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Musicians One-Offs Game-Soundtracks Animated-Soundtracks

Note

Some videogames are just build different. Some will have full on songs that compete with traditional music, others are just iconic or incredible on their own. Love for a game isn't necessary to make the list but it certainly helps. The soundtrack for a game makes up one third of the senses you experience while playing. Gotta give creators credit where its due.
-- Spoilers for various games below (EG: OuterWilds)

The sound of isolation

Hyper Light Drifter has a incredible soundtrack that really makes you feel alone in the world. Panacea is probably the best showcase of that with Wisdom's Tragedy being a very close second. The music is just really fitting with the themes of the world: death, isolation, corruption, loss. It's no surprise it's my favourite either, the game itself is my all time favourite game, so of course I love the music.

Music fit for space & time

Space Cruise brings me back. I remember back in the early days of youtube, when my internet couldn't play a video any better than 480p, I would watch this group of three youtubers play the alpha of FTL, and just out of nowhere the video went from 480 to 720p, it was the first time I had ever seen the game in that quality, having never played it myself. Beyond that precious moment from my childhood, the music itself is just iconic to me.

PYE: Mission: Science compels us to explode the sun!

It was the most memorable line for me in Outer Wilds. The idea of the 'sun station' caught my attention early on, I knew what it was designed for but I didn't figure out how to visit it until very very late into my playthrough. I went through nearly 80-90% of the game believing that the Nomai succeeded on their mission of causing the sun to go supernova. Believing that the reason I was stuck in the time loop was because the sunstation misfired and needed to be disabled. Visiting the sun station as a result, broke me. It shattered my understanding of the game, and I loved it as much as I hated it. This game, and the music within it is beautiful, please go play it.

Separating the player from the protagonist

Undertale walked so One Shot could run. There are a handful of games that break the fourth wall but very few ground themselves in that reality and tie it to the story. One Shot makes it clear from the start that you and Niko are separate beings, and that only makes the hollow, broken world that Niko was forced into all the more heartbreaking. The music elevates this with its low, quiet and sometimes hopeful tune. It really draws you into the state of the world and the desperate desire to save it and Niko.

"...and his music was electric."

Chris Christodoulou is a large reason people love Risk of Rain so much. His music elevated the first game to heights that it might not have reached on its own. While his work on Risk of Rain 2 helped cement the game as one of the best roguelikes in the modern era. Some people only bought the games and the DLC to hear his music. His music holds a narrative, both within the world of Risk of Rain and within each track making the music a great listen even outside the game.

Space Vibes

I don't have a lot to say about Cobalt Core. It's a great fun game, takes roguelike deckbuilding and mixes it with space combat which is pretty fun. The story is cute, the characters are cute, but the music is just fantastic. It making it so easy to just relax, vibe and play a few loops every day. And now that they've added daily runs I've been doing just that for the last month. Haven't gotten sick of the gameplay or music yet, doubt I will ever.

Comment

Portal 2 was one of the first PC games I ever played. And it was also the game that taught me just how good music could be in videogames. Most if not all reviews refuse to talk about music, choosing to focus on the graphics, gameplay, story, and characters, neglecting to even mention the music. What a fun game with some incredible music and a ending that is satisfying. The top 3 are worth listening to even if you don't plan on playing the game, they're just great songs.

A tale from the zombies perspective

Elena Siegman has such a beautiful voice, and Kevin Sherwood writes some incredible lyrics to go with it. I absolutely love metal that has moments of calm, and the Call of Duty zombie songs have plenty of it. While the songs aren't really from the perspective of the zombies, I always loved that you could very interpret the songs that way. I find the idea really compelling and interesting, as it's rarely talked about in media.

Diegetic Music

Supergiant Games tend to be known for their story-rich worlds and expansive dialogue. But for me, it's their choice of music that made me fall in love with them. Transistor incorporates it's music into the fights so beautifully that its a work of art. The boss fight between Red & Sybil is incredible as the track changes as Sybil changes, making the music diegetic and a duet between the two characters as you fight.

Imaginary Technique: Purple Cogfly

Hollow Knight, and Hollow Knight: Silksong have some incredible tracks. The Grimm Troupe was such a rememberable fight thanks to the music. Greenpath's and City of Tears beauty is elevated by it's music. While on Silksongs side of the world, Choral Chambers and Cogwork Core are just breathtaking.

Godlike Judgment

Deep Stone Crypt's space walk really is beautiful. Listening to Clovis paired with the lullaby was like no other raid. It was unique and made for a fun in-between that kept people interested in the raid during one of the usually low points of a raid, moving between encounters. While it isn't my favourite raid, this moment is definitely one of my top 10 moments in all of destiny 2. If you ever get to play this raid for the first time, I highly recommend muting your teammates, turning on the music and character dialog and just enjoy it.

A cage of lights

Cyberpunk and Cyberpunk Edgerunners has some fantastic music. They take a world that is already so brutal and unfair and just double down on that feeling. The music itself is either soulless and corporate or so full of life that it heals the soul. There are plenty of crap songs in the game, there is even a whole mission about it. But the few gems in the rough definitely make up for it.

Melancholic dog searching

I have a strong love for the piano, it's my favourite instrument by far and I absolutely love renditions that primarily consist of just Piano. The Lost in Vivo - Piano Rendition came on by random on Spotify one day and it caught me off guard. To the point that I ended up playing the game because of it. It's very rare to hear a piece of music and decide to play through a game because of it. Beyond that, this is one of those special pieces that manages to evoke multiple emotions all at once. Melancholic, relaxing, unsettling, nostalgic, and uplifting all at the same time. Beautiful.