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| Source: Supergiant Games |
Music is perhaps the single most overlooked aspect of video games, something which is generally expected to be there, but which hardly receives much praise or criticism. That said, music is equally one of the most important components in the construction of a given experience, setting the tone or maintaining an atmosphere, as well as manipulating emotional responses, and even regulating pace.
Music is everything, and gaming contains a complex relationship between image and sound, despite most critics ignoring the former in favor of the latter. In fairness, music is a challenging component to discuss, especially considering its subjective qualities. I mean, what exactly makes for a great soundtrack? It’s a difficult question – one which most critics have a tendency of disregarding completely – choosing instead to comment on gameplay or storytelling because those particular aspects are easier to critique, as well as comprehend.
It can be a tough balancing act, and gaming is perhaps the one medium in which composers deserve the most credit, yet they usually receive the least.
That said, here are 10 soundtracks which completely defined your favorite games...
10. Katamari Damacy (Yuu Miyake)
This particular soundtrack was one of the game’s primary selling points, serving as a major talking point whenever anybody mentions Katamari Damacy. It’s imaginative and playful, drawing influences from jazz and samba, and combining those influences with more conventional video game music in order to create a wonderful hybrid sound, which is completely unpredictable.
The composer, Yuu Miyake, does an incredible job arranging the various instrumental components, creating a unique sounding mixture of numerous, seemingly incompatible sounds. It’s bizarre at times, certainly – merging estranged vocals with miscellaneous noises and otherworldly vibrations – but the effect is remarkably poignant, a natural extension of those qualities found throughout the actual game.
It’s precisely this ingenuity of arrangement as well as a variation which manages to encapsulate the brilliance and humor of the Katamari Damacy universe, bringing everything, from the striking visuals and unforgettable characters, lovingly to life, including the main theme, ‘Katamari Nah-Nah’, which is just wonderfully addictive in its own right.
9. Silent Hill 2 - Akira Yamaoka
Silent Hill 2 is understandably an atmospheric game, a survival horror designed around claustrophobic environments, strange visuals which complement the equally disturbing characters and scenarios, and an ambiguous sense of reality. As such, the soundtrack – composed by the renowned, Akira Yamaoka – was in a position to really make or break the experience.
Thankfully, it achieved the former, wonderfully realizing the universe, and maintaining an ominous, impending sense of unnerving uncertainty throughout. It’s completely unpredictable, merging numerous, seemingly non-musical noises in order to create something which sounds utterly spontaneous with a mind of its own. At times, the soundtrack even sounds naturally occurring, as though it’s hardly been composed whatsoever: Pyramid Head’s theme, for instance, involves a commotion of clashes and scrapes layered over an orchestral backing, making the song sound almost diegetic in nature, as well as completely terrifying.
8. FTL: Faster Than Light (Ben Prunty)
Composed by Ben Prunty, this particular soundtrack is a wonderful example of something which manages a crucial equilibrium between emotional despondency and invigoration, combining a sense of isolation with adventure and possibility. At times, it’s chilling, relying on nothing but a low mechanical hum to hammer home those emotions, but the range is impressive, employing smoother sounding electronics to harness the player’s natural curiosity.
In particular, Deep Space (Explore) and Milkyway (Explore) are especially memorable, but the entire soundtrack has something to offer, appealing to universal concepts such as loneliness, optimism, and boundless possibility. It’s cautiously enthusiastic, gloomy without seeming completely despondent, somehow managing to excite the player without discouraging them simultaneously with the drearier sounding melodies.
It’s completely unique, an assortment of miscellaneous notes strung together by a handful of interconnected themes, which seems remarkably indicative of the game itself.
7. Risk Of Rain (Chris Christodoulou)
The risk of Rain – an indie platformer, released in 2013 – is a varied experience, essentially a platformer requiring the player to be constantly moving and shooting, remaining aware constantly for enemies and environmental hazards. Naturally, then, the soundtrack, composed by Chris Christodoulou, follows that same pattern of tension and relief, building from a more atmospheric calm to a dynamic climax before fading back into wistful dreaminess.
The soundtrack is dark, and often melancholic – the majority of songs somewhat plaintive and disparaging – but there’s a decent amount of instrumental variation to avoid any semblance of reiteration or repetition. That said, the sounds are mostly miserable – which might discourage a number of listeners from giving the soundtrack a chance – but it’s also beautiful, a sort of picturesque misery, equal parts charming and magnificent.
Honestly, this one’s more of an acquired taste, but for those who enjoy atmospheric sounding music, especially those with a science-fiction influence, this is a sure recommendation.
6. Red Dead Redemption (Bill Elm & Woody Jackson)
Red Dead Redemption was composed by Bill Elm and Woody Jackson, who went as far as to consult with musicians of traditional Western instruments, such as harmonica player Tommy Morgan. Together, they recorded over fourteen hours of music for the game, drawing inspiration from legendary composer Ennio Morricone in order to create the necessary atmosphere.
