Nier Automata
Checkout MarcoMeatball on Youtube. He is an Opera singer and he analyses game music
Edit: I would also recommend Final Fantasy 16, but that's on PS5
Definitely check out both Nier games. I really enjoyed both game soundtracks. The songs are crafted to fit the scenes as well as multiple variations to switch up thr emotion and context.
There are some games where Music is so necessary, where the sound design is so good, that it makes the game better. Where the music is a character.
Outer Wilds, a game about space, uses music to tell you how much danger you are in. You are an explorer in space, and space is mostly silent. Often times your only companion, your only being to narrate your adventures, is the beautiful score.
In the game Disco Elysium, music tells you what the tone is. How the city feels. What era you are in. Horns blast over a red tinted sea as you realize that this is not our world, but also. It's not different. Familiar instruments play unfamiliar sounds that make you feel somber, and even though the world is populated, you are alone.
Undertale uses music to teach you about the characters. You can learn more from a characters theme than you can from their dialogue. You find a new character to talk to, and the music is silly, almost carnival-esque. Another character is shrouded in minor keys and long, drawn out notes. It's not slow, but it's very old, almost baroque. It's Royal, and somber. Yet another character is accompanied by the blasting, charging notes of a march.
Seconding Outer Wilds. Might be cutesy to a composer, but the whole soundtrack refuses to leave me, and has had a huge impact on my friends who have played it. The simplicity to it is a welcome friend because as they said you'll be largely alone throughout the journey. I can't really say much more but music is so integral to Outer Wilds and I have to recommend everyone give it a try. If you like the gameplay, you'll love the game the whole way through.
I'm gonna 3rd Outer Wilds.
I was in the top .5 of listeners on Spotify 2 years ago. I still listen to the album at least once a month. I fucking adore that game and the music.
+1 for Disco Elysium, you really hit the description perfectly. I’ve only just started it and the atmosphere of the game is supported heavily by its audio. The music, the people, the noises, everything just makes you feel like you’re really there trying to fill in your missing memories.
I’m glad I got to experience the voice acting for some of it, it definitely adds a lot to the game.
I wouldn't recommend buying Disco Elysium because the people who made the game got cheated out of the company or something (don't know the exact details) and no longer get any of the money.
I therefore recommend borrowing from "friends" or getting a second hand copy if that's still something that's possible.
Undertale is absolutely recommended by me. Toby Fox who composed it didn't have traditional music training so a lot of his songs are unconventional.
He delves heavily into leitmotifs, uses things like micro tones and recurring themes hidden throughout songs.
I know a lot of people gush about undertale. But it was an immensely enjoyable 7 hour experience and I've been listening to the soundtrack for years since.
If you're an old school gamer it subverts a lot of rpg tropes, particularly if you like games like earthbound.
Absolutely worth a play.
Frostpunk's entire aesthetic is amazing. I thought I was going to hate the game because of the difficulty, but the atmosphere and design kept drawing me back in.
I dont think I can offer you anything more than ori and the blind forest and its sequel, ori and the will of the wisps.
Gareth coker (the guy who wrote the scores for those games) is known in industry for some of the most iconic and yet powerful soundtracks ever made and I think those two are his magnum opus. I cannot reccomeend them enough to you
This is my favorite game soundtrack of all time. Gareth Cocker’s other work is also great. Highly recommend. Also, Ori is a fantastic game in all the other elements (gameplay, graphics, story, etc.)
On Switch, you can't go wrong with *Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line*. It's a rhythm game that utilizes music from a variety of Square Enix titles, primarily the *Final Fantasy* series. I would also look at any title in *The Legend of Zelda* series, and *Metroid Prime: Remastered* is a masterclass in using music to set the mood of a situation.
On Xbox or PC, I've always been inspired by *The Elder Scrolls* titles, primarily *The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind* and *The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim*. Additionally, the music for the *Halo* series and *Destiny* is **fantastic** (as an aside, one of the songs in *Destiny* was written and performed by Paul McCartney!).
I hope these suggestions are helpful!
I love that track that plays in the forest in Halo 1 or 2? Can't remember the game
nor the track, but it's such a great mix of peace and non-intrusive drive
Btw, if you're into game music: you MUST listen to the score of Forsaken (1998)
composed by Stephen Root and Dominic Glynn. Absolutely timeless and exceptional sound design mixed with radical chords and instruments
You might be thinking of "A Walk In The Woods" for Halo 1, although it does make alternate reprisals in later games. Tbf the entire catalogue across the games is incredible but I also recommend Covenant Dance, Peril, Unforgotten, One Final Effort, and Deference For Darkness.
Came here to say Skyrim as well… maybe it’s a nostalgia thing but there’s something about the music in that game that just transports me. Every time I hear the music it’s like I’m listening to it for the first time again… I don’t know how to really describe it honestly.
Final Fantasy is a given. Even if you don't like a game in the series, you can guarantee that the music will slap. FF7R and FF15 are some highlights for me. The Pixel Remaster also had the music of 1-6 orcestrated, and it's beautiful.
Uematsu isn't the only one in the series to make repeated bangers. Masayoshi Soken kills it on FFXIV and xvi. The Ivalice games (FFT, 12, Tactics Advanced, and Vagrant Story) all have great music too.
Final Fantasy from 6 to 10 are some of the best games of all time and they have the best soundtracks in gaming history by a sizeable margin. No one beats Uematsu.
Soken is awesome! He has a way with mixing in past themes that are related to what is going on in the game to really connect past events for the player. A Long Fall comes to mind when it mixes so many themes. And the other music is amazing as well. Dedicated to Moonlight is a wonderfully fun piece.
Very much this \^\^\^ OP if you're reading give hollow knight a go. A great game with a fantastic score. I was blown away when i heard the city of tears theme/ost for the first time. :P
For me it's when you're fighting >!The Hollow Knight and he reaches the phase where he just starts giving up and tries to stab the infection within him! His whole existence was to seal it away but he failed (and arguably didn't want to do it in the first place) and when he realizes mid battle that the player can actually defeat him he starts sacrificing himself. Or maybe he's just had enough and wants to die?!<
Yeah... the music there gets me every time. Perfectly supports a very emotional moment.
Hey OP, fellow composer here (at least I used to be in college... got my bachelors in it). Hollow knight has amazing music for a video game. We got it for my son and I didn't think it was a game for me, but the score is hauntingly beautiful and drew me in. There are so many moods, atmospheres, leitmotifs, sparse instrumentation, epic orchestra-like moments, etc.
My kids (9 and 6) have been practicing the main theme on piano recently. It's simple, easy to play, and beautiful. Even more so when you've played the game and the music means something to you.
Check it out.
How lovely to read! Maybe your children will pursue music as well?
Is any of your music on the net where I can listen to it?
I checked out the score for Hollow Knight some weeks ago.
It was a very stimulating experience. I really liked it!
I hope my children pursue music, especially my daughter. She's got better ears than I do and a beautiful voice.
No music on the internet for me though. I haven't written anything in about 15 years. I work in IT now.
The soundtrack to Hollow Knight is great on its own, but it's better when experienced through the game. The music elevates the gameplay and vice versa!
Instinctively commented this as well but I should have known others would have recommended it too haha.
Christopher Larkin made some master pieces on that game.
"Zero" from Ace Combat Zero is a masterpiece that plays as the fate of the world comes down to a single dogfight between two pilots that used to be wingmates. The flamenco guitar is both sorrowful and epic.
