What are y'all's all time favourite game OSTs?
Personally, I'm a huge fan of Hollow Knight, Ori and the (Blind Forest/Will of the Wisps), and Kingdom Hearts. Orchestral soundtracks are just something else...
TUNIC, FEZ, Nier Automata, Outer Wilds.
I also have a soft spot for Paper Mario and TTYD, those soundtracks are full of bops
Outer Wilds is my number 1 all time fave OST. It makes me feel things.
I need to go back and play FEZ again. Tunic was an awesome experience that felt like I was playing a Zelda game made by Phil Fish.
Ori and the Blind Forest's ost is phenomenal.
I think all of the Supergiant Games have great soundtrack. Transistor was what got me into their games, and it was the soundtrack that caught my attention first.
Both the Nier games have amazing soundtracks that I listen to frequently.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is also great although I don't really listen to it on its own. It really makes the game feel much more impactful while playing.
I really vibe with Minecraft. The nostalgia just hits different when I listen to it.
Indie games in general have great OSTs, MGS:R and Persona (and SMT in general) are obvious popular picks.
The World Ends With You is less mainstream (with one of the few gripes being the lack of boss-specific themes, at least in the DS original I played - but it makes up with the diverse overworld and normal battle themes), as is Etrian Odyssey.
I think orchestra is mixed, it's either the best fucking tracks ever (often when mixed with electric guitar, but not necessarily), or they kind of blend with other orchestral tracks I know and don't end up being unique enough.
The World Ends With you has amazing OST, thanks for reminding me!
The world needs more TWEWY and Etrian Odyssey love. Great picks.
NieR: Automata
The Weight of the World
Japanese version!! Like dang the emotion the singer carried into the song and the director allowed it to go official. It bring tears to my old soul more than the story itself.
All the soundtracks Darren Korb makes for Supergiant. Hades resonates more with me as it's the one I've played the most, but I'm also a huge fan of Transistor's.
Outer wilds Subnautica Subnautica Below zero FTL and into the breach are some of my favorites personally
Disasterpeace is an AMAZING composer and has done some stellar work in both video games and film as well. Here's a couple of my favorites from video games:
Please check out some of his other work here: http://disasterpeace.com/music
The Nier Automata OST is perfection. Almost every single track is memorable and lovable, I often relisten the whole ost just for fun
I also recommend the Risk of Rain 1&2 ost. Especially Coalescence in 1. It still sends chills down my spine to this day!
I went to see the orchestral tour live in Chicago, it was amazing! Really fantastic soundtracks.
Bastion and Hades have just cool soundtracks you can listen to anytime. When pure adrenaline is needed the DOOM soundtrack.
One of my favourite soundtracks of all time was the haunting soundscapes from Anarchy Online. Timeless and haunting whilst travelling the wastelands of the planet Rubi-Ka.
I can’t froth at the mouth about game music, without mentioning Dear Esther. The arty solo exploreable story in a rugged haunting Hebridean landscape. The piano and cello move together in deep tones, and build up to ascending anthems of emotion. Composer Jessica Curry is simply a genius, and I can easily be moved to tears with this soundtrack. My favourite track is “I have begun my ascent”.
Also Supergiant Games soundtracks to Transistor and Pyre are emotive and catchy as any non-soundtrack album.
Doom Eternal, Destiny and Halo
I like epic, intense soundtracks so, Darkest Dungeon and Frostpunk. Monster Train is pretty good too.
I've been listening to some choice tracks from Final Fantasy XIV, mostly from the big epic finales. I probably should be excited for XVI, but I just reaaally don't trust the action JRPG setup.
However, an even better soundtrack to me is Ori and the Blind Forest, as you mentioned - it has some epic bangers to it, but it's also an incredible soundtrack even for the calm, peaceful tracks playing while exploring.
Credit to Nier Automata for what it's worth...there's some tracks I really like in there on their own, but...I honestly feel like those really good tracks just don't often fit the gameplay. They have some hard-hitting vocal tracks playing while 2B is wandering the city or standing around, and it really warps the feel of the pacing. I mention it because it's just an interesting example to me of "good music" not actually fitting as a soundtrack.
Second FFXIV
Limsa is now playing in your head
Man this question isn't even fair there are so many fantastic soundtracks in gaming I could literally go on for hours about them.
Doom, Mass Effect, Halo, Skyrim, Ratchet and Clank, Assassin's creed(3 especially), Divinity original sin 2, pathfinder: wrath of the righteous, monster hunter, league of legends(all of riot games really), darktide, sonic, payday, witcher, Spiderman, Zelda, cyberpunk, megaman, final fantasy, Devil may cry, metal gear, undertale
that's just what I think of off the top of my head, there could easily be an entire sub just dedicated to the topic
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy 6 (the opera aria was played at my wedding)
Castlevania 3, specifically the six channel Famicom version
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
I'm old, if you couldn't tell
Chrono Trigger
Finally, a man of culture and taste. I used to just let Magus' theme play on repeat back in mid 90s.
Came in here looking for Final Fantasy 6. Old gamer checking in.
