Classical Composer Reacts to DRAGONBORN: SKYRIM OST | The Daily Doug (Episode 788)

[@Doug.Helvering]

If I was to start gaming, what console should I get?

[@manamose5430]

If it has to be console, then Playstation. But most people would probably say skip console and game on pc.

[@KingPineapple21]

I say Xbox, Gamepass will give you access to 200 games (old and new) for 15$ a month, but there are games exclusively on PlayStation and PC

[@runekongstadlarsen7569]

playstation if it has to be a console and not PC. if the playstation 5 is to expensive you could try and get a playstation 4. but games a not getting made for it really any more

[@Alexsraka]

I would recommend Playstation. By the way, there's a version of Skyrim for the console so you could probably check it out one day. Although it's kinda gory the music is just...wow.

[@Kaztrofy]

PS5 Digital with Red Dead Redemption 2.

[@Vulcan-29]

“It would be cool to see Skyrim gameplay with the music, maybe I should play it” And that was the last we heard of Doug lol

[@ame-]

😂

[@starxrox]

Skyrim almost made me fail Uni

[@cmdrreggit]

@@starxrox Uni almost made me fail Skyrim

[@Gutenburg100]

It just works

[@GarfieldOnTheMoon-qu9pl]

hes been taken by the game

[@potatoCris]

Now i wanna play skyrim again... again

[@Goodfood717]

Want me to roll a character for you? edit: for eachother?

[@shadowswithin702]

Yup got it already fired up rofl

[@cassu6]

If only my computer could run it with the crazy modlists that exist today

[@RealBradMiller]

​@@Goodfood717I let Chat GPT come up with several character builds, including names and backstories, and then I can pick and choose, and brainstorm new ideas with it. It is actually cool, and I'm no AI Bro.

[@victorkreig6089]

Todd well always win

[@dragonthesharkyt]

The entire Skyrim OST is amazing, highly recommend you check it out. "Secunda", "Kyne's Breath", and "Distant Horizons" are all incredible, and very orchestral/ambient in arrangement.

[@papysson]

Beneath the Ice is so ambiant too

[@UN-Seki]

*Kyne's Peace, but I agree. "Far Horizons", "From Past to Present" and "Streets of Whiterun" are also popular and iconic tracks from the game.

[@willl676]

My favorite is the untitled theme for the Forgotten Vale in the Dawnguard DLC. It's both beautiful and melancholy, truly giving you a sense of loss over the fate of the Snow Elves.

[@xellestar]

Yes a video covering this whole ost would be great

[@skloak]

I fully and wholeheartedly agree. There’s so much goodness in this OST, it makes me not even care about Dragonborn.

[@eleanormaxwell721]

I am a 67 year old Granny, being playing since the first Skyrim (Pre ordered) just got the Anniversary edition and started over again. Epic game and epic music I have always played on a gaming PC that I can upgrade as new stuff comes out.

[@maxdelpo5578]

So cool

[@StayFr0sty]

you gonna be me fr what an inspiration keep going eleanor keep gaming

[@aniaskarzynska9429]

Another granny Elder Scrolls fan here!🙂

[@SKR1967]

And a grandfather who is a old ES player but have since moved over to 'Valheim'.

[@Tinyfangs-xyz]

Did not move on to ESO?

[@steveeymann6374]

Bethesda created an entire dragon language for this game with translations into english. You are hearing that language in this song.

[@BravoDox]

Yep, the key to understanding the theme of the song is that dragons breathe fire (and other effects) by speaking the draconic language, and that a dragonborn is a person who can also breathe fire (and other effects) if only they could learn the language. It's an extremely grunty, guttural language, and pronunciation is difficult.

[@xentionX]

@@BravoDox The Dragonborn is a person with the soul of a dragon, which allows him to learn the "Thu'um" as second nature. And yes, when the dragons are breathing fire or frost or what ever it is, they are using their language which proves how powerful they actually are😁

[@leonardofelipesilva2809]

​@@xentionX lemme be Mr. Lil' Lecture and add to it the fact that yes, the Dragonborn, or Dovahkiin, is called that because he/she is considered a Dovah (Dragon). There is proof of that in the game, as for when the Dovahkiin enters the Soul Cairn and meets with Durnehviir, the cursed undead dragon who calls him/her a "fellow Dovah" and explains: *_"You are the Dovahkiin. The Dragonborn. You may not be one of us in body, but you have earned the right to bear this title"_* It's worth noting that regular people can also follow "The way of the voice", a lifestyle teached by The Greybeards up on High Hrothgar, in which you practice meditation on words of power and stay silent in order to learn how to Shout in dragon tongue and release its power. Of course, the catch is that, for regular people, an entire life of dedication needs to be sacrificed for one to become a master, whereas for a Dovahkiin they only need to learn the three words of a Shout (and also absorb the soul of a dragon for each single word) and their learning is almost instant as they can "tap into the absorbed dragon's knowledge" and learn it that way, without the need for meditation In Skyrim is easy to find other people who can use the Voice (Thu'um), like Ulfric Stormcloack, who "...murdered the High King with his voice! .. shouted him apart".

