Hearing the music of popular video games, you often go through a feeling of nostalgia. If you’ve been playing the classic as well as modern games, you instantly enter their fantasy lands. This shows that it’s nearly impossible to separate the video game soundtracks from the games they were created for. You just can’t deny the importance of music in video games.
Music gives them a certain personality and sets the right mood for players. Sometimes, you’ll enjoy playing a bad game because of its awesome soundtrack. Most of the popular games had music as one of the reasons for their worldwide fame. Here, we’ve listed some of the best video game soundtracks that’ll never fail to delight you:
1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
This is truly a fabulous reinvention of The Legend of Zelda game series. Apparently, the music of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild reflects this change. The soundtracks are just as different as the game, but includes many of its original themes. You don’t always come across the remixing of familiar tunes in new ways.
Performed primarily on a piano, there was a special focus on ambient music and sounds. You’ll notice that the music in previous Zelda games was melodic and exciting. As the game progresses and takes an epic turn, there’s a sense of escalation in the soundtrack. This creates some truly emotional moments that many of today’s video games just can’t match.
2. Final Fantasy VI
The soundtrack in this game created the kind of emotional impact that none of the later games could. Many new Final Fantasy games were released after this game with new styles and tones. Some players even like the soundtrack in the later games more than the one in Final Fantasy VI.
However, this particular game had a very dynamic score. It knew how to accent the different moments in the game. So, the soundtrack of Final Fantasy VI is undoubtedly one of the best in the series.
3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
This video game is a mesmerizing open-world adventure and its soundtrack adds more charm to it. Undoubtedly, many players out there are certainly familiar with the game’s tunes. They include the relaxed themes from several towns and some intense songs used for battles.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim opens with a theme of an orchestral choir. This theme would be perfect for an expensive Hollywood fantasy movie. The soundtrack of this game is an ideal example of how to give players the feel of grandeur.
4. Super Mario Odyssey
The release of this game generated a great deal of excitement among the fans of Nintendo’s games. One of reasons was that many years had passed since a sandbox 3D Mario game was released. Along with a thrilling gameplay came a fabulously upbeat soundtrack. The album’s tracks were absolutely exciting to listen to and so was the game’s music.
Each world in the game has a thematic and complex soundtrack. The game’s tracks are absolutely catchy, the best of them being Jump Up, Super Star! This is the main theme of Super Mario Odyssey and even featured during a live performance.
5. Shadow of the Colossus
The soundtrack of this game gives out a vibe of somberness and takes an orchestral approach to its music. Every path that Wander takes in his quest has a hint of sadness to it. Nevertheless, the soundtrack of this game reminds you that it still has life and beauty.
After its release on PS2, Shadow of the Colossus went on to become one of the most memorable titles. It takes you on a journey through an ancient land that’s deserted and has massive beasts. Shadow of the Colossus gives you the thrills right from the beginning to its end.
6. Journey
If you’re an avid gamer, you might’ve probably heard of the PlayStation game, Journey. In this game, you’ll find yourself working with another individual. This is quite strange, considering the fact that the game never lets you know about this. The subtle beauty of this game is well-complemented with its soundtrack.
In order to create a sense of loneliness, the tracks use deep strings. The hopes of players rise with the rising harps. In a way, the game’s music effortlessly portrays its beauty and adventure.
7. Celeste
This game was a masterpiece in terms of storytelling, gameplay, and mechanics. Following its release in 2018, Celeste captured the hearts of gamers across the world. It enjoyed great success despite the game having a pixel art style. The excellent soundtrack of this game was among the many things that led to its success.
Taking a very simple approach, its music reflects the mental illness tackled by the story. It also goes well with the setting of climbing a massive mountain. The music adds to the game’s presentation in the process, conveying its narrative and themes.
8. Bastion
Bastion impresses its player at every turn. It came out years ago, but is still considered as one of the most impressive indie games. Many of the popular western stories were an inspiration behind this game. The soundtrack of Bastion reflects this quite well. There are lonely strings, guitars, and strums that keep your interest in the game.
They set the mood for a fantasy-filled adventure through Caledonia that awaits you. While playing this game, you’ll feel the power of choice as you can decide how the story would end. The combat and the game’s narrator are among the things you’ll enjoy the most besides its music.
9. Transistor
Similar to Bastion in many ways, Transistor has a more modern feel to it. It was created by Supergiant Games a few years after the developer created Bastion. A heavy use of techno sounds and drum sets in its soundtrack constantly encourages you to keep moving forward. Transistor is a thrilling action game that’s set in the future.
Apparently, the developers built on the design mechanics of Bastion to create this game. Supergiant Games proved once again that they knew how to communicate tone with the help of their music. Although the music score is entirely different from Bastion, it’s just as brilliant.