I like OST that goes hard (bass heavy) and I didn't see any here. My personal favorites are:
I have probably forgotten some games and I will be happy to discover others as it is quite niche.
hell yeah I'm constantly bumping the hotline miami soundtrack
I play the Furi soundtrack whenever I'm heavily caffeinated trying to get shit done
Furi's music is so great that I keep forgetting it's a game soundtrack
Doom 2016, Mirror's Edge, Metal Gear Rising, Nier Automata, ah so many options... probably a bit of recency bias, but I think I'll say Neon White.
When it comes to licensed soundtracks, DiRT 2's soundtrack is perfection.
I like your energy hombre
Monument Valley 2 <- especially this one
Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal have amazing soundtracks!
Mass Effect 3 OST has seen it's fair share of play time as well though that might be just as much because I love the game so much.
Oh! Cyberpunk 2077 is amazing as well. Especially the songs from the radio stations in the game.
Transistor
Katamari Damacy
Stardew Valley
Several OSTs that have stuck with me through the years:
The FTL composer also composed the Subnautica Below Zero soundtrack. It's a nice mix, almost a combination of FTL sci-fi sounds and the more soothing ambience of the original Subnautica.
For focused work:
Other:
Final Fantasy VIII holds a special place in my heart for sure.
probably Doom Eternal. Just tuned to perfection.
Chris Christodoulou killed it with the Risk of Rain 2 soundtrack, personal favorite is The Rain Formally Known as Purple
Donkey Kong Country 2
Far too many to list, but Final Fantasy IX's soundtrack is a tremendous work of art, and a perfect final bow for Nobuo Uematsu from the series. It's always stuck with me among nearly ever other soundtrack.
Notable Mentions (in no order):
And so many others, but I'll be here all day if I keep going.
I definitely love hollow Knight's, if it wasn't obvious by my pfp.
I also love mother 3 / earthbound
kingdom hearts
most persona games
outer wilds
celeste
Chrono trigger
Ff7
Ace attorney
Paper Mario
I could go on and on tbh
Ace Attorney's OST is such a classic. I've been making my way through the trilogy on PC, and it was crazy how many of those songs I had heard covers of but never realised was from Ace Attorney.
Steel samurai theme my beloved 🙏
God Celeste’s OST is so good
All-timer has to go to Chrono Trigger. Absolutely incredible soundtrack from start to finish.
Finally playing that game and the music blew me away.
The soundtracks from NieR:Automata and NieR Replicant are definitely my favorite of all time.
Halo: Reach and Halo 3: ODST are also very good.
OST's are my JAM!
Ori is a classic. - It's equal parts haunting and jubilant.
Death Stranding - Don't be so serious. Every song is a masterpiece.
Overwatch - It's just good fun
Witcher 3 - hey lele lelele lele lele ley!
Cyberpunk - Dark, broody, and invigorating
Divinity Original Sin 1 and 2 - Absolute fantasy. If you want a VGM OST to plan your d&d session to, this is a great option
Red Dead Redemption 2 - Maybe it's partly because Arthur Morgan's story is so incredible but this soundtrack gives me the shivers. "May I stand unshaken... Amid, amidst a crash of the world?" omggg give it to me D'Angelo
There's tons more I'm missing here. But these ones stand out to me.
Edit: Formatting
Witcher 3
🎶PAM PA RAM…🎶
I love the work put into The Witcher 3's OST, especially around some of the old english such as in "Whispers of Oxenfurt". Mikolai Stroinski, Marcin Przybylowicz and others really nail that fantasy vibe.
Oh gosh where do I even start. I have a massive list of VGM soundtracks that I listen to but if I had to pick some favs currently:
Stellaris, Crypt of the Necrodancer, FTL, Invisible Inc, and basically any Supergiant game
Celeste really gets me.
Just in case some of you don't know...
https://downloads.khinsider.com/
It is a website with gamerips of soundtracks. There are ways to download albums without making accounts, so don't go signing up for this.
Enjoy!
I’ve always been a big fan of pretty much all of the Persona series’ soundtracks.
Mass Destruction from Persona 3 is just chefs kiss
Literally any Final Fantasy for me. Nobuo Uematsu is just an incredible composer.
Dragon Quest series too, although Koichi Sugiyama was a…not great person.
Monkey Island 2 holds a special place for me because it introduced iMUSE and dynamically altering the music with the environment which was years ahead of its time.
Zelda: Twilight Princess is probably my all time favorite. Midna's theme is so delightfully haunting in its several variations.
Pyre's both my favorite game w/ my favorite OST. The tracks are layered in a way that they can change on the fly - and the instruments of certain characters kick in during the magical superbowl theme in really satisfying ways. Here's a couple examples:
The Dissidents' theme: Thrash Pack
Final showdown theme versus Dissidents: Never to Return
The Essence's theme: Sky Dance
Final Showdown theme versus Essence: Never to Return
Favorite tracks gotta be Path to Glory, though.
I love the Subnautica soundtrack that much I have it in my music library on my phone
They really succeeded in creating good ambience for all of the different areas!
