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The Nostalgia-Free Best Soundtracks in Gaming

2

Posts

  • ArchsorcererArchsorcerer Registered User regular
    edited July 2013
    I love Grandia II but I didn't keep up with Noriyuki Iwadare's work since then.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrKd_MXmcWI

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  • Gandalf_the_CrazedGandalf_the_Crazed Vigilo ConfidoRegistered User regular
    Oh hey, look at what came out in 2003.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxKBCLPP20s

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  • DehumanizedDehumanized Registered User regular
    Don't have any concrete examples, but the music in AC:New Leaf is really great. It's all great at setting the game's atmosphere, and the way that it uses your town theme as a motif is amazing.

  • jothkijothki Registered User regular
    Can I say Super Smash Bros. Brawl, or is that cheating?

  • Kyoka SuigetsuKyoka Suigetsu Odin gave his left eye for knowledge. I would give far more Registered User regular
    edited July 2013
    Can't talk about video game soundtracks without mentioning the excellent Splinter cells chaos theory and double agent.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X0tDvCpxmY

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXcBqMRXHRM

    Kyoka Suigetsu on
  • BrocksMulletBrocksMullet Into the sunrise, on a jet-ski. Natch.Registered User regular
    edited July 2013
    The entire Binding of Issac soundtrack is amazing.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX6h8_Y_ot4

    However, 3 tracks really stand out to me.

    The eerie, lovely main theme:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5mnDcZu0I0

    Sacrificial, which is slow, shifty and offbeat, yet propulsive:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfEUXmKoJQo

    My Innermost Apocalypse, which is the hottest shit ever. Honestly, epic is the most overused term in gaming, yet... the shredding, the harps, the callbacks to the rest of the soundtrack, the little electric piano riff with the insistent drumbeat that leads into the weird circus organ, then the wave crashes...
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4noeZx9W6s

    BrocksMullet on
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  • FawstFawst The road to awe.Registered User regular
    Two words: Dark Souls.
    Birth of a savior or a tyrant? (Main Menu/Character Creation)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMWTyxrBgRU

    You've escaped your prison. Many paths lay before you, but which will you take? And to what end? (Firelink Shrine)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6GK8HhjQQE

    Will you link the flames or cast the world into darkness? Lord Gwyn is all that stands between you and salvation or ruin ... but which is which? (Final Boss)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AB6sOhQan9Y

    That third piece is amazing. It's one of the most unique final boss fight themes I've ever heard, considering it's just a piano.

    And here is what I can say might just be my favorite piece of music from the past decade of gaming. It's short, it's beautiful and it hits me on every level of enjoyment from a piece of music somehow. I'm terrible at explaining why I like music. I'm awesome at feeling it, though!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpaF0Fi8at0

  • xraydogxraydog Registered User regular
    Shadow of the Colossus has a great soundtrack. It goes really well with the narrative.

    So many good tracks. Here's one from the end of the game.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0SsAYEeSj4

  • HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    Nightslyr wrote: »
    Xenogears doesn't fit the rules. 1998, guys.

    What DOES fit is Half-Life 2 and its episodes. I'm on my PS3, so I can't post any examples easily. If someone would be so kind as to post Vortal Combat from Episode 2, What Kind of hospital is this? from Episode 1, and pretty much anything from the game proper, I'd be much obliged.

    Funny, I was just talking about this a couple days ago with a friend of mine.

    The music in Half-Life 2 is good, undeniably. And it fits the moments. The problem though is that the soundtrack is sparse. For a huge duration of the game, you go with just ambiance. Which would be fine if that was by design - but it clashes with the styling of the music. In most cases, the music kicks in to pump you up for a sequence you're starting. And then the music ends while the sequence is still ongoing. It feels awkward to me.

  • Rhan9Rhan9 Registered User regular
    edited July 2013
    In other news, I'd nominate Frank Klepacki in general. He gave us Hell March, and many, many game soundtracks.

    Three generations of Hell March:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb-gI_pFog0
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WqwFhX6Cqg
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nFKPVfDrgU

    Rhan9 on
  • darleysamdarleysam On my way to UKRegistered User regular
    Fawst wrote: »

    And here is what I can say might just be my favorite piece of music from the past decade of gaming. It's short, it's beautiful and it hits me on every level of enjoyment from a piece of music somehow. I'm terrible at explaining why I like music. I'm awesome at feeling it, though!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpaF0Fi8at0

    Deus Ex: HR is one of the few games where I will intentionally hang around at the menu just to listen to the music some more. I figure this isn't that piece, but yes, I love the atmosphere the music created in this game.

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  • FawstFawst The road to awe.Registered User regular
    darleysam wrote: »
    Fawst wrote: »

    And here is what I can say might just be my favorite piece of music from the past decade of gaming. It's short, it's beautiful and it hits me on every level of enjoyment from a piece of music somehow. I'm terrible at explaining why I like music. I'm awesome at feeling it, though!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpaF0Fi8at0

    Deus Ex: HR is one of the few games where I will intentionally hang around at the menu just to listen to the music some more. I figure this isn't that piece, but yes, I love the atmosphere the music created in this game.

    If by "hang around at the menu," you mean "turn the game on and not even press Start because the music is so atmospheric" then yes, this is that piece. :)

    Also, I just realized that I completely left out one of my other favorite recent game scores (pun intended here):

    This waits a respectable six seconds before smacking you in the face with pure awesome:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VvvxNZK2JY

    This IS a Nostalgia piece simply because it pulls its soul from the great 8- and 16-bit scores of the past. It may as well have been from a Konami game.

    And how the hell have I not mentioned Fez?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76GnOwHorn0

    Perfect.

  • Skull2185Skull2185 Registered User regular
    Rhan9 wrote: »
    In other news, I'd nominate Frank Klepacki in general. He gave us Hell March, and many, many game soundtracks.

    Oh, fuck yes. Hell March is badass!

    As a young man, every single CD I burned had to have Hell March 1 and 2 on it. No exceptions.

    Everyone has a price. Throw enough gold around and someone will risk disintegration.
  • BrewBrew Registered User regular
    No one posted FTL yet?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_Njdszuix4

    Those chip-tunes are just sublime...

    fuck it, here's the whole thing:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQbOAEP-vgM

    Ben Prunty did an amazing job.

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  • darleysamdarleysam On my way to UKRegistered User regular
    Fawst wrote: »
    darleysam wrote: »
    Fawst wrote: »

    And here is what I can say might just be my favorite piece of music from the past decade of gaming. It's short, it's beautiful and it hits me on every level of enjoyment from a piece of music somehow. I'm terrible at explaining why I like music. I'm awesome at feeling it, though!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpaF0Fi8at0

    Deus Ex: HR is one of the few games where I will intentionally hang around at the menu just to listen to the music some more. I figure this isn't that piece, but yes, I love the atmosphere the music created in this game.

    If by "hang around at the menu," you mean "turn the game on and not even press Start because the music is so atmospheric" then yes, this is that piece. :)

    Yes, exactly that. It actually managed to make me even halfway interested in After Earth (soon faded, don't worry) because they used it at the start of its trailer. It is a great piece of music.

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  • NaphtaliNaphtali Hazy + Flow SeaRegistered User regular
    Steam | Nintendo ID: Naphtali | Wish List
  • UncleSporkyUncleSporky Registered User regular
    Antichamber

    "But wait," those of you who have played Antichamber say, "Antichamber has no music!" And with the exception of an unremarkable bit while credits roll, you are indeed correct.

    A soundtrack needn't have music. It only needs to suit the game. It has its own raison d'etre, and that is to enhance the gaming experience.

    ...

    A soundtrack needn't be the sort of thing you can sell for ten bucks. Sometimes a soundtrack does its job effortlessly, and minimally, and enriches your gaming experience better than if it intruded overtly. Antichamber proves this admirably.

    I'm not going to argue that Antichamber has a bad soundtrack or anything, but in a thread that is about being nostalgia-free, why include a soundtrack where playing the game is necessary to experience it properly? That seems to mean it relies on nostalgia, even if it's very recent nostalgia. :P

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  • Arca of ArkaniaArca of Arkania Jedi Old Coot Taris SewersRegistered User new member
    edited July 2013
    Personally, I find KOTOR music to be most innovative and groundbreaking of the last ten years. Jeremy Soule and Mark Griskey both created a distinct and original style that defined not only the games but the entire era of Star Wars Universe - the times of Old Republic. Their music is different and easily recognized from John Williams yet still within the Star Wars style. Soule composed opulent and majestic tones for the first KOTOR evoking golden age of the Republic. Griskey created dark, depressing and very dark side tracks for KOTOR 2 - yet both created something different from their previous works and from other game music, both before and after. I wasn't aware of that earlier, but now I realize, that half of KOTOR Saga greatness lies in its original music.

