What’s one of your favorite game soundtracks?

orca@orcas.enjoying.yachts to Gaming@beehaw.org – 58 points –

I recently started playing GTAV again and sometimes I’ll get in my car and let the radio stations play while I do house stuff. Favorite stations are the 80s one with Kenny Loggins, and West Coast Classics and Rock Radio.

128

Outer Wilds

I just break out into tears any time I hear the title menu theme.

Definetly one of the greats. We had an Outer Wilds group on vlemmy that was gaining traction, but the server dissapeared.

Aaand now I'm reliving that awesome existential crisis/awakening

Honestly love the Doom soundtrack.

Rip and tear until it is DONE.

Mick Gordon is amazing! I tweeted to him one time and he hearted my tweet. My friends and I played this soundtrack a ridiculous amount. Great pick.

I'm honestly a bigger fan of the classic DOOM I/II (199X) soundtracks. Despite being obvious parodies of existing rock/metal songs, they had a certain appeal. Especially when someone makes a very good cover.

I get why people like 2016's DOOM's more "metal" approach, but for me nothing beats an adrenaline-rush song when ripping and tearing those damned demons.

  • Bastion
  • Castlevania (series, special mention for Symphony of the Night)
  • Chrono Trigger/Cross
  • Dead Cells
  • Destiny 1/2
  • Dragon's Dogma (mainly Into Free, but still...)
  • Final Fantasy (series, but special mention for XI and XIV)
  • Persona 4/5
  • Portal 1/2
  • River City Girls (probably 2 as well, but still waiting on my LRG copy)
  • Scott Pilgrim vs the World (the game (the soundtrack))
  • Tony Hawk (series); a bit of a cop out, as they're all licensed songs
  • Zelda (series, special mention for the Cadence of Hyrule soundtrack)

And then just a lot of old nostalgia for NES games (Duck Tales, River City Ransom, TMNT, etc) and SNES/PS1 RPGs (Lufia, Super Mario RPG, Suikoden, Thousand Arms, etc)

But that main list contains the ones I either bought or downloaded because I loved the music so much.

The Chrono Trigger soundtrack is a goddamn masterpiece. I haven't played it for years and the songs still randomly pop into my head.

Agreed. I never even really played that game. I was a Genesis man back in the 16 bit days, and I've found I can't really play those old JRPGs without the nostalgia factor (and even that's lost its luster). But even with me not having played it, Chrono Trigger still has one of the best soundtracks ever.

Maaannn, the Tony Hawk games introduced me to so(!) many(!) great songs, bands, and genres of music! I'm so damn thankful for those games and their soundtracks. They definitely had a hand in shaping who I am today.

You can usually find playlists people have put together of the soundtracks for each game (at least the songs that are available on the platform) on YouTube and Spotify. I still listen to them! Naturally, they hold up really well.

There are games with amazing music that sets the perfect atmosphere — Celeste, Hades, Zelda (especially BotW/TotK).

And then there are games soundtracks I would also happily just put on to listen to — FFXIV, Persona 5, one particular song from Hades (Eurydice).

Just like the other commenter, the Outer Wilds main motif (travelers) makes me emotional because of how good the game was. Disco Elysium also has had an amazing soundtrack, with the main BGM faintly using sounds from the final song, which made it really cathartic for me.

Ultrakill deserves a lot of praise, especially for the P-2 music (https://youtu.be/MG5L-1pI8bI). It works perfectly for how intense the level is, and it's absolutely nuts that the game still manages to up the ante after you've perfected every single other level. I've listened to this type of music quite often before, but I've never felt it in my blood and muscles before playing that level.

When judged on the music alone though, Hotline Miami (1) and Furi have to take the cake. Both soundtracks are just iconic, and easily stand out on their own.

You just mentioning the Outer Wilds' motif gave me goosebumps. That should tell you how well that game uses its music.

