Valve proves that you can have general appeal, without being soulless. Good entertainment can be accessible and appealing to the casual consumer, and still have flavorful art for the more critical enjoyer. Valve understands that anyone is capable of appreciating a good experience so long as it’s competent enough to work without being pointed out. TF2 doesn’t have to say “If you like the 1960s and classic shooters, you’ll like this!” No. It lets the natural essences of these things speak for themselves. The artists don’t have to tell you how these things are supposed to itch your brain, they just reach in and use their tools to scratch it. If their tools can’t do the trick, then they didn’t successfully craft them.
I would like to highlight Engineer as a spy movie homage/element, he's made in the image of the kind of guy you'd see in the background of a supervillain's secret base pushing flashing buttons, operating room sized computers, reporting bad news to the boss and dying in droves due to poor safety and the actions of protagonist and antagonist alike. His characterisation as a soft spoken, wise and cunningly inventive individual is genius to me :) I was compelled to say this because no one asked.
Fantastic video, thanks for your work! Never noticed the surf rock/big band combo that made spy music unique, haha. edit: also the video editing is *chef's kiss*
And then Simon Zinzovski ended up Zinzovsking all over RUclips with another banger of a video. Glad to see you back with another Valve title, looking forward to what is next :)
Your editing is just unmatched. There’s something special about learning about the soundtracks we grew up with while also cracking a smile the whole way through. Go at your own pace and keep up the incredible work
I love this niche, talking about game soundtracks is an incredibly interesting idea. If you wanted to go into movie scores too I'd be all about it as well, I'm sure that would be a copyright strike nightmare though. I'm pretty obsessive about OSTs myself.
oh dude I love film scores, i've actually done heaps of film scoring in a semi-pro capacity. You're spot on though, the copyright thing is nightmare, especially if I want to show examples. I was thinking about covering film music in some capacity on patreon, but I haven't codified that idea yet 😅
I swear to god. I was just looking at your channel yesterday thinking, huh, why did he stop uploading, the deus ex vid was so good i would have wanted to see more. And here we are :)
i'm a jazz pianist, and i really that you explain the history,discograhy,artist,theory,etc. Thanks to bring jazz/music theory in a easy and efficient way
That was worth the wait bro, keep it up 😎 Are you by any chance planning to cover the topics of any bloodborne musical genius and the beautiful eerie atmosphere some of the tracks achieve to convey especially in DS1 or this genre of games/music is not your cup or tea?
Firstly, thank you for the support ❤️ Secondly, Bloodborne might be my favourite ever game, and if it isnt, Dark Souls 1 is… 100% ill cover the souls games at some point
Hey Simon, banger video as always. I just had a video suggestion, could you maybe take a look at Postal 1's soundtrack? That soundtrack has always fascinated me, & my biggest wish was for a musical expert to try and explain it.
Oh my god, thank you for commenting on my comment in your Deus Ex video, because it made me remember you and find this video - and I needed this video. This is - and you are - genuinely brilliant. As someone who has played the game for over a decade, I had never even thought of this nor realised this. Thank you so very much. :)
Great video as per usual, never really thought about why old spy movies sound so wacky and weird. Both TF2 and MGS3 have the same musical lineage but its interesting to see how their diferent gameplay changes how the same basic instruments and melodies are used
It's interesting seeing what I assume is cut text still being present in subtitles, a bit breaking the 4th wall but I liked it even if it was unintentional
This is the second video of your that I'm watching and you're videos amazing Simon! Can't believe you only have 9k followers. I'm glad I found your channel
Hey Simon I think I was one of your first subscribers (or close) and I just wanted to say I can’t believe you’re not bigger than you are right now. Your videos are top notch and if you keep at it I’m sure you’ll find success.
hey thanks for sticking around! I'd probably grow more if I posted more regularly, but it'll all come in time I'm sure :) i really do appreciate the support, and I hope I can keep making videos that you enjoy ❤️
Love these videos!!! Educational and high quality! If you haven't already, you should check out the soundtrack and sound design of Outlast, a horror game released in 2013. Samuel Laflamme's score is amazing. Keep up the good work, man!!
