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NeoGAF's Official Game Soundtracks of the Year 2015: Voting Ends January 17th

Noi

Member
The Top Three: The "Undertale is gonna win anyway" Award

1. Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward (Patch 3.0 and Patch 3.1 As Goes Light, So Goes Darkness) - Masayoshi Soken, Nobuo Uematsu (Dragonsong)

6OVgfmh.png


I've written in the past about how composing for MMORPGs is probably some of the toughest things to do in the industry due to how wild the pendulum swings are in terms of the different types of genres, moods, and settings all the different tracks have to account for. This applies double when you're composing a new soundtrack for a game whose original track list was, frankly, pretty underwhelming. When it comes times for expanding on these games, most of the time, you tend to see composers stick to a particular theme to base their music around, whether its grand, subdued, or centered around themes like fire, ice, destruction or Asiatic influences. This isn't a bad thing, since focusing on one theme often lets you center all your creativity around it.

Not Masayoshi Soken though. That guy's nuts, and we love him for it.

Frankly, the soundtrack to Heavensward covers just about everything. One one end, we have the necessary "epics", such as Ominous Prognisticks, the expansion's dungeon boss theme, and Imagination, a more upbeat and triumphant take on Heavensward's main s main theme, Dragonsong. When the composition pendulum swings the other way, it runs into wildly different tracks, such as the beautiful Piano and Bass heavy Woe That is Madness and the very funky Alexander themes like its Boss Music and Metal, the theme for the raid's final confrontation. When the pendulum swings back to its original spot, we're met not with epics, but with the calming tunes of Night in the Brume and... Russian Waltzes?? Soken's put in the work to please just about everyone with his work, and instead of falling flat for spreading too thin, every single track feels right where it belongs and perfectly suited to the subject matter, working together to make it my favorite soundtrack of 2015, despite some strong contenders.

The Singularity Reactor
*
Echidna's Theme
Ink Long Dry
Unbreakable
Contention

*Contains story spoilers.

2. Corpse Party: Blood Drive - Mao Hamamoto, Johnny.k, Tomoyuki Hamada, Ren Yamashina

hshWvm2.png


Blood Drive, like the earlier entries in the series, isn’t at all interested in being your by the numbers horror game. Typically relying on jump scares or high tension, most games of the genre will have music with sudden screeches for the intention of catching you off-guard and scaring the player. What Blood Drive does, together with its setting and narrative, is create an uncomfortable feeling, something a lot of developers generally shy from.

You’re in a haunted, demonic hellscape witnessing children, teens and adults being savagely murdered for reasons unknown to you. Every second you waste and every step you take inside this dreadful realm is harrowing and bone-chilling because you don't know what'll happen when you turn around that dark corner. You don’t want to be there. You need to get out. This is what the compositions are trying to convey to the player. A sense of hopelessness, a grim feeling as you're forced to go deeper into a mystery you don't want to see through to its resolution. The occasional catharsis in the form of its two openings things, one of which signals the climax for the events in the game. On their own, the tracks are great at setting in an unnerving feeling, but working in tandem with the game, they turn into something much more sinister. You're not wanted here. Get out.

Incarnation
Condemned Apartments
A Decaying World
Beyond Escape
Salvation

3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Marcin Przybyłowicz, Mikolai Stroinski, Percival Schuttenbach, Adam Skorupa, Paweł Błaszczak

c3SRnG1.png


If I have to be entirely honest, i can't remember a single track from this game from the top of my head. Try as I might, I can't recall what most of the music sounds like in a vacuum. And yet, I can recognize it. When I hear the first few notes of Commanding the Fury, I immediately know what's coming next and recall the many very close encounters I had in the game, fending off against surprise opponents when I least expected it. When Merchants of Novigrad starts playing, I think of bustling tows and luscious landscapes. Another Round for Everyone makes me want to crack out a card game and play with some friends. Drink up, There's More! never fails to put a dumb smile on my face.

Sometimes, those transparent connections between tracks and memories are all it takes for a soundtrack to feel unforgettable.