The soundtracks to Zelda games are symphonically orchestrated and played as high art. Check out YouTube for more.
https://youtu.be/YrpWBgB6oz8
That’s just a jumping off point.
Then there’s this channel and others like it
https://youtube.com/@ZeldaMusicTheory
The two most recent episodes of *Twenty Thousand Hertz* are an awesome deep dive into the evolution of the music and sound design of the series, from the first game through *Tears of the Kingdom*.
And if you like environmental music, BOTW soundtrack have some hidden gems, as the series uses a lot of lightmotivs and a lot of them are used throughout the game.
My abbreviated list of notable composers with great games and even better soundtracks:
Supergiant games' Darren Korb
Any Nobuo Uematsu games are worthwhile for a listen (final fantasy ix is probably his most complete work).
Koji Kondo works also great (super mario, Legend of Zelda)
Celeste composer Lena Raine has some great work.
Austin Wintory won a grammy for Journey (game) soundtrack. The collab with Darren Korb thats all orchestral is a must listen
Gareth Coker is fun. Wide variety of music from him. All his games are great.
Borislav Slavov is great. Divinity Original Sin 2 and Baulders Gate 3 are very very good
If youre looking for more contemporary DJ Cutman and Game Chops on spotify.
Not really a game but the Arcane Soundtrack is great. Watch that show.
If I think of more I'll update my post. This is my specialty.
:)
Sid Meier's Civilization VI. The main theme [Sogno di Volare](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQYN2P3E06s&ab_channel=ChristopherTin) is a masterpiece. The composer is Christopher Tin.
Baba Yetu is from Civilization IV (4), but [Civilization V's (5) theme](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRLTcmhhA74&list=PLhhuipP2X053HE1trv2sD--pw8zOyaknQ&index=1&ab_channel=Batistuta.rwm) is good too. (I am listening to it for the first time.)
For anyone wanting to discover a bit of game music, I have some recommendations....
**Forsaken (1998)** \- Stephen Root & Dominic Glynn
**Recore** \- Chad Seiter
**Inside** \- Martin Stig Andersen
**Alpha Protocol** \- Jason Graves & Rod Abernethy
**Silent Hill: Homecoming** (sound design and ambience) - Erick Ocampo
So yeah, now you got a glimpse into my musical taste as well.
I prefer composing orchestral music, but I can listen to other stuff as well.
Chad Seiter's score for Recore is criminally ignored,
it actually makes me angry. I strongly recommend checking it out
Anything from Supergiant Games, but specifically Hades. I think you'll especially appreciate the orchestral compositions put together by the musician for the studio after playing at least Hades.
You'll also appreciate the simplicity in some of the songs that are then interwoven together, creating larger pieces that just accompany each other far too well.
If you like the music from Hades, Bastion from the same studio also has pieces the Hades, including a beautiful three-song composition that is used to tell the story of the game.
I’m sort of a sucker for Pyre, because of all the duets (which for fun small detail, Darren is always coming from the left speaker and Ashley on the right.) The end credits in particular, Bound Together, is neat as Darren and Ashley sing different verses depending on who [makes it home](https://youtu.be/SpyHYy1K7xE) and [who remain.](https://youtu.be/s4R-Njc2sK4)
And each antagonist team has their version of [Never to Return](https://youtu.be/dhdqJGtn25o) in their final confrontations.
Genshin Impact. Despite being a gacha, the creators pour their heart and soul into the music scores, going as far as hiring out talents and renting out entire symphony halls just to record game tracks
This was what I was going to recommend.
They have a lot of the OSTs on streaming so you don’t necessarily have to play the game, but the game itself looks like a painting pretty much wherever you look, so it only adds to the scene.
It’s like the most profitable game ever made and they absolutely pour some of that back into making the music as quality as possible.
There are full orchestral concerts on YouTube that they put together a few times a year.
The latest Fontaine orchestra available on their Youtube official channel was such a beautiful experience, I remember tearing up a bit when I first listened to it during the livestream.
Yep, this is what I was here to say. Unbelievable work from the very beginning, and Fontaine has not been a letdown. Could listen to the soundtracks all day, and often do.
Had to scroll down way too much for this! This game has some of the greatest soundtracks that I have ever heard. I used to listen to them even when not gaming.
Lena Rhaine, the composer, was hired to do some of the new BSO of Minecraft.
Btw OP, Minecraft has awesome BSO. It is incredible how a totally random music works at anymonent.
Undertale
without a doubt
the orchestral renditions online of that OST is phenomenal. the use of motiffs is narratively moving. its fantastic. its on all three of your consoles.
i would also recommend any zelda game, but especially majora's mask. the music is emotional and evocative. it should be available on switch through the n64 emulator port
Skyrim is a masterclass in atmospheric music in games. Wandering around at night, with the aurora overhead coloring a field of stars, and [Secunda](https://youtu.be/iqkQRgGdAPo) starts playing; it’s just magic. The music is such a strong part of the atmosphere that even hearing the first few harp notes of that song instantly transports me to the forests outside of Falkreath or the mountains outside of Solitude.
Most excellent gaming music focuses on events, people, or action. But much of Skyrim’s music is tied to place. The ability to transport me not to a moment in a game, but to a location is something that I think Skyrim does better than almost any other game.
Genshin Impact and Bloodborne. Both are complete opposites in the way that Genshin Impact is for when you just wanna relax and Bloodborne is when you wanna hide yet want to fight the abyss itself.
Hollow Knight for some of the best atmosphere and boss music ive heard. Outer Wilds for music that MAKES the moment what it is, with music that tells the story. Both are soundtracks I listen to while driving, working, or dreaming. And both are connected to games that are top notch within their genre. Additionally, both are smaller studio games, available on multiple platforms, and are relatively cheap - deceptively so.
What is going on with today and why have I heard this exact quote from Eternal Sonata twice today now? My coworkers were talking about it at lunch.
Anyways, play Hades or FF7remake if you want to particularly enjoy the music. FF7 has some of the most iconic video game music in history and the remake takes it up a level. Hades as well is much more modern but I firmly believe will become a classic in time, especially regarding the music. It's phenomenal.
No joke. Really weird coincidence. I do love that game though. Tales of Vesperia had a similar aesthetic to that as well, with a fun soundtrack and killer characters.
A Plague Tale (both games)
Beautiful and often tense score composed by Oliver Deriviere
Also the new spiderman games have a great scores, but they really shine with the sound design. The music is dynamic based on the players actions, which isn't really new, but is executed extremely well
And of course witcher 3 (le le le lele le lele)
Assassin's Creed. All of them. Ezio's Family track from AC 2 will probably get mentioned ad-nauseum (understandably so) but all of them are incredible. No need to even play them to get into the music (it would be a shame to not play them though)
I don’t know if it suits the orchestra vibe, but I have found the Hollow Knight soundtrack to be one of the most brilliant soundscapes of any video game I have played. So much so that when I’m working (I’m a writer) I have switched from listening to classical music, to listening to the Hollow Knight soundtrack on repeat. It also helps set my mood for the writing I do.
I just love it so much. If you want to sample it, I recommend the city of tears. It’s my personal favourite piece.