The Subnautica dilemma™️ "Oh no, my Cyclops is on fire, do I
Tears of the kingsom has me listening to it a lot recently. Also NieR
Hollow Knight
Omori
Doom 2016 and eternal
Mario odyssey
Terraria
Resident evil 4
Deathloop
Bloodborne
Nier Automata
Spectre tourment
Crypt of the necrodancer
Amnesia a machine for pigs
Metroid prime
Persona 5
Guilty gear strive
Undertale
Cuphead
These are all of my favorites personally. Omori or hollow knight being the best.
One that I love (in addition to Ori and Hollow Knight) is Spiritfarer. Beautiful all the way through with lovely orchestration and colorful melodies.
Endless Space 2. The best OST I have ever come across in 20+ years of gaming. Several hundred hours in and I'm still not sick of any of the tracks.
Totally agree on hollow knight. Specially 'City of Tears'. Can listen to that all day.
Hearing that song for the first time in game was amazing.
Damn right. Especially now that its raining around here. Pure bliss
Oh man, quite a few actually:
I could go on but i wanna keep this somewhat brief lol
I would say Factorio, the music fits both the atmosphere of an alien planet and a gigantic factory polluting the landscape
Can't believe noone has mentioned Doom 2016, one of my favorites!
Outer Wilds, Alan Wake, Gray Matter
Persona 5 Royal. Close 2nd is Nier: Automata. Both amazing OSTs
While there's no correct answer here, I think the most widely beloved OSTs of all time probably belong to the Final Fantasy, Donkey Kong, Legend of Zelda, and Super Mario IPs.
Outer Wilds Journey Flower Abzu Shadow of the Colossus The last Guardian Mass effect Metal Gear Solid Undertale Thomas Was Alone What Remains of Edith Finch Dear Esther Firewatch No Man's Sky Death Stranding
I really like video game soundtracks :)
C418 - Minecraft Volume Alpha
Shout out to Touhou.
XENOBLADE CHRONICLES 2
Yes, let me list some of my favs! This is generally starting from my fav, but it's not strictly ordered.
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Counterattack
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Driver VS
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Monster Surprised You
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Gormotti Forest
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Battle!!
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Exploration
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Still, Move Forward
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Battle In The Skies Above
I also adore the OST for Octopath Traveler (even if I didn't like the game much)
::: spoiler Octopath Traveler Songs
Sunlands
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Battle 1
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Battle 2
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Boss Battle 2
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They Who Govern Reason
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The One They Call The Witch
:::
Undertale is my #1. Bully is my #2.
-Persona 4 & 5
-Paradise Killer
-Celeste
-Hotline Miami
-Signalis
-Oxenfree
-Coffee Talk
are all in my normal album rotation
There are so many good OSTs and often it's the combination of the memory of the game szene and the song, but trying to separate those two I still love Hollow Knight, Nier automata and the new Zelda tears of the kingdom. Also Hades and some diablo songs really slap.
Need for Speed Carbon especially the electronic music is underrated
Bloodborne! Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzdhTGaWzec
Genshin OST, especially Sumeru, Absolutely slaps
Xenoblade 2, Xenosaga 2, Sonic 3 and Knuckles, Final Fantasy 6, Octopath 2, Jet Set Radio Future 😎
I love the soundtrack for the original Risk of Rain and also FTL
I think the Elder Scrolls games all have great music, but Morrowind's OST has always stood out as amazing. Hearing that opening soundtrack immediately sends me back to playing it for the first time!
The halo theme original and mjolner mix, a walk in the woods from halo 1 . ff7 tifas theme and aeriths / aeris theme and the mass effect 3 ending theme to name a few
Persona 4 and Xenoblade 2 are my top 2
Outer Wilds is great. Have so many songs on my list of favourites!
Doom 2016 on some days, Pillars of Eternity on others
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has an amazing OST
I love Amplitude Studios soundtracks (Endless Legend, Endless Space 1&2, Humankind). They're great background music while thinking about stuff (like at work). Though maybe I just got Pavlov'd into thinking that since they're strategy games 😅
Also, Persona 4! The soundtrack is so nostalgic and reminds me of my childhood somehow.
+1 for Hollow Knight! I've actually been loving the music for Surviving Mars. maybe a bit niche, but really nice. Especially the "official mars radio" station.
Celeste, especially Farewell.
I haven't finished the game yet, but Journey's OST is simply amazing.
The Great Giana Sisters (C64) Turrican (Amiga) Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
I have so many favorites, Ori soundtracks are amazing, Kingdom Hearts, Genshin Impact, Minecraft For more lighthearted yet genius silliness though: Part Time UFO
Not really a game but a visual Novel everyone needs to read and listen to: Umineko
I never realized that Minecraft used an outside musician for their songs. I always thought it was in house until one night my wife was listening to one of her sleepy time playlists and it suddenly started playing a Minecraft song. I asked why she was listening to Minecraft and she had no idea what I was talking about since she had never played the game. I checked her phone and sure enough it was on the artist's album and not on a Minecraft one.
I gotta give a shout-out to Portal 2, maybe not my personal favorite but probably the soundtrack I appreciate the most. It uses music almost like sound effects, with different stems emanating from different test elements, and turning on/off based on their status. I even made my first video essay about it because there's just so much cool stuff going on.
Mass Effect has banger tracks pretty much throughout the entire trilogy. I also quite often go back to the Bastion soundtrack. The tracks are great on their own already but how they used the songs within the game was brilliant.