The Witcher's Path
Ladies of the Wood
Geralt of Rivia
Cloak and Dagger
Silver for Monsters


Honorable Mentions: "You're Winner!" Award

Undertale - Toby Fox

YK5wf1n.png


This was originally going to be in my top 3, but I couldn't vote for it in good consciousness knowing it was going to sweep first place anyway. I could gush about how this soundtrack took me entirely by surprise, but you may as well listen to it through the game or read the other tons of great writeups in this very thread from people who could do a much better job elaborating on what makes it great. Bonetrousle rox ok.

Hopes and Dreams
Spear of Destiny
Another Medium

Oreshika Tainted Bloodlines - Konoske Kihara

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Oreshika is a really japanese game. Traditionally that is, which is fitting given that it draws from older folklore, traditions and celebrations. Due to the main theme for the game being centered around festivals, much of the soundtrack is cheery, upbeat and in some cases, intense, with cheery flutes and beautiful string instruments. Its very reminicent of Capcom's Ōkami, making great use of its oriental motif for both its visuals and its audio. A very underrated soundtrack from a very underrated game.

Battle Theme
Red Fire of Enthusiasm
New Family

Persona 4 Dancing All Night - Shoji Meguro, Ryota Kozuka, Atsushi Kitajoh

agd7RM6.png


If Dancing All Night deserves one accolade, its getting me into and re-listening to a bunch of songs from 7 years ago that I was already burnt out on as of 4 years ago. All the new remixes are great and snappy, even succeeding in getting me to like some tracks from the original game that I was completely "blah" about in the past. A weak story mode doesn't get in the way of the game's surprisingly deep song modifiers, customization options for every character and really fun tracklist.

Backside Of The TV (Lotus Juice Remix)
SNOWFLAKES (NARASAKI Remix)
Time To Make History (AKIRA YAMAOKA Remix)

Fashionably Late to the Party: The "I'm Too Cheap to buy Fallout 4" Award

Fallout: New Vegas - Inon Zur, Justin Bell, J.E. Sawyer

iZ4sbTj.png


Due to the aforementioned reason, I re-bought New Vegas on Steam for cheap and started a replay since I could barely remember anything about the game since it came out in 2010. While its typical to simply associate the Fallout franchise with the licensed tracks from the 30's and 40's that play in its radio, its really easy to overlook the subtle ambient tracks that comprise the core of the game's music. They don't play very often and are overridden by the game's radio system, but they often help to set the mood for a location or increase that unnerving feeling of tension in an unknown location in subtle, non-overt ways. It's good enough to set the atmosphere, but not so obtrusive that you'd immediately notice it unless you're paying attention. You couldn't ask for a better soundtrack from a game that asks you to explore the vast Mojave desert by your lonesome, discovering all the secrets covered by the nuclear sand.

Main Title
Corporate Ruins
Hoover Dam NCR
Metallic Monks
City of the Dead
 

Dark Schala

Eloquent Princess
...I knew I fell for you for a reason, Noi. :)
(Best part about playing Heavensward with him is that for some reason he hums the music and I can't help but to join along, haha)

I have to say that I'm genuinely pleased with the writeups and comments this year... and it's only the second day, too! Very proud of you guys. ;~;

NTom64 (HellfireComms) brought up the Transformers soundtrack to me a few weeks ago and I was completely blown away by it. I'm glad people are giving that one a chance too. Just remember if you ever need to amend your vote, you totally can before voting closes. You guys still have games to play, after all.
 
1.) Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
Run, Dust, and Roller Mobster the stand outs here for me but those are just the shiniest diamonds amid a pile of precious gems. Ok well maybe not shiny since this music tends toward the dark and filthy, but whatever. Hotline Miami was the reason that retro/synth electronic music became my music of choice to listen to and Hotline Miami 2 exceeds the original's soundtrack by leaps and bounds. More than just about any game I played this year, Hotline Miami 2 was defined by its audio-visual experience and it's due to the strength of its music that it's a game I ended up loving (despite some design choices that were slight steps back from its predecessor).