Spy music, spy culture, jazz... I don't care about any of these. But your explanation is super interesting that I almost want to play some records! In the end, I like learning about music theory, because one day, when I grow up, I will be a rockstar. I'm 43, 44 in two weeks. 😁
Oh man, you have very unfortunate timing with this one (bought a new bike and there was 3 weeks of absolute great weather). I feel like you mentioned it but to me the inspirations from the Bond-like riffs is to set up the overall mood. Whacky, over the top stylised in 60s cartoon-esque style game. It preemptively suspends disbelief, and if it existed in vacuum it would not succeed with that music and would most likely use a different style (probably something contrasting like what Clockwork Orange did with Dancing in the rain). But because of movies like James Bond, where you had sometimes completely crazy gadgets it lend itself for the purpose. You want a rocket jumping soldier, a sentry turrent engineer, invisible spy that can wear the skin of his enemies, a double jumping fast boi and magically healing medic in the same game? Well, you can't really put a Helldivers-like sountrack over it and set the mood correctly. After all Helldivers 2 mocks the "Armystrong" pathos/theme of US Army ads from the late 2000s to set up mood of "nationalism without questioning". It does the very similar thing to Fallout 1 in a way to me this way - the first music you hear is the Ink spots or Louis Armstrong. Americana. That sets up the mood of "old world blues" that after the intro never returns but still sticks with you. It is separate to the gameplay (like in TF2) but still present in it through imprinting on your mind. It sets up expectations and what's to come. This is why heavy metal in BoS did not work as it did not set the mood the original creators were aiming for, but would work absolutely fine with different franchise. TF1 was an arena shooter that did not stand out. TF2 had to stand out to become what it is now. And they did, by combining entirely new visual style that matches the mood of the music. Just like a western game would not work without a banjo in the soundtrack and some sort of link to Ennio Morricone's style, Total Overdose would not work without Desperado-esque music, I think that TF2 would not really work with any other music style but the 60s whacky Bond/spy movies style. Great rendition btw. Always love that bit, along with your editing and style.
VanBourner! You comment got lost in spam somehow, so I’m only just seeing it now (apparently you used some banned words? no idea which ones 😅) I really appreciate you engaging with the video and drawing such interesting parallels with other media. You've got a sharp eye for how music sets the tone and enhances the gaming experience. Your observation about the Bond-like riffs and how they contribute to the game’s over-the-top style is spot on I reckon. And you’re absolutely right-TF2’s distinctive style puts it in a group with other really imprinting and important games, like you mentioned with with Fallout and Total Overdose. Thanks for pointing out the editing and style of the video too; I’m really glad you enjoyed it! It’s always fantastic to hear from you and get your insights. :)
@@SimonZinzovski No worries, in that wall of text probably something snagged on :) My money is on the word that starts with "nation" or the name of the defense aparatus of the union of states in the northern america :D And yeah, I do engage mainly to try and boost video visibility in algo (while also wasting some bits on some server with my ramblings) mostly so don't feel bad about not responding to me in timely manner :D I took my sweet time here too. I am more on the tone-deaf side of things I have to enjoy music through other means, which to me is usually through the mood and rhytm. This kinda gives me a different view on the music, while most people enjoy the melody, highs, mids and all that I just can't really appreciate that. Which is ironically hilarious since I can enjoy music on some fairly crappy headphones just the same as on higher end ones lol. Always appreciate your edits and inputs, I used to do videos eons ago and remember how much of a PITA it can be top formulate a script and then do the arduous task of scrubbing through footage for hours to find that one good take.
Gordan and I work on the scripts together and I do most of the editing. The Gman also does revisions, QC and gives notes and stuff, so he's an integral part of the process
hey simon an off topic thing but just wanted to ask you about metro 2033's (the original 2010 version) music because so far from what i have seen from other games like it i haven't heard anything like it. P.s. "alpha-explore-master is what i had in mind when i heard metro 2033's soundtrack"
okay so i'm just listening to it now. It's orchestrated from synthetic strings samples. There are some background ambiance elements too. It gives a very ruinous and cold impression, due to the dissonant legato strings. A harmonic analysis would probably be useful here if you wanted to copy the sound exactly, but it's pretty clearly minor and sad and stuff. So i'd say it's a combination of the synthetic symphonic strings playing slow dissonant legato chords and windy background ambiance that creates a forlorn and desolate experience for the listener. You here this kind of sound a lot in films, so it is probably pulling a bit from there. Also maybe some of the stuff from Mass Effect and Halo sounds similar. anyway, those are just my quick thoughts :)
I love TF2 and it was really cool to hear you dissect its music, but I feel the editing was too much in this video. It's hard to pay attention to the content of what you say when there are so many images flashing onscreen and so many text pop-ups. I think your Half-Life video was a much more mellow experience which made ingesting the information a lot more pleasant.