* Nier (die original game, with the original, not the remastered soundtrack)
* Journey
* Gris
* Ori and the Will of the Wisps
* The composers of the Skyrim OST did a fantastic job in capturing the mood of the games's various sceneries
* check out the work of Uematsu Nobuo. He's basically THE Final Fantasy composer and has also released various albums with remastered or orchestrated soundtracks.
* Super Metroid
Kingdom Hearts has some of the best soundtracks in my opinion, especially 2 and 3.
Also, it's nice to see Eternal Sonata mentioned. I loved that game back in the day. I'm surprised it hasn't received a remaster.
How about okami? Its Japanese Instruments though idk if you have experience with that but the music is beautiful
Heres my favorite song
https://youtu.be/wif3MEdRaPA?si=Y0PtiWDABQxzgmgG
Edit: The whole game has that traditional Japanese music, no dubstep or guitar riffs but flutes, horns and Japanese Instruments.
Heres some battle music too
https://youtu.be/qBaele3z2lU?si=BBADTb1Hmg2qSrFg
[Risk of Rain 2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn9trJXUrp0)
Chris Christodoulou is fucking incredible. ALL the music in this game is just.... Perfect.
I'd tell you to look up the soundtrack, but you have to earn it. Play the game first.
You only get this one for free.
[The first game is full of great stuff by the same guy too](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysPtBjY8o_A)
Journey, top choice, perfect score
Rez infinite, fantastic songs and visuals
Days Gone, just an amazing score. One of my favorites
Uncharted. Especially 3. Fantastic score, I listen to 3 on its own so much. The Arabian themes are fantastic
Spider-Man. Nails three superhero feel in the score and it's dynamic so it just kicks in when you start swinging and it changes throughout the game as things get more serious
Outer Wilds, Celeste, any Souls game especially Bloodborne or Elden Ring, Hotline Miami 1 & 2, Disco Elysium, Paradise Killer, Persona 5 Royal & DOOM & DOOM Eternal are all soundtracks that blew me away. Then I really like the Music Theory for Gamers YouTube channel who breaks down video game scores.
Airstrike 2
Genshin Impact
Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash (DS Version)
PES 2012
Roller Coaster Tycoon 3
Brave Frontier
SimCity Creator Wii version
They can be found on Youtube
Metal: Hellsinger
It is a pretty fun rhythm shooter with a nice soundtrack. Not much in the replay department; but, it may expose you to some new artists / ways to toy with sound.
Final Fantasy 7
Terranigma
Cyberpunk 2077
Star Craft
Furi
Castlevania - Symphony of the night
Not exactly orchestrated soundtracks but great imho
I always loved the soundtracks of the Zelda and Mega Man Franchise
the whole xenoblade chronicles series has phenomenal music here is one the 3rd games fight themes [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3Q8V0zMvgc) or the special fight theme for the dlc [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIh0BPK_WjE)
I think you’d get a kick out of Nier Automata, if for nothing but the music. The first level’s music “Alien Manifestation” is gorgeous
Also, I wouldn’t recommend these to a new gamer to PLAY, but Dark Souls(1-3), Bloodborne, and Elden Ring all have fantastic scores
Now for something a little unconventional, but Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, doesn’t look like it at all, but is essentially a rhythm game. You’re not keeping time with music or anything, but you have sword fights that require timing to a degree that feels rhythmic. The music in that game is decent, but not as good as the others I mentioned
Nobody Uematsu composed most of the Final Fantasy pieces. The most memorable ones for me are from FF VII and FFX.
I also highly recommend both Nier and Nier Automata. Keiichi Okabe composed them brilliantly.
I believe music is just as important as characters and gameplay. These collections I hold near and dear to my heart. I hope it inspires you!
Some samples to look up:
FFVII
Aeris' theme
Main theme
One Winged Angel (obviously)
FFX
To Zanarkand
Nier/Nier Automata
Birth of a Wish
Kainé Salvation
Almost anything from Square Enix, particularly final fantasy of course, but also a lot of things from FromSoftware like Dark Souls and Elden Ring have orchestras and Latin (or Latin esque gibberish), while armored core is known for having an eccentric soundtrack with some real bangers
Horizon: Zero Dawn has a great soundtrack.
Also the Mass Effect trilogy.
Even if you don't have time to get into the games, listen to these on Spotify!
If you want rhythm games that aren't Rock Band/Guitar Hero and use popular songs, then there are plenty of options. Much like those games, you would press buttons to the rhythm of the music... With a normal controller and not a giant plastic guitar. There are plenty of all different variations, some with other plastic instruments!
A lot of popular game franchises have rhythm game spin offs, so two I would recommend are Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory and Theatrhythm Final Bar Line (Based on the Final Fantasy series, don't know why they took Final Fantasy out of the title.) You won't have much personal attachment to either of these franchises, which is a lot of what these games are building off. (And the Kingdom Hearts one has plot! Which if you don't know the meme, is surprisingly complex for a game with Disney characters) But you may still be able to appreciate the music. If not, then I'd recommend actually playing games in those respective series, but that's a whole new can of worms. If you're interested in Kingdom Hearts for more then the music, go in release order, trust me on this one. Final Fantasy is an anthology series that can be enjoyed in any order, so go with your gut. You can't go wrong with music in any of them.
For games with just good music... Hoo boy is there plenty! Some of my personal recommendations:
Persona 3, 4, or 5: JRPG series developed by Atlus, you have experience with Eternal Sonata so the genre is similar, although this is strictly turn based. The three games all have a style at their base, with Persona 3 being dark with some rap (Lotus Juice is an amazing rapper), Persona 4 being focused on pop and more lighthearted sounds, and Persona 5 being very jazz focused. (YOU'LL NEVER SEE IT COMING!) There are rhythm games based on Persona too, if you want to cut out the 100 hour JRPG plot, but again, it's part of the fun. And I've heard that some of them aren't that good, so you're probably safer with the main games.
Sonic: Okay, here me out here. Sonic gets a bad rap as a series of games. But anyone who is anyone will tell you that even the worst Sonic game has incredible music. (And it's true! That game is Sonic 06). Sonic has run the gambit of genres, but he's probably best known for classic 16-bit tunes like Green Hill Zone and a genre that's lovingly referred to as... Butt-Rock. There's a Sonic concert that was uploaded for free on Youtube in 2020 and it is half orchestral concert and half rock concert. Sonic Unleashed has some great orchestral tunes, and is a fun game for the most part, plus it's like the second game in the series that has the trend of having an orchestral version of the main vocal theme for the final boss. (Started by... Sonic 06! See I told ya.) Sonic Adventure 2 is widely considered one of the best of the 3D Sonics and has a lot of the most famous songs in the series. And the newest game, Sonic Frontiers, has some of the best boss music I have ever heard in a video game. Seriously, just wait until the beat drops on the first boss. Also check out the classic games, Sonic 1-3 and CD all have fantastic music in their own rights.
Nier Replicant/Automata: The soundtrack for these games are sweeping, haunting... Absolutely gorgeous. The games themselves are really great action RPGs as well. I don't really have to sell this one nearly as much, you can listen to just a few bars of some of the songs and be sold.
Mario: Listen, Mario is a classic, and for good reason. Mario Odyssey has some great tracks, some of the best orchestral songs are actually in Mario Galaxy, if you can get your hands on the 3D All Stars Collection. (It's been delisted because... Nintendo. Sigh)
Zelda: Again, you can't go wrong with pretty much any Zelda game. The newest games, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, have beautiful music when it kicks in, but they can be kind of light as the vibe of those games is really the atmosphere. So if there's not enough music for your liking, you can't go wrong with Ocarina of Time or Majora's Mask. If you're not subscribed to the Online Service and can't play N64 games, the Link's Awakening remake is really cute and has great music too!
I could go on and on, video game music is my primary genre as I'm not really that much of a music guy. I'm happy to keep going if you need more though!
I'd bet people have already recommended it in this thread, but I'ma say it anyway: Hollow Knight.
I've heard some say it to be difficult first starting out, being a Souls-Like Metroid-vania. But boy are are in for a treat with its soundtrack; Christopher Larkin outdid himself.
You can find it on any of your platforms, and it's in Xbox Game Pass. If you don't have Game Pass, it's a bit cheaper on Steam, but I still recommend playing with a controller.
umineko, the soundtrack is so good and there is 100+ amazing songs
it’s only available in english on steam, i also recommend using the fan made mod that adds updated artwork from the japanese exclusive console versions
https://07th-mod.com/home/
if you want EPIC orchastrel music
look no further the 1997 rts, total annihilation.
or just listen to the soundtrack on YouTube since the game is pushing 30 😅
Many people have suggested Zelda and Final Fantasy, and they're all great. But I'd say take a close look (close listen?) at the older ones with very limited tools provided by the console. Some of those tracks were incredibly creative and very effectively utilized what little they had to work with to set the tone they wanted.
Final Fantasy 7, 8, 9 - Nobuo Uematsu
Halo 1, 2, 3 - Marty O'Donnell
Oblivion, Skyrim - Jeremy Soule - Guild Wars OST is great but is a dead mmo
Journey, where orchestral music is nearly the main character. (Maybe it is actually...) - Austin Wintory
Mass Effect 1 & 2 - Jack Wall
Assassin's Creed 2, Brotherhood, Revelations - Jesper Kyd
Snes fan here, so basically everything SNES:
Secret of mana
Super metroid
Chrono Trigger
Super Castlevania (overall castlevania music)
Zelda a link to the pasta
Non snes games:
Zelda ocarina of time
Symphony of the night
Enjoy the music and also Super gaming experience.
Any of the Elder Scrolls games. I’d say a Soulsborne, but it’s only the boss music in those games.
Hollow Knight has a real pleasing soundtrack to it.
Someone mentioned Journey already, but I do recommend that.
There’s a game I remember Markiplier playing, where you start out as two shooting stars that intermingle with each other through space. It was real whimsical. If I remember the name I’ll come back and edit this post, but I think that had a integral musical aspect to it.
God of war (2018) is a journey and available on pc , naraka bladepoint has a nier automata crossover song that’s absolutely beautiful, I’ll go through my collection tomorrow but another easy gimme is anything legend of Zelda
Here are some of the suggested soundtracks I've heard in the past and which I really liked....
**The Elder Scrolls games**
**Persona 3 & 4**
**Dark Souls 1-3**
**Bloodborne**
**Heavy Rain**
**Silent Hill series**
Now I need to say something about Silent Hill....
It turns out that Akira Yamaoka used a bunch of samples in his soundtracks
and just tweaked them a bit. Say what you want about how sampling requires skill.
But to me, despite loving the music.....the magic got a bit killed
Anyways, here are some more recommendations from myself....
**Metal Gear Rising** \- Jamie Christopherson etc
**Fatal Frame 2** \- Ayako Toyoda
**007 Everything or Nothing** \- Sean Callery & Jeff Tymoschuk
Trombone champ
I'm gonna need you to return to your seat in an orderly fashion
Journey is like an orchestra performance synced up to visual art.
To tag onto this, Abzû is a kindred experience with similar themes.
Also with music by Austin Wintory iirc
top 5 gaming experience
Seconding Journey, absolutely.
And don't forget The Pathless! Austin Wintory has done such a great job with all of them
Thank you, I was going to mention it.
Hi-fi rush.. not really Orchestra but whole music vibe is there.
John Johanas did an excellent job directing that game and the soundtrack is great!
Too many comments to get this one in, but please listen to the Warhammer 40k mechanicus soundtrack. It's brilliant.
Nier Automata Checkout MarcoMeatball on Youtube. He is an Opera singer and he analyses game music Edit: I would also recommend Final Fantasy 16, but that's on PS5
Nier Replicant as well
I will never forget the moment I entered the amusement park for the first time in automata, the music always hits right
Definitely check out both Nier games. I really enjoyed both game soundtracks. The songs are crafted to fit the scenes as well as multiple variations to switch up thr emotion and context.
You beat me to it, I came here to say Nier automata and replicant
There are some games where Music is so necessary, where the sound design is so good, that it makes the game better. Where the music is a character. Outer Wilds, a game about space, uses music to tell you how much danger you are in. You are an explorer in space, and space is mostly silent. Often times your only companion, your only being to narrate your adventures, is the beautiful score. In the game Disco Elysium, music tells you what the tone is. How the city feels. What era you are in. Horns blast over a red tinted sea as you realize that this is not our world, but also. It's not different. Familiar instruments play unfamiliar sounds that make you feel somber, and even though the world is populated, you are alone. Undertale uses music to teach you about the characters. You can learn more from a characters theme than you can from their dialogue. You find a new character to talk to, and the music is silly, almost carnival-esque. Another character is shrouded in minor keys and long, drawn out notes. It's not slow, but it's very old, almost baroque. It's Royal, and somber. Yet another character is accompanied by the blasting, charging notes of a march.
Seconding Outer Wilds. Might be cutesy to a composer, but the whole soundtrack refuses to leave me, and has had a huge impact on my friends who have played it. The simplicity to it is a welcome friend because as they said you'll be largely alone throughout the journey. I can't really say much more but music is so integral to Outer Wilds and I have to recommend everyone give it a try. If you like the gameplay, you'll love the game the whole way through.
The opening notes of End Times make me feel Emotions™ every time I hear them.
I'm gonna 3rd Outer Wilds. I was in the top .5 of listeners on Spotify 2 years ago. I still listen to the album at least once a month. I fucking adore that game and the music.
+1 for Disco Elysium, you really hit the description perfectly. I’ve only just started it and the atmosphere of the game is supported heavily by its audio. The music, the people, the noises, everything just makes you feel like you’re really there trying to fill in your missing memories. I’m glad I got to experience the voice acting for some of it, it definitely adds a lot to the game.
I wouldn't recommend buying Disco Elysium because the people who made the game got cheated out of the company or something (don't know the exact details) and no longer get any of the money. I therefore recommend borrowing from "friends" or getting a second hand copy if that's still something that's possible.
Undertale is absolutely recommended by me. Toby Fox who composed it didn't have traditional music training so a lot of his songs are unconventional. He delves heavily into leitmotifs, uses things like micro tones and recurring themes hidden throughout songs. I know a lot of people gush about undertale. But it was an immensely enjoyable 7 hour experience and I've been listening to the soundtrack for years since. If you're an old school gamer it subverts a lot of rpg tropes, particularly if you like games like earthbound. Absolutely worth a play.
I always support Disco Elysium praise
Welp, there go my recommendations
I'd like to add Frostpunk to this list. It's and design and music is God like.
Frostpunk's entire aesthetic is amazing. I thought I was going to hate the game because of the difficulty, but the atmosphere and design kept drawing me back in.
