As games have moved towards a more homogenized, linear structure that usually feature some sort of Industrial/Military aesthetic, ‘set-pieces’ and constant loud explosions, the need for music in the medium has somewhat been reduced to an overbearing, ‘Hans Zimmer’-esque operatic bombast that more resembles a Hollywood production than say, something specifically made for the medium. Most of it is put there in place to ensure that the player consistently feels a need for urgency as he/she navigates a series of increasingly linear and scripted segments only to pause for long, expository cut scenes.
Which is kind of crazy. Considering there was a time not too long ago, where we all considered the soundtrack a synonymous part of the experience and used to talk about music a lot when discussing what games we were playing.
Some of the greatest moments in gaming history were orchestrated by the music that accompanied theM.
The music in those games is inexorably still to this day tied to the fondest memories that we have of them and those seem unlikely to ever change.
Can you recall a single memorable tune from FAR CRY 4?
The point being, that music in games has lost it’s soul. Instead of being a device to guide player emotion through the game and inform the character perspective, it is more or less treated as filler that aims to just be loud enough so that the player does not get distracted for the six or so hours that he finishes the single player campaign in.
But hey, that’s a rant for another day. We at Indianoob took this time to recount our personal favorite video game soundtracks and celebrate video game music instead. Featuring sounds from various genres that not only informed us as gamers but fans of music as well.
These are in no way subjectively the 10 greatest soundtracks ever (Although a case can definitely be made) but there are indeed iconic masterpieces that not only captured the imagination of millions but helped propel the entire industry forward.
Most importantly though, they’re our favorites.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Quite possibly the greatest action game ever made, Team Ninja’s masterpiece boasts a soundtrack as intense and visceral as Ryu Hayabusa’s thirst for vengeance.
Favorite tracks : “Vanished memories”,“Tairon at night”,“Ice Caverns”
Tim Schafer’s underrated heavy metal themed action adventure game has a playlist that brings out the best in the genre it spends its’ entirety paying a loving homage too.
Favorite tracks: Well, they sure chose the 3 best MOTLEY CRUE songs.
Before the series stumbled into juggle-happy, casual friendly, overtly slapstick mediocrity, it used to be a fairly grounded (and stylish as hell) fighter with super cool moves, great balance and an incredible soundtrack that mixed ambient opera, guitars and techno music to superb effect. Not to mention, the most badass fight announcer ever.
Favorite Tracks: “For Hidden Characters”, Stage music for characters “Lei Wulong”, “Bryan Fury” and”King”.
Harry Gregson-William’s cinematic scores added a lot of polish and poignancy to MGS, which used to be a superb, relevant and innovative action adventure series that consistently set Industry standards for production values and storytelling before the series became a shell of its former self.
Favorite Tracks: “Encounter” , “Duel”, “The best is yet to come”
The original HALO dropped jaws around the world when it launched for the original XBOX in 2002, showcasing groundbreaking FPS gameplay and the raw technological horsepower of the console. Accompanying it all was Marty O’ Donnell’s soaring operatic score that gave the game a sense of galactic scale that simply wasn’t achievable on either the PS2 or Gamecube at the time.
Favorite tracks: “Opening suite” , ” Siege of Madril” , ” Perchance to dream”
NOW with the also-rans out of the way, let’s take a look at the List proper.
INDIANOOB’S TOP 10 FAVORITE SOUNDTRACKS:
10. STREETS OF RAGE 1 AND 2
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEAD8D2B6A61E9544
The original Streets of Rage and its first sequel are forever entrenched in the memories of SEGA Genesis owners across the globe and with good reason. They are pioneering, genre defining beat ‘em ups with challenging yet-gratifying gameplay, memorable levels, hard-core boss fights but most importantly some of the best techno music you’ll ever hear in a game. ALL somehow done in 16 bit MIDI format by Japanese DJ’ing god Yuzo Koshiro , all but ensuring that you keep on tapping your feet despite getting your ass handed to you over and over again.
Favorite tracks: ” City Street”, “Moon Beach”, “Syndicate headquarters”( SOR1 ); “Go straight” (SOR 2)
9. GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBXj35tq_eo
Every GTA game (including the PSP ones) has always delivered on the musical front, with carefully curated playlists that ensure that each player has a great time being a virtual sociopathic lowlife. The most impressive in our opinion though, has to be VICE CITY , with a monster playlist that seemingly consists of every chart topping hit from the 80’s in every genre: from Michael Jackson to Hall and Oates to Megadeth to Pointer Sisters. Borrowing a lot of it’s vibe from 80’s pop-culture landmarks such as SCARFACE and MIAMI VICE, Rockstar games’ second 3D GTA game somehow seemed to outdo them all in terms of coolness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qX2gJ2n0yA&t=2607s
Favorite Tracks: The entire “Fever 105” and “V Rock” radio stations.
