- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 composer Jason Graves says Modern Warfare multiplayer music is usually “an afterthought”
- He says it’s typically “cobbled together” from “existing campaign music,” and he did the same thing for Modern Warfare 2
- Graves adds that “the best soundtrack of any game is one that inspires and elevates the core ideas of the gameplay”
According to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 composer Jason Graves, this is the first time a Modern Warfare multiplayer mode has received a full score, as they are typically “an afterthought.”
“As far as I know, this is the first time we’ve specifically composed a score of this scale for multiplayer for Modern Warfare,” Graves revealed in an interview with TechRadar Gaming. “It’s the first time the multiplayer gameplay itself has received so much love and attention. Normally, it’s usually a bit of an afterthought, cobbled together from existing music from the campaign, maybe getting some original lobby music.”
Graves, who has worked on numerous video game projects, including Dead Space, said that was what he did for Modern Warfare 2 in 2022, but for Modern Warfare 4, “we have discrete tracks for lobbies, countdowns, streaks, and after-action reports amongst other things.”
The composer mentioned how multiplayer has a “completely different vibe from the campaign,” and made sure to capture the “forward momentum and pure adrenaline,” but believes first-person shooter (FPS) games don’t have a “specific list of characteristics” versus a fantasy role-playing game (RPG) in terms of music.
“A lot of my job is simply motivation and excitement, either before, during, or after a multiplayer match,” he said. “So I’m here to get you pumped up and ready for action, motivate you towards the finish line, and slap you on the back with a big swaggering beat when you complete your objective.”
When discussing his intentions for composing a soundtrack and what defines Modern Warfare in particular, Graves explained that music should always enhance the gameplay.
“There’s definitely an incredible history that lives in the Modern Warfare soundtracks,” Graves said, “And I’m honored to have contributed my small part to two of them. I think the best soundtrack of any game is one that inspires and elevates the core ideas of the gameplay.
He added, “For Modern Warfare specifically, it should turn everything in the game that the player is experiencing up to eleven.”
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