Relaxing Game Music

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Slenn

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"But... how am I to know the good side from the bad?"
"You will know when you are calm, at peace." - Yoda to Luke.

What are some tracks from video games that you find either relaxing or put you at ease? It can be anything from an ambient track or an orchestration. Most of the time I feel like I focus too much on game music that's energizing, exhilarating, or epic, like some tracks in World of Warcraft. Let's see if we can't compile a list of tracks that have low energy to help us become at ease.

I got inspired to do this thread when I listened to part of the Age of Mythology soundtrack, "Eat Your Potatoes":

I don't know what it is about it, but something just felt nice and smooth about the piece. Maybe it's the fact that it creates a sense of scale when the premise of the game is using godly powers. I think this is even more so exemplified by the fact that the whole game takes place looking down on small creatures and people.

For similar reasons, I like this track from Legend of Mana:

Legend of Mana creates a nice sense of scale and allows to you traverse a wealth of different places ranging from the underworld to ancient ruins populated by flower people. You place different artifacts down on the map. And when you dive into them, the world explodes into this huge open space that you can explore.

What are some of your favorites?
 

BrawlMan

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Most of the songs from the Streets of Rage series help me relax.







Others include the smooth jazz from Gran Turismo 2 & Marvel VS. Cacpom 2. And some stuff from DK: Tropical Freeze.






 

Sharia

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I picked up the Life is Strange Limited Edition just for the soundtrack; the original tracks I put on just to relax to. Gone Home's ST though does the job better as a whole, I put that on through youtube quite often as I lie down on my bed.

 

Barbas

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Oh yeah, that one's a good track. Guild Wars 2 has some real beauties as well, like this one:


I will forever associate it with many happy hours spent chopping down saplings and mining little ore veins.

I think Michael McCann managed to work in equal parts soothing and wondrous for the Sarif Industries background music:


There's never been a better musical accompaniment to getting stuck in an air duct.

If you want to go much farther back, this was one I rediscovered when I installed the re-released version of Age of Empires II:


This was especially appreciated after almost being diced like cabbage in the first mission:

 

Ninjafire72

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I'm a fanatical Bioshock fan, and a part of the reason why I became one is because of the music:

 

Fappy

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I have a pretty large Elder Scrolls playlist that I listen to when I am writing (both at work and at home). It's probably around 20-30 tracks of travelling/town and atmospheric music from Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim. Jeremy Soule's the man.

 

Evonisia

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"Rayman Legends" has a great soundtrack. I find the main gallery theme "The Swamp Whistler" very relaxing.

 

WhiteFangofWhoa

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99% Town themes probably, but we'll try and break the mold a little.

Not a town. It's the 2nd final dungeon, and probably more dangerous than the final one. But it's hard to care too much about your party getting slaughtered when this plays.

Also not a town. An upside-down cathedral but without too many dangerous enemies. You can just sit and watch the upside-down clouds flow past.
 

Slenn

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Barbas said:
If you want to go much farther back, this was one I rediscovered when I installed the re-released version of Age of Empires II:

Awwww yeah, T Station. That's one of my favorites from that game.

You mentioned an MMORPG. For similar memories, I'm fond of this track from WoW.

 

Barbas

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Slenn said:
Awwww yeah, T Station. That's one of my favorites from that game.

You mentioned an MMORPG. For similar memories, I'm fond of this track from WoW.

Now there's some nice, woody music. I have more:


Here's a more pastoral one that was great for those lazy Sunday afternoons watching the trickle of stone and wood being carted back to the storehouse:


'Can't place that there, milord.'
 

Asita

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Undertale has some beautiful music in it, but Home is easily the one I'd call the most relaxing.



Nice mellow tempo on the guitar and great vocals that keep a calm and level pace and volume...which is incredibly ironic considering that it's a war song.
 

NeutralDrow

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Hard to narrow it down, really...still. In addition to marvelous soundtracks overall, the Baten Kaitos games had two seriously mesmerizing overworld tracks. Origin's was a lot more <url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Hd2vrelLKg>sweeping and orchestral, but the first game's was more calming...


I don't know if the emotional connection heightens it, but a lot of the visual novels I play have tracks very soothing to me. Nothing like reaching the end of a traumatic scene, or simply quitting the game for the night, and lingering on the opening credits music from A Drug That Makes You Dream or Tsukihime before finally shutting down for the night.



God, I loves me some piano.

Barbas said:
If you want to go much farther back, this was one I rediscovered when I installed the re-released version of Age of Empires II:

Dammit. I started that video, then instinctively tried sending my scout cavalry out to look for gold deposits. Turns out that doesn't work when you're playing Don't Starve. -_-
 

Hairless Mammoth

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Here's three of my all time favorites:
It has that perfect blend of peacefulness and other-worldliness that fits the calmer parts of the franchise. (It was also a big help in relaxing me during a looong gravity-suit-less underwater section of Super Metroid: Redesign. Good thing that was chosen for the background music in that area of Crateria, as well as its usual spot.)
I could add several more from Metroid, but I'll limit myself to just Red Brinstar and one of the best snow themes ever.
It's fitting this plays when the characters are in the heavens.

I've got more, but I'll give someone else a chance to post. (TES, anyone?)
 

Neverhoodian

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I'm surprised nobody's mentioned "Aquatic Ambience" from Donkey Kong Country. My non-gaming mother likes it so much that she'd drop everything to listen every time I'd play a water stage.
DKC2 had a number of terrific relaxing tunes as well (even if the stages they featured in were anything but):
 

JohnnyDelRay

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I've racked my brains in many threads about game music, but for some reason in this one the first thing that came to mind was Outrun. Either the original or the 2006 version that I played on PSP, doesn't matter. It seems to have a profoundly relaxing affect on me, despite the game getting progressively harder I never raged at it, and I think the music has something to do with it.

I listen to the soundtrack occasionally in my car to calm myself down too. This is just one song, but really, they're all pretty damn chill.

 

lachlan4567

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Fappy said:
I have a pretty large Elder Scrolls playlist that I listen to when I am writing (both at work and at home). It's probably around 20-30 tracks of travelling/town and atmospheric music from Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim. Jeremy Soule's the man.


May I see this playlist? o_O I have a rather meaty assignment to write over the coming weeks and relaxation music, especially of the elder scrolls variety is always a good thing.
Also of the 3 I feel morrowind had the most mellow soundtrack. Whereas skyrim was more war filled. Oblivion was a nice balance between the 2.

I also feel I should contribute so


A sound track I can put on and listen the whole way through without ever wanting to change. Need I say more.
 

Aeshi

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I think my choice would definitely have to be the Spiral Knights title theme: