At the end of December, many of us are seized by a fever called “summing up the results of the outgoing year.”. It manifests itself differently for everyone – whether we remember the most significant events in our personal lives, the most outstanding gaming achievements, or, in extreme cases, scroll through the list of our most annoying mistakes. The truth is that here – at Stopgame – we are infected with that form of the disease that forces us again and again to choose the best from a varied list of games – according to one or another parameter. And while everyone is waiting with bated breath for a New Year’s gift in the form of timely results on the site, I’m sure that many of you have already chosen your favorites a long time ago, and not all of them were honored to be included in the voting list.
For me, one of the most underrepresented categories has always been and continues to be "Best Soundtrack". Music in the gaming industry is only gaining momentum and increasingly, along with the visual component, it works to reveal both the plot and the world as a whole. At the same time, it is worth thinking about whether we always fairly judge the musical component of the game, calling the soundtrack the best in its entirety. What if the best, top ones in it are only individual compositions, and all the rest… just work well for the game, but are not remembered as such?
Of course, musical preferences are largely subjective. The best compositions for everyone can also be different. Therefore, I warn you at the very beginning that this blog does not pretend to any unambiguous objectivity in terms of tastes, however, he aims to reveal the diversity of objectively high-quality soundtracks. And while everyone has their own tastes (including me), that’s okay—after all, you’re sure to find something you like on this list.
The blog is almost New Year’s, so why not, in addition, cheer yourself up and try to imagine what kind of festive leisure time this or that soundtrack could decorate for us??
RiME (by David Garcia Diaz)
Suitable for a romantic New Year’s date with plush bouquets and fireworks.
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Spend this New Year with your other half. Just the two of you – like a brave prince and his magical fox. And let the gentle orchestral waves of the soundtrack RiME will take you to the sun-warmed shore, where apple trees grow and guiding lights shine. Put together this long bridge of snowflakes over the abyss, and the path to the unknown will open for you.
RiME is a touching puzzle game whose landscapes are vaguely reminiscent of last year’s The Last Guardian, but what’s different about the lost prince game is that it’s much more colorful, lighter, and has a much smaller and more harmless companion than the giant meat-eating Trico (though they’re both still cute). Matching the world of the game is the music, which at the right moments can both sound like a quiet piano accompaniment and add to the drama with an intensifying crescendo of the entire orchestra. And the main song, which sounds here in two versions – a fragile girl’s and a soulful woman’s – is a lullaby that completes the story and plunges you into pleasant and colorful dreams.
The Evil Within 2 (by Masatoshi Yanagi and Shuichi Kobori)
Suitable for a family trip to a cozy winter town with the residence of Father Frost.
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New Year’s tales can be different, including gloomy ones. This is especially known to those who are familiar with the holiday stories of Hans Christian Andersen, in which the heroes most often cruelly pay for a moment of happiness – sometimes even illusory. What if everything you now know about the world is just a lie?? Are you ready to cope with such a severe test and save loved ones who are in danger in a quiet town??
Soundtrack The Evil Within 2 can be mentally divided into two unequal parts. The first is ambient for the surrounding world and its exploration, which is very difficult to listen to apart from the game, because it was hardly initially adapted to such a condition. And the second part consists of unusual arrangements of classical music and old songs, which turn out to be the most memorable and significant core of the soundtrack. The artist’s theme is etched into the memory almost immediately, but how many more times will it be heard in the game?? In addition, the logo of the series has not gone away – "Moonlight" by Debussy, only now his tune sometimes frightens with interference and deliberately spoiled sound quality.
Ken Follett’s The Pillars Of The Earth (by Tilo Alpermann)
Suitable for a fantasy board game accompanied by champagne with chocolate dogs.
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Composer Thilo Alpermann, working on music for studio games Daedalic Entertainment (for example, he wrote the soundtracks for Night of the Rabbit and the second part of the game Whispered World), created a strong cinematic soundtrack for the game adaptation of Ken Follett’s novel “The Pillars of the Earth” about medieval intrigues and the construction of a cathedral. Alpermann’s music was performed by the Prague Symphony Orchestra, and it is impossible not to fall in love with this beauty of sound from the very first notes. The themes of the main characters, as well as certain locations – for example, Kingsbridge or Shiring – are clearly individual and emphatically emotional at the right moments. There is also a male abbey church choir (including one singing the “12th century version”) and an absolutely touching song based on verses from Follett’s book itself (The Lark in the Hunter’s Net).
