PoE Classic (pre Act 4).
"Izaro's Labyrinth Interior" is also goosebumps-time. EDIT: Oh my god I never heard the outro of the track (leaving the zone too fast i guess). It's so sad - love it!
The Caldera of the King is just massive and epic.

Least favourite tracks is difficult, but maybe:

1) The Cave ?


There are so many great tracks and I hope none of them gets removed or there is a good reason why :/

In no particular order, my Favorites:

Warden's Quarters
Dominus Ascendant
Belly of the Beast
Forest Encampment
Whakawairua Tuahu Bossfight

1. The Belly Of The Beast - the one to rule them all...
I love this track so much.
It fits so amazingly well to the theme of the area, so dark and evil, twisted but calm, it sounds perfectly engineered, at least for my ears, and still gives me the chills. I sometimes crank the music option up upon entering the zone.

2. Izaro's Labyrinth Interior
The best one that came with the recent expansion. Fits the trap theme of the area Perfectly.

3. The Grand Arena
This track gives out a very nice rhythm to the fights happening in the zone, and immensity/greatness in the sound makes me feel like I am really in the great arena while hundreds are watching.

4. Sceptre of God
The thing that makes ascending the Scepter Of God an incredible experience.

5. Dominus, Ascendant Theme
Had to include at least one boss fight track, and this is the most intense one. Although nowadays the boss fight itself is a little bit underwhelming since people have so much more power, the track still stands out and makes the battle atmosphere truly epic.


I thought about including a "runner-ups" list, but that would be just a whole game's playlist so maybe not. Overall the game's soundtrack is 10/10.
I really want to praise the authors.

The last thing I wish to mention is that for me it seems like tracks from acts 1 to 3 and act 4 + labyrinth have a notable leap between them, since the latter give much more "invasive" experiences like almost "pumping-up" the player for the zone, while tracks from act 1 to 3 tend to blend more with zones' background sounds and are a little bit less energetic and noticeable, but still are incredible pieces. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, it is just a thing I noticed and is awesome, because variety is a good thing.

With all my heart, the absolute TOP 2 that we NEED more of, would cut an arm for it:

#1 - CHURCH DUNGEON

#2 - THE CRYPT

Also great:

Path of Exile Main Theme

Lioneye's Watch

Forest Encampment

I really only have one best, which I consider the most recognizable:

The song that plays when going through Lunaris Temple. (NOT the Piety battle song, but the rhythmic drumbeat song.)

I will always listen to that one when going through and I look forward to hearing it every time I'm in A3.

What's your process of making it now?
Do they give you any hints about "feel" of the levels or you just do something good enough and later someone else tries to fit that into game content?

I really wish game had better music immersion and people involved in making it had a better perception of exposure.

Example:
Daresso/Grand Arena levels have great immersion - it all fits there
same with Sceptre of God ascending theme, these are telling player's story of cutting through waves of enemies and progression to face that dangerous boss at the end.
I absolutely love that the start of Twilight Strand track is delayed with ambient, and hits in the middle of a level.

Counterexample:
Hall of Grandmasters/pvp theme, feels like band-aided placeholder music slapped there for alpha release



And there's an exposure thing.
People say they like Acton's nightmare theme, but how much of it is because avg player gets there once per 3 months and it just feels "new"?

Areas with the most exposure in game are towns, especially Sarn, and hideouts. (also popular leveling zones like Dried Lake, Docks, etc.)
These are played all over again and have zero variety. Quality of a background music in Sarn or Elreon's hideout is not as important as total lack of variety. It actually makes me to turn off in-game music, because who can stand this Sarn orchestra one more (768634) time.


P.S.
Panie Kamilu, doskonały pomysł z tym wątkiem z feedbackiem! :D

I only have one favorite, lionseye watch.
That theme is the reason I got cemented into this game because even with the harsh start and being completely lost I could always afk in lionseye listening to that amazing track while researching better ways to work my build.