Games and their soundtracks

[Mundjra95]

Hello all you lovely people!

It's been a while since I've been active on the Escapist, and this morning's commute to university made me think of those perfect combinations of music with games. Specifically, 45 minutes worth of Persona music. It's odd, I never used to pay much mind to the soundtrack in my games, being more concerned with gameplay and story. After the nigh countless hours I've sunk into Persona 4 Golden and Persona 3, I've come to realise how a great soundtrack can make all the difference for a game, and elevate it beyond those two components. From the light, bouncy tunes while running around Inaba, to the rock during boss battles, and the soft piano during those sadder moments, everything just... fit.

Then I got to thinking more about other games I've played and came up with two set pieces with accompanying music which stays near to my heart. Namely the Omega 4 mass relay run with Suicide Mission reinforcing the stakes in Mass Effect 2, and the delightful dubstep interlude of burning down marijuana fields and Vaas' men alike in Farcry 3.

Music can make all the difference to a game, and I realise that now. So I'd like to ask all of you. What are your favourite gaming soundtracks? Be it for the entire game or specific sections? Why did you enjoy it so much?

Cheers everyone!

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Transistor has an awesome OST.


And Metal Gear Rising is 'Awesome boss music, the game'

 

[TheMightyNaan]

Three games come to mind immediately..

Morrowind, without a doubt the best version of the TES theme song


Shadow of the Colossus has to get a mention too


And lastly Red Dead Redemption for me, probably the only OST I've ever bought just to listen to without the game... absolutely fantastic.


Honourable mentions to The Last of Us, Mafia 2, Halo 3 and Fallout 3 also

 

[happyninja42]

Off the top of my head, it's the soundtracks to Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and pretty much all the other stuff Michael McCann's done aside from that soundtrack. I just love his musical style, hands down.

And the opening theme to Skyrim. Fucking love the power in that song, especially with the english translation of the lyrics accompanying it.


Fallout 3 was great for the atmosphere of it, even if I'm not a big fan of the actual songs. They helped create the otherworldly feeling of the Capital Wasteland, and of a world lost in time, frozen in a moment, encapsulated by music.

Can't really think of any others at the moment, but I'm sure there are tons, because music has a very powerful effect on me. OOH! Wait, the song playing during the Death of Hellscream cutscene in Warcraft 3. So awesome when accompanied by the scene itself.

Yeah, that's all I can think of right now.

 

[visiblenoise]

I like Garry Schyman a lot. He's the only game music composer who has done work I genuinely love listening to without having played the game (Dante's Inferno). I can appreciate his stuff on its own, whereas with other soundtracks I also really enjoy, I'm not so sure I'd be as into them if I hadn't enjoyed the full presentation with the game.

 

[SirNerd]

Strike suit zero has main theme that will get stuck in your head.

Spoiler

Starbound's soundtrack also is lovely, i listened to a tune during take off in my first airplane flight and tears came.

Spoiler

Literally ANYTHING FINAL FANTASY. FFX is still my favorite music wise.

Spoiler

From elder scrolls series, are my fave three, excluding the main theme of morrowind.

Spoiler

Though my fave song isnt video game per se, i still love it.

Spoiler

and a remix

Look up Awesome Music in tvtropes.

 

[Tactical Pause]

Of course I have to give a shoutout to The Last of Us here. One of the best game soundtracks out there.

My top spot, however, goes to The Banner Saga, because damn, that's a killer score. Months later and I still can't get it out of my head.

And hell, I'll throw Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons on here too. Beautiful game, beautiful soundtrack.

Honorable mention goes to Metro 2033.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Tales of the Abyss has an awesome soundtrack. Also Kingdom Hearts. Can't get that intro song out of my head. And the one that plays in the first game when the heartless are storming the island.

 

[pspman45]

I agree with OP about Persona music. The composer for that franchise, Shoji Meguro, has used many genres of music and types of instruments to set the tone for the scenes in those games. The types of song can vary from Japanese style Pop music, to Rap, even taking hints from Jazz and Blues music

A Few Examples:
This Song is from the first few hours of Persona 4. After a cutscene in which 2 enemies ambush your party; your character awakens to his inner strength, and the first battle begins with this theme. Suddenly those enemies don't look so tough.