In my opinion, compared to the soundtrack of the British series of the same name, Alpermann’s work is definitely more expressive and characterful.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (by Mick Gordon & Martin Stig Andersen)
Perfect for holiday shopping on the last evening of December.
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Universe compositions Wolfenstein, starting with New Order, for objective reasons they are doomed to success and special attention from players and music lovers, be it the soundtrack to a full-fledged part or individual songs to add-ons. The whole secret is in the power of the instrumental, next to which even my beloved brutal one fades Bulletstorm, as well as in unique “Nazi” arrangements of songs by famous groups (the most famous example is Die Kafer like german version The Beatles). In a world dominated by Nazi Germany, everything must be authentic – including good music.
Soundtrack Mick Gordon to Wolfenstein – this is your personal armored exoskeleton in which you can repel any shelling and look irresistible 24 hours a day.
Cuphead (by Kristofer Maddigan)
Suitable for especially energetic dancers for a retro themed party with blackjack and cups.
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About wonderful music Cuphead – a game https://casinolustcasino.co.uk/bonus/ created with love for the classic popular school of animation – it seems that everything that could be said has already been said. The developers themselves have posted a number of videos dedicated to the creative process, including the work of a real big band on recording the soundtrack. The game is truly entirely made by hand – from the picture to the sound, and this gives it a special shine, even uniqueness in comparison with something else.
The biggest lesson we learned in Cuphead is that any deal with the Devil is indeed fraught with dire consequences and mental suffering, which cannot be eliminated until you have the courage to show up at the owner’s office and cast him back to the underworld. Therefore, friends, be careful when challenging someone to a competition – be it gambling, skiing or speed-cooking New Year’s Olivier.
Finding Paradise (Kan Gao, feat. Laura Shigihara & RIOTxRYKER)
Suitable for intimate toasts and gift giving under the New Year tree.
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Do you already know what words you will say to your loved ones at the New Year’s table?? Will it be a banal set of wishes that you give them every winter without any success, or this time you want to remember something from your own childhood or even the childhood of one of your family members? Be careful – the fate of the entire festive night can depend on one carelessly dropped word.
In my previous blog (review Finding Paradise) I briefly mentioned how inexpressive in comparison with previous works Kana Gao I thought the new soundtrack was amazing and what a wonderful lifeline the song was Laura Shigihara at the end of the story. But now I still include this playlist in my list of the best of the past year, because it seems to me that despite all the secondary and unmemorable nature of many compositions, the game’s soundtrack is still beautiful, because it contains themes from the same Bird Story And To The Moon, and sometimes they sound a little different, and sometimes just as catchy as they did a few years ago. The themes of the fights also sound rich and reminiscent of musical compositions from some famous fighting games. In addition, in addition to the final song, the Finding Paradise soundtrack contained another great song, which for some reason was never included in the game itself. And how can I forget about the wonderful treatment of the theme from "The Godfather"!
What Remains of Edith Finch (by Jeff Russo)
Suitable for a leisurely walk down the street on the morning of January 1.
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It’s also unusual for you to hear this silence? The snow creaks so loudly under your feet – it seems that your steps can now be heard all over the street. But you just decided to start a new life and went for a morning jog, or… went to the nearest grocery store to make sparkling jokes about last year’s bread. Wait, why is there no one in the grocery store?? The whole city dies out in the morning at the beginning of the year, or something??
Ringtones What Remains of Edith Finch matches the stories in the game – just as short and piercing. The musical environment in the game maximizes the drama of what is happening and immerses the viewer in a state of hopeless melancholy. Composer, also known as the composer of the television series soundtrack "Fargo", does his job methodically and consistently. As a result, the game’s charming soundtrack still lacks some main spark, and the best melody, which belongs to the missing boy artist, is terribly short and generally repeats the motif of the main theme from the studio’s previous game – The Unfinished Swan.
Pyre (by Darren Korb feat. Ashley Barrett
Suitable for tricks with tangerines and wandering around other people’s houses with Christmas carols.