[@steveeymann6374]

@BravoDox I just find it incredible how in depth the developers went for a video game. Granted it is one of the most iconic games of all time, for good reason. This being one.

[@leonardofelipesilva2809]

@@steveeymann6374 the plot twist is they don't do it anymore. As game developing companies grow, such as Bethesda did, they enter the "corporation" mindset, the day to day of a developer becomes boring and the so called "love and dedication" becomes more and more a thing of the past, as a work day becomes more about meetings and talkings "about" the process than the process itself, Starfield is a good example of that

[@berninhell]

You can sink hundreds of hours into playing Skyrim and even when this soundtrack plays in the background for the 1,000th time, when the crescendos match up with some intense moment in the game, it just never gets old. Epic music.

[@Hufenschwinger]

The OST turns "dunking on glitchy flying worms with flappy wings" into "battling Dragons to stop the end of the world"

[@UchihaxItachixx]

Hundreds? Get those numbers up rookie

[@reheatedpizza7292]

Just calculated my hours played, it’s almost at a year…..

[@jmerridew124]

It's so true. Sometimes you'll be exploring, and this song comes on outta nowhere, and the shadow of a dragon passes over you super fast, and the roar comes in and let's fucking _go_

[@miketmdesign]

I've been listening to that soundrack since it was new and it just never gets old. The game is, but the soundtrack is timeless.

[@QuantumJuicE3]

Skyrim is my favorite game of all time, 13 years later I'm still playing it.

[@slaydesaid8741]

It's a great game for sure.

[@mattbrown5511]

I'm there with you.

[@nicks7504]

Me, too. Well over 7.5k hours behind me, and still convinced I still have stuff to find!

[@johnpaulsanchez3517]

Same

[@dmytrosoboliev935]

It's timeless classic

[@TurtleOfAngst]

One interesting things that wasn't mentioned: the main themes of Skyrim (this song), Oblivion, and Morrowind are all the *same* song, re-arranged to suit the game. Comparing and contrasting the differences and why they might have chose them is quite fun. :)

[@PedroGarzaT]

That's right, the same thing Bethesda did for the Fallout franchise.

[@RianMeier]

Personally, my favorite is the Oblivion theme.

[@skilletpan5674]

Daggerfall as well?

[@paulopatine]

​@@skilletpan5674 the theme was created for Morrowind, so Daggerfall and Arena (and any of the early spinoffs) don't have it.

[@lordmortarius538]

And ESO

[@3amshenanigans157]

Wait until you stumble upon beautiful landscape of Skyrim and Secunda starts playing in the background. Skyrim is just breathtaking.

[@RlKrav]

I was in a college chamber choir when Skyrim was originally released. After a competition a bunch of us were messing around and started singing this song. Soon enough 90% of all the guys were going all out singing it together still a favorite memory of mine

[@sidneyvandykeii3169]

Fun Fact: The game was released on 11/11/11. November 11th 2011. That was the target release date and needed to be released before Christmas.

[@ThamiorSilberdrache]

It wasn't only about being before christmas, the date itself of course was special. But, different to other games that were set to a hard release date, the first released version of Skyrim was stable and didn't seem rushed only to meet that date. So I'm quite sure they planned that very well ahead and could also have released earlier if they had wanted to.

[@aj.s...]

@@ThamiorSilberdrache The game was stable?? Are you joking? The game still isn't stable, lol! I love that game and many of Bethesda's games, but they're never stable.

[@ThamiorSilberdrache]

@@aj.s... "stable" doesn't mean "bugfree". I played through the hole game when it came out before even the first patch was released and didn't have a single game breaking bug. Of course there are bugs and glitches, but getting through a game in it's 1.0 version without it ever freezing or crashing is very rare nowadays unless the game has been in Early Access for some time before the major release. Especially on AAA games.

[@ThamiorSilberdrache]

@@aj.s... Or maybe I was lucky.

[@neme6ben]

@@ThamiorSilberdrache i still remember after about 2 weeks or even less after the release, they put a patch up and it completely broke the game, had to wait a week before playing again, it was far from stable lol

[@Vejitatheouji]

"You should have acted. They're already here. The Elder Scrolls told of their return. Their defeat was merely a delay to the time after Oblivion opened when the sons of Skyrim would spill their own blood. But no one wanted to believe. Believe they even existed. And when the truth finally dawns. It dawns in FIRE. But, there is one they fear. In their tongue, he is Dovahkin...DRAGONBORN!"

[@gulas_s_cibuli1092]

I hear this every morning, I have audio from Skyrim trailer on my alarm for many years now and I just love it :D

[@sirdroolsalot12]

R.I.P. Max Von Sydow.

[@HatedHero]

FUS RO DAH!