2.) Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

3.) Life is Strange
 

delSai

Member
1.) Tales from the Borderlands
2.) OlliOlli 2
3.) Life is Strange

Honorable Mentions:
Batman: Arkham Knight
Bloodborne
 

SolVanderlyn

Thanos acquires the fully powered Infinity Gauntlet in The Avengers: Infinity War, but loses when all the superheroes team up together to stop him.
Barebones post, updating later

1. Metal Gear Solid V

Absolute top tier vocal themes and amazing music throughout the game as well. A Phantom Pain is so deliciously 80's, and Return is ominous and foreboding, perfect for the direction that the story takes in this entry.

2. Trails of Cold Steel

Genuine Falcom goodness from beginning to end, Cold Steel has just as many rockin' tunes as it does catchy, classic JRPG town and field themes.

3. Xenoblade Chronicles X

This is going to be a hit or miss for most people. For me, it was both. Some of the tracks are amazing - The Key We've Lost, Z15 Field, Shinpteki - and others are distinctly less so. Sawano is all over the place with this OST, but its uniqueness makes it stand out, not only among this year's games, but among games as a whole. The good tracks are really good, and stay with you long after you've put down the game.

Honorable mentions:

Bloodborne
 

Necron

Member
1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Sailing the seas of Skellige never gets old with this song playing in the background:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NknjE2SBPxw
Ladies of the Woods:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiyOajnJnTg
The official Gwent theme in my opinion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a35l5lKYkvo
Witcher 3 had the most varied soundtrack to give all the different locations their unique identity.

2. Life is Strange
Main menu theme:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRqoOmI0_is
Message to Bears - Mountains:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRigKyQ5FuM

3. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
Roller Mobster:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-awWHKaAgzg

Honourable mentions:
x. Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
The Man Who Sold the World (the Midge Ure cover) will always be the main theme of MGS 5 for me...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLoytewvn0g
 

Kalor

Member
1. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC
I really enjoyed the music for Second Chapter although it relys a bit too much on a central motif. Despite that there are a lot of varied tracks that stuck with me over the course of 70 hours.
Silver Will
The Dream Continues
A Lurking Shadow in the Wilderness
Infiltration

2. Metal Gear Solid V
The music composed specifically for the game is limited but I really like what is there. The licensed music is also great and used well in game.
V Has Come To
A Phantom Pain
The Man Who Sold The World
Sins of the Father

3. Hotline Miami 2
Le Perv
In the Face of Evil

Honorable Mentions

Undertale
Axiom Verge
Trails of Cold Steel (Though I haven't played it yet since it's not out in Europe.)
 
I'm thinking of voting for some OSTs where I haven't finished the game, but I feel kind of uncomfortable with that. Do other people do that?
 
The Undertaker* of GAF has returned, it truly must be Soundtrack of the year time.
It was wise to state which of the past threads were mine in the OP so people understand why two of them seem so slapdash by comparison (boy, look at that non existent archive for 5th gen!)

I think I've got my list sussed out, I've got 5 or so that I like pretty equally so there's just the case of ordering it up.

my LttP soundtrack is by far my favourite one this time around though.

*
Returns only a few times a year, most commonly for big events, feels like an occasion unto itself

I'm thinking of voting for some OSTs where I haven't finished the game, but I feel kind of uncomfortable with that. Do other people do that?

Seems fine by me, I typically don't vote for games I haven't played because I need that context but I'd probably still consider a game that I didn't finish.
 
1. Undertale

It's hard not to go on-and-on-and-on about Undertale's soundtrack, as it was one I was immediately entranced with from the get go. I also have to do the obligatory 'play this incredible bloody game' comment, because while the music is amazing by itself, there is such joy in hearing the themes within the context of the game - especially when accompanied by a boss battle.

Once Upon a Time does a wonderful job of setting the stage, and the off-kilter Enemy Approaching almost has a wiry sense of humour to it. That being said, it was when Ghost Fight began to play (later closely repeated with Dummy) that I found myself laughing out loud at the enjoyment of it all. What makes Undertale's soundtrack so surprising for me personally is that it wouldn't be the first or the last time whilst playing the game that I had this reaction, whether it was laughter or tears. There are so many incredible soundtracks in gaming that I've looked fondly back on, but never before have I had such immediate reactions to music as I was playing the game for the first time. It's normally a mental note of oh, that's nice/impressive/pleasant!, not losing a goddamn boss fight because I'm having too much fun enjoying the music.