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As you know, the feature of music and songs in games Supergiant Games is that they are an integral part of the narrative, and without knowledge of the translations of Zia and Zulf’s songs in Bastion or even more so Red’s songs Transistor the player inevitably loses a piece of the plot. The next trick is that the developers always find the opportunity to integrate most of the musical compositions as an element of the objective world of the game (the gramophone in Bastion and the music player in the “relaxation room” from Transistor). IN Pyre the function of the playlist keeper is taken on by a minstrel in a carriage, which takes us from one location to another – and this is perhaps the most romantic option to date. In addition, the musical range of the game is increased due to additional arrangements with the participation of the so-called White Lute And Black Mandolin, which the developers released in the form of two more albums.
As a result, this iridescent gypsy soundtrack is remarkable for almost everyone; it is again recognizable and memorable from the first seconds (it’s even difficult to find a game composer with an even more recognizable style than Darren Korb), and its only drawback, in my subjective opinion, is that it now has too little vocals Ashley Barrett!
Life is Strange: Before the Storm (by Daughter)
Suitable for youthful hooliganism at a work corporate party.
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After the release of the first trailer Before the Storm indie band members Daughter woke up famous. The trailer song, taken from their album released in 2015, turned out to be a powerful stimulant that breathed a significant amount of life into the trailer (to be honest, it’s not that outstanding) and made us wait for the release of the game, and at the same time its soundtrack. And we were rewarded in full for our wait.
Daughter’s soundtrack cranked up the tension in the prequel’s key sequences to the maximum possible level and created exactly the mood of teenage rebellion we’ve been waiting for from Chloe Price. This music is freedom-loving and rebellious, perhaps to a much greater extent than the music in the original Life is Strange, and truly reflects the inner world of the heroine, and is not just her ideal playlist for the bus. In my opinion, the authors of the original soundtrack did a solid job. But, besides the music and songs of Daughter, the game contains compositions by other musical groups, and all of them fit into the overall picture in one way or another, especially the song that is heard at the concert in the first episode.
With the soundtrack to Life is Strange: Before the Storm, you really want to do some crazy things and jump on departing trains, but it’s one thing to shout about your impulses to random passers-by, and another thing to actually do it. Don’t be afraid to regain your youth in this way?
Old Man’s Journey (by scntfc)
Suitable for a New Year’s cruise on a motor ship chasing the Northern Lights.
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A journey that offers the player Old Man’s Journey, lacks teenage impulse and doesn’t encourage us to start fires in public places or jump off cliffs. However, you’ll need a different kind of courage here. For example, the courage to return to loved ones whom you once left for the elusive ghosts of wanderings, and look them in the eyes. Courage to admit your mistakes, but not to despair, but to find the strength to continue living for the sake of your loved ones.
Old Man’s Journey is a short indie game with simple puzzles based on a single mechanic that you will have to use from the beginning to the end of the game, but the beauty is that it doesn’t get boring. The story ends quickly and leaves a bitter aftertaste mixed with thoughts about your own life. This game has a wonderful soundtrack that lasts for an hour, which is a bit long for such a small game. But the environment in this world is indeed constantly replenished with new melodies, and each location sounds different, but sounds equally airy and mixed with nostalgia. The music from Old Man’s Journey somehow reminded me of one of my favorite game soundtracks Sailor’s Dream, and this is great – because I can mix them and enjoy my vacation on a sea vessel twice as long!
Last Day of June (by Steven Wilson)
Suitable for moving to a new location on the eve of life changes.
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At first there was only a video for the rocker’s song Steve Wilson Drive Home, directed in 2013 Jessica Cope. The game, released last year, became a direct successor to this clip and told the full story of what was happening, with the addition of new characters. IN Last Day of June Wilson’s compositions from various years were collected: from the early 2000s until 2015. This is a special case when the concept of the entire game was built around the personality of the musician and his creativity. But the positive side of this fable is that the game did not focus on just songs. On the contrary, words were removed from them as much as possible, and Wilson’s music even sounded somehow different.
The Last Day of June soundtrack is an example of friendship between professional musicians and the gaming industry, and this image offers very tempting prospects for the development of game soundtracks.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (by Andy LaPlegua, David Garcia Diaz)
Suitable for daily battle with sleep demons in the name of a productive New Year’s holiday.