[@evildoggo1]

@@sirdroolsalot12no way bru I didn’t even know until now☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️ rip bro

[@jacobfavret1729]

MY GUY

[@natashah3687]

Over 3000 hours and I still cannot get tired of this game. It is epic, it is a beautiful game and the soundtrack is iconic.

[@angelaparker4110]

Only 3000?

[@madhuryalilananda]

@@angelaparker4110 LOL

[@vanyadolly]

Same. I'm looking forward to still playing Skyrim when I'm retired.

[@pjc7447]

Same! At this point, I just like being there, looking across the countryside and listening to the music.

[@hystorix9031]

I have 2500 ish over 13 years and still playing original char plus start up others time to time as well… so worried that 6 is gonna be woke and have to be on,I’ve etc and just not as good as Skyrim … but I hope it is

[@MaybeTaylor_]

fun lore fact: This song in the game lore is not the original version, the song is so ancient everything except the lyrics were destroyed by time, so modern bards came up with a melody to fit the lyrics, the song “Sovngarde” that plays in, well sovngarde, is the ancient original that this song was meant to be based on, same lyrics but completely different

[@necasperaterent29386]

As a gamer, I've probably heard the Skyrim theme hundreds or thousands of times over the years, but the sheer joy on your face as you listened to this was infectious and gave me a whole new level of appreciation for it.

[@HenriNioto]

The theme of this song is the main Elder Scrolls theme. I recommend you to listen to the other versions to compare them : Nerevar Rising (Morrowind) and Reign of the Septims (Oblivion).

[@TheCorpsehatch]

Oblivion for sure is the best version of the Elder Scrolls main theme.

[@HenriNioto]

@@TheCorpsehatch It's also my opinion ^^ (I like the one from Morrowind very much, though)

[@suntiger745]

I woulf recommend this as well. A compare and contrast between the theme songs of Elder Scrolls III, IV and V.

[@JovanDacic]

I always suspected Jeremy Soule took inspiration from Dan Goodale's Daggerfall soundtrack. I think this track shares some melodic and rhythmic similarities with the Soule Elder Scrolls theme. It's called "Snow over Northmoor." kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4HbhXakirGUhsksi=b25hOiVUkA0s1Z-M

[@HenriNioto]

@@JovanDacic It reminds me of House of the Rising Sun >< (a medieval version ^^)

[@snarkyrogue118]

Apparently Soule knocked this out in a weekend too. The guy wrote a song that works in english, in their fictional "dovah", AND fit the melody of the main theme of the series. Absolutely badass

[@Sekulture]

yet couldn't knock out the northener in over 10 years, lol

[@Lightmarez90]

This song has given me chills sinse 2011. And i have listened to this thousands of times.

[@Daniel__Nobre]

Man, the amount of times I would start Skyrim and would just stay at the menu listening to the theme until it ended.. It just gets you in the mood, its amazing.

[@ericwilson8034]

Man, this song from Skyrim still gives me goosebumps 13 years later. What a great game.

[@leandronc]

Jeremy Soule is also a master of atmospheric music. His calm pieces used for exploration in Oblivion (Skyrim too, to a lesser extent) are hauntingly beautiful. Thanks for doing more game music!

[@sevenember3332]

He also wrote the music for the core part of another favorite game called “Guild Wars 2” with a beautiful vocal track at a crucial scene. (Fear Not This Night) The music overall sounds like a cross between Skyrim and the original Fable soundtrack.

[@k.t.1641]

Rip. Another good one lost to the culture. True or false. Never mattered. :(

[@kingdavey90]

My first experiences of Jeremy Soule's music was Total Annihilation (a game from 1997), I was only 7 or 8 years old. Years later, I got Guild Wars 1 (2005 game) because the guy at the game store said it was kind of similar to WoW but no monthly payments. And then maybe 2009-ish, a friend recommended I try Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. As an Adult, I started to notice similarities in certain songs, trends, instruments usage like cymbals/trumpets. Imagine to my surprise, that it was all Jeremy Soule the whole time!!!

[@MrRezRising]

Just listened to the entire Oblivion OST. JS is amazing.

[@juandesalgado]

Thanks for the reaction! P.S.: The theme "B C# D C# A C# B" shows up all over the Skyrim soundtrack, as a unifying leitmotif. Here you can hear it around 4:53 in the video.

[@GedUK]

There's quite a few bits from the Morrowind soundtrack slightly earlier too.

[@savlecz1187]

@@GedUK Yep. Even the drum which opens and closes the song is carried over from Morrowind where it was supposedly meant to symbolize the beating heart of Lorkhan.

[@TalisSolepsis]

@@GedUK Of all the series, Morrowind is probably my favourite.

[@timokroger6611]

Wait...is the german word "leitmotiv" used in the english language?

[@TalisSolepsis]

@@timokroger6611 English shamelessly steals any vocabulary that isn't nailed down, and if it is nailed down, it uses a claw hammer to borrow it. In answer to your query, yes, the word "leitmotif/v" is used in the English language.

[@caseyhanford7522]

Baba Yetu by Christopher Tin was written for Civilization IV and I believe the first video game piece to earn a Grammy.