I also want to mention the Gothic soundtrack because I get nostalgic every time I hear it. The main theme just transports me back into that world instantly. Even though it's been like 10 years since I last played these games.
total annihilation
pathfinder wotr
elden ring was nice too
I listened to Sonic Adventure 2 and Paper Mario TTYD’s soundtracks a ton when I was younger.
Gonna have to say this in no specific order because it's too hard to pick true favorites:
-Assassin's Creed 2
-Xenoblade Chronicles
-Pizza Tower
-Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword (or... any Zelda game but damn Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess are so damn memorable)
-Metal Slug 5
-Yakuza 0
And a lot more that I'm spacing right now.
Edit: BLASPHEMOUS!! That game has a beautiful, haunting soundtrack.
Speaking of Zelda games, BOTWs OST is subtle but really helps with the immersion in exploring Hyrule. (Riding a horse and gentle piano notes in the plains for example)
BOTW's is not my favorite of the series, but damn is it perfect for the game it's in. The music pairs BEAUTIFULLY with the world.
Slay the Spire. There are a number of good songs but the theme for the final super secret boss is an absolute banger.
Vanilla WoW, Celeste, and Mirrors Edge all makes me feel like when I played the games for the first time as soon as I hear them. Fantastic evocative soundtrack.
Probably showing my age with this, but Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
Jake Kaufman always does amazing work, here's some of my favorites of his from the Shantae series: https://youtu.be/ovk4ygEzMCI
https://youtu.be/3OhJnSL4XWA
https://youtu.be/MZ7bCDjif9M
https://youtu.be/6wJmVxvJTEs
Cave Story has some great retro tracks. Some people prefer the originals but I played it with the arranged versions: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLr5fTLogAd5tW_oPORRtgznxL-kUt9z7h
Little known PC game called Chenso Club has a pumping soundtrack by Knasibas: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nHBZFT82t4__lHXCD8bi3WhA98hQaSGuo&feature=share
Kingdom hearts had some amazing original pieces and spins on classics.
One of my fav from the piano collection; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqmBRC6IOAs&t=11
Of course Halo 1, 2 and 3 aaand sims 2.
I am wondering why this hasn't been said more often, but Undertale! Also, the super smash series always had great osts too> Undertale
The original quake soundtrack is great if "sound textures by Nine Inch Nails" interests you. Adding on to that, try the soundtracks for fan-made quake campaigns like Arcane Dimensions and Dwell.
Seconding Outer Wilds, although the soundtrack is much better in context
Really anything by Grant Kirkhope, Banjo Kazooie Yooka Laylee, etc, and on the Rare train, Donkey Kong Country 2 had great music.
Also love the Undertale soundtrack.
I really love Divinity 2's soundtrack.
Both of the divinity original sin games have amazing OSTs as well.
Halo CE has some real bangers (Devils...Monsters, On A Pale Horse, Covenant Dance, Under Cover of Night). Blow Me Away from Halo 2 has some amazing guitar riffs. The Starcraft: Mass Recall mod adds a lot of great music from other games/artists to its cutscenes. Starcraft Terran 1 goes METAL is probably my favorite out of those.
Need for Speed Underground. Both of them.
Shadow of the Colossus by Kow Otani Freedom Fighters by Jesper Kyd
As a metalhead Doom 2016 has a place in my heart (same as Duke Nukem 3D). Also, the opening credits to both Silent Hill 1&2.
Edit: let's not forget that one track in Wolfenstein: The New Order by Fredrik Thordendal of Meshuggah
Kenshi's soundtrack has such an amazing, surreal sound. Such a vibe, love it.
Can't believe someone mentioned Kenshi already :)
Such a cool game, such an amazing soundtrack
Nier Automata/Replicant and Metal Gear Rising are my favourite soundtracks if not music in general. The Nier soundtrack is so emotional, especially when you know the story behind the songs, while the Metal Gear Rising Soundtrack is basically just pure adrenaline.
All three Splatoon games have really solid OSTs. I am also a huge fan of Hollow Knight. Deep Rock Galactic is amazing as well.
I love so many OSTs. They really make a game/movie/show
Surprised no one's mentioned Undertale yet
Halo 1-3 and probably reach too. There is just something about those strings that hit differently. The music perfectly portrays the feeling of loneliness and being the "last" spartan trying your best to save the human race from extinction.
Halo 2 music tho 😳
ODST is great too.
Cowboy Bebop, hands down. Oh, and Samurai Champloo.
Chrono Cross remains my fave even after all those years.
Celeste and bastion are nice as well ~
Ys Book 1&2 (Tg-16 CD) Red Dead Redemption Disco Elysium
Soundtracks filled front-to-back with bangers that have stuck with me over the years:
Sonic Mayhem's Quake 2 -- and, of course, Trent Reznor's Quake. 植松 伸夫 -- Final Fantasy 7. Grant Kirkhope/Graeme Norgate's GoldenEye 64. Max Lichtenstein's Pax Imperia 2. Richard Joseph's Chaos Engine. Just about anything Mick Gordon touches. ...aaaaand just about every Mario, Metroid, Sonic, DOOM (Heretic included), Command and Conquer, Advance Wars...
