Music is a vital, if sometimes underappreciated, part of games. That’s not only the case in games like Rock Band or Guitar Hero, but in almost any game you play. Sometimes you even find yourself remembering a game by the music that was in it, rather than the gameplay or the characters. When asked which games have soundtracks that fall into that category, our community suggested these eight. You can find the original thread by clicking here.
Don’t see your favorite? Tell us what it is in the comments!
Thanks to optimusjamie for starting the thread!
Mega Man X6
First mentioned by: WhiteFangofWar
There are a number of memorable tracks from Mega Man games over the years, but Escapist Community member WhiteFangofWar calls the Mega Man X6 soundtrack, “one of the best in the Blue Bomber’s entire legacy.” We included the music from the Infinity Mijinion stage above.
Metroid Prime
First mentioned by: Korak the Mad
The soundtrack of Metroid Prime was a departure from the previous games in the series. Instead of the orchestral tones of Super Metroid, we got a soundtrack filled with electronic styles and odd whistling noises. The “Meta Ripley Battle” music is embedded above, but the entire soundtrack is worth your time.
Half-Life 2
First mentioned by: Trude
The soundtracks to both Half-Life games rarely come up in conversations about great soundtracks, but they are pitch perfect for the gameplay and the setting. It always seem to ramp up at just the right time, and and fade out the same way. The embedded example above, “Requiem for Ravenholm,” is a perfect example. It embodies the dissonant nature of Ravenholm in just a few bars, then quietly gets out of the way to let the far moire disturbing sounds of the monsters there come through.
Super Mario 3D World
First mentioned by: MajorTomServo
Like many of Nintendo’s games, Super Mario 3D World has one of those soundtracks that just gets in you rhead and camps out for a while. Just when you think you’ve forgotten about it, you find yourself humming it while making dinner. Next thing you know, you’re putting the game in to hear it again, since you can only buy the soundtrack on disc in a few select countries.
Wizardry 8
First mentioned by: NeutralDrow
Wizardry 8 was the final game in Sir-Tech’s RPG series. As soon as the first notes of the opening theme sound, you have no doubt that you’re about to embark on a fantasy adventure. In fact, the soundtrack continues to inform the player, changing the music based on how hard the current combat is. As such, there were certain songs that made you very, very worried. It’s a little dated, but the soundtrack still holds up today.
Transistor
First mentioned by: Arean
The soundtrack to Transistor has been discussed a lot since it was released in 2014. Written and produced by Darren Korb, the soundtrack is described by him as “old-world electronic post-rock.” The soundtrack won a number of awards, and sold nearly 50,000 copies in its first 10 days of availability. As it helps set the tone for the science-fiction world of Transistor, it’s a major part of the experience.
Saints Row IV
First mentioned by: x EvilErmine x
The soundtrack of Saints Row IV really exists on two levels. First up is the official soundtrack, which is a dubstep-heavy assault on your senses. The second layer is the radio stations that play in the wide variety of vehicles in the game, and that’s what most of us listened to. 109 songs were scattered across seven stations, and what made it so great was that you never knew what song might be playing when you jumped into a car. That radio is one of the main reasons I rarely used the super-fast running ability.
Hotline Miami
First mentioned by: cninja666
Hotline Miami really showcases how music and sound can be used to enhance the experience of a game. As you’re plotting your attack, or executing your approach, the music starts out slow. Once you burst into the action, the music swells and speeds up. The various songs are related, but somehow very different from one another as well. It’s not unusual to hear gamers say that they keep playing Hotline Miami not for the gameplay, but for the music. That’s just about the best endorsement a soundtrack can get.