My favourite bit of music from that is (iirc) titled '14.3 Billion Years. I've listened to it hundreds of times and it still gets me every single time.

Fallout got me, a Metal Head, listening to 50s rock and lounge music.

Witcher 3 soundtrack. The exploration and combat wouldn't be the same without it.

Fez

Disasterpeace is amazing. Also did the soundtrack for It Follows.

I'm definitely going to have to say that Persona 5 Royal has one of the best Soundtracks of Gaming in general.

not to be a hater but GTAV Radio station songs are 'licensed music' not soundtracks, also you can just fire up spotify or youtube if you just wanna listen to them instead of running GTAV each time

The benefit to the radio stations in game is that you get the silly commercials and commentary too. I like the whole package together. Sometimes I’ll drive around while just listening too, which is fun.

YouTube has the commercials included

Fair point :D I personally hate it when people talk over music that's why I avoid radio stations IRL

Yeah, same! I think what makes me okay with the GTA ones is that they play full songs instead of radio edits, and I’m sometimes distracted by the GTA world’s randomness, so I let it slide. Otherwise I hate when DJs talk all over the already-shortened tracks.

Risk of Rain 2 with Celeste being a close second!

Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines Deus Ex Hotline Miami Unreal Tournament Journey Cyberpunk 2077 The Witcher Jet Set Radio All the Silent Hill (even Downpour) Colony Wars

There is so many good ones....

Seriously, I might go make a massive playlist of everything everyone contributed. So many good ones in your list.

I have a Skyrim playlist I play through our Sonos network almost daily while my wife and I work, and when it ends, it always slips in Deus Ex, Cyberpunk, and Witcher tracks. So much good stuff from all of them.

Nier Automata and Nier Replicant, also Metal Gear Rising: Revengence. Id mention more but my other picks are probably already mentioned here.

This. I've played hundreds of games from many decades and nothing comes close to how amazing the Nier and Nier Automata soundtracks are.

Final Fantasy VII and Chrono Cross are my absolute all time favorites. Ori and the Blind Forest is a more recent soundtrack that blew me away. The soundtrack for the Motorhead racing game is also a classic for me.

Honestly I'm shocked and surprised the Risk of Rain soundtrack hasn't come up. Both 1 and 2 are bangers. Chris Christodoulou (the lead composer) has a yt breaking down the soundtrack.

Stellaris' ost is also up there for memorable leitmotifs and just plain understanding the assignment.

I also quite like redout 1 and 2's soundtrack.

In no particular order:

Final Fantasy XIV and XVI (Soken is a genius)

Transistor

Nier Automata

Genshin Impact

Destiny 2

The World Ends With You

Persona 5

Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1/2

Honestly though the FF series as a whole kinda deserves its own special mention. The games have always had stellar soundtracks.

Nier Automata has a great storyline and the ost just elevates that totally in nearly all occasions. It's an one of a game which just mesmerizes you in it's soundtrack while playing the game during any time.

Ugh yes, +1 for Final Fantasy and especially XIV. At this point I think I mostly run content for the music. Shadowbringers and Endwalker have some bangers.

RimWorld has enough music to not feel repetitive over so many hours!

(and the youtube comments are full of stories about the colonies that people are reminded of by hearing the music again)

Hyper Light Drifter really deserves a mention too!

Any FromSoftware game soundtrack. Personally like Orphan of Kos.

The Bloodborne soundtrack is phenomenal but my absolute favorite track is the Abyss Watchers theme. It just makes me feel some typpa way.

1 more...

Quite a few folks have mentioned Outer Wilds, so I'll add the DLC soundtrack. The titular song (Echoes of the Eye) that plays at the end of the DLC makes me burst into tears every time I hear it. But in a good way, haha.

  • Stellaris.
  • Rimworld.
  • Dwarf Fortress (Steam version).
  • Steamworld Dig 2.
  • The Talos Principle.
  • The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall.
  • The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind.