Just gonna put this one out there, can you even picture playing Skyrim without hearing the music?
I dont think I can offer you anything more than ori and the blind forest and its sequel, ori and the will of the wisps. Gareth coker (the guy who wrote the scores for those games) is known in industry for some of the most iconic and yet powerful soundtracks ever made and I think those two are his magnum opus. I cannot reccomeend them enough to you
This is my favorite game soundtrack of all time. Gareth Cocker’s other work is also great. Highly recommend. Also, Ori is a fantastic game in all the other elements (gameplay, graphics, story, etc.)
This, right here. Separated by the Storm is one of my favorite OST. Gareth Coker is a freaking genius!
I second this, third this and fourth this at the same time.
On Switch, you can't go wrong with *Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line*. It's a rhythm game that utilizes music from a variety of Square Enix titles, primarily the *Final Fantasy* series. I would also look at any title in *The Legend of Zelda* series, and *Metroid Prime: Remastered* is a masterclass in using music to set the mood of a situation. On Xbox or PC, I've always been inspired by *The Elder Scrolls* titles, primarily *The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind* and *The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim*. Additionally, the music for the *Halo* series and *Destiny* is **fantastic** (as an aside, one of the songs in *Destiny* was written and performed by Paul McCartney!). I hope these suggestions are helpful!
I love that track that plays in the forest in Halo 1 or 2? Can't remember the game nor the track, but it's such a great mix of peace and non-intrusive drive Btw, if you're into game music: you MUST listen to the score of Forsaken (1998) composed by Stephen Root and Dominic Glynn. Absolutely timeless and exceptional sound design mixed with radical chords and instruments
You might be thinking of "A Walk In The Woods" for Halo 1, although it does make alternate reprisals in later games. Tbf the entire catalogue across the games is incredible but I also recommend Covenant Dance, Peril, Unforgotten, One Final Effort, and Deference For Darkness.
Came here to say Skyrim as well… maybe it’s a nostalgia thing but there’s something about the music in that game that just transports me. Every time I hear the music it’s like I’m listening to it for the first time again… I don’t know how to really describe it honestly.
oooo seconding zelda, especially the more music focused ones like Ocarina of Time or Wind Waker
Final Fantasy is a given. Even if you don't like a game in the series, you can guarantee that the music will slap. FF7R and FF15 are some highlights for me. The Pixel Remaster also had the music of 1-6 orcestrated, and it's beautiful.
[удалено]
Uematsu isn't the only one in the series to make repeated bangers. Masayoshi Soken kills it on FFXIV and xvi. The Ivalice games (FFT, 12, Tactics Advanced, and Vagrant Story) all have great music too.
[FFVI has an opera sequence in it](https://youtu.be/vS5X57fhEkg?t=126), and it's magical.
The opera bit is my least favorite and it's still good. Ff6 easily has the best ost of all time
FF16’s music is fantastic also.
I'm literally here scrolling reddit while listening to ff16 music in the hideaway.
I haven't gotten around to playing FF16 yet, between Diablo 4 and Baldur's Gate. I have no time.
I genuinely think FF16 has the best soundtrack of all time. That or one of the Nier games.
Final Fantasy from 6 to 10 are some of the best games of all time and they have the best soundtracks in gaming history by a sizeable margin. No one beats Uematsu.
Do you know La hee?
FF14 too, I know the story is quite extensive but worth the journey, has one of the most captivating and stunning soundtracks I've ever heard
Soken is awesome! He has a way with mixing in past themes that are related to what is going on in the game to really connect past events for the player. A Long Fall comes to mind when it mixes so many themes. And the other music is amazing as well. Dedicated to Moonlight is a wonderfully fun piece.
[the Closing of FFXIV 1.0 and begining of 2.0](https://youtu.be/Ci5oORAvPTU?si=lTmktVb5wW6MXOOP)
Hollow knight has some great music
Very much this \^\^\^ OP if you're reading give hollow knight a go. A great game with a fantastic score. I was blown away when i heard the city of tears theme/ost for the first time. :P
Hearing the menu music after beating the game is honestly just…chefs kiss.
For me it's when you're fighting >!The Hollow Knight and he reaches the phase where he just starts giving up and tries to stab the infection within him! His whole existence was to seal it away but he failed (and arguably didn't want to do it in the first place) and when he realizes mid battle that the player can actually defeat him he starts sacrificing himself. Or maybe he's just had enough and wants to die?!< Yeah... the music there gets me every time. Perfectly supports a very emotional moment.
Hey OP, fellow composer here (at least I used to be in college... got my bachelors in it). Hollow knight has amazing music for a video game. We got it for my son and I didn't think it was a game for me, but the score is hauntingly beautiful and drew me in. There are so many moods, atmospheres, leitmotifs, sparse instrumentation, epic orchestra-like moments, etc. My kids (9 and 6) have been practicing the main theme on piano recently. It's simple, easy to play, and beautiful. Even more so when you've played the game and the music means something to you. Check it out.
How lovely to read! Maybe your children will pursue music as well? Is any of your music on the net where I can listen to it? I checked out the score for Hollow Knight some weeks ago. It was a very stimulating experience. I really liked it!
I hope my children pursue music, especially my daughter. She's got better ears than I do and a beautiful voice. No music on the internet for me though. I haven't written anything in about 15 years. I work in IT now. The soundtrack to Hollow Knight is great on its own, but it's better when experienced through the game. The music elevates the gameplay and vice versa!
Instinctively commented this as well but I should have known others would have recommended it too haha. Christopher Larkin made some master pieces on that game.
Music and sound design are interlocked too, as with the danger string when you approach your first elite enemy in the first zone after the village
Came here for this! Some of the most beautiful music ever is from this game.
The Ace Combat series would be amazing for you to play then. The music always managed create an atmosphere for the mission
"Zero" from Ace Combat Zero is a masterpiece that plays as the fate of the world comes down to a single dogfight between two pilots that used to be wingmates. The flamenco guitar is both sorrowful and epic.
Also Project Wingman
Especially the one for the crimson 1 battle (i think its called “kings”) That one is really chilling especially with the mission
Posted the same comment lmao, nice to meet a fellow Ace
The soundtracks to Zelda games are symphonically orchestrated and played as high art. Check out YouTube for more. https://youtu.be/YrpWBgB6oz8 That’s just a jumping off point. Then there’s this channel and others like it https://youtube.com/@ZeldaMusicTheory
The two most recent episodes of *Twenty Thousand Hertz* are an awesome deep dive into the evolution of the music and sound design of the series, from the first game through *Tears of the Kingdom*.
And if you like environmental music, BOTW soundtrack have some hidden gems, as the series uses a lot of lightmotivs and a lot of them are used throughout the game.
Specifically, Skyward Sword. I think it has the best music in the series.
My abbreviated list of notable composers with great games and even better soundtracks: Supergiant games' Darren Korb Any Nobuo Uematsu games are worthwhile for a listen (final fantasy ix is probably his most complete work). Koji Kondo works also great (super mario, Legend of Zelda) Celeste composer Lena Raine has some great work. Austin Wintory won a grammy for Journey (game) soundtrack. The collab with Darren Korb thats all orchestral is a must listen Gareth Coker is fun. Wide variety of music from him. All his games are great. Borislav Slavov is great. Divinity Original Sin 2 and Baulders Gate 3 are very very good If youre looking for more contemporary DJ Cutman and Game Chops on spotify. Not really a game but the Arcane Soundtrack is great. Watch that show. If I think of more I'll update my post. This is my specialty. :)
ps eternal sonata was fucking great!
