Tech Best video game soundtracks? (original soundtrack)

[Kratos94]

No Bloodborne yet, interesting:

 

[krelianx]

Xenogears, FF6, Chrono Cross, Myst, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Megaman X, Super Metroid, Hollow Knight, Gris, Nier Automata, Castlevania SOTN, Streets of Rage 2...

 

[Hyperglide]

DOOM and DOOM Eternal.. The most testosterone in the thread.

 

[Madmick]

As always, my vote is Megaman 3.

However, the Halo series has the best music of any franchise in gaming history. Halo 4's music is so underrated. You can even hear it in the menu. I adore the motif where the electronic synthesizer kicks in slowly underneath the languishing horns & synth-woodwinds with its rapid fire repetition....slowly crescendoing. The former invokes the majesty of space, and scale, while the latter offers a sense of urgency reminding you there is a techno-war deciding the fate of space. Timestamped (this motif is revisited at 9:52). I forget exactly where in the game this is used, I think more than once, and every time it gets me. Fired up.


Another example that demonstrates the diversity of the scoring is the final room in maybe the greatest Halo campaign level ever made, Gravemind, where that old school 90's rock guitar kicks in when the Hunters roll out from the final door-- timestamped (the music kicks in a bit after the timestamp at 33:14). Sound takes me to a time about a decade or decade and a half before the game itself was made. It somehow manages to feel retro and not retro at the same time. And it isn't like all the regal choral pieces that first come to mind, or the more synth-heavy sci-fi sounds like I highlighted above. It's anchored by that pure non-metal rock guitar sound:


Only Mass Effect can compete in terms of sci-fi scoring greatness.

 

[Satsui Ryu]

Castlevania SOTN because of not just the quality but the sheer variety. Hard rock, jazz, piano, classical, etc.

SoTN always seems to get the shine, but Rondo of Blood for me blows it out the water. Its got more of an upbeat vibe, but man it is a head bobber.

And one that never gets talked about because it is from an obscure Japanese only Mega Drive shooter is Verytex. The whole OST is a banger, but I don't think any track has captured the feel of a start of a journey like this

 

[BangBang]

nier automata

Drowns you and becomes plain irritating.

 

[BAM]

Witcher 3, Final Fantasy series, Skyrim, Medal of Honor: Frontline

all brought in orchestras and had original composition that I thought was outstanding. But, Final Fantasy 6 fka 3, was the first game where I can recall people raving about a soundtrack. It came out on SNES 16 bit cartridges and then re-released on PS1 which had a CD-ROM.

 

[John Mabrey]

 

[K-Bag]

Drowns you and becomes plain irritating.

 

[Hyperglide]

Some underrated gems..

Jotun





Hellblade Senua's Sacrifice





The Mummy Demastered

 

[Hyperglide]

Witcher 3, Final Fantasy series, Skyrim, Medal of Honor: Frontline

all brought in orchestras and had original composition that I thought was outstanding. But, Final Fantasy 6 fka 3, was the first game where I can recall people raving about a soundtrack. It came out on SNES 16 bit cartridges and then re-released on PS1 which had a CD-ROM.

Dancing Mad ftw absolutely mindblowing for the time. Nobuo Uematsu is the GOAT video game composer AINEC.

His work on Lost Odyssey was amazing too..

 

[SaiWa]

In additional to the many that have been named I will add:

Final Fantasy III (FF6 in Japan) -might have been mentioned already
Streets of Rage 2 - first one was already mentioned
Final Fantasy X - loved this soundtrack

Favorite song from Street Fighter III:

 

[RollSonnenRoll]

DOOM and DOOM Eternal.. The most testosterone in the thread.

Mick Gordon is the man

 

[RollSonnenRoll]

GOAT theme.

Sounds like Christmas morning 1995. Where did the time go

 

[Kratos94]

 

[Big Al's Texas BBQ]

Only one person mentioned Chrono Trigger. That's criminal:


Surprised no one said Donkey Kong Country:

 

[Big Al's Texas BBQ]

Tekken 3 also had great music:

 

[Ashen One]

Tekken 3 also had great music:

Yes. yes it did.

 

[Madmick]

 

[My Spot]

Yes. yes it did.

I loved how you could switch between the arcade soundtrack or a new soundtrack for Namco's fighting games on PS1.