@@SimonZinzovski Not really. Source is a good engine for games but not for PvP competitive games. It has way too many problems. That is why it took CS:GO blowing up in popularity duo to lootcrates and skin-economy for CS Pros to switch to it from CS 1.6.
Valve proves that you can have general appeal, without being soulless.
Good entertainment can be accessible and appealing to the casual consumer, and still have flavorful art for the more critical enjoyer.
Valve understands that anyone is capable of appreciating a good experience so long as it’s competent enough to work without being pointed out.
TF2 doesn’t have to say “If you like the 1960s and classic shooters, you’ll like this!”
No. It lets the natural essences of these things speak for themselves. The artists don’t have to tell you how these things are supposed to itch your brain, they just reach in and use their tools to scratch it.
If their tools can’t do the trick, then they didn’t successfully craft them.
amazing point!!! i love it 🙏
Valve don't set out to appeal to you. They set out to _blow your mind wide open._
Grim fandango mentioned, instant like. Holy shit, spy fox too!? Yo that's a throwback to a classic
Grim fandango is the greatest adventure game of all time (it's my favourite at least)
A detail I've always appreciated is the scale being played while mousing over each class on the selection screen.
it's a killer detail, there are vids of people making other songs out of those notes 🎶
I like your funny edits, music man
thank you barnacle, i craft them for your pleasure
I would like to highlight Engineer as a spy movie homage/element, he's made in the image of the kind of guy you'd see in the background of a supervillain's secret base pushing flashing buttons, operating room sized computers, reporting bad news to the boss and dying in droves due to poor safety and the actions of protagonist and antagonist alike. His characterisation as a soft spoken, wise and cunningly inventive individual is genius to me :)
I was compelled to say this because no one asked.
^This is a really great point! I wish I had thought of it before you and included it in my video 😅
They all feel like they could be Bond movie goons, except Medic, who's a Bond villain.
Your edits feel like a dude time traveling from the early 2000s started doing youtube videos now.
Great stuff, funny time traveling music man.
i feel extremely seen
Fantastic video, thanks for your work! Never noticed the surf rock/big band combo that made spy music unique, haha.
edit: also the video editing is *chef's kiss*
thanks for watching it!!! glad you got something out of it
And then Simon Zinzovski ended up Zinzovsking all over RUclips with another banger of a video. Glad to see you back with another Valve title, looking forward to what is next :)
brother 🤝
The king of edits returns! TF2 music really is something else, it sells the vibe of the game so well.
it fr adds a lot to it ! (ps im glad to be back)
I have never really thought about how much the TF2 soundtrack slaps. Great video
it does indeed slap 👋
TF2 legendary game with legendary music. Commenting to give tracktion to your video.
thank you muggler 🤝
@@SimonZinzovski Hope you are doing good. Your videos always bright up my day, appreciate you!
Your editing is just unmatched. There’s something special about learning about the soundtracks we grew up with while also cracking a smile the whole way through. Go at your own pace and keep up the incredible work
thank you so much!! i'm really glad you could get some enjoyment out of the video. the effort to make them is made worth it when people enjoy it :)
I love this niche, talking about game soundtracks is an incredibly interesting idea. If you wanted to go into movie scores too I'd be all about it as well, I'm sure that would be a copyright strike nightmare though. I'm pretty obsessive about OSTs myself.
oh dude I love film scores, i've actually done heaps of film scoring in a semi-pro capacity. You're spot on though, the copyright thing is nightmare, especially if I want to show examples. I was thinking about covering film music in some capacity on patreon, but I haven't codified that idea yet 😅
who is this elusive dancing critter in the bottom right at 8:39 and again at 10:30
he is simply a man, a silly man
6:50 Humongous games are masterpieces, music in Pajama Sam is absolutely stellar
Great video! Always been a fan of the tf2 soundtrack, this was some cool analysis.
thank you skeet :)
10:30 silly man jumpscare
the silly man'll get ya
I swear to god. I was just looking at your channel yesterday thinking, huh, why did he stop uploading, the deus ex vid was so good i would have wanted to see more.