The 7th Guest and The 11th Hour remain top-tier for me. The music was half the experience, turn it up and just enjoy that creepy vibe while solving puzzles. And they're all on The Fat Man's Bandcamp now!

Also, there's an industrial rock cover album on vinyl currently looking for funding on Kickstarter. I'm super excited!

My dad and I used to play 7th Guest together. What a classic! It’s been a long time since I played that one. Had it on CD-ROM. Now I need to go find the soundtrack.

The full soundtracks to both games are on the Fat Man's Bandcamp, which I linked up above. Also, the "greatest hits" collection album 7/11 is on Spotify. It's surprisingly easy to listen to these days!

Anything from the first four Sega Sonic mainline games. Also, Bastion and Transistor.

Journey, and more recently Tunic, both had soundtracks that complemented their gameplay really well.

Tunic is such a masterpiece. I love all of the retro vibes and nods I get from it. I still have my old manual for Link and it’s fun to see the similarities side-by-side while playing Tunic.

Final Fantasy 7 has been the long-standing winner here, but Persona 5 has recently started to gain an edge.

I also recently started listening to some of the Trails soundtracks and they are all fire.

I'm very quickly about to stop having "a favorite" and start having a collection of faves. Which is a pretty great place to be.

Having finally finished Horizon Forbidden West last night, I've got to choose that. Instant favourite for me. Nostalgic moments when the theme kicked in in one of its altered versions, and the credits just completely floored me. Stuck around for the whole 30+ mins. Wonderful.

Away from that, Mass Effect always needs a mention!

Same, Forbidden West had an absolutely banger soundtrack. Atmospheric and exciting, I put it on sometimes when I'm working to make the tasks feel more adventurous

I'm surprised not to see any of the Monster Hunter games yet! Maybe that's because most MH soundtracks are more a collection of individual themes than a unified soundtrack for a world, but a lot of those tracks are pretty great.

I don't know whether it is considered polite to link to youtube recordings of tracks here. My particular favorites from World are all zone themes: "Rulers of the Wildspire", "Dancer in the Coral Highlands", "Roars across the Hinterlands". You hear these tunes a lot - whenever you're fighting something in that zone that doesn't have its own theme - so they'd better be good. Fortunately almost all of them live up to that standard!

Amon Tobins Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory soundtrack is a solid ambient/electronic album that I keep returning to.

Silent Hill 1,2 & 3 (and not just the OST's, in-game background music as well);

Castlevania: Symphony of the night,

Alundra,

Faxanadu,

practically any Zelda,

Castlevania 1, 2 & 3

Madden 10 has an unusally stacked soundtrack list. it is honestly absurd the sheer amount of legendary bands in that game

mlb 2k6 also has a great soundtrack, has interpol, pavement, fall of troy, pretty girls make graves, cornelius

Ace Combat, mainly Ace Combat 5 but all of them are well known for their soundtracks.

More recently WARNO has excellent music so far, even though most of it was licensed by Eugen from third parties so it doesn't really count as a soundtrack specific to the game.

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus

I have played 4 Warhammer games and never touched the tabletop. Don't know how I got into this game but once I did, it didn't leave my head. I have one shuffle list I listen to and this sits there very comfortably.

Planet coaster. Released on streaming, it’s just so relaxing.

I love game OST so it really depends on my mood. For now the vibe is Planet Coaster.

Beyond Good & Evil

Interstate '76

Transistor

The sea shanties from Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire

Transistor

All the music from any Supergiant game is ridiculously good.

darren korb is unparalleled

Bastion and Hades especially

Yeah, all of his stuff really is amazing. I want to give a shout-out to Pyre as well, though. I feel like it got a bit less press, but it also has some fantastic music.

Infamous for introducing me to one of my now all time favorite musicians. Amon Tobin.

And a lot earlier Quake that planted the first seeds for my love of NIN.