At times, the soundtrack plays homage to the Italian composer, utilizing his distinct arrangement of flutes and whistles in order to construct a sound reminiscent of Sergio Leone’s The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. The orchestral scale really encapsulates this feeling, creating a sense of scope and magnitude, as well harnessing feelings of exploration and discovery which connect with the player’s desire for adventure in the frontiers of the Old West. In short: it's really good.
5. Grim Fandango (Peter McConnell)
Combining jazz, bebop, and swing with the big band, this particular soundtrack is equally energetic and mysterious, taking inspiration from twentieth-century noir cinema. As such, the soundtrack – Big Band, Bebop & Bones, composed by Peter McConnell – wonderfully encapsulates the atmosphere and liveliness (pun intended) of Grim Fandango, providing amply variation, an array of musical inspirations, and a surprising degree of depth.
That said, this is the perfect soundtrack for perhaps the perfect point-and-click adventure, completely defining the experience, so much so that the soundtrack was re-recorded by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in 2015 to celebrate the release of Grim Fandango: Remastered, meaning it continues to endure to this day despite its relative niche appeal. It’s now even more exciting, dynamic, and engaging, just like the game from which it originates.
4. Transistor (Darren Korb)
Transistor isn’t a quintessential video game soundtrack by any stretch of the imagination, but with its eclectic composition, emotional lyricism, fervent tempo, and instrumental variation, it is remarkably effective, providing ample emotion and range with its use of harps, electric guitars, accordions, mandolins, and synth pads, all wonderfully composed by Darren Korb.
There’s a degree of unprecedented variation and musical infidelity throughout the soundtrack, combining emotional highs and lows to convey the entire spectrum of human experience. In Circles, We All Become, Paper Boats and Signals accompany some of the greatest moments from the game, completely defining them – due in no small part to the vocal delivery of Ashley Lynn Barrett, whose range and delivery elevates several of the tracks.
The soundtrack alone sold over 48,000 copies within the first fortnight of its release, which proves how important the music was to the game’s eventual success, critically and commercially.
3. Hotline Miami
This particular soundtrack – composed by Carpenter Brut, M|O|O|N, and Scattle – is immediate gratifying with its irrepressible, synthesized instrumentation and hypnotic beats, complementing the game perfectly. It’s fast paced and fierce, darkly pulsating like the seediest of '80s nightclubs as seen through the eyes of an amoral, coked-up psychopath.
That said, the soundtrack isn’t lacking in variation, benefiting from the collaboration of multiple musicians, including M|O|O|N, whose notable contributions Hydrogen, Paris, and Crystals make up some of the most exceptional moments on this track list, merging minimalist electronics with unsettling dance music.
As such, the soundtrack conveys the atmosphere of the game splendidly, complementing the genuinely visceral and unrelenting visuals of Hotline Miami. It’s an inimitable fragment of disturbing '80s nostalgia, and it’s completely twisted and therefore wonderful.
2. Bastion (Darren Korb)
Making his second appearance on this list, Darren Korb (the composer of Transistor) returns with this critically acclaimed soundtrack, described as “acoustic frontier trip-hop”. Interestingly, it combines Western and Eastern influences in order to construct an otherworldly sounding uniqueness, which the composer credits to his numerous inspirations – including Indian, South-American, and Native-American.
The result is a wonderful amalgamation of diverse sounding influences, including several tracks which wouldn’t typically be associated with the medium, including Build That Wall, which features vocals from Ashley Lynn Barrett, clearly demonstrating the composer’s aptitude for powerful lyricism and thematic storytelling.
It’s the attention to detail that really elevates the soundtrack, the multiple layers of instrumentation and the variation of electronic drumming persisting tirelessly until the very end. It’s dramatic, it’s atmospheric and it’s effective.
1. Super Meat Boy (Danny Baranowsky)
This particular soundtrack – composed by Danny Baranowsky – is arguably one of the single most memorable and enduring soundtracks in gaming history, despite its omission from the PlayStation 4 version of the game, which was the result of a disagreement between the composer and the development team over licensing issues.
Regardless, the original soundtrack is remarkable, comprised of numerous dynamic, energetic songs which perfectly compliment the action, providing an extra dose of personality to the cartoonish visuals and unrelenting gameplay. Lil’ Slugger is particularly amazing, paying homage to the history of game soundtracks while demonstrating remarkable inventiveness and ingenuity. That said, the entire thing is an absolute blast from beginning to end with almost no exceptions.
The second soundtrack – composed by Matthias Bossi, Jon Evansm and Laura Shigihara for the PlayStation 4 and PSVita version of Super Meat Boy – was commendable, but flawed. Without a doubt, the original is the superior, completely defining this meaty platformer.
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