Sonic and musical realism in historical games

Abstract

Music and sound in historical games are largely based on memic associations of collective consciousness. While the contexts of visual and narrative realism are already quite well researched, the issue of the audio realism of historical games is one that requires more thorough analysis. The article tries to ponder the following questions: how closely does the sound layer bring a player to the real music of the historical period in which the game takes place? What sound “tricks” determine the phenomenon of an average player being able to recognize and associate the soundtrack from a geohistorical point of view? In the text, I take the issue under scrutiny in terms of musical forms usage in games aligned with a given historical phase as well as in relation to period instruments and geographic location. Creators’ well-balancing with these elements contributes to a deeper im-mersion of the player in the era and location in which the game takes place. Thus, it is one of the immersion enhancing elements.