Traditional Chinese Musical Resources in Chinese and China-Themed Games: Contextual Aesthetic Orientations
Abstract
Chinese and China-themed games increasingly mobilize traditional Chinese musical resources within hybrid contemporary scores, yet the aesthetic function of these resources varies by scene and is often discussed without a clear separation between production facts and interpretation. This study develops a qualitative, source-sensitive framework around four source-verified focal units: “Liyue” in Genshin Impact, “Mighty Descent” in Black Myth: Wukong, “Solemnity” in Total War: Three Kingdoms, and scene music from Jiangnan Baijingtu. Rather than constructing a broad ontology or genre taxonomy of traditional musical symbols, the study narrows the unit of analysis to cue- or scene-level evidence. Analysis considers timbre, melodic profile, rhythm, texture, pacing, cultural association, and game situation. The comparison proposes four provisional aesthetic orientations: artistic-conception, martial/kinetic, solemn/historical, and regional-life. These are not universal genre rules. The main contribution is an evidential procedure that distinguishes verified catalogue and production information from interpretive close listening, offering a cautious basis for future transcription, reception, and cross-cultural research.
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