[@happyninja42]

yeah that's a fantastic song. i also love the title screen song for Civ VI

[@marcusott5054]

That song (Baba Yetu) brings back memories. Much as the last 3 Elder scrolls Themes.

[@sherrykathman3309]

I love that song!

[@samovarcoals]

​@@happyninja42and then he expanded both those pieces into entire concept albums: Calling All Dawns and The Drop That Contained The Sea...

[@blazingangel5463]

Songo di volare was the theme of Civ IV. You're thinking about Civ V

[@th3bigm00segames7]

Ive sunk thousands of hours into skyrim, and I still get chills listening to this soundtrack. Such a good soundtrack and game.

[@bishopundead5478]

I envy this man, getting to hear this for the first time. Still get goose bumps. Love this trackkk

[@MCTimemaster]

(translated) Lyrics for the curious: Dragonborn, Dragonborn, by his honor is sworn, To keep evil forever at bay! And the fiercest foes rout when they hear triumph's shout, Dragonborn, for your blessing we pray! Hearken now, sons of snow, to an age, long ago, And the tale, boldly told, of the one! Who was kin to both wyrm, and the races of man, With a power to rival the sun! And the voice, he did wield, on that glorious field, When great Tamriel shuddered with war! Mighty Thu'um, like a blade, cut through enemies all, As the Dragonborn issued his roar! (Chorus) Dragonborn, Dragonborn, by his honor is sworn, To keep evil forever at bay! And the fiercest foes rout when they hear triumph's shout, Dragonborn, for your blessing we pray! And the Scrolls have foretold, of black wings in the cold, That when brothers wage war come unfurled! Alduin, Bane of Kings, ancient shadow unbound, With a hunger to swallow the world! But a day, shall arise, when the dark dragon's lies, Will be silenced forever and then! Fair Skyrim will be free from foul Alduins maw, Dragonborn be the savior of men! (Chorus) Dragonborn, Dragonborn, by his honor is sworn, To keep evil forever at bay! And the fiercest foes rout when they hear triumph's shout, Dragonborn, for your blessing we pray!

[@jusahneim]

oh.. my.. god.... he said he does not know a lot of Video Game Music yet... here we go!!!! (enough material for the next 5 years of youtube ;) )

[@anthonycatron646]

Yes brave DOUG-AKIN, Alduin shakes at your might😆

[@chris99103]

what??? Its Dovahkiin !

[@agentsus9681]

Doug-akiin. . . *High Hrothgar shakes*

[@Nightstick24]

The music is also synced up so well in the game. It just fits so, so well into the game, with the epic landscapes and incredible battles. The scenery in the game is breathtaking, to this day, and the soundtrack elevates it to a different realm entirely.

[@youtubesucks5131]

that was more fun to watch than I'd expected. Especially 3:54 made me happy

[@SylviusTheMad]

The full Skyrim OST is well over 3 hours long, and it is of this quality throughout.

[@Ladywizard]

And Jeremy Soule also did an "extended" soundtrack for Guild Wars 1

[@TheCorpsehatch]

The entire soundtrack is amazing.

[@Blackd0nuts]

Seriously, Jeremy Soule is the GOAT

[@pathos7527]

For the 10th anniversary of the game’s release, they did a concert of the game’s OST, showing the full orchestra playing the songs. Available on Bethesda’s page on YT, if you loved hearing all the real instruments and like the music so far it’s very much worth a watch.

[@lisandra5330]

Performed by London Symphony Orchestra.

[@Wongel_mit_Hut]

Im currently playing the game as a mage and I absolutely love the music. It feels so comforting and relaxing but mysterious and magical as well.

[@DavrK]

4:45 Dr. Disrespect be like:

[@nevenvinera5839]

😂

[@VizrKm]

Still think that?

[@DavrK]

@@VizrKm yes lmao, he literally admitted to it again in his stream and then proceeded to only talk about the legal side of things which sure, everything he did wasn't illegal, but flirting with a minor when you are a 35 YEAR OLD MARRIED MAN WITH A KID is just so insanely morally wrong

[@arkadia_9014]

​@@DavrK Am I missing something ?

[@DavrK]

@@arkadia_9014 we're talking about a streamer, not the guy in this video, don't worry

[@keithbk]

While you can play Skyrim on a console, most modding is PC-based and has extended the game's life to where it is still played to this day. Skyrim is the BEST game investment you can probably make, because it is open-world and you can play as long as you desire.

[@GrampsD63]

Until Todd decides to force another update and crash your 1000+ mods

[@WhoElseButJarjosa]

I agree, but for someone completely new to gaming, vanilla Skyrim is probably more than enough.

