Boss, JackHarper, Hayden2021-09-132021-09-132021-09-13https://hdl.handle.net/1794/26662It is no secret that the video game industry codifies gendered stereotypes, which appear in mechanics and visual illustrations of characters in games. In this thesis, I scrutinize the construction of gender in the musical elements of soundtracks in role-playing games. Expanding upon Michael Austin’s work (2018), I examine how musical gender construction compares with the visual and interactive representations of gender on the screen. Using Nier: Automata as the primary case, I employ a variety of techniques to demonstrate how musical parameters subvert expectations established by other role-playing games. However, a conflict exists when we contrast musical observations with the visual and interactive elements. A ludomusical dissonance sustains between the aural and visual images of the main characters. In examining the gendered ludomusical dissonance in Nier: Automata, my thesis shows that dissecting musical representations of gender, in relation to the visual and interactive constructions, transforms unnecessarily gendered perceptions.en-USAll Rights Reserved.Feminist MusicologyGenderLudomusicologyMultimedia StudiesNeo-Riemannian TheoryVideo Game StudiesElectronic Thesis or Dissertation