The Music of Unite

Pokémon Unite has become a hot Pokémon game recently as the foray of the franchise into the game genre of MOBA. Games of this genre tend to be fast-paced, intense, and heroic in some ways, and this applies equally to the music used in them. The same fortunately also goes for Unite, and it has its own musical suite for all situations in the game, indeed with all of the above qualities that make it just as impressive as the game itself.

Shota Kageyama is the composer of this entire suite, and that's just a small feat. Shota also worked on music for many of the main series games after the fourth generation and even Pokémon Masters, one of the "next-door" games to Unite. Such a track record is an excellent one as far as games in the Pokémon franchise are concerned, and that becomes evident in what Shota has composed for Unite.

All the battle arenas have their own dedicated music, including for when a match enters what is called the "Final Stretch". The regular music for the arenas is stimulating, but when the "Final Stretch" happens, the music becomes more intense and dramatic. In general, the music can be described as "symphonic rock", with some areas more of either the former (Remoat Stadium) or the latter (Mer Stadium).

The same is also true for the music for non-battle parts of the game. The main menu music is a symphonic wonder, while the Pokémon selection music is a valiant rock piece that neatly ties to the pre-battle loading screen, which is 16 seconds of intense rock looped over for listening pleasure. The post-battle music still has a rock feel but subdued, and the shop music has a  totally subdued lounge flavor.

My personal favorite is the main theme music, which plays after the game fully loads and before one taps "Start" to play, and also when one becomes acquainted with the game for the first time. Some have noted similarities of the music in the game to music in other games, not the least of which is the aforementioned main theme, which evokes a certain "windy park" on platforms, so to speak. 

I've stated it previously, but I cannot state it enough, especially for modern electronic games: music makes the game. In the case of games of the MOBA genre, the music has to be able to complement their intensely action-packed nature. The music for Pokémon Unite is very much able to do just that with its symphonies and rock melodies, befitting a heroic and fast-paced entry into a new game front for Pokémon. 

One year ago: How Simple Is Pokémon Really?

Two years ago: Illusions of Success?

Three years ago: People-Adventure or Pokémon-Adventure?

Four years ago: Kanto Starter Keychains