[@klizzard5166]

this is the perfect example of why skyrim is one of the weakest of the franchise. to those who really love to live in the world just as the game came out without any mods its incredibly dull. the very first time you experience the game its good/okay. it helps with special edition because of the improved visuals but without that its just an updated and worse experience than oblivion. i started elder scrolls with oblivion on ps3 and was hooked. once skyrim came out i prolly played to level 12 and thought the game was super boring and rushed the main quests and finished the game around lvl 15-20 and didnt touch it for years until i had played more oblivion and morrowind and daggerfall. and i still after playing a bunch more hours of skyrim think its definitely worse than the other 3 games mentioned

[@indeed2207]

@@GrampsD63 if you know how to use mods, you know how revert to a past update.

[@GrampsD63]

@@indeed2207 I also know how to use LE and not put up with his bullshit ever again. See? Problem solved.

[@austinuhr8459]

Man, this one's a treat. Dragonborn is on a very short list of contenders for the greatest video game theme song of all time

[@GJ-fe3bh]

That & the soundtrack from Halo 2

[@sethharris813]

For sure. I can't hear it and not get goosebumps. It's waaay up there. I think on par with the theme from Zelda and One Winged Angel from FFVII.

[@GuardianAngelEatos]

Short list? What world are you living in? I could never make a short list of best video game pieces! I could easily name at least 30 of them!

[@sethharris813]

@@GuardianAngelEatos Interesting. Speak on that. Drop your quick list of 30. Also not everyone shares your broad taste and that's ok. I'm picky about music but I'd also say my short list is probably around 30. Lol

[@austinuhr8459]

@@GuardianAngelEatos The list gets easier when I'm only looking at title themes and main themes. In all of video game music, yeah it's pretty impossible to make a short list

[@V.F.D.DaleSalvador]

Nice, can't wait. Also hope he gets to Dark Souls soon. "Gwyn, Lord Of Cinder" and "Soul Of Cinder" would be killer to do in 1 video. Ones a solo piano piece and ones a full symphony. They are connected pieces that share melodies and such. They aren't 1 long song, but still worth listening together. "Great Grey Wolf Sif" is another good one.

[@DirranProductions]

The theme from Majula's too. Best part of DS2.

[@dsVektor]

Dark Souls 1 has such a magical OST. Gwyn, Sif, Artorias. Don't get me wrong, Yuki Kajiura is good and I like Dark Souls 3 and Elden Ring OSTs, but I feel like they've gone a bit too much into "epic cinematic" type of feel. Motoi Sakuraba brought much more diversity to Dark Souls 1.

[@poethepenguin2438]

These would both be great places to start in Soulsborne. Good primers before getting to the heavy pieces from Bloodborne or the really bombastic stuff from Elden Ring.

[@welcometovalhalla2884]

I really love Aldia's theme from Dark Souls 2, and especially One Who Craves Souls from Demon's Souls (the original, not as much the remake). It'd be great to see reactions to those eventually. The main theme from Dark Souls 3 is IMO the best for a first Dark Souls video, though. It's the first song that comes to mind when I think Souls. Most of the music in the series is associated to specific characters or moments, but it feels like that theme was really made to say "this is Dark Souls".

[@danakissmgrits2624]

Just hearing the OST makes me want to play it again. And I've played through Skyrim SEVERAL times.

[@myerr21]

5:21 is goosebumps every time

[@UnivegaSuperSport]

"Fields of Ard Skellig" from The Witcher 3 by Polish composer Marcin Przybylowicz might be fun to react to.

[@des5592]

Skyrim music is grand and while Witcher 3 is positively feral. I love both.

[@Arrow2theACL]

I recommended this one on Doug's Discord to pair with the opening theme. I am hoping eventually.

[@washellwash1802]

Mass Effect's main menu theme and "Leaving Earth" are gorgeous instrumental pieces I think are worth a listen

[@adamwright9150]

I was so emotionally invested in Mass Effect back then. Still my favorite game series ever. I still tear up when I hear "Leaving Earth". Such great memories.

[@VelociraptorsOfSkyrim]

I was just about to recommend this very thing! No matter how many times I play the game, watch other people play, it always hits me just as hard as the first time I experienced it.

[@JakobStrand]

Jeremy Soule is an amazing composer... This OST is top tier!

[@derkackadu]

It‘s a shame he‘s a gigantic asshole

[@parallelpinkparakeet]

He is! He did an original album called The Northerner Diaries which is amazing! Uses a few chords from his Elder Scrolls works.

[@MrEllsword]

I wish I could go back and hear this for the first time again. Watching this reaction was awesome.

[@leighsummerhayes242]

This was really nice to watch. To hear it broken down by a composer gives it so much more power

[@MIronLance]

One of the trailers for the game uses this music as a background to Max von Sydow's narration. Was very epic when it released... still brings goosebumps when watching it.

[@AqueousMantra]

The first use of this theme was back in 2002 with Morrowind. Much more mysterious and ethereal

[@klizzard5166]

agreed. skyrim is a good game to be fair but barely above mediocre. the older elder scrolls games are better. music too.. more ethereal and fantasy. skyrim is like it took too much real life old viking nords music into the game and while being more accurate to what it prolly would be like real life if skyrim was real its way more dull/boring/bland than almost any older ES game. i started with Oblivion and then skyrim. skyrim was pretty trash to me after 30 hours of playtime compared to oblivion. years later i tried daggerfall and morrowind and put in more hours in skyrim again and still think daggerfall morrowind oblivion are much better games and much better fantasy stories than skyrim.

