Do Video Game Songs Need to Be Sung WELL?
#videogamemusic
That video leads us to another discussion: DOES CONTEXT MATTER for video game music?:
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Chapters:
0:00 – The subject
0:24 – What caught me off guard
3:06 – The brief discussion
#music
Who am I?
Hi, I’m Marco Meatball, a former pro opera singer, turned voice actor, turned YouTuber. I grew up loving video games and video game music after first discovering them when I was 7 years old. Since then, I have lived and breathed all things video games. This channel is all about video game music and the beauty of modern composition, how it allows us to connect more deeply with the games we love, and how we can better learn to understand ourselves through it and the experiences it provides.
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#videogames
LYRICS:
To save our mother Earth from any alien attack
From vicious giant insects who have once again come back
We’ll unleash all our forces we won’t cut them any slack
The EDF deploys!
Our soldiers are prepared for any alien threats
The navy launches ships, the airforce send their jets
And nothing can withstand our fixed bayonets
The EDF deploys!
Our forces have now dwindled and we pull back to regroup
The enemy has multiplied and formed a massive group
We better beat these bugs before we’re all turned to soup
The EDF deploys!
To take down giant insects who came from outer space
We now head underground for their path we must retrace
And find their giant nest and crush the queen’s carapace
The EDF deploys!
The airforce and the navy were destroyed or cast about
Scouts, Rangers, Wing Divers have almost been wiped out
Despite all this the infantry will stubbornly hold out
The EDF deploys!
Our friends were all killed yesterday as were our families
Today we may not make it facing these atrocities
We’ll never drop our banner despite our casualties
The EDF deploys!
Two days ago my brother died next day my lover fell
Today most everyone was killed on that we must not dwell
But we will never leave the field, we’ll never say farewell
The EDF deploys!
A legendary hero soon will lead us to glory
Eight years ago he sunk the mothership as history
Tomorrow we will follow this brave soul to victory
THE EDF DEPLOYS!!
#videogameost
About Earth Defense Force 2025
Earth Defense Force is an action-packed video game series known for its intense gameplay. In EDF 2025 walkthrough videos, players showcase their strategies and tactics while battling hordes of alien invaders and massive creatures. The game features a diverse range of powerful weapons, including assault rifles, rocket launchers, and energy weapons, allowing players to obliterate foes in thrilling boss battles.
For those seeking camaraderie, Earth Defense Force co-op mode enables friends and players to team up and take on the alien menace together. Content creators often share insights on the EDF 2025 best weapons and offer tips and tricks to enhance your gameplay.
Earth Defense Force multiplayer mode intensifies the action, as players from around the world unite to protect Earth from destruction. You’ll find comparisons like EDF 4.1 vs EDF 5, helping you decide which installment of the series suits your style. Lastly, Earth Defense Force 2025 mission guide videos provide essential guidance through the game’s diverse missions, ensuring you’re well-prepared to face the extraterrestrial threat.
#game
The Earth Defense Force (EDF) counts with up to 20 songs on its OST, I’ll list here some of the most popular ones in case you wanna check:
Earth Defense Force 2025 Soundtrack – Title Screen
Earth Defense Force 2025 Soundtrack – Main Menu
Earth Defense Force 2025 Soundtrack – Change Color
Earth Defense Force 2025 Soundtrack – Online Mode
Earth Defense Force 2025 Soundtrack – Versus Mode
Earth Defense Force 2025 Soundtrack – Mission Music 1
Earth Defense Force 2025 Soundtrack – Mission Music 2
Earth Defense Force 2025 Soundtrack – Mission Music 3
Earth Defense Force 2025 Soundtrack – Mission Music 4
Earth Defense Force 2025 Soundtrack – Mission Music 5
Earth Defense Force 2025 Soundtrack – Mission Music 6
Earth Defense Force 2025 Soundtrack – Mission Music 7
Earth Defense Force 2025 Soundtrack – Mission Music 8
Earth Defense Force 2025 Soundtrack – Mission Music 9
Earth Defense Force 2025 Soundtrack – Mission Music 10
Earth Defense Force 2025 Soundtrack – Mission Music 11
Earth Defense Force 2025 Soundtrack – Credits
… and a few others!