The gentle atmosphere of Snowy and Waterfall have been added to my gentle go-to relaxing songs. In comparison, you've got Dogsong and Tem Shop, which both made me laugh at loud for being genuinely humorous. Play Undertale for the funny tunes, and enjoy the beautiful atmospheric pieces, but 100% stay for the incredible boss fight music. Bonetrousle and Spear of Justice are both personality incarnate for their respective character themes, with Undyne being fantastically menacing. Metal Crusher is another theme I can't get enough of. The latter is followed by parody tunes with It's Showtime, Wrong Enemy?! and Last Episode, which made the contrast between them all even better. Even though they're not all linked here, in the space of about in-game twenty minutes Toby Fox manages to switch from a love theme to a tacky game show tune to jazzy electronica, all absolutely effortlessly.

Special mention especially has to go to Memory (later Undertale), which immediately made me tear up the first time I heard it in game. It's a gentle, nostalgic melody that hits all the spots, and then does even more so after finishing the game. The first time Memory played in game, I couldn't bring myself to move away from the music trigger point for awhile, as I felt genuinely touched. Psst, I'm not crying. It's just raining! ..in my house. All over my rusted keyboard.

Undertale's soundtrack easily one of my favourite OSTs of all time. It would be wonderful to hear the soundtrack played by a full orchestra someday. A medley, an excerpt - I'll take anything!

2. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The wildness, stillness, and the overall beauty of W3's score was incredibly distinctive in a year of many incredible soundtracks. Hearing the Outskirts of Novigrad, Merchants of Novigrad and The Fields of Ard Skellig would leave me idling for minutes at a time, slowly panning the camera around Geralt and soaking in the incredible atmosphere. For the amount of time I've spent playing Gwent or exploring the cities, it's a testament to the quality of the score that I never became sick of hearing A Story You Won't Believe, Another Round for Everyone, and Back on the Path. (Let's be honest, sometimes I'd bug someone for another round of Gwent just to hear more of them. Also, more Gwent.) On the other hand, fitting of a man who slays monsters, you've got the primal brutality of The Trail, Hunt or Be Hunted, The Ladies of the Wood, and building horror of The Pellar Speaks. The contrast in the score gives W3 an incredible unique personality that only adds to the already high-quality calibre of the game.

3. Broken Age

This is apparently the year of me falling in love with Peter McConnell's music, this time for his beautiful, charming, and slightly off-kilter Broken Age score. Like with Grim Fandango, there is an incredible synergy with the score, the tone of the world, and the beautiful art direction that feels truly cohesive in a way that isn't easy to achieve. My favourite track is the perpetual earworm that is March in the Clouds, but Vella Awakes is a beautiful way to open (one-side!) of the game. Hero is suitably charming, whilst Out on the Hull (can't find direct link, alas) is gentle, and filled with both wonder and potential danger. Battle at Shellmound is predatory and urgent, whilst Shellmound Festival is a perky breath of fresh air.

Honorable Mentions:

Grim Fandango Remastered - After years of wanting to play Grim Fandango, I finally got the opportunity with the PS4 remastered release. Along with the game itself, the score absolutely lived up to all expectations, and was my second favorite soundtrack of the year after Undertale, and it's certainly one of the most memorable and polished soundtracks I've heard. As I've since discovered with Broken Age, Peter McConnell does such incredible work, and there is an undeniable synergy between his music and the games he writes for. The tone of the GF is immediately set with that incredible dramatic brassy noir theme - Grim Fandango. Alongside the main theme, there are many glamorous, high-roller pieces in the score, with other favorites being Casiono Calavera and Hector Steps Out. In contrast, there's the more somber jazz of Domino's Office, Smooth Hector, and Manny and Meche. I'd also be incredibly amiss not to mention the beautiful Mexican folk inspired melodies of Companeros and Ninth Heaven.

Tales from the Borderlands - Continuing in the trend of Borderlands' superb licensed song choices, congrats really does have to Telltale for their superb opening credits (and trailer!) music picks. While Tales did reuse fantastic Jesper Kyd Borderlands tracks, Jared Emerson-Johnson also did beautiful original pieces that had their own personality for Tales whilst fitting into the Borderlands universe in general. The orchestral version of The Main Theme and The Galatarium were personal favorites.