And here we are :)
!!! I red ur mind
(i didn't upload for a while bc I was working on a visual novel game and getting my honours degree in music, but i'm back now 😅)
i can totally see sam lake writing alan fighting a robot version of himself
I remember listening to TF2's OST all the time as a teenager. Great video, Simon!
Keep it up man. I'm telling you, soon it'll be 500k. Keep going!
thanks for the love! the support really means a lot :)
Your videos are fantastic, Simon. I'm glad the RUclips algorithm finally pulled through!
Thank you dude! glad you like em 😅
i'm a jazz pianist, and i really that you explain the history,discograhy,artist,theory,etc.
Thanks to bring jazz/music theory in a easy and efficient way
7:46 the in-game voice chat would like to have a (deafeningly loud) word with you
quality content really , hope your YT grow to larger audience
thank you!!
Your channel is so criminally unknown man, I love your videos.
welcome back mr sussy
🫡 hello again william
That was worth the wait bro, keep it up 😎 Are you by any chance planning to cover the topics of any bloodborne musical genius and the beautiful eerie atmosphere some of the tracks achieve to convey especially in DS1 or this genre of games/music is not your cup or tea?
Firstly, thank you for the support ❤️
Secondly, Bloodborne might be my favourite ever game, and if it isnt, Dark Souls 1 is…
100% ill cover the souls games at some point
Hey Simon, banger video as always. I just had a video suggestion, could you maybe take a look at Postal 1's soundtrack? That soundtrack has always fascinated me, & my biggest wish was for a musical expert to try and explain it.
🤔 I will absolutely add it to the short list 🤝
@@SimonZinzovskithanks.
Hell yes! Was super hopeful that you'd cover this after you mentioned TF2 in the Deus Ex video. Love these videos, keep up the amazing work!
thank you! i'm glad i did do TF2, it's such a dope game
don't think that your zizek reference in the intro went unnoticed. 10/10
Oh my god, thank you for commenting on my comment in your Deus Ex video, because it made me remember you and find this video - and I needed this video. This is - and you are - genuinely brilliant. As someone who has played the game for over a decade, I had never even thought of this nor realised this. Thank you so very much. :)
thank YOU! i make these videos for you to enjoy and supportful comments like yours are what makes it worthwhile! so thank you, you're brilliant 😊
Great video as per usual, never really thought about why old spy movies sound so wacky and weird. Both TF2 and MGS3 have the same musical lineage but its interesting to see how their diferent gameplay changes how the same basic instruments and melodies are used
that's very interesting! I'm not really acquainted with the Metal Gear series, but its always been on my bucket list
you are the only person besides me and my boyfriend who loves valve and music this much. i’m obsessed with the editing too 😍
Shout out to you and your boyfriend!!
thanks for the video Simon! very awesome, loved the history lesson on spy music.
thank you ace!!
It's interesting seeing what I assume is cut text still being present in subtitles, a bit breaking the 4th wall but I liked it even if it was unintentional
ahah whooops! you got me 🤷
Another banger video! Awesome edit and interesting story. Keep it coming bro!
thanks for the continued support my friend ❤️
This is the second video of your that I'm watching and you're videos amazing Simon! Can't believe you only have 9k followers. I'm glad I found your channel
Good to see you again. Great entertaining/artful video. Cheers
Good to see you again too!! Glad you stuck around for it 😂
This was fantastic!
Are you planning to make an essay on the C&C games maybe? Unreal? System Shock perhaps?