Unrelated note: I would love to see you experiencing the Black Mesa soundtrack (as well as some other Half Life masterscores). It's the remake of HL1 that took over two decades to build up from scratch, and it has some of the best soundtracks I have ever heard in gaming, mostly in the "Xen" (alien world) sections. I'd highly reccommend some reactions there, its one hell of a score.
You can say it’s sung well as long as it achieves the desired effect in my opinion, and I think this song achieves exactly what it’s going for, so…
In my opinion it takes skill to sound bad like this and that's what I'm hearing 😂
Honestly that I prefer it way? Marco are you having a stroke or am I?
Honestly that, i prefer it way
That was horrible, but funny. Props to all the people with sense of humor out there!
Honestly EDF is a series with not the biggest of budgets, considering before EDF 5 it was a bit of bargain bin game, so having your VAs sing your song is probably going to save some money in the long run.
Amazing Marco. Keep going. I wanna support you on your journey on YouTube. Keep going !
I think this applies to more than just video game music. I've heard many songs, covers and original work both, where the singer's skill was so impressive that it was just… too much. so polished and perfect that I felt like… idk, listening to a technical showcase like "look what I'm capable of!" instead of a song. sometimes hearing a voice crack or someone not quite hitting that one note makes everything 300x more impactful.
I think that in the case of EDF, the music is absolutely perfect the way it is. It's a rather goofy game about annihilating hordes of gigantic space insects and non-descript big lizards with laser breath afterall, ask any EDF fan, and you will propably hear that they can't imagine it being sung any other way, because it would kill the vibe.
After reading the tile, the first game that came to mind for me was Ace Combat 5.
The not so great singing actually makes it better than the proper version for that part of the game IMO.
Wait, wait, wait. That song. It's just a regular patriotic song, right? I know it's also praising God in it but that's only because many Americans are Christian. But it's not actually religious, is it?
Sorry for these silly questions. It's just that I'm a non-American Mormon and this song is in our hymn book so, I'm just confused. Do other churches in America sing this, too?
Please, react to the music of the killers in dead by daylight, it's a horror game and for each killer they have different music that describes them perfectly
Greetings from Italy btw 🇮🇹🤌

edf 4.1 sounds a bit better, because a larger group is singing. same song, just a bit less rough
QUICK! Someone throw AC5 mission 27 "the journey home" at his head! No, screw it! I'll do it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSuMXlkd5jQ
It's not even in the official OST for whatever reason.
Context and spoilers:
After getting your carrier sunk, the captain being happy to finally "having won" because they got your squad in the air, you fly towards the motherf**** that made the two nations in the conflict fight each other out of pure spite.
On the way, because the two leaders gave a speech explaining the situation (thanks to you) and how they were tricked all this time, EVERYONE able to fight is moving with you, regardless of nation.
One after one, from both sides, squads join up with your formation and everyone begins to sing the "song of peace". It's called that because anti-war factions began singing it in a stadium whilst one of the abovementioned motherf**** tried to stirr the nation into total war and people didn't want none of that.
The song has 4 goddamn versions alone and this version is the one sung by everyone in the formation to end this bullshit conflict once and for all!
Edit: Help! I can't stop crying listening to it!
EDF! EDF! EDF!
The fun thing about this hymn is that in-game it's a series of emotes so singing it, in time with your friends takes a bit of effort.
I feel it always depends. Iv not played EDF but from the song it feels like its meant to be a comical game, if so not great singing adds to the comcial element. But if its a serious game. . Then ooooh nooo
The best thing is that the vocals are not part of the song by themselves, but is a chorus of the actual troops in-game singing.
You could be destroying a multitude of insect and the troops would start singing this and i loved it.
I never played EDF but listening to this and reading the comments for more context I really really like it how it is, I don't think it' d be as good if it was sung well
To me music is supposed to evoke specific emotions and it' s insane how even badly played instruments or badly sung vocals (as long as they are intentional) can evoke a feeling with the right context
If I listened this in game I' d be surprised at first but I' d laugh and have fun with it, and to me, simple emotions like fun and happiness are as valid as others, no matter how goofy it is
If I played the game and listened to this, I' d definitely relisten to it later by itself and relieve those fond memories I have of the game and the moment (which is why I almost never listen to soundtracks before I listen to them in game, because the first reaction heavily changes the outlook of them!)
Is this valid video game music for you? And to the EDF fans who heard it in game, is it different from what we outsiders experience?