Assassin's Creed: Syndicate - Austin Wintory's Syndicate score is almost like a companion you scramble across the roof tops of London with. It's never intrusive, and is gritty, mournful, and methodical, with a touchy of whimsy.

Fallout 4 - Zur's euphoric update to the main theme may be my favorite version of his thus far. FO4 in general was a soundtrack that was filled with some fantastic mood setting pieces. Sometimes I wasn't sure what was scarier - the Assaultron about to blow up in my face, or Zur's atmospheric music!

Bloodborne - Incredible beautiful and terrifying dreadful in equal measure. When Cthulhu (or Miyzaki) comes to take us all someday, this will be the glorious soundtrack to our horrific deaths.

Persona 4: Dancing All Night - Without the slightest bit of hyperbole, I've had Dance! in my head since they first showed it as the opening theme. Free me from my horrible, but oh-so-catchy fate. Please. With P4:DAN there were some bizarre remixes, but some fantastic ones, too.
 
1. Undertale
So many great tracks, boss themes are definitely the standout tracks
Megalovania
Asgore
Hopes and Dreams

2. Splatoon

I love that the soundtrack is made up of different in-game bands. Also the official soundtrack is called Splatune
Shiokara-Bushi by The Squid Sisters
I am Octavio by DJ Octavio
Sucker Punch by Hightide Era

3. Hotline Miami 2
Carpenter Brut is the king of this one, but I started following a ton of new artists after this game.
Roller Mobster by Carpenter Brut
Le Perv by Carpenter Brut
Sexualizer by Perturbator
 

usp84

Member
1. Bloodborne - These games never fail to impress with their soundtrack

2. Metal Gear Solid V - Pretty good OST

3. Witcher 3 - Very unique sounds here
 
Listening to these soundtracks is causing my list order to keep changing, such indecision over here.
I'm 95% positive Kirby and the Rainbow Curse falls into HM territory for me due to its heavy usage of remixes but hot damn it's the good stuff.

http://i.imgur.com/Zef996C.gif[IMG]

[spoiler]I also need dat context[/spoiler][/QUOTE]

That gif never fails to amuse.

I'm just saying Schala vanishes for most of the year only to return at Gaf's biggest community event of the year and can still unleash a mega post worthy of a "you still got it!" chant.
Not sure if a giant paycheck is involved though.
 

Dark Schala

Eloquent Princess
I'm just saying Schala vanishes for most of the year only to return at Gaf's biggest community event of the year and can still unleash a mega post worthy of a "you still got it!" chant.
Not sure if a giant paycheck is involved though.
Damn, I wish! :V

Thank you for handling the last soundtrack thread on such short notice. I really appreciated it, and I'm endlessly sorry that I couldn't make a post for it. Shit happened around that time which threw me for a loop for months to even the present and beyond, and I'll explain at a better time/place. I had the OP written after the last soundtrack thread was done, and I have the spreadsheet prepared already. The worst part is that I'd been working on the archive for weeks, didn't save the document, and was like noooooooo the day of posting this, haha. If I didn't beg Noi for help, then it would've gone up without a starter archive. Or a tinier starter one.

Bunch of new faces and posting styles to read, though! That's always a good!

wait

why do i have to be equated to the undertaker
what did i do to deserve this
first emcee calls me anime/a tsunderplane
and now this
y'all mean

In all seriousness, though, I'm probably nixing my "worst soundtrack of the year" award this year. Hopefully it returns next year. Still running through remix and original albums to see what else I can bang out. I just hope I'm not rusty.
 

Grexeno

Member
1. Undertale

This game's incredible soundtrack fills you with determination!

Heartache

Spear of Justice

Stronger Monsters

ASGORE

Hopes and Dreams

Battle Against a True Hero

2. Bloodborne

The quality of the compositions on display here honestly make the soundtracks to previous Souls games look legitimately bad.

The Hunter

Cleric Beast

Amygdala

Ebrietas, Daughter of the Cosmos

The First Hunter

Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower

3. Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon

Incredibly versatile soundtrack with some great dungeon themes.