    I have encountered really great music in last ten years - Jade Empire, Deus Ex, Mass Effect and so on. But somehow the KOTOR soundtracks followed me all this time and their strong undertones were always winning with that other music. The savage and unnerving Tusken Enclave, the evil and disturbing Korriban Sith Academy or decaying and dirty Taris Undercity still play in my mind.

    I am not a big fan of the mmorpg Old Republic OST on the other hand. They simply reused tracks from KOTOR and TSL.

    Here You have some sample Sith Lords music by Griskey:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT--ilAZNo4

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEs0QGitNSg

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwhVRkxSl5o

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWYH1yvhMAE

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJmEbmjreqY

    Arca of Arkania on
  • CygnusZCygnusZ Registered User regular
    DoDonPachi DaiOuJou BL-Extra, 2009 Xbox-360:
    Mixed Melody

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWetBTWrpkE&list=PLD399D0AACBAC1017

    Legend of the Heroes, Trails in the Sky SC -- 2006, PC/PSP
    Silver Wings, Golden Will

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSHVVj0aWJs

    Eschatos -- 2011, Xbox 360:
    Silver Lining

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5GCwnaEmVo

    Deathsmiles -- 2007, Xbox 360 / Arcade
    Hades' Castle

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWQczQ0gATk

    BONUS: Zuntata!
    Darius -- 1987 Arcade
    Captain Neo

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQnKIpEc-No

  • Gandalf_the_CrazedGandalf_the_Crazed Vigilo ConfidoRegistered User regular
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF32DRg9opA
    What? Don't look at me like that. They're re-releasing it this year, so it counts. ;-)

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  • Drunk_caterpillarDrunk_caterpillar Registered User regular
    Really surprised that Mirror's Edge has gone this many posts without a nod. Definitely one of the more polished aspects of the game...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4776DKJnV9I

  • HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    Personally, I find KOTOR music to be most innovative and groundbreaking of the last ten years. Jeremy Soule and Mark Griskey both created a distinct and original style that defined not only the games but the entire era of Star Wars Universe - the times of Old Republic. Their music is different and easily recognized from John Williams yet still within the Star Wars style. Soule composed opulent and majestic tones for the first KOTOR evoking golden age of the Republic. Griskey created dark, depressing and very dark side tracks for KOTOR 2 - yet both created something different from their previous works and from other game music, both before and after. I wasn't aware of that earlier, but now I realize, that half of KOTOR Saga greatness lies in its original music.

    I can agree to this. They actually did a better job at Star Wars sounding music than the new film trilogy did. A couple months ago, down in the SE++ video game music thread, I linked the following track, and someone noted that as long as music like the kind in KotOR keeps getting made for Star Wars the franchise will be alright.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__gLIyeQYDU

    It's a really great scene, but the music pushes it into overdrive emotionally. Such a great blend of hope and despair at once.

  • eobeteobet 8-bit childhood SwedenRegistered User regular
    Hmm... maybe this is a good place to ask... anyone have any info on this song?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RJY1jcMlSI

    It appeared only on the demo of Scrapland, never in the final game, but it sounded a lot better than anything from the game itself... so why put so much into a song that never appeared in the game, or is it actually something licensed? If so what, which band? I've never managed to find any info.

    Heard the proposition that RIAA and MPAA should join forces and form "Music And Film Industry Association"?
  • Irond WillIrond Will WARNING: NO HURTFUL COMMENTS, PLEASE!!!!! Cambridge. MAModerator mod
    Prince of Persia 2008 did a great job

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMxUH0ZjStI

    Just a great, horribly underrated and sadly forgotten game

    otherwise probably ME3. that soundtrack really stuck with me.