Yea ok, so he can make awesome J-Rock battle music, but that's not TOO uncommon. What emotions can this soundtrack convey other than "I'm awesome"

This song is the boss theme for Persona 3. These bosses appear as part of a scripted mission every in-game month. The mission bosses have different properties and can be quite powerful, so you never really know what to expect. I think this song perfectly captures the feeling that these bosses bring out, a bit of uneasiness because you're not sure what the trick of this fight is, combined with a sense of duty to destroy the enemy in front of you.

I would post some more of the extra good stuff, but those venture into major spoiler territory, and I'd hate to ruin it for anyone who hasn't played Persona 3 and 4

 

[Eliam_Dar]

Well, First I'll have to go with Heavenly Sword, the music suits perfectly every situation. A masterpiece which I have heard several times. Now, Brütal has also a great soundtrack.

 

[AJ_Lethal]

Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune series have one hell of a sountrack. God bless Yuzo Koshiro.

Just take a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYWf5Tr0z_E

 

[Twyce]

Silent Hill 2 - Amazing atmospheric soundtrack.

Chrono Cross - A classic. Probably my all time favorite soundtrack to a game.

 

[Godhead]

Dungeon Siege was one of the first non kiddy educational games I've ever played, and I still play it and listen to the soundtrack even now.

Spoiler

KOTOR 2 in my mind is still the best work that Obsidian has done even with all the cut content, and it has a fantastic soundtrack to boot.

Spoiler

FTL is also constantly used during longer drives or when I'm on an airplane.

Spoiler

 

[Belaam]

All of Civilization IV's soundtrack is awesome, but mostly the opening.

 

[carnex]

There are tons of games with great soundtracks. RPGs are notorious for great atmospheric pieces. From soothing sounds of Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magika Obscura, through frankly weird and disturbing Fallout 2 soundtrack to Bombastic Baldur's Gate 2 epics. My favorite would perhaps be soundtrack of Planescape Torment which perfectly complements weirdness of the entire setting.

 

[Vegosiux]

There are tons of games with great soundtracks. RPGs are notorious for great atmospheric pieces. From soothing sounds of Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magika Obscura, through frankly weird and disturbing Fallout 2 soundtrack to Bombastic Baldur's Gate 2 epics. My favorite would perhaps be soundtrack of Planescape Torment which perfectly complements weirdness of the entire setting.

You, sir, deserve a cookie (Or a sixpack of Sarajevsko or whichever beer you prefer). I shall add that what I really like about that soundtrack is that several other scores from it use the same base melody for a different mood. Fortress of Regrets theme just oozes "despair". And then there's the sweet, soothing theme that plays when Annah is around...

Anyway, I like XCOM soundtrack too. Such as this one:


Then there's the entire Epic Battle Fantasy series, and its spin-offs...just one example:

 

[The Wykydtron]

+1 for the Persona 4 soundtrack, it's totally perfect.

As for me, I have to call the BlazBlue CSEX soundtrack as the best. Whereas music like in Persona 4 can only be fully appreciated within context (c'mon, nobody who hasn't played Persona 4 is going to be walking around town with Reach Out to the Truth on repeat) but all of the songs in the BB soundtrack can and do work as individual pieces with and without context.


A song so fun Makoto herself bounces along to the beat in her "idle" pose. Makoto is never idle technically, she's always in some sort of motion as the energetic rushdown boxing character.


Both Hazama and Mu-12's pieces fit their villain roles excellently, though i'll only post Hazama's one to cut this post short. The seemingly random piano notes added in are genius, I can just imagine it's what Hazama would play if he sat down and just started playing notes at random

 

[Aptspire]

When I don't care if the verses are a real language or not.

 

[theSovietConnection]

Hmm, a few games come to mind for me.

Katawa Shoujo had some brilliant music in it, my favorite of which being the jazz track.

Spoiler: Katawa Shoujo

I've always found myself fond of the music in the Mass Effect series, too, particularly Leaving Earth from 3.

Spoiler: Mass Effect 3

Baba Yetu from the Civilization IV series is another one I thoroughly enjoy.

Spoiler: Civilization IV

That is all I can think of for now, and I am running short on time before work, so I will post more after I get home if I think of them.

 

[Arqus_Zed]

Anything from the Shadow Hearts games that Yoshitaka Hirota was involved with.

Seriously, just listen to that stuff.



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