8. DOOM/DOOM 2
Few franchises are as much an outlet for player expression as ID software’s monolithic, pioneering FPS series. Even if the skill of expression in question is absolute mass murder and sheer carnage. Peppered with classic tunes throughout from start to finish, both DOOM 1 and 2 still to this day, want to make you stay up all night and find new ways to make Satan’s’ armies’ faces explode in new and creative ways (and as fast as you can). Mick Gordon’s superb work in the stellar 2016 reboot is also extraordinary.
Favourite Tracks: Every and each one of them.
7. METROID PRIME
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB8DF09F4BD991868
Translating a METROID game to 3D seemed like a thankless endeavor on paper but when PRIME launched in 2002, RETRO studios seemed to have sidestepped all and any form of performance anxiety and blown past all expectations. Not only one of the most incredible, logically interconnected worlds ever conceived in video games but a ground-breaking ,atmospheric ,ambient soundtrack (composed by Yamamoto himself) that made even the most badass heroine in video game history feel utterly, completely isolated.
Favourite Tracks: “Tallon overworld”, “Phendrana drifts” , “Chozo Ruins” , “The drowned frigate”.
6. DEUS EX
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1C572B526934FD97
Warren Spector and ION STORM’s 2000 Cyberpunk FPS/RPG hybrid needs no introduction. But let’s just say that the greatest PC game ever made also possesses an equally legendary soundtrack to boot that matches up to it’s greatness. Featuring a moody and ambient soundtrack that was inspired by and crossed various genres that included techno, classical, jazz and synthesizer based sounds, DEUS EX always ensured that roaming around as a trench-coat wearing augmented cyberspy exposing global,sinister, corporate conspiracies felt just as cool as it sounds like.
Favourite Tracks: “UNATCO”, “Paris Club 2” , “The Synapse” , “Versalife”, “DuClare Chateau”
5. KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC
Jeremy Souls’ soaring, orchestral score not only lived up to providing the best STAR WARS game ever made with a galactic scope and operatic grandeur it deserved, it also integrated John William’s classic themes in it with subtlety and respect. With tunes that reflects a multiple spectrum of emotions throughout and guide the intricate story towards its’ conclusion, players were able to live for the first time in a galaxy far, far, away.
Favourite Tracks: The entire orchestral set is a masterpiece.
4.CASTLEVANIA: SYMPHONY OF THE NIGHT
Whether we think SOTN is the best Castlevania game or not is still up to debate amongst us but it’s Gothic aesthetic combined with composer Mishiru Amanes’ score featuring a mix of classical, ambient and downright spooky tunes gives the 1997 PS1 classic still a huge sense of momentum and weight.
Favourite Tracks: “Dracula’s set”, “Lost Painting” , “Midnight Nocturne”.
3. FINAL FANTASY 7
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPx3h5bwXVQ
Music formed the soul of Square Enix’s landmark RPG , guiding the player through each and every emotion that the stirring, epic tale threw at the player, forever carving a special place in his/her heart.
We almost put Square’s ‘other’ famed RPG masterpiece CHRONO TRIGGER here instead but finally relented because this scene still makes us cry like 9- year old girls to this day.
Favorite tracks: “Bombing Mission” ,”One winged angel” , “Overworld theme” , “J-E-N-O-V-A” and OF COURSE “Aerith’s theme”.
2. LEGEND OF ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME
Nothing much I have to say about this one. Ocarina’s timeless tunes are just as vital to its’ timeliness as Beethoven was to ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ when Kubrick envisioned it. All songs are instant classics that not only form the soul and backbone of the time-bending, masterpiece but are still our monthly ringtones to this day. They’re part of Ocarina’s overall impeccable craftsmanship that ensure it’s still a classic being discovered by people of all ages.
Favorite Tracks: Every DAMN track is equally as good.
1. SILENT HILL 2
While most will put ‘Ocarina’ as #1, in our eyes Akira Yamaoka’s haunting, melancholic, atmospheric, Industrial, often repulsive SILENT HILL 2 score is what we feel is the most significant video game soundtrack eve conceived. The game itself has many factors that make it a masterpiece but it’s the musical score that is orchestrates all the emotions, themes and mature subject matter with taste and subtlety. The song placement seems almost perfect in every scenario as the game often creates a sense of loneliness, melancholy, existential dread before sealing you in a trapdoor of sadness and despair and closing the latch.
It’s one of those moments where you can truly feel the medium evolve.
FAVORITE TRACKS :“Promise( Reprise)”,”Heaven’s Night”,”Silent heaven”,”Theme of Laura”.
This brings us to the end of our list, made at the cost of blood, sweat and hours upon hours of listening to an extensive list of video game OST on loop. What do you think of the list. Did we miss any? Do you agree? Do you dis-agree? Let us know all that and more in the comments.