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  • Johnny ChopsockyJohnny Chopsocky Scootaloo! We have to cook! Grillin' HaysenburgersRegistered User regular
    For being such a highly mediocre game, WET has one of my all-time favorite licensed soundtracks. It never fails to raise my heartbeat and get me ready to headbutt brick walls into submission.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6T65OlMZgp4
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdbOpL3TAqo
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOgURo9AkfY
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqHUwcnyFMY

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  • TehSpectreTehSpectre Registered User regular
    Chrono Cross and Legend of Mana both hold places in my heart as the best soundtracks for any games ever.

    Unfortunately, they fail the 10 year nostalgia rule by 3 years (having been released in 2000).

    The few more recent soundtracks I've bought have been listed here. (Bastion/Silent Hill)

    I didn't see this song posted, though:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZmMD84XpCs






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  • firewaterwordfirewaterword Satchitananda Pais Vasco to San FranciscoRegistered User regular
    edited July 2013
    The soundtrack to the most excellent Guacamelee is totally boss if you're into that sort of thing. Entire soundtrack below, linked to a particularly good bit or not, since I can't get it to work. 33:55 is a sweet spot. Also pretty cool, as there's a game mechanic that changes up the music in each area.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt6AzVBrXw4&t=33m55s

    Loved some of the tracks on Chime too, though that's sort of the point I guess.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujBKc6DhKIE

    Oh and someone else mentioned it earlier, but I have to vote Hotline Miami as probably my favorite soundtrack in ages.

    firewaterword on
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  • Irond WillIrond Will WARNING: NO HURTFUL COMMENTS, PLEASE!!!!! Cambridge. MAModerator mod
    The soundtrack to the most excellent Guacamelee is totally boss if you're into that sort of thing. Entire soundtrack below, linked to a particularly good bit or not, since I can't get it to work. 33:55 is a sweet spot. Also pretty cool, as there's a game mechanic that changes up the music in each area.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt6AzVBrXw4&t=33m55s

    this is pretty bitchin'

    Wqdwp8l.png
  • Rhan9Rhan9 Registered User regular
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF32DRg9opA
    What? Don't look at me like that. They're re-releasing it this year, so it counts. ;-)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nhy2aNEPshw

  • BigBearBigBear If your life had a face, I would punch it. Registered User regular
    I've been on a bit of a Persona kick recently, probably because I bought the Persona 4 soundtrack with some birthday money.

    Gotta love Shoji Meguro and Shihoko Hirata, along with the rest of the band Lotus Juice. I don't know how you guys feel about the Engrish-sounding lyrics, but man, I tell you what, those guys can craft some catchy JPop music, along with some battle themes that get you pumped the fuck up at all the right moments!
    Persona 3 had some sick music as well!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voEH8TQZnK0

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSq_nfTs4Ko

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9E3VR8Fnj0

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kLTl4DqGHE

    I don't know of any music from the first two Personas, but if anyone wants to post that stuff, feel free.

    Also, does anyone know where I can purchase the Rogue Legacy soundtrack? That one's also super catchy.

  • Mr RayMr Ray Sarcasm sphereRegistered User regular
    edited July 2013
    No Final Fantasy? Really? I'm not even a big FF fan or anything, but I thought it was widely agreed that Final Fantasy, and specifically Nobuo Uematsu, is responsible for some of the best music in gaming. I think most of my other favorites (Evil Genius, DX Human revolution, Mass Effect) have been covered, so I'm gonna take this ball and run with it.

    If I had to pick just one game from the whole series, it would probably be 10. Whatever you might think about the game itself, you can't deny that they did a really good job on the Final Fantasy X soundtrack. I really like it when a game has a consistent theme; a few bars or notes that keep showing up throughout the game, mixed into the background music. And FFX does that beautifully. Particularly when they slow it down for the long, melancholy walk through Zanarkand.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKt_Eq3U3KQ

    But has absolutely no problem speeding things up for the opening, and final boss:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbLQhzsJG0A

    Or if we're going old-school, FF7 is also responsible for possibly the best boss music ever. You know what I'm talking about.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7wJ8pE2qKU