I was completely obsessed with the Final Fantasy 6 sound track as a kid and even did a playthrough with a tape recorder to make my own sound track.
Chrono Trigger is a close second.
I want to throw out an honorable mention to Dust Force, the sound track may be some of the best "get into the zone" music I've ever heard.
Crypt of the Necrodancer and Cadence of Hyrule both require me to stand, so I can bounce in time to the music with my character.
It's Skyrim for me. Growing up I've never played any games (because GiRLs DoN't GaMe) but I've heard some of Jeremy Soul's Skyrim tracks on YouTube and was completely enchanted. Learned that it is from the game, decided to try and now I'm a gamer, lol.
Oh, and also the main theme of Dragon Age: Origins is just divine. And honorary mention to Mass Effect and Witcher music too.
There are so many good game soundtracks listed in this tread!
Here are some of my favorites:
<insert number>
(and pretty much anything by Nobuo Uematsu)Legend of Dragoon soundtrack composed by Dennis Martin.
Bajo Kazooie soundtracks by Grant Kirkhope.
Donkey Kong soundtracks by David Wise.
Sly Cooper soundtrack (first game) by Ashif Hakik.
Ratchet and Clank soundtrack (first game) by David Bergeaud
Metroid soundtracks by Kenji Yamamoto.
All made insanely long lasting impressions where I could hear just a bit from one of the songs and instantly know what it is. Having played lots of video games, these seem to be the ones that have created the most lasting memory. They also absolutely slap as well.
The Legend of Zelda games BOTW and TOTK get mention here as well, though I don't find it as memorable. the sound design in these games is just top notch though.
Tetris definitely deserves a shoutout.
LA Noire by Simon Hale is fantastic though it's mostly just riffing off of Chinatown's soundtrack and I wouldn't say it really implants itself in the memory like the ones mentioned above.
Other honorable mentions
Vice City
Jet Set Radio – Hideki Naganuma
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater
The Tunic soundtrack is very good, great music for putting on while getting some work done!
Deus Ex Human Revolution & Mankind Divided
The OG DE was solid too.
Doom 2016
Halo Reach!
Not sure if favourite, but Minecraft soundtrack hits different now
Halo (of course), Deus Ex, Cyberpunk 2077, Doom, Elder Scrolls, the Sega Genesis Sonic games, Psychonauts, Super Mario, Mirror's Edge, hell, I never really thought about it before but there is a lot of good stuff out there.
There's this french MMO i played as a kid called Dofus and that soundtrack still hits hard when I listen. I think part of it is nostalgia but also its just so beautiful
It's weird how MMO have some of the best OST in the whole gaming world. For me it's the Dragon ball Global online OST, played it as a kid with my older brother. It's OST brings back one of my most cherished memories. Here's the link if anyone's interested
Whole soundtrack for the Talos Principle. So peaceful.
I'm this thread I've missed Bastion, once the top answer of these kind of threads.
Personally I'm very fond of the germanized versions of pop music songs in Wolfenstein: a new order.
FF7, Ff10, Halo 3, Mario Galaxy, Persona 4
MGS series soundtracks are pretty dope.
Undertale
Undertale is fantastic and I honestly think Deltarune’s soundtrack so far is even better.
For me it has to be a mix of doom 2016 the witcher 3 and chrono trigger. So many good soundtracks between them.
FFXIV and Nanashi are notable as they're by the same composer (latter game was done under a pseudonym) and even happen to share at least one song, in some form.
Soma Bringer has the most beautiful music of this list.
Last Guardian has the most inspiring music.
There's a lot of them, but Hollow Knight's OST Dark Souls III, HotlineMiami 1/2 and Momodora Reverie Under the Moonlight are my favorites.
The Metal Gear Solid series, particularly Snake Eater.
It's just so dramatic and over the top like the rest of the game.
They even wisely use it as a pallet cleanser after fighting The End and you have to climb that long ass ladder.
The Hollow Knight soundtrack is great. A slightly more obscure favorite of mine is Jamestown, the music in that game goes incredibly well with the gameplay and gets me hyped.
Final Fantasy XIV is my singular favorite, but given all its expansions that might be cheating a touch. ;) The Final Fantasy series in general tends to have great music.
Nier series, chrono trigger, Skyrim, and there are a lot of others I've liked as well, but I think that covers all my favorites. :)
Minecraft and Terraria, oh yeah also Hollow Knight
The Maxis Sim City game has a great OST from Chris Tilton. Quite partial to Riven and Hotline Miami too.
Honourable mention for Bastion too. And sometime I like the This War of Mine acoustic guitar stuff.
Hollow Knight ofc, but also love Risk of Rain 2's OST, cyberpunk 2077 has a lot of bangers in there too. Unironically Spore has a nice soundtrack, but ofc it's better when you're in-game. Mass Effect has several bangers per game, especially love the OSTs of ME2 and 3. I love a lot of game music, especially when it's enhancing a moment in the game. Like in Spore when you're on the main menu with the spiral galaxy, or in ME2 when you're on the final mission. The thing that sold me on Cyberpunks OST was two fold: the radio stations are great, but the secret ending while listening to The Rebel Path is an adrenaline rush.