Double Dragon Neon has an absolutely banging soundtrack. I wish I could get it on Spotify, but it's only on Bandcamp. Mango Tango is amazing.

My favorite would probably be Super Mario Galaxy 2 OST. That game had really good music, so good I think it got nominated for an award or something. The music is nice and riveting.

The Dig, FFVII, Indiana Jones and the fate of atlantis, Morrowind, Quake.

Lots more, especially classic midi tracks but those are my top 5 (subject to change of mood and season).

Shout out to Morrowind. That opening menu BOOM, BOOM-BOOM gives me chills.

Also Final Fantasy VIII, X, XII are some of my favorites of the series. But the franchise really has a lot of top-tier music.

Assuming visual novels count as "games", probably one of the best soundtracks I've ever run across is the one for Everlasting Summer. Both Silent Owl (Sergey Eybog) and Between August and December did amazing work on it.

Probably GTA SA. Blew my tiny mind to find out Tommy "The Nightmare" Smith, singer of Crystal Ship was voiced by Axl Rose.

You're on The Dust

Then again, VC had some absolute bangers too and I think is the only GTA that had me listening to the pop channel as much as the rock channel.

Wow, I didn’t know he was one of the voices. That’s great lmao. I love how many celebrities they manage to get for the stations. Like Kenny Loggins, Frank Ocean, Iggy Pop, Kat Williams.

Not OST but I really vibed with Fallout 3 radio. It was cool to learn about old songs from that game.

So many! Where even to start?

  • Assassin's Creed II (really the whole Ezio trilogy slaps)
  • VA11 HALL-A is from a phenomenal cyberpunk bartending game
  • PPPPPP - The VVVVVV Soundtrack is a more chiptune-oriented album from one of my favorite games
  • The most recent God of War: Ragnarök soundtrack is pretty darn good
  • The Monstercat x Rocket League playlists go pretty hard if you're in an EDM mood

Recently I completed Crossing Souls. It's a game overloaded with 80s nostalgia. The soundtrack is from two composers. The first has 80s synth tracks while the other providers John Williams / Amblin like scores as the story of a group of young friends and feels like a movie from that time.

I really lime the Dark Souls 3 soundtrack. Elden Ring's is okay, but there's just something about it that isn't as cool.

Sekiro's is good in an entirely different reason. It's a different style so I wanted to mention it separately.

I also like what they did with Pokemon Black and White I and II. Driftveil City theme lives rent free in my mind.

Dishonered, the drunken sailor cover goose bumbs still after all those years.

Super Mario Galaxy (1+2). Orchestrated music should be a must for main Nintendo games at this point, outside of Zelda (and the Pokémon anime, although that one's not strictly Nintendo or used in actual games, sadly).

I can't believe no one has said Halo/Halo 2

No mention of Ori and the Blind Forest and it's sequel yet? Those are incredible songs.

Other great soundtracks to me are definitely Splatoon, Katamari Damacy, the Atelier series, Polybridge's soundtracks are relaxing. Valkyrie Elysium had a great soundtrack too. All the Be'elze tracks from there are wonderfully atmospheric. Big shout outs to Okami too.

Every time when people talk about game soundtracks, they should include Chrono Cross

For recent games, FFXVI has an amazing soundtrack, I think the OST will be released on July 19th

I recently replayed Persona PSP, and that game has amazing soundtrack, but kinda marred by the fact that there's only one non-boss battle them, and the encounter rate is too high, so you ended up listening to the same song all the time.

Shadowrun for SNES had a pretty fantastic soundtrack. It did a lot with very little and really paints a picture of the setting very quickly. Another candidate from the same era is Planescape: Torment. It had this great haunting ambient sound that made Sigil feel so strange and ancient.

At the time though, if you'd asked me which game had the best soundtrack, I've had pointed to Tony Hawk, though I'm not sure if it was 1 or 2. The one with Party at Ground Zero. Found some great music of the era that way!