Date Available

8-15-2023

Year of Publication

2023

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Document Type

Master's Thesis

College

Fine Arts

Department/School/Program

Music

First Advisor

Dr. Michael Baker

Abstract

The academic study of video game music, known as Ludomusicology, is a younger research area in the world of musicology, with the earliest works having been published in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Despite its young age, Ludomusicology is becoming a staple in the academic world, with scholars such as Melanie Fritsch, Andra Ivănescu, Michiel Kamp, Tim Summers, and Mark Sweeney dedicating their time to the subject. This thesis uses musical analysis as the basis of exploring the relationship between music and aspects of video game creation and player interaction. The case study for this project is the 2015 two-dimensional role-playing game Undertale, created and scored by Toby Fox. In positioning music as a part of the interactive ecologies of video games, I argue that the main strengths of the game lie in the connection of the music to the games worldbuilding, narrative storyline, and application of morality. Through analyzing the soundtrack in relation to how it interacts with these strengths, I demonstrate the undoubtable influence the music has as the main source of player interaction and overall experience with the game. Each chapter investigates the three different facets of gameplay and the inherent significance that music creates within the game.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2023.390

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