    Really I could post dozens of my favorite tracks from the FF games (and most of them would be from 10), but I feel like that's not the point of this thread. So I'm going to save my final spot for something else. Not strictly Final Fantasy but still Squaresoft, not only one of my favorite pieces of video game music but one of my favorite collections of sounds ever, in anything. Tell me I'm wrong, I fucking dare you:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZVAvHah9io

    Mr Ray on
  • FawstFawst The road to awe.Registered User regular
    edited July 2013
    Mr Ray wrote: »
    A lot about FF

    I have to disagree about what I'm assuming is One-Winged Angel being the best boss theme. I won't get into absolutes, but in my opinion it's not even the best FF theme. I feel like it's one of the worst FF pieces of music, period. I'm weird. But, I'm also old-school. My favorite boss theme is Zeromus' Theme:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJ-7Wk42aM0

    The first time I fought him and the music hit the 58 second mark, the hairs stood up on my arms and I knew I was experiencing something truly epic. But fuck it I'm getting misty-eyed nostalgic now and that's not the point of the thread!

    Semi-related: Damn, now I want a PS2 so I can play FFXII again...

    Fawst on
  • DehumanizedDehumanized Registered User regular
    Any Final Fantasy before FF12 does not meet the criteria of this thread.

  • FawstFawst The road to awe.Registered User regular
    Is there a better original rap soundtrack in all of video games than Madworld?

    I'd argue Kingpin since the music was by Cyprus Hill, but it was from their "new" album.

  • Mr RayMr Ray Sarcasm sphereRegistered User regular
    edited July 2013
    Any Final Fantasy before FF12 does not meet the criteria of this thread.

    So what your saying is, none of the good Final Fantasies count. :( Kingdom Hearts II was released in 2005 so that still counts, right? Ok fine, I admit I skimmed the OP so I didn't see the 10-year limit thing (maybe it should be bolded?) but plenty of others seem to have broken the rules already so... Mulligan?

    Aquaria (2007) then was definitely released in the past 10 years. I swear only about 5 people in the entire world seem to have played this thing, but I haven't heard of a single person who flat-out didn't like it. In actual fact I only found out about it myself in the last few weeks when it was part of the Humble bundle. I went into the game with almost zero expectations, thinking it would be a peaceful exploration game with some pretty artwork that I would play for about 10 minutes. What I got was a full-blown action-RPG in the style of an old Metroidvania / Zelda game that took me 15 hours to finish, and you can be damn sure I collected all the collectables and beat all the optional bosses. Not only does the soundtrack set the atmosphere perfectly, but it also does the whole "recurring riff woven into every song in the soundtrack" thing I mentioned earlier and turns it up to eleven, actually turning it into a plot element even. You can hear what I'm talking about at 1:07; that sequence of three sets of four notes is in every track in the game. In fact:

    The game has a song system ala Ocarina of time, and you eventually use it to open the door leading to the penultimate boss.


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQs-vBZFro4&list=PL28BD39407946E073


    My favorite track is probably "Remains", which is some damn fine explorin' music:


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyX6QwyipsA&list=PL28BD39407946E073


    And finally there's "Lost to the Waves" which plays over the end credits and complements the bittersweet ending beautifully (I had to hold back my manly tears). The game's only voice actress also performs the vocals here and does amazingly well:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_2aU8AiLJI&list=PL28BD39407946E073

    What amazes me most is that the game was made by two guys; the lead (only) developer was also the composer. Sadly it seems like there's little chance of a sequel as the two have gone their separate ways and every indie project he's been involved with since seems to have been canned. I gather the game didn't sell as well as he'd hoped (which isn't really surprising since I'd never even heard of it once in the 6 years since its release) and the whole experience turned him off of making "big" games; as far as I know he only makes flash games now. But if you want it its available on PC, Steam, Mac, Linux, IOS, Android, Refrigerator and Waffle Iron. But seriously, its available for everything, so you have no excuse not to own this. If you're a fan of old-school RPGs, particularly the 2D Zeldas, you need this.

    Mr Ray on
  • AuralynxAuralynx Darkness is a perspective Watching the ego workRegistered User regular
    Aquaria was a hell of a first effort; I was an early adopter on that one, one of the few. It does indeed have an excellent soundtrack. They were just enough ahead of the indie gaming curve that it actually hurt them, sadly. Spelunky was excellent as well.

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