[@tuskact4overheaven873]

​@@klizzard5166the music of skyrim is on pair with the other two games (and it's still fantasy), oblivion probably is a better game overall but I still love both equally (still have to play morrowind)

[@Bearsbeets.battlestargalactica]

Seeing your childlike joy the first time hearing is so validating. Cuz I act that way EVERY time I hear it after YEARS

[@JohnDoe-tn6dk]

this game released in my teens, this was the song you heard as you booted up the game and made your way to the main menu. I actually took a moment to just listen and I thought to myself there is no way they have a song like this to a bad game. needless to say, I spent the rest of the Christmas Holidays playing this game...

[@ActuallyEric]

Doug, if you wanna go down the video game music rabbit hole, then I would HIGHLY recommend you have a listen to "Gusty Garden Galaxy" from the Super Mario Galaxy OST. I think you are going to really, really love that one.

[@sianpodmore4988]

Hi Doug, I don't game either, but I'm increasingly intrigued by them and see them as a possible step up from being strapped in front of daytime TV in a care home in a couple of decades time. KZbin threw a Skyrim ambience at me one day, and I told my son it looked and sounded cool, what was it about? He has an X-box which connects to a TV set and he's been hooked on the game ever since. I does seem to be pretty bloody as he plays it, but I think you can engage in a lot of different ways, creating different characters and lifestyles. More recently I've enjoyed watching run throughs of other games on KZbin (I'm a particular fan of someone calling themselves Lizz who has a lovely singing voice). Perhaps checking out some of those as your gateway drug might help. I've found Hogwarts Legacy, the Jedi games and Avatar to be within the limits of my delicate sensitivities. When I tried one myself briefly, taking down a few storm troopers did get to be quite therapeutic. The games teache you what to do as you go along and you can set the level of difficulty.

[@juandesalgado]

I'm 65; when I was a kid, the elders back then loved to sit in front of the TV and watch nature documentaries. I have the feeling that today's equivalent is to watch reaction videos in KZbin.

[@snyderson1828]

I still get goosebumps every time this song kicks in…

[@monkeylordofdoom14]

I cried the first time I heard this song in the trailer! so powerful!!! I still listen to this whole soundtrack all the time

[@w.holyheart]

I love your reactions. You're passionate and it shows! You always take me back to the first time I heard it myself and it's pure joy. Thank you for that!

[@g-01]

Man, this video got me psyched to play Skyrim again. Great analysis as always Doug!! Would love to see you check out the main themes from the other Elder Scrolls games that Soule composed for: Nerevar Rising (TES 3 Morrowind) and Reign of the Septims (TES 4 Oblivion) - they all use the same motif! If you're looking to change it up as well I would HIGHLY recommend listening to some of the Shadow of the Colossus soundtrack. The game is available on Playstation 4 if you would like to experience the music in the game itself! In my opinion, it's among the greatest game soundtracks of all time!

[@lightlezs7048]

For gaming soundtracks Gwyn Lord of Cinder is a must, definitely get to it eventually (Soul of Cinder together with it is also a good idea, since it's kind of like a sequel and conclusion to Gwyn Lord of Cinder)

[@captain02rex]

Elden Ring, Dark Souls and God of War (2018/Ragnarök) too

[@Ennello]

So many good soundtracks, so much good prog, so much good metal, so much good jazz... I don't even know what to recommend anymore, help!

[@Goodfood717]

Blue Flowers, Dr.Octogon. I don't know if he does older hiphop or not.

[@gregtheflyingwhale]

hearing this at 12 first time literally transported me into magical world without even the game itself. Jeremy made it all feel real

[@kalaniturner1228]

I can’t unhear the misheard lyrics😂 For the king, for the king, for the singles party, etc.

[@MrExplosion449]

I think you’d love the work Murray Gold did on Doctor Who, if you’re not already familiar with it. By far some of the best music ever put to screen

[@des5592]

Yes! My favorites are 11’s theme and “I am the Doctor”.

[@TheNosferatu666]

BEST is/ was "Skyrim - The Dragonborn Comes - Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra feat. Sabina Zweiacker! Next comes "malukah's version"!

[@0babul0]

Heck YES. And how the brass section is going HAM at one point, it just sounds fantastic. IMO even better than the original, although choir here is pretty freaking nice as well.