Hey Simon I think I was one of your first subscribers (or close) and I just wanted to say I can’t believe you’re not bigger than you are right now. Your videos are top notch and if you keep at it I’m sure you’ll find success.
hey thanks for sticking around! I'd probably grow more if I posted more regularly, but it'll all come in time I'm sure :)
i really do appreciate the support, and I hope I can keep making videos that you enjoy ❤️
Algorithm really betraying you on this one
Patience brother 🤝
He might upload rarely, but he also never misses.
amazing video chief
i am to please 👨🍳
Already waiting for your next video, you are master at making videos that have this aesthetic (idk how that aesthetic is specifically called)
thank you!! I do my humble best
Love these videos!!! Educational and high quality! If you haven't already, you should check out the soundtrack and sound design of Outlast, a horror game released in 2013. Samuel Laflamme's score is amazing.
Keep up the good work, man!!
That's a good recommendation! Thanks for that, and for the support :)
Great presentation and impressive editing. I look forward to more game OST deep dives.
glad to hear it! i got more stuff coming :)
Nicely done, thank you 🎉
thank YOU! !!
this is nothing short of amazing
I just like it when the guitar goes "däng da-twäng da-da"
ding twoing
Hes back! Loved all of your stuff so far. Great seeing you grow. 🙏
thanks for the support rocco, it's good to be back !
Spy music, spy culture, jazz... I don't care about any of these. But your explanation is super interesting that I almost want to play some records!
In the end, I like learning about music theory, because one day, when I grow up, I will be a rockstar. I'm 43, 44 in two weeks. 😁
i believe in you vagabundork 🫡
another spectacular video!! your analysis is so thorough and well done!
!!! thank you!!!
You should do a video like the Fallout one on The Incredibles, definitely one of the best scores for an animated movie ever
Doing movies is a little tough with the copyright stuff, but i agree 100%, that film has a ridiculous score
your channel is great, keep up the good work!
This chanel will blow up
Did you play all of the instruments in the outro?!
Your videos are insanely good!
Love your videos so much keep up the good work man I always look forward to your next post!
thank you goose!! appreciate the love
Amazingly explained
thank you Erik
Awesome!
Absolutely loved this video. Just subbed. Id love to see some videos on the Portal series :)
Hey Simon your soldier loadout is the same as mine!
great minds think alike brother 🤝
Yo, the shout out to Spy Fox threw me back!
those halcyon spy fox days
I've not played tf2, but I do like the music, have you heard the soundtrack to Xiii?
I hadn't heard of it until just then! looked it up and man it looks really cool, love a good cell shaded game
hell yeah
>:)
Oh man, you have very unfortunate timing with this one (bought a new bike and there was 3 weeks of absolute great weather).
I feel like you mentioned it but to me the inspirations from the Bond-like riffs is to set up the overall mood. Whacky, over the top stylised in 60s cartoon-esque style game. It preemptively suspends disbelief, and if it existed in vacuum it would not succeed with that music and would most likely use a different style (probably something contrasting like what Clockwork Orange did with Dancing in the rain). But because of movies like James Bond, where you had sometimes completely crazy gadgets it lend itself for the purpose. You want a rocket jumping soldier, a sentry turrent engineer, invisible spy that can wear the skin of his enemies, a double jumping fast boi and magically healing medic in the same game? Well, you can't really put a Helldivers-like sountrack over it and set the mood correctly. After all Helldivers 2 mocks the "Armystrong" pathos/theme of US Army ads from the late 2000s to set up mood of "nationalism without questioning".
It does the very similar thing to Fallout 1 in a way to me this way - the first music you hear is the Ink spots or Louis Armstrong. Americana. That sets up the mood of "old world blues" that after the intro never returns but still sticks with you. It is separate to the gameplay (like in TF2) but still present in it through imprinting on your mind. It sets up expectations and what's to come. This is why heavy metal in BoS did not work as it did not set the mood the original creators were aiming for, but would work absolutely fine with different franchise. TF1 was an arena shooter that did not stand out. TF2 had to stand out to become what it is now. And they did, by combining entirely new visual style that matches the mood of the music. Just like a western game would not work without a banjo in the soundtrack and some sort of link to Ennio Morricone's style, Total Overdose would not work without Desperado-esque music, I think that TF2 would not really work with any other music style but the 60s whacky Bond/spy movies style.
Great rendition btw. Always love that bit, along with your editing and style.