StarCraft: Brood War - Terran theme
One game whose soundtrack is hard to get enough of is Deep Rock Galactic. Karl's End in particular is a favorite track of mine.
Games I've played:
Deep Rock Galactic, Terraria + Calamity, RuneScape
Haven't played, but love the soundtrack:
Ace Combat 7, Payday 2, Nier: Automata, Killer Instinct
Wild for me to scroll through a thread like this without seeing Halo: ODST mentioned.
Crypt of the Necrodancer is a classic. Also, Metal Geat Rising and, more recently, Sonic Frontiers.
I love the Subnautica OST.
SSX 3 solid tunes and loved how the music changed as you went doown the slopes.
Also, Mass Effect and GTA San Andreas
Necrodancer soundtrack is criminally good.
For me, Shovel Knight and Chrono Trigger tie for first, followed by Ocarina of Time and Super Mario World.
Fun fact: nearly every single song in the Super Mario World soundtrack is a variation on one single melody, so its diversity even with that constraint really showcases how cleverly it was created.
I love the chiptune aesthetic that Shovel Knight and Undertale really drove forward, they're incredibly catchy!
Off the top of my head, Hades, Outer Wilds, most Halos, Zelda of course, Alan Wake. I'm sure I'm forgetting something, oh well
It's crazy what Andrew Prahlow (Outer Wilds composer) managed to make happen with Outer Wilds with a banjo. I feel the music adds so much to the game, and you can really see his skill in all the different genres of music within the OST, from comfy and familial with Timber Hearth, to the creepier Strange Flames
If you haven't seen it yet I recommend checking out the lost reels (It's the last 6 tracks). It's basically a sendoff to the game and the dlc and it's a work of art. I definitely cried a bit on my first listen.
Definitely the Halo games for me. I think Halo 2 would be my fav.
I also just really like the music from Sonic. Sonic Generations had a great OST.
Basically every persona game
Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross will always bring me to tears. 💙 Also Robo's Theme is a banger!
I used to fall asleep to a Morrowind OST CD.
idk if this counts as an "OST" but the New Vegas soundtrack like changed my life lol. the vibes set by those choice cuts of big band/swing from the era just added a level of immersion and comfort I didn't even know existed.
nobody has mentioned disco elysium? legendary soudtrack immo
Super Mario Odyssey - 1 UP Girl is a phenomenal song, and the rest of the soundtrack rocks as well. Bonus points for every track having an 8-bit version
Final Fantasy IV - My first SNES game. I still have that entire OST burned into my mind. The first time I heard the full orchestral version of the FF theme (I had played FF1 previously) blew me away
Outer Wilds - Better when heard in-game. I still tear up hearing certain pieces
Mega Man X2 - SNES era Capcom music at its best
The Great Ace Attorney - Really the whole series, but I think this one is my favourite. Capcom has great composers. The theme at 221 Baker Street is the coziest music
Most of my favorites are already here, but one that's unfortunately overlooked is the soundtrack to Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magic Obscura. It's all this really moody, atmospheric string quartet music that just fits the game perfectly. I really recommend you give it a shot, it's really unique!
FFVIII or FFX
Recently I've been starting my day of with the title theme from NES Pictionary to help wake me up, that track slaps way more than it has any right to. When I'm working I often put on one of the Zero Escape OSTs to help me think, especially 999 or Virtue's Last Reward. If I'm looking for bangers then Furi or GhostRunner are frequent favourites.
Celeste's OST is really nice. Love it's high energy with the B-side tracks. In game, experiencing Reflections and it's progression throughout how it reflects it's dream that becomes more intense and nightmarish made me fall in love with Lena Raine's style. If anyone wants to hear
This is going way back, but the 7th Guest soundtrack had lived in my head since the first time I saw the game. Really great atmosphere, equal parts creepy and playful, perfect mood for a haunted mansion filled with puzzles.
In most games I turn off the music pretty quickly so the ones where I don't must be my favorites.
VVVVVV's Pushing Onwards is such a banger.
Super Mario Galaxy is the one that stuck with me. Also, I love Stardew Valley's and Ori's off the top of my head.
Galaxy theme is honestly one of my favorite pieces of music of any genre :).
I would say Halo 3: the music that play in the teaser triggered a HUGE hype instantly and because bungie delivered, the game has a special place in my heart, including the OST.
This year Baldur's Gate 3 OST is also about to be a banger (hope larian win the best score at the GA, even if it will be complicated with FFXVI OST)
Star Control 2. 4 musicians contributed without collaborating directly, resulting in many creative alien races having unique and memorable theme music.
Symphony of the Night has an entire pile of bangers and is my clear winner in this category.
For me, it's Doom (2016), Battlefield 1, Hotline Miami, and Witcher 3 (even though after a 100 hours in some songs got a bit boring)
Steven Wilson’s soundtrack to The Last Day of June is absolutely spectacular.
Cowboy Bebop, all albums
Endless Space 2
All of the recent Endless OSTs are incredible!!!
KOTOR and KOTOR 2, Mass Effect (Vigil, Leaving Earth, An End Once and For All), Hogwarts Legacy (very reminiscent of the movie scores but its own thing)
Final Fantasy VII (all of them), Kingdom Hearts (all of them), Celeste and Toy Story 2 on the PS1 immediately come to mind.