[@TheLiberaceTheory]

I feel it’s important to know- The world of Skyrim is constructed around the music. For someone who is a connoisseur of the music but a newcomer to Skyrim, I feel there would be so much richness you could sink into in terms of the lore and backstory. One important power the Dragonborn has is the power of the Thu’um, or dragon shout. The Thu’um is a kind of ancient sound-based magic that is said to shake the “earth bones” themselves, which alters reality through its power. Dragon shouting could have effects as various as slowing time, creating a cyclone, or leeching the life force of an opponent. The chorus in this is singing in dragon language, and the lyrics are layered with double and triple meaning both in English and the original DohvahZul. Another place this “music magic” shows up is with the famous story of the Dwemer. The Dwemer were an ancient race of Skyrim, long disappeared before the events of the game. They were said to be versed in something called tonal magic, and used it to construct the vast underground cave networks they inhabited, with cities spanning the entire continent and delving deep into alien undergrounds teeming with bioluminescence. The Dwemeri lore is clearly full of references to musical language that I as a layperson am not going to fully get, but I would love the insight of someone versed in musical language. Particularly, I am interested in the musical meaning of the dwemeri “fifteen -and-one tones”, which were said to have a sort of sacred significance to them. (Loremasters, forgive me. I know the Dwemer are better understood as atheistic, but trying to describe it to someone new to the world, “sacred” is the best descriptor nearby!) Lastly, Bethesda is known for a kind of meta “fourth wall breaking” lore construction. One of my favorite songs on the track is “Ancient Stones”, which is kind of used as a throwaway filler for loading screens and occasionally in player homes and taverns. But the name Ancient Stones is thought to be a reference to the huge painted boulders that dot the giant camps around Skyrim, and the deep cut lore theorizes that the giants themselves levitated those boulders to their current positions using tonal magic! The creators are very good at layering hidden meaning in lyrics, titles, and I’m sure hidden ideas or language within the music itself- languages we would not have the wisdom to unravel. You would :)

[@pleiadecca]

I so love this game, partly because of the great GREAT music. Played it through at least five times. Let it sit for a few years now. Must be time to start again.

[@gunward2835]

Over 13 years since the Skyrim trailer dropped and it’s STILL the most epic video game trailer I’ve witnessed.

[@aguelch]

Kyne's Peace is another wonderful Skyrim track, and so is Secunda. There are many absolutely beautiful ones but those are what I recommend the most.

[@skloak]

I wish Secunda was longer, 2 minutes is nothing. I also wish the piano repeated, because that sequence is just magical. I’ve seen some youtube videos where they loop the track for several hours, but it just sounds terrible that way, there’s no life in it. I wish I knew somebody who could just write more of it!

[@thegrape8415]

I've been playing skyrim nonstop but watching this still gave me chills. My recommendation from the OST is "Tundra" it gets me emotional every time. Also "Solitude" is a great ambient track. The whole album is a masterpiece.

[@krotchy79]

Love the reactions on the OSTs - WItcher 3: The WIld Hunt OST is one of my faves if that one ever hits your radar. I still have to stop and listen to "The Fields of Ard Skellig" any time I get there in a game.

[@087redcore]

I love seeing you nerding out on this :D really see you enjoy this music!

[@tizmond]

It's heart-warming to see a classical composer and non-gamer get so excited when listening to the Skyrim theme. Testament to the work that was put in to the game. Should you decide to play it, I wish you well on your great quest...Dovahkiin.

[@Benderbot50]

the horn melody that starts around 4:04 is a leitmotif through the 3d Elder Scrolls games. You should listen to the main themes of Morrowind and Oblivion to compare the evolution of the Elder Scrolls theme.

[@ahuman9113]

Never knew there was a word for those, it’s probably one of my favorite things in music. Game of thrones did that where the main theme you can hear in almost every smaller song

[@simontemplar3359]

I have really enjoyed the PS5. it's current Gen and has a massive library. Skyrim is still very worth playing. I'll leave the comments section to drop wisdom on which games are best!

[@jacobmosovich]

3:10 the reaction starts here if you want to skip the conjecture.

[@WhoThisMonkey]

Thank you

[@gregsurles4199]

It brings so high and gingerly sets back down. I always listen to it in full before I play to really get in the feel of the game.

[@Protoreon]

5:36 This is where I start to get goosebumps. I played Skyrim 13 years ago

[@peppermintshamrock]

Scars of Time (Chrono Cross intro) would be a great one to react to when you want to do more video game music. There are so many great video game songs out there!

[@hagen3457]

5:21 "Prince of Soul, thank the Lord, f---ing cool, oh my gawd!"

[@JessiO2259]

Awesome 😂 I always hear it as "We skip school, break the law, don't get fooled or get caught" 😂

[@BulookLazah]

💀😂

[@andrewborges399]

Watch the trailer!!!

[@NickDaGamer1998]

I don't usually enjoy watching musicians, composers and the like listen to music from pop culture greats, but your reactions and pre-song breakdowns of what you've researched about the song before listening have drawn me in and I thoroughly enjoy watching and listening to your thoughts.

[@nadiabairamis3854]

The player character is a "Dragon Born" who can speak the dragon tongue, and uses thu'um, basically Dragon shouts of immense power, to blast thunder etc at their enemies. What i especially loved about the score is that you can hear it, they really translated the concept of this so well into the music.

