Video game music can be one of the most gorgeous and hype-inducing elements of the whole package, and it definitely has a hand in whether a game is a hit or a miss. Every so often, there are games that have unique and catchy music behind a quality story. So now is the time to possibly expand your music library with some top tier video game soundtracks.
Don’t worry – I’m not going to list the obvious ones like Skyrim and Halo and Final Fantasy. You already know they’re great. These soundtracks are a little more obscure, but they deserve just as much love.
Ori and the Blind Forest
Composer: Gareth Coker
Ori and the Blind Forest is a platform adventure game with a griping story full of heartbreak, sacrifice, and touching moments. Its soundtrack is mostly instrumental, with some chilling acoustics thrown in there occasionally. Often the music reflects the beautiful and happy vibe of the game and helps bring life to the Forest of Nibel. My favorite track, however, is more of a battle theme that is both beautiful and psyches you up. If you like music that is a real experience to listen to, then this is a must buy!
Shadow of the Colossus
Composer: Ko Otani
Speaking of sacrifice, heartbreak, and stirring visuals and music, naturally Shadow of the Colossus has to come up in conversation. The music in this critically acclaimed game matches its gorgeous visual style perfectly. The score matches the intense moments when Wander is clashing with Colossi and also captures the melancholy sadness of the mysterious “Forbidden Land”. It is rather difficult to find MP3 files from this game, but the search is very much worth the effort.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Composer: Jamie Christopherson
Let’s move from gorgeous overtures to hardcore rock. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is very much the black sheep among its fellow Metal Gear siblings. Instead of stealthily taking down foes, Raiden is slicing and dicing multiple giant, and often very ludicrous, robots and cyborgs. Despite being a strong departure from the MG series, its soundtrack matches its over-the-top playstyle with intense rock ballads. These songs quickly pump you up and get you psyched to take down giant robots – or anything else that gets in your way. They also make really good songs to work out to.
The World Ends with You
Composer: Takeharu Ishimoto
Another brilliant game that hasn’t gotten too much acclaim is Square Enix’s The World Ends with You. This RPG combines the urban environment of Shibuya with the typical fantasy themes of an RPG. The soundtrack features all kinds of different style: rap, hip-hop, and even a bit of J-Pop. The story itself is very complex and surprisingly dark, and yet it’s meaningful with a small cast of very colorful characters. Also, this soundtrack has a good number of different tracks to listen to, giving you both quality and quantity.
Hopefully I have turned you on to a couple of amazing video game soundtracks that you might have missed. Any recommendations? Did I miss a personal favorite? Leave a comment! And remember: for all your gaming articles, stay tuned to GameSkinny.com.