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Soundtrack in Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is as good as the overall concept of the game, the image and acting of the main character, and most importantly, it really gives you goosebumps. Music in combination with those same inner voices “that should only be listened to with headphones” has an even stronger effect. The world of sounds guides the player through the Scandinavian world of the dead on an equal basis with the visual environment, and sometimes even more so than it. And the crowning glory of the soundtrack is an amazing song from the final battle, which will certainly remain in your memory, and you will not find peace until you find it on the Internet together with the performer.
But if we still talk about most of the soundtrack, excluding the brightest compositions, then they, of course, again primarily work for the game and outside of it they become difficult to perceive. But we are talking about game soundtracks, where, of course, they have the main function first, and then the rest. Therefore, without personal corrections, the soundtrack to Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is objectively gorgeous.
Sometimes my absentee love for a particular game begins with its soundtrack. In past years, this has happened with Bastion, Skyrim, Pillars of Eternity, and even the simple mobile game Sailor’s Dream. Therefore, it would be right to admit that the last three playlists captivated me apart from the games and took their place on this list not entirely honestly, but this once again proves that many excellent game soundtracks can work outside the environment as full-fledged musical works.
Nier: Automata (by Okabe Keiichi)
Suitable for a festive battle with your home PC, hugging yesterday’s jellied meat.
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Of course, the best holiday leisure has the most worthy soundtrack!
Musical accompaniment Nier: Automata was appreciated by the gaming community and critics, as a result of which the game received the Game Awards 2017 for “Best Soundtrack”. And this is a more than deserved reward. Japanese Okabe Keiichi did an impressive job – the Nier: Automata soundtrack features strong choral parts, divinely epic orchestral themes – all combined with electronic elements and traditional Japanese motifs. This music makes your head spin as soon as you get close to it. It’s hard for me to even imagine how much stronger the soundtrack is perceived in the context of the game itself. But I can assume that it creates the lion’s share of the entire fantastic atmosphere. By the way, the full sound list contains 6 hours of music, and I won’t risk inserting it here, making do with one of the excellent selections, which is quite enough for a first impression.
According to the composer, he himself and the game developers, including the development manager and producer, took part in the recording of one of the choral parts. By the way, I still haven’t found this composition and I would be very grateful to anyone who can help me with this.
Upd. Found
Syberia 3 (by Inon Zur)
Suitable for hiking in the mountains for snow ostriches and frosty kebabs.
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The old “Siberia” has long since disappeared without a trace, and the new Kate Walker seems to us like a stranger who came out of nowhere and for some reason took someone else’s name for herself. And I feel sorry for this crooked world, and it’s a shame for the story, which for many players was one of the main things in their childhood or youth, and now it negates itself.
But, no matter how everyone around scolded the third part Syberia, no one has the guts to throw in a soundtrack created by an Israeli composer Inon Zur. Thanks to his work it became a little better and Fallout 4, where the music sometimes tries to knock out a stingy tear from you. In the melodies of Syberia 3, tangible ethnic motifs fuel the spirit of adventure and adventurism, and also give a feeling of extraordinary lightness. And who will stop you from leaving the house right now and going towards the main adventure of your life, as Kate once did??
Ruiner (by Sidewalks and Skeletons, Zamilska)
Suitable for finding your motivation from Monday January 1st to start a new life in this damn incomprehensible world.
I have the least to say about this soundtrack, because I discovered it later than all the others. This is definitely a very cool collaboration and an unusually revealed theme of cyberpunk electronic music, promising a harsh game world and battles for survival in it. At certain moments it relaxes, and at other times it tenses your muscles and colors the space even outside the monitor. With this soundtrack, it seems to me that it is very easy to look into the future and try to guess your place in it.
Of course, this list is inevitably limited by the author’s horizons, and therefore nothing prevents you (yes, you!) supplement the proposed music library with your favorite soundtracks. And please share your leisure experience according to one of the schemes proposed above.
I wish all of us that the next year will be no less rich in great games and great game soundtracks!
Upd. I would like to express my gratitude to the user Umakiro for his help in eliminating the technical collapse of this blog.