Edit: Oh my god, how could I forget all of the personas, especially 3.
Final Fantasy XIV. I'm so excited to hear what Masayoshi Soken will cook up next. Other ones to mention are Guilty Gear Strive, MegaMan X and Zero series, and The World Ends With You.
All 3 Xenoblade Chronicles games have some of my all-time favorite game music
The whole Xenofranchise. Xenogears and the 3 xenosagas and its anime all have fantastic scores.
Riven gives me goosebumps every time.
I haven't even played Machinarium or Samorost 3, but both of those soundtracks are masterpieces.
Divinity Original Sin 2 is my go-to.
Maybe because of nostalgia, but I will always come back to the Fable 1 and 2 OSTs. Especially Fable 1. Bowerstone especially I love.
I love the Deus Ex: Human Revolution OST: It vaguely reminds me of Vangelis' Blade Runner OST.
Legend of Heroes has many of my favorite soundtracks. Hard to pick which one is my favorite because so much of them are absolute banger
Heh, just a few on the go: Witcher 3 Cyberpunk 2077 Divinity: Original Sin 2 ("Sing for me" 🥰) Battlefield 1 and V Hi-Fi Rush
@strudel6242@beehaw.org @gaming@beehaw.org The Chaos Engine soundtrack by Richard Joseph.
That one single song that played on the load screen of Boiling Point - Road to Hell. It was incredibly good and I still listen to it from time to time. Boiling Point Road to Hell Main Theme
In the beginning it was Day of the Tentacle and Transport Tycoon. For the longest time it was Red Dead Redemption 1 and then 2.
Then suddenly Desperados III came along and is so far winning.
Ocarina Of Time - nothing else comes close really.
I also liked The Witcher 3.
Silent Hill 1 to 4 by Akira Yamaoka. Atmospheric and dreamlike.
Shadow of the colossus by Kow Otani. Epic and mystical.
What immediately comes to mind are Final Fantasy IV and Castlevania Symphony of the Night.
Machinarium, Samarost (or anything by Floex,) Red Strings Club, Nier Automata
Deus Ex and Oblivion
The songs from the first Life is Strange just hit different. Paradise Killer OSTs are also bangers
Chorus is an underrated game with an amazing main theme
The Bomberman Hero soundtrack slaps.
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus has a really cool, cyber-gothic OST.
Visual Novels usually have pretty good OSTs, such as Danganronpa 2 and Umineko no Naku Koro ni
I'm going to be weird and say Undertale/Deltarune; Toby Fox is really good at music imo. The fact that he brought that talent with him into Pokemon Scarlet/Violet is admirable to me.
I also really enjoy the Katamari games and Silent Hill. The Pokemon games themselves also have some bangers, ngl.
Halo 3:ODST, especially Deference for Darkness. Great mood music.
Age of Empires 2 The Conquerors
Mega Man X for SNES is one of my favorites. In the PSP remake, the re-recorded all the original 16-bit songs with live instruments. It's amazing.
Okami and Katamari Damacy. I also love interactive music, some examples are Pokémon Sword/Shield, Banjo Kazooie/Tooie, and Journey. If anyone has other examples please let me know.
Na naa, nanana nana nana na Katamari Damacyyyy~
There are so many :)
Far Cry 5. It's probably the only game I've played that has the same songs written in totally distinct music styles. Each song, like "We Will Rise Again", is written as:
It's amazing that all three of these songs are the same in lyrics and meaning, but their execution is completely different and had very different emotional feels as a result.
Child of Light, Hades, Bastion, Icewind Dale, Dragon Age (any of them really), Heroes of Might and Magic 3-5, Dead Cells, Endless Legend, Pillars of Eternity, Pokemon Violet. Also Warframe, especially from The Second Dream and further period.
Star Ocean 3, Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Guild Wars 2
Decent 2, is the soundtrack I keep coming back to.
I never get tired of it. i just wish the tracks were longer. :)
The first Fable game has such an amazing soundtrack. Every one of those tunes is etched into my brain. They capture the feeling of the areas they play in so well.
I think my absolute favorite that I haven't seen here is Gris. This game is absolutely beautiful as is the OST.
a lil bit of payday
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is surprisingly good. Surtur's theme is one of the best boss themes ive ever heard. I also really like using the Battle Brothers ost for my Pathfinder games.
The song in the final fight was SO fitting. And even more so the song during the credits. When they rolled I thought "wtf, that kind of music doesn't fit AT ALL", but then the lyrics started. And they fit so damn well they almost bring me to tears.
The Trine series is an underappreciated masterpiece. I've never heard so many waltzes in a game before.
https://youtu.be/LB9nLeNP75A https://youtu.be/fFIg5QrJ6FY
Genshin Impact's soundtrack is also gorgeous.
Mother soundtrack had been in the rotation for some time! "Fallin' Love, and" forever favorite.
torn between Rain World and Hyper Light Drifter
Every Korean anime online game i've ever played has had an unnecessarily good soundtrack. Maplestory, Mabinogi, LaTale, S4League, GunZ: The duel, the list literally never ends.