[@Malkavian83]

Glad you've arrived at gaming soundtracks! There are SO so many amazing soundtracks out there. For me always standing out will be Borislav Slavov. His compositions for Divinity: Original Sin 2 and lately Baldurs Gate 3 are just chefs kiss. He is SUCH an amazing composer. For a starter, try "Rivellon" " Divinity 2 OST - Main Theme" or "Mead, Gold and Blood".

[@langadubazana]

Phenomenal soundtrack. Playing this game as a child is a core memory.

[@carlday30]

Video games can have surprisingly sophisticated soundtracks. Next, you should review Baba Yetu from Civilization IV.

[@firefly5677]

Skyrim's entire soundtrack is beautiful. A lot of the tracks are so nostalgic for gamers like me. My personal favorite from the OST is "From Past to Present"

[@WhoThisMonkey]

Your enthusiasm made me relive this song for the first time again. Thank you for that.

[@Shadowkainine]

Oh, this one I'm hyped for

[@BrownsFanSince2017]

If you wanna do another gaming video, I would recommend “Silver for Monsters…” and “Fields of Ard Skellig” from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt soundtrack

[@rockjianrock]

may the LELELELELE intensify

[@seajaytea9340]

I love how genuinely you ask your audience about gaming. Imagine if someone (an adult in their 30s) told you that they really never "listened" to music, and asked you where to start. That is the Everest.

[@PhilMihaly]

As a huge music nerd and an equally big Skyrim nerd, this was such a pleasure to see your reaction! If you like the fantasy genre, Skyrim is the pinnacle of Fantasy adventure games. Nearly 15 years later, the game is a little bit dated, but even still, the amount of depth to the games world, lore, and choices you can make to mold the adventure to your will is still unparalleled by more modern games. I recently started playing the game again for the 5th time and even still, I find so many new secrets and interactions that Ive never seen before. Truly a breathtaking masterpiece that has stood the test of time!

[@dumplingshakes22]

This song is amazing. Anytime I hear it I think about to the hours and hours I spent exploring every inch of the game. An absolute masterpiece

[@bobbenson6825]

ah ha ha ha I can't believe you covered this! After putting 1500+ hours into Skyrim this is better than being whacked into the stratosphere by a giant. I used to be an adventurer but then I took an arrow to my knee. Anybody else hear some echoes of Basil Poledouris?

[@klizzard5166]

arrow to THE KNEE man with 1500 hours u should know

[@Jonagold-music]

Why don't you just pick up a used Xbox360 and play Elder Scrolls V Skyrim on that ?. Should be dirt cheap and really simple to operate even for someone with no previous experience. And Elder Scrolls V Skyrim should also be a nice entry. Its concidered by many to be one of the best of its genre

[@klizzard5166]

he is literally using a computer which is a 1000 times better to play games on. get skyrim special edition on PC and Doug is golden. no need to literally waste money on a ps3 or xbox360

[@belvedue7892]

The Elder Y’alls

[@jacobfavret1729]

You seem like such an honest and humble man, truly in love with his works. May God bless you many times my friend.

[@Josh-vi6hf]

i wish i was doug hearing the skyrim OST for the first time again, a beautiful nostalgia from when i was a youngster. check out the rest of the tunes and play the game if you get the chance! its so encompassing paired with the music

[@kurtv4946]

I'm not a gamer (probably because I'm 72 years old) but I love this music.

[@Goodfood717]

Would you please share some books or book series suggestions? I grew up on Edgar Rice Burrows, Tolkien, Zane Grey and the like.

[@matthewteague623]

Gaming is not everyone's cup of tea. But if you find you've got extra time, you might consider some games to fill it. Back when I was in my late 20's, I did a lot of multiplayer online games. One of the staples in our normal gaming group, was a retiree who lived on his ranch with his horses.

[@jonasvilhena7270]

You have to play before you die, is epic

[@Slibber]

You should check out "A Beautiful Song" from NieR Automata, that game has one of my favorite soundtracks of all time.

[@peppermintshamrock]

Seconding this, NieR and NieR Automata have _amazing_ OSTs - it's hard to pick just one, but A Beautiful Song is a good choice if you had to pick just one to react to. (For original NieR, probably Snow in Summer or Shadowlord, but again, there are _so_ many good tracks to be found).

[@GrizzlyAt0ms]

This isn't gonna get enough recommendations. But those of us who know, know.

[@shaxplosion]

Hell yeah. All the NieR OSTs are amazing but "City Ruins - Rays of Light" is probably my favorite.

[@lethargictunes1289]

You should react to the WoW WOTLK cinematic trailer

[@johnrtrucker]

This is the song of my generation! And great TLDR on the basic overview of the game and the elder scrolls series! I can tell you did your homework and you did the game justice! Awesome! I can't wait to watch the rest!

[@woolleson]

Actually started playing Skyrim since my first play through 10 years ago, omg it's such an amazing game! Imagine this remade with cyberpunk graphics and physics. Music....... amazing 👍