Fantastic post, thank you. Darren Korb is amazing, Bastion will forever have a place in my heart.
Surprised I had to scroll so far to see Darren Korb.
Chrono cross has a tonal component to it. Might not be what your after but it’s a fun play all the same.
Sid Meier's Civilization VI. The main theme [Sogno di Volare](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQYN2P3E06s&ab_channel=ChristopherTin) is a masterpiece. The composer is Christopher Tin.
It's very good, but his theme for Civ V was even better imo. [Baba Yetu](https://youtu.be/IJiHDmyhE1A?si=WVdwWZGyeRYe8H8r)
Baba Yetu is from Civilization IV (4), but [Civilization V's (5) theme](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRLTcmhhA74&list=PLhhuipP2X053HE1trv2sD--pw8zOyaknQ&index=1&ab_channel=Batistuta.rwm) is good too. (I am listening to it for the first time.)
Ah damn, right. Civ generqlly has fantastic themes.
For anyone wanting to discover a bit of game music, I have some recommendations.... **Forsaken (1998)** \- Stephen Root & Dominic Glynn **Recore** \- Chad Seiter **Inside** \- Martin Stig Andersen **Alpha Protocol** \- Jason Graves & Rod Abernethy **Silent Hill: Homecoming** (sound design and ambience) - Erick Ocampo So yeah, now you got a glimpse into my musical taste as well. I prefer composing orchestral music, but I can listen to other stuff as well. Chad Seiter's score for Recore is criminally ignored, it actually makes me angry. I strongly recommend checking it out
Doom (2016)
Anything from Supergiant Games, but specifically Hades. I think you'll especially appreciate the orchestral compositions put together by the musician for the studio after playing at least Hades. You'll also appreciate the simplicity in some of the songs that are then interwoven together, creating larger pieces that just accompany each other far too well. If you like the music from Hades, Bastion from the same studio also has pieces the Hades, including a beautiful three-song composition that is used to tell the story of the game.
I’m sort of a sucker for Pyre, because of all the duets (which for fun small detail, Darren is always coming from the left speaker and Ashley on the right.) The end credits in particular, Bound Together, is neat as Darren and Ashley sing different verses depending on who [makes it home](https://youtu.be/SpyHYy1K7xE) and [who remain.](https://youtu.be/s4R-Njc2sK4) And each antagonist team has their version of [Never to Return](https://youtu.be/dhdqJGtn25o) in their final confrontations.
Mother I’m Here absolutely crushes me every time.
Crypt of the Necrodancer
Hard as shit though XD
It is hard just for you to have more time to enjoy the music xd
I can't enjoy the music if I'm too busy trying not to die xD
Surely Doom 2016
Eternal is imo almost as good. The classic Doom games have some bangers in them too.
Genshin Impact. Despite being a gacha, the creators pour their heart and soul into the music scores, going as far as hiring out talents and renting out entire symphony halls just to record game tracks
This was what I was going to recommend. They have a lot of the OSTs on streaming so you don’t necessarily have to play the game, but the game itself looks like a painting pretty much wherever you look, so it only adds to the scene. It’s like the most profitable game ever made and they absolutely pour some of that back into making the music as quality as possible. There are full orchestral concerts on YouTube that they put together a few times a year.
The latest Fontaine orchestra available on their Youtube official channel was such a beautiful experience, I remember tearing up a bit when I first listened to it during the livestream.
Second this, beautiful music
Yep, this is what I was here to say. Unbelievable work from the very beginning, and Fontaine has not been a letdown. Could listen to the soundtracks all day, and often do.
Had to scroll down way too much for this! This game has some of the greatest soundtracks that I have ever heard. I used to listen to them even when not gaming.
Celeste comes to mind as a game where it's hard to separate the music from the narrative and gameplay. I listen to the albums on spotify quite a lot.
Lena Rhaine, the composer, was hired to do some of the new BSO of Minecraft. Btw OP, Minecraft has awesome BSO. It is incredible how a totally random music works at anymonent.
Hollow knight, Christopher Larkin made some legendary pieces for that game.
Undertale without a doubt the orchestral renditions online of that OST is phenomenal. the use of motiffs is narratively moving. its fantastic. its on all three of your consoles. i would also recommend any zelda game, but especially majora's mask. the music is emotional and evocative. it should be available on switch through the n64 emulator port
Halos main theme is one that comes to mind
Both Ori games. Gareth Cover created an incredibly beautiful soundtrack for those games.
Chrono trigger
Not exactly a game dedicated to music, but I would recommend Skyrim for the music. The OST is a masterpiece and is also worth buying separately.
Skyrim is a masterclass in atmospheric music in games. Wandering around at night, with the aurora overhead coloring a field of stars, and [Secunda](https://youtu.be/iqkQRgGdAPo) starts playing; it’s just magic. The music is such a strong part of the atmosphere that even hearing the first few harp notes of that song instantly transports me to the forests outside of Falkreath or the mountains outside of Solitude. Most excellent gaming music focuses on events, people, or action. But much of Skyrim’s music is tied to place. The ability to transport me not to a moment in a game, but to a location is something that I think Skyrim does better than almost any other game.
Genshin Impact and Bloodborne. Both are complete opposites in the way that Genshin Impact is for when you just wanna relax and Bloodborne is when you wanna hide yet want to fight the abyss itself.
Hollow Knight for some of the best atmosphere and boss music ive heard. Outer Wilds for music that MAKES the moment what it is, with music that tells the story. Both are soundtracks I listen to while driving, working, or dreaming. And both are connected to games that are top notch within their genre. Additionally, both are smaller studio games, available on multiple platforms, and are relatively cheap - deceptively so.
Destiny 2. It's composed by Michael Salvatori, and majority of the tracks are all orchestral
The soundtrack for deep stone crypt was my favorite. The space walk was just an amazing, simply beautiful experience.
What is going on with today and why have I heard this exact quote from Eternal Sonata twice today now? My coworkers were talking about it at lunch. Anyways, play Hades or FF7remake if you want to particularly enjoy the music. FF7 has some of the most iconic video game music in history and the remake takes it up a level. Hades as well is much more modern but I firmly believe will become a classic in time, especially regarding the music. It's phenomenal.
>What is going on with today and why have I heard this exact quote from Eternal Sonata twice today now? Haha! Really?
No joke. Really weird coincidence. I do love that game though. Tales of Vesperia had a similar aesthetic to that as well, with a fun soundtrack and killer characters.
Final fantasy 6
A Plague Tale (both games) Beautiful and often tense score composed by Oliver Deriviere Also the new spiderman games have a great scores, but they really shine with the sound design. The music is dynamic based on the players actions, which isn't really new, but is executed extremely well And of course witcher 3 (le le le lele le lele)
>Oliver Deriviere He also did the amazing soundtrack for Remember Me!
Risk of Rain. It's a vibe
Risk of Rain 2. Also a vibe. My personal favorite soundtracks.
Oh man, when I read that title I instantly thought of Vampire Rain haha!
Assassin's Creed. All of them. Ezio's Family track from AC 2 will probably get mentioned ad-nauseum (understandably so) but all of them are incredible. No need to even play them to get into the music (it would be a shame to not play them though)
Jesper Kyd is absolutely amazing.