Man, this list gave me a rush of nostalgia. I played all of these (except Mabinogi and LaTale) growing up, and their soundtracks are still deep inside me, especially Maple Story.
I looked over the whole list and noticed it's lacking one Rise of the Triad 2012 and Distance.
I would mention Rez and DJ Max, but it feels a little silly to mention Music based games for good OSTs.
And apparently I need to go listen to the OSTs for rain world and journey. They got multiple recommendations on here.
For me it's Skyrim. Streets of Whiterun, Masser, Jerral Mountains, Under an Ancient Sun, so many tracks that just instantly transport me back to the world I was immersed in throughout most of high school. They bring a sense of peace that comes from exploring in a simpler time.
I've told my wife if I die to play "Secunda" on repeat at my funeral.
Shocked and appalled at the lack of Resident Evil/BIOHAZARD representation.
The survival horror classics of the 90s are simply unmatched. One of my absolute favorites is the OG RE2's Marshalling Yard, both halves.
I really enjoyed the OST of the Ace Attorney games (especially the first one), Shadow of The Colossus, Kingdom Hearts, Hotel Dusk and Xenoblade Chronicles... I could go on though.
I'm a fan of the OST from Mount and Blade: Warband. (this video is in alphabetical order. The main theme starts about halfway through.)
i loved "the flame and the flood" for what it was, though i wouldnt add it to my playlist and all
some of inon zurs work on fo4, especially the settlement/town idle captured this frontier/post Apocalypse vibe i absolutely loved
Guild Wars 2 for sure. It's one of the games where I never turn the music off.
Granado Espada is a favorite classic and then there's Suikoden 2for the nostalgia
Deus Ex 1, Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines, and if it counts GTA III.
I wouldn't count licensed music, personally.
The Deus Ex theme is indeed a banger.
Hades
Absolute bangers all the way through. Along with everything else in the Supergiant lineup.
DUSK has a pretty good soundtrack :D
Persona 5 is my jam. Liked it so much I bought it on vinyl. Nier Automata is good too, more haunting and lends to the game's mood/ambience. I think Firewatch is like this too. Jet Set Radio Future and Persona 3 are also really groovy.
Ar Tonelico 2 has one of the most beautiful musics I've heard, not limited by music. Not too surprising, given how the entire franchise is basically about glorifying music to divine levels and brings top notch singers like Shikata Akiko and Shimotsuki Haruka to sing songs like METHOD_IMPLANTA and EXEC_SOL=FAGE/.. The BGM is also great, with tracks like Rustling Throb Cloche.
Other great OSTs that never leaves my phone:
-Einhander (Sample: Bloody Battle)
-Omega Boost (Sample: Orbital Flight)
-HellSinker. (Sample: Apostle of the Seed)
Finally, special mention to Space Invaders Extreme 2. I wouldn't say it's the best OST but it's the most fun example of adaptive music I've seem (heard?).
Citizen Sleeper, Mass Effect, Disco Elysium, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Neon White, Valheim, Minecraft, Sable.
Ridge Racer Type 4
I have yet to find a racing game that makes me trance away with their scenic levels and music like this one.
Been replaying it since forever waiting for Namco to make a remaster or continuing the series
Shadow of the Colossus and Undertale.
Risk of Rain 2
It just has to be Undertale. I constantly keep coming back to it. Deltarune is nice too but the Undertale OST is just so good.
Sim City 4 is definitely in my top five - love the chilled out jazzy stuff. Also, this is kind of out there, but does anybody remember the Harry Potter RPGs on gameboy color? Those had some great magical 8-bit tunes!
BLOODBORNE
Primarily a mix of Old School RPGs (FFVI, Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger) and some current RPGs (Persona 5, NieR: Automata)
I see several people naturally mentioning the Minecraft OST, there are two resource packs I highly recommend if you want a more nostalgic experience.
To answer the question myself though, other than Minecraft of course I would have to say Terraria, OpenTTD, Ocarina of Time, RimWorld and Celeste among many other titles.
Big fan of ffxiv's ost. Sokens work is fantastic. Destiny 2's music as well has been fantastic, despite the game getting a little stale.
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus
SimCity 4 openTTD's openmsx (admittedly I have a soft spot for MIDI in general) DOOM (1993 - again, it's MIDI) Need for speed underground 1 Tony hawk's Pro skater (N64) Factorio Minecraft (the C418 era particularly) Terraria (this is just awesome and makes the game so engaging
The list goes on, but these are the ones I can list rn
I don't think I've ever heard a megaman track I don't like
It’s got to be Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross, and really everything by Nobuo Uematsu.
Also you can’t go past Koji Kondo. Ocarina of Time is a great example of how talented he is.
Ratchet & Clank Kerwan Metropolis is a nostalgia bop
Chrono Cross is my favorite.
Dream of the Shore Near Another World makes me tearful every time I listen to it.
I thought I would see Chrono Cross sooner in this thread. Goat for sure.
Outer Wilds. Yeah it's one of the greatest games ever made, but would it be so good without that soundtrack? Debatable.
I petitioned to play something from it at my actual wedding (sadly was overruled), and I know I'm not the only one.