What are your favourite video game soundtracks?
What are your favourite video game soundtracks?
I've got a few so I'll kick us off.
Outer Wilds
I listen to this one an awful lot, and from start to finish, which is pretty rare for me when it comes to soundtracks. The song '14.3 Billion Years' still gets me even today and the games main theme is one or the more memorable bits of gaming music I've ever encountered.
Return of the Obra Dinn
Atmosphere. The music goes an awful long way to setting a games atmosphere and this soundtrack is no different. I can't necessarily listen to this on repeat like Outer Wilds, but when I do listen to it I'm immediately catapulted back to being on that damn ship.
Tearaway
This one is just disgustingly charming in a way that only a game for a Media Molecule game could be.
For soundtracks that I constantly listen to outside of gaming. It's got to be racing games and action sport games that take the cake.
The likes of:
NFS Underground 1 & 2
NFS Most Wanted
Forza Horizon 1, 2 & 4 (not yet played 3)
Dirt 2 & 3
Tony Hawks 1, 2, 3, 4, Underground 1 & 2, 1+2
SSX Tricky, SSX (reboot)
Jet Set Radio & Future
Here's some curated playlists of such games that I've made:
Sonic 2 - Chemical plant zone
I love that song too. There's a really good remix on YouTube which I sometimes listen to while walking or driving.
Nier Automata
Rimworld is fantastic too.
Cyberpunk has a great collection to hit shuffle on Spotify.
Haven't played the game but have added several of its bangers to my techno playlists. Epic stuff
Even if you put it on easy and just do the main story its worth it for the narative alone.
I really like ori and the will of the wisps
ROLLIN AROUND AT THE SPEED OF SOUND
Simon Viklund made fantastic stuff for Payday 1 and 2.
Also Mick Gordon's work for Doom and Killer Instinct.
Chrono Cross, Skyrim, was digging the CP2077 tracks, or pieces of it.
Really enjoyed the music in Hollow Knight
Showing my age here.
Chaos Overlords on PC. I used to play it just for the music as a kid.
Great Giana Sisters on C64. Turrican 2 on Amiga. Battle Valley on C64. Chemical Plant Zone, Sonic 2.
Golf Club Wasteland for chill.
Hollow Knight OST by Christopher Larkin is epic.
Hotline Miami and Ruiner for a workout session.
Of course, I highly recommend "listening" to them while playing the games themselves.
Crystalis for the NES has an absolute banger soundtrack. The game is also great. The overworld theme will stick in your head forever.
I always loved that one.
Tetris
I think Death Stranding's use of the soundtrack was top notch. The way the music would swell up as you made it past certain points really accentuated the game.
Also Low Roar's music is just so haunting and beautiful. Rest in peace, Ryan Karazija.
Super Mario Galaxy
Final Fantasy VI
Earthbound and Mother 3 have legendary soundtracks imho
Morrowind's has impacted me the most but my favorite is the og XCOM. Age of Empires also has famously good music
FEZ
Since I haven't seen them listed yet:
- Ender Lilies
- Both Nier Games
- Drakenguard 3
- Kingdom Hearts
- FFXIII
Plague Tale: Requiem is one of my favorite games ever (even though some parts of the gameplay really suck) and the soundtrack is a large reason why. Every bit of it is handcrafted for very specific reasons. The composer did a playthrough on YouTube explaining each piece in context.
Been playing that recently and I agree, it's got some really lovely music. Not sure if I'd listen to it away from the game, but when you're playing and you're in that world it's really nice.
Crash Bandicoot, Geometry Dash, Stardew Valley, SkyCraft
I realise I'm listening to a lot of game soundtracks, now that you are asking. Old stuff like Diablo 2 and Torchlight 2 (oh Matt Uelman, what a genius), then some sci-fi games like Mass Effect, Warframe (only the first few songs), Deep Rock Galactic. Then some RPGs like The Witcher 3 - this is so distinct and I'm instantly roaming the lands again when listening to that. Also really like Mick Gordon's Doom but have to be in the mood for that.
Honorable mention goes to Jeremy Soule and the first Guild Wars 2 soundtrack that was fantastic, but I walked away from the game and don't feel like listening anymore. I probably forgot some. Curious about what others like!
I really like Stardew Valley's music.
I usually keep the sound real low since I have to keep an ear out for being called away, so it's one of the few I'd listen to a bit louder!
valheim
Halo 1 and 2, and halo odst.
I'd say my personal faves are that of OMORI, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Sky: Children of the Light, and the two OXENFREE titles.
Battle chasers
Streets of rage 2 dominates
i like the Phantasy Star 3 soundtrack. i had it on my record player for quite some time as it was the only music my newborn would fall asleep to.
I know there's plenty that I like whilst playing the games, but the Stellaris soundtrack stands out as a beautiful suite of music in its own right. I've listened to that on headphones on the train.
I really liked the music in La-Mulana.
Streets of Rage 2 is my absolute favourite, and in a happy coincidence it's my favourite game.
Hypnospace Outlaw is probably my favorite OST.
System Shock 1 & 2 are great and I hadn't seen them mentioned.
The soundtrack for Bastion absolutely slaps, for whatever reason it's the perfect blend of up beat/tempo and not attention grabbing that makes for great focus music (got me thought more grad school papers/ projects than I care to admit). Risk of Rain and FTL also deserve an honorable mention here as well.