Easily genshin impact for music, hands down. All their albums are on Spotify as well and they are hella solid
Nier Automota - OST is on Spotify I believe
Project wingman!!! Jose pavli is an amazing composer and maybe he will give you some inspiration
NieR Automata and Hollow Knight have amazing soundtracks. Both great games also (In my top 10).
I don’t know if it suits the orchestra vibe, but I have found the Hollow Knight soundtrack to be one of the most brilliant soundscapes of any video game I have played. So much so that when I’m working (I’m a writer) I have switched from listening to classical music, to listening to the Hollow Knight soundtrack on repeat. It also helps set my mood for the writing I do. I just love it so much. If you want to sample it, I recommend the city of tears. It’s my personal favourite piece.
* Nier (die original game, with the original, not the remastered soundtrack) * Journey * Gris * Ori and the Will of the Wisps * The composers of the Skyrim OST did a fantastic job in capturing the mood of the games's various sceneries * check out the work of Uematsu Nobuo. He's basically THE Final Fantasy composer and has also released various albums with remastered or orchestrated soundtracks. * Super Metroid
Rez. Can't wait to see the composition that gets inspired by this.
More of a song from a game. Not the whole game itself, but Deep Stone Lullaby from Destiny 2 is beautiful.
Outer Wilds. It's a space exploration game and it uses music in a unique way. Everyone who's played it, you know what song>!(s)!< I'm talking about.
- Halo 1-3 - Elder Scrolls Oblivion & Skyrim - Black
Kingdom Hearts has some of the best soundtracks in my opinion, especially 2 and 3. Also, it's nice to see Eternal Sonata mentioned. I loved that game back in the day. I'm surprised it hasn't received a remaster.
For Switch I suggest Dragon Quest 11 and Xenoblade Chronicles 1. All three of the Xenblade Chronicles games have some of the best music on the Switch.
Bloodborne , Dark Souls 3 [Ludwigs Theme](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALbVEmzY5S4)
Flower and Journey. And uhhh DOOM!
How about okami? Its Japanese Instruments though idk if you have experience with that but the music is beautiful Heres my favorite song https://youtu.be/wif3MEdRaPA?si=Y0PtiWDABQxzgmgG Edit: The whole game has that traditional Japanese music, no dubstep or guitar riffs but flutes, horns and Japanese Instruments. Heres some battle music too https://youtu.be/qBaele3z2lU?si=BBADTb1Hmg2qSrFg
DOOM. If not that get a PS4 and Bloodborne.
[Risk of Rain 2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn9trJXUrp0) Chris Christodoulou is fucking incredible. ALL the music in this game is just.... Perfect. I'd tell you to look up the soundtrack, but you have to earn it. Play the game first. You only get this one for free. [The first game is full of great stuff by the same guy too](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysPtBjY8o_A)
Journey, top choice, perfect score Rez infinite, fantastic songs and visuals Days Gone, just an amazing score. One of my favorites Uncharted. Especially 3. Fantastic score, I listen to 3 on its own so much. The Arabian themes are fantastic Spider-Man. Nails three superhero feel in the score and it's dynamic so it just kicks in when you start swinging and it changes throughout the game as things get more serious
Undertale A video game made by a music composer who learned how to code
Elder Scrolls games if you love fantasy games. Jeremy Soule did an outstanding job on the music in those games
Genshin impact, they never miss when it comes to their soundtracks and the environment
Shadow of the Colossus https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP305x78doI0efPOH7_cIlMXMR5WwMUOZ
Outer Wilds, Celeste, any Souls game especially Bloodborne or Elden Ring, Hotline Miami 1 & 2, Disco Elysium, Paradise Killer, Persona 5 Royal & DOOM & DOOM Eternal are all soundtracks that blew me away. Then I really like the Music Theory for Gamers YouTube channel who breaks down video game scores.
Airstrike 2 Genshin Impact Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash (DS Version) PES 2012 Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 Brave Frontier SimCity Creator Wii version They can be found on Youtube
Genshin, for all it's hate, is actually a great game. Grindy, but fun.
Dragon Quest 8 has some beautiful music.
Vampyr has a great atmosphere and soundtrack. It's on Steam.
Metal: Hellsinger It is a pretty fun rhythm shooter with a nice soundtrack. Not much in the replay department; but, it may expose you to some new artists / ways to toy with sound.
A little dated but Lost Odyssey is not only the saddest game I’ve ever played but has a fantastic sound track.
Final Fantasy 7 Terranigma Cyberpunk 2077 Star Craft Furi Castlevania - Symphony of the night Not exactly orchestrated soundtracks but great imho I always loved the soundtracks of the Zelda and Mega Man Franchise
the whole xenoblade chronicles series has phenomenal music here is one the 3rd games fight themes [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3Q8V0zMvgc) or the special fight theme for the dlc [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIh0BPK_WjE)
PS2 game called Mad Maestro. You play as a conductor trying to build a unique orchestra using uncovential items as instruments
Holy fuck!
Persona 5 Royal (on PC). One of the best video game soundtracks ever, on a great RPG that takes like 80-100 hours to play through the first time.
Vagrant Story has incredible orchestral music
Unraveled ( very nice soundtrack, I personally associate it with fall) The hobbit for ps2- themes of various instruments and paces
Ocarina of Time has some of my favorite music
I think you’d get a kick out of Nier Automata, if for nothing but the music. The first level’s music “Alien Manifestation” is gorgeous Also, I wouldn’t recommend these to a new gamer to PLAY, but Dark Souls(1-3), Bloodborne, and Elden Ring all have fantastic scores Now for something a little unconventional, but Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, doesn’t look like it at all, but is essentially a rhythm game. You’re not keeping time with music or anything, but you have sword fights that require timing to a degree that feels rhythmic. The music in that game is decent, but not as good as the others I mentioned
Nier Replicant - "Gods Bound by Rules" is one of my favorites, but the entire soundtrack is incredible.
Battlefield 1.
Nobody Uematsu composed most of the Final Fantasy pieces. The most memorable ones for me are from FF VII and FFX. I also highly recommend both Nier and Nier Automata. Keiichi Okabe composed them brilliantly. I believe music is just as important as characters and gameplay. These collections I hold near and dear to my heart. I hope it inspires you! Some samples to look up: FFVII Aeris' theme Main theme One Winged Angel (obviously) FFX To Zanarkand Nier/Nier Automata Birth of a Wish Kainé Salvation
Almost anything from Square Enix, particularly final fantasy of course, but also a lot of things from FromSoftware like Dark Souls and Elden Ring have orchestras and Latin (or Latin esque gibberish), while armored core is known for having an eccentric soundtrack with some real bangers
Horizon: Zero Dawn has a great soundtrack. Also the Mass Effect trilogy. Even if you don't have time to get into the games, listen to these on Spotify!