VanBourner! You comment got lost in spam somehow, so I’m only just seeing it now (apparently you used some banned words? no idea which ones 😅)
I really appreciate you engaging with the video and drawing such interesting parallels with other media. You've got a sharp eye for how music sets the tone and enhances the gaming experience. Your observation about the Bond-like riffs and how they contribute to the game’s over-the-top style is spot on I reckon.
And you’re absolutely right-TF2’s distinctive style puts it in a group with other really imprinting and important games, like you mentioned with with Fallout and Total Overdose.
Thanks for pointing out the editing and style of the video too; I’m really glad you enjoyed it! It’s always fantastic to hear from you and get your insights. :)
@@SimonZinzovski No worries, in that wall of text probably something snagged on :) My money is on the word that starts with "nation" or the name of the defense aparatus of the union of states in the northern america :D And yeah, I do engage mainly to try and boost video visibility in algo (while also wasting some bits on some server with my ramblings) mostly so don't feel bad about not responding to me in timely manner :D I took my sweet time here too.
I am more on the tone-deaf side of things I have to enjoy music through other means, which to me is usually through the mood and rhytm. This kinda gives me a different view on the music, while most people enjoy the melody, highs, mids and all that I just can't really appreciate that. Which is ironically hilarious since I can enjoy music on some fairly crappy headphones just the same as on higher end ones lol.
Always appreciate your edits and inputs, I used to do videos eons ago and remember how much of a PITA it can be top formulate a script and then do the arduous task of scrubbing through footage for hours to find that one good take.
Commenting for algorithm. Does gordan edit the videos?
Gordan and I work on the scripts together and I do most of the editing. The Gman also does revisions, QC and gives notes and stuff, so he's an integral part of the process
hey simon an off topic thing but just wanted to ask you about metro 2033's (the original 2010 version) music because so far from what i have seen from other games like it i haven't heard anything like it. P.s. "alpha-explore-master is what i had in mind when i heard metro 2033's soundtrack"
okay so i'm just listening to it now.
It's orchestrated from synthetic strings samples. There are some background ambiance elements too. It gives a very ruinous and cold impression, due to the dissonant legato strings. A harmonic analysis would probably be useful here if you wanted to copy the sound exactly, but it's pretty clearly minor and sad and stuff.
So i'd say it's a combination of the synthetic symphonic strings playing slow dissonant legato chords and windy background ambiance that creates a forlorn and desolate experience for the listener.
You here this kind of sound a lot in films, so it is probably pulling a bit from there. Also maybe some of the stuff from Mass Effect and Halo sounds similar.
anyway, those are just my quick thoughts :)
@@SimonZinzovski wow thanks man!
I love TF2 and it was really cool to hear you dissect its music, but I feel the editing was too much in this video. It's hard to pay attention to the content of what you say when there are so many images flashing onscreen and so many text pop-ups. I think your Half-Life video was a much more mellow experience which made ingesting the information a lot more pleasant.
thanks for the feedback, i'll take it on board :)
Once again, you came to my idiot brain's rescue to help it put to words why I like what I like 👌
any time, my fine friend 🐈⬛
Spyfox mentioned raaaaAAGH!!!
Im an OG point and click enjoyer. Been on point and click games before I could read (i think lol)
wel come bkca Fujitsu Siemens
thank u for having me back :)
You have made a spelling mistake. I'd like to speak to the managre.
nope! i have perfect spelling and dont make mistakes : )
My only question is... What's music?
oh brother...
It's sounds arranged in a manner that tickles your brain in a nice way.
He don't miss
i have shooters fam 🔫
👌
Time to do the Nier OST
Is TF2 full of bot still ?
a bit...
Good news my guy, they finally did something about it
mike morask is the best
he is very good yes indeed
Love your vid. I think you deserve more views
Point of criticism though- the wavy music is absolute garbage please don't do that anymore 😅
TF 1 still better.
insanely hot take
@@SimonZinzovski Not really. Source is a good engine for games but not for PvP competitive games. It has way too many problems. That is why it took CS:GO blowing up in popularity duo to lootcrates and skin-economy for CS Pros to switch to it from CS 1.6.
tru, i did enjoy source way more than i enjoyed cs:go