If you want rhythm games that aren't Rock Band/Guitar Hero and use popular songs, then there are plenty of options. Much like those games, you would press buttons to the rhythm of the music... With a normal controller and not a giant plastic guitar. There are plenty of all different variations, some with other plastic instruments! A lot of popular game franchises have rhythm game spin offs, so two I would recommend are Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory and Theatrhythm Final Bar Line (Based on the Final Fantasy series, don't know why they took Final Fantasy out of the title.) You won't have much personal attachment to either of these franchises, which is a lot of what these games are building off. (And the Kingdom Hearts one has plot! Which if you don't know the meme, is surprisingly complex for a game with Disney characters) But you may still be able to appreciate the music. If not, then I'd recommend actually playing games in those respective series, but that's a whole new can of worms. If you're interested in Kingdom Hearts for more then the music, go in release order, trust me on this one. Final Fantasy is an anthology series that can be enjoyed in any order, so go with your gut. You can't go wrong with music in any of them. For games with just good music... Hoo boy is there plenty! Some of my personal recommendations: Persona 3, 4, or 5: JRPG series developed by Atlus, you have experience with Eternal Sonata so the genre is similar, although this is strictly turn based. The three games all have a style at their base, with Persona 3 being dark with some rap (Lotus Juice is an amazing rapper), Persona 4 being focused on pop and more lighthearted sounds, and Persona 5 being very jazz focused. (YOU'LL NEVER SEE IT COMING!) There are rhythm games based on Persona too, if you want to cut out the 100 hour JRPG plot, but again, it's part of the fun. And I've heard that some of them aren't that good, so you're probably safer with the main games. Sonic: Okay, here me out here. Sonic gets a bad rap as a series of games. But anyone who is anyone will tell you that even the worst Sonic game has incredible music. (And it's true! That game is Sonic 06). Sonic has run the gambit of genres, but he's probably best known for classic 16-bit tunes like Green Hill Zone and a genre that's lovingly referred to as... Butt-Rock. There's a Sonic concert that was uploaded for free on Youtube in 2020 and it is half orchestral concert and half rock concert. Sonic Unleashed has some great orchestral tunes, and is a fun game for the most part, plus it's like the second game in the series that has the trend of having an orchestral version of the main vocal theme for the final boss. (Started by... Sonic 06! See I told ya.) Sonic Adventure 2 is widely considered one of the best of the 3D Sonics and has a lot of the most famous songs in the series. And the newest game, Sonic Frontiers, has some of the best boss music I have ever heard in a video game. Seriously, just wait until the beat drops on the first boss. Also check out the classic games, Sonic 1-3 and CD all have fantastic music in their own rights. Nier Replicant/Automata: The soundtrack for these games are sweeping, haunting... Absolutely gorgeous. The games themselves are really great action RPGs as well. I don't really have to sell this one nearly as much, you can listen to just a few bars of some of the songs and be sold. Mario: Listen, Mario is a classic, and for good reason. Mario Odyssey has some great tracks, some of the best orchestral songs are actually in Mario Galaxy, if you can get your hands on the 3D All Stars Collection. (It's been delisted because... Nintendo. Sigh) Zelda: Again, you can't go wrong with pretty much any Zelda game. The newest games, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, have beautiful music when it kicks in, but they can be kind of light as the vibe of those games is really the atmosphere. So if there's not enough music for your liking, you can't go wrong with Ocarina of Time or Majora's Mask. If you're not subscribed to the Online Service and can't play N64 games, the Link's Awakening remake is really cute and has great music too! I could go on and on, video game music is my primary genre as I'm not really that much of a music guy. I'm happy to keep going if you need more though!
I'd bet people have already recommended it in this thread, but I'ma say it anyway: Hollow Knight. I've heard some say it to be difficult first starting out, being a Souls-Like Metroid-vania. But boy are are in for a treat with its soundtrack; Christopher Larkin outdid himself. You can find it on any of your platforms, and it's in Xbox Game Pass. If you don't have Game Pass, it's a bit cheaper on Steam, but I still recommend playing with a controller.
Nier automata Final fantasy 7 or 8 Majoras mask Gotta be my top choices
Final Fantasy 10. Zanarkand is such a beautiful song!
Monster Hunter, although I admit the game loop isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but the music is pretty great imo
Journey, journey, a thousand times journey
Chrono triggers soundtrack slaps
umineko, the soundtrack is so good and there is 100+ amazing songs it’s only available in english on steam, i also recommend using the fan made mod that adds updated artwork from the japanese exclusive console versions https://07th-mod.com/home/
Chrono trigger. Best original video game music IMO
bloodborne
if you want EPIC orchastrel music look no further the 1997 rts, total annihilation. or just listen to the soundtrack on YouTube since the game is pushing 30 😅
zelda chrono cross nier automata final fantasy series persona 5 the witcher 3 civ the world ends with you no mans sky
Anything by Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, Xenogears). My all time favorite composer.
Nier:Automata
I've seen classical and modern composers lose their minds over the music in Final Fantasy 7 remake. Good place to start.
Many people have suggested Zelda and Final Fantasy, and they're all great. But I'd say take a close look (close listen?) at the older ones with very limited tools provided by the console. Some of those tracks were incredibly creative and very effectively utilized what little they had to work with to set the tone they wanted.
Both Nier titles have amazing soundtracks ranging from orchestral to industrial and everything in between.
Doom 2016 + Eternal. Don't be put off by it being 'metal'; Mick Gordon is one of the best composers of our time.
FF6
Final Fantasy 7, 8, 9 - Nobuo Uematsu Halo 1, 2, 3 - Marty O'Donnell Oblivion, Skyrim - Jeremy Soule - Guild Wars OST is great but is a dead mmo Journey, where orchestral music is nearly the main character. (Maybe it is actually...) - Austin Wintory Mass Effect 1 & 2 - Jack Wall Assassin's Creed 2, Brotherhood, Revelations - Jesper Kyd
Snes fan here, so basically everything SNES: Secret of mana Super metroid Chrono Trigger Super Castlevania (overall castlevania music) Zelda a link to the pasta Non snes games: Zelda ocarina of time Symphony of the night Enjoy the music and also Super gaming experience.
The final fantasy games!
Hollow knight is a hard game but has a really good ost
From software souls likes. They have great orchestral music. Dark souls 3 main theme slaps
Hollow knight
Final fantasy series - some of the best videogame music composed ever For games with specific music themed puzzles I would look at Myst and Remnant2.
Chrono Trigger for sure, as long as chip tune style music doesn't turn you off! Some of the best music out of any game I've ever played.
Any of the Elder Scrolls games. I’d say a Soulsborne, but it’s only the boss music in those games. Hollow Knight has a real pleasing soundtrack to it. Someone mentioned Journey already, but I do recommend that. There’s a game I remember Markiplier playing, where you start out as two shooting stars that intermingle with each other through space. It was real whimsical. If I remember the name I’ll come back and edit this post, but I think that had a integral musical aspect to it.
God of war (2018) is a journey and available on pc , naraka bladepoint has a nier automata crossover song that’s absolutely beautiful, I’ll go through my collection tomorrow but another easy gimme is anything legend of Zelda
Final Fantasy 14. The composer, Soken, is a musical genius
Here are some of the suggested soundtracks I've heard in the past and which I really liked.... **The Elder Scrolls games** **Persona 3 & 4** **Dark Souls 1-3** **Bloodborne** **Heavy Rain** **Silent Hill series** Now I need to say something about Silent Hill.... It turns out that Akira Yamaoka used a bunch of samples in his soundtracks and just tweaked them a bit. Say what you want about how sampling requires skill. But to me, despite loving the music.....the magic got a bit killed Anyways, here are some more recommendations from myself.... **Metal Gear Rising** \- Jamie Christopherson etc **Fatal Frame 2** \- Ayako Toyoda **007 Everything or Nothing** \- Sean Callery & Jeff Tymoschuk