Children of Serene Village

Partner's Theme

Echoes of the Mystical Forest

Fire Island Volcano

Tree of Life: Roots

Second Dark Matter Battle

Honorable Mentions

x. Splatoon

Squid Sisters Song (Shiokara-Bushi)

x. Yokai Watch

Last Battle - Kakugo wa Iika!!!

LTTP: Virtue's Last Reward

Cabin

Pantry

Biotope

Monitor

Q

Blue Bird Lamentation
 

Evilisk

Member
Was waiting for this thread

Still gotta work out what I'm voting for. Touhou 15 is a lock for my Top 3 (it's super good, even by Touhou standards, I'd put it 4th or 3rd best next to IN ), but I'm debating whether it should go first (since it's my favorite of the year) or third (it's not gonna win anyway. This way it still gets a vote, but another game will get full votes instead ). Also have to consider whether Yakuza 5 gets a vote, because while it'll probably be good (I loved 4's soundtrack), but I'm not sure if I'll have enough time to fully digest it (and I'm not confident in voting anything that I've had less than a month to gorge on).

The only thing I know is that Undertale is getting HM at best (it's got more than enough votes from everyone else lol)
 

Nimby

Banned
1. The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth
Just pleases the eardrums. Ambient music is top notch, and the new boss themes are great too. Also love how the music transitions smoothly from rooms filled with enemies vs. empty rooms.

Flooded Caves
Morituros
Alternate Boss Theme

2. Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
Another great one. Haven't got the chance to play it yet. Happy/cheery music mixed with some good old synth.

The Forest of Whispy Woods
Great Cave Escape
Infiltrate the Junk Factory

3. Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker
Meguro composed some tracks for some of the new gameplay segments. This soundtrack was already excellent with Ito back when it was on the DS. These new Meguro tracks make it even better.

At Last (Battle Version)
Triangulum

LTTP Vote:

Guilty Gear Xrd -Sign-
Heaven or Hell? Duel 1. Let's rock!

Wanna Be Crazy
Marionette
Ride the Fire
 
1. Tales of Zestiria
Would've been a pretty standard fantasy JRPG OST if not for Go Shiina's godly contributions. Zaveid the Exile is easily in my all-time hall of fame.
Zaveid the Exile
Well darn. Now I feel bad for ragging on Zestiria's OST for being too samey. This track is swish too, and I stupidly enough had the sound down at home during the sequence where Zaveid first appeared. Do we know which tracks Go Shiina contributed? This one for instance just doesn't sound too Sakuraba-ish to me.
 

ohlawd

Member
Everything makes me sad

3. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate ; even a hunter needs to be able to jam
Harth - this place is full of smiths and miners. I'd play this song if I owned a mine
Gore Magala theme - I can't unhear its frenzy transformation roar ;_;
Battling in Frozen Seaway - You fight this ice shark named Zamtrios. It's got this foreboding Jaws-like theme like ima eat you from under this permafrost kinda vibe
Shagaru Magala theme - 1:04's got the horn sounds like from Dragon Roost Island except this time I'm hyped for more than getting all sad. Music's epic enough for a final boss theme.

2. Atelier Shallie: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea ; SO SAD
Sea of Sand - Shallotte - this song gets remixed a lot, but this is the original. The remixes all end up using different instruments. I should try my hardest to find out who composed this but you know, the director probably told him/her to slow it down and it's beautiful but now I need you to do it faster baby. Kanye composer-san, can you please - do it faster, baby, do it faster. Actually, I don't know whose is the original since both heroines get this theme. This one is more upbeat so I linked it over the other.
Girl of the white sands - I forget when this plays. probably any time Stera is talking to people
Shallistera's alchemy theme - it doesn't sound sad but it makes me so sad anyway. I don't know the instrument at 0:11 but it's sooooo sad sounding to me. When it trails off for the flute thing at 0:30, sooooooooooooo sad. I don't wanna be sad :(
Fighting the sand dragon - holy cow I haven't heard the full theme because I wrecked this boss so fast in the game. this is freaking amazing holy cow

1. Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight ; sooo freaking good. Another EO takes my SotY.
Ancient Forest - so sad. is there no EO game out there that doesn't have the saddest sounding first dungeon music? seriously, stop :(
Auburn Thicket - I first heard this in Etrian Mystery Dungeon and I thought it was some of the chillest sounding songs ever. wasn't sure if it wasn't an OG or remixed song. turned out to be a song from EO2. When you're exploring deep enough in this stratum, you encounter this humongous fire breathing salamander thing. it times its fire breath and iunno, this theme fits it somehow when you're counting your steps to avoid the fire. I see orange when I close my eyes to this song, and I'd be right cuz the Auburn Thicket is like when the season is Fall/Autum in real life.
Frozen Grounds - I like the fade in fade out sound at 1:08 and it gets fuller at 1:54. so cool.
Petal Bridge - so sad. omg I'm so sad right now. 0:45 is like when someone tells you some life changing bit. You know that feeling? This be some uplifting stuff, G. It mellows out in the middle and it picks up to 100 at 1:51 like wow I'm gonna tackle the world right now because this part of the song fuels me with passion for life or something
Heavenly Keep - this is some worn down kingdom sounds here.

Honorable Mentions:
x. Stella Glow ; this game has its heroines sing as a power because in the game's story, only the witches of each element can do so. Everyone's got two songs so I'll link my favorite one for each girl.
Popo's first song - IT'S POPO'S TURN!
Hilda's first song - so sad redux
Sakuya's first song - those adlibs grew on me. I dunno what to call that style that singers do to sound raspy. I like it though
Mordi's first song - so cute
Lisette's first song - that violin plus the song makes me sad

x. Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX ; I'm lazy
The World is Mine
Reverse Rainbow
Piano x Forte x Scandal

x. Persona 4: Dancing All Night ; Heaven remix is one of the worst songs ever to grace this planet
Now I Know (Yuu Miyake remix) - Rise's song. ugh man no one on YT has Rise in the devil girl outfit. This is my most played song cuz I like the dancing... oh, and the song too
Your Affection (Daisuke Asakura remix)
YOUR PAYCHECK
YOUR PAYCHECK
TO GET THAT PUSSYYYYYYY

x. Xenoblade Chronicles X
Tyrant battle theme - DON'T LOSE YOUR WAY
flight music - the intro for this song is so long. most of the time I'm not flying long enough to get to the lyrics. I don't know what the heck she's saying but it's catchy regardless
 

demidar

Member
Well darn. Now I feel bad for ragging on Zestiria's OST for being too samey. This track is swish too, and I stupidly enough had the sound down at home during the sequence where Zaveid first appeared. Do we know which tracks Go Shiina contributed? This one for instance just doesn't sound too Sakuraba-ish to me.

I think Go Shiina did all the Trial themes, a probably a few more beyond that.
 
It's a sign of how important a soundtrack is to me that my top three soundtrack choices of the year match up perfectly to my top three games of the year, I suppose.

1. Undertale

I can understand why people might not get on with Undertale as a game, but how anyone could fail to get on with the soundtrack is utterly beyond me. Just peerless- Toby Fox's first calling was as a musician, and you can't half tell. Even the soundtrack in isolation is a masterpiece, with its knotty and complex use of leitmotif and satisfying and compelling flow, but when paired with the game it becomes transcendent- a piece of art in every possible sense. I could honestly just post the 101 piece-strong soundtrack in its entirety as a recommendation, but if you want the edited highlights...

DON'T READ THE COMMENTS, OR LOOK AT THE RELATED VIDEOS- THERE BE SPOILERS
Bonetrousle
DUMMY!
Spider Dance
Undertale
SAVE the World

2. Splatoon

When a game's got as distinct a vibe as Splatoon's, the soundtrack needs to be making up a good part of the running. Splatoon's doesn't disappoint, blending traditional Nintendo sounds and hip, Jet Set Radio-style tunes into something which brings to mind many influences without actually sounding like anything we've heard in a game before. Both multiplayer and single player modes benefit from a catchy and varied soundscape, and I'm a particular fan of the game's feints towards a diagetic soundtrack, with DJ and popstar characters influencing and altering the tunes as the game is played. The soundtrack is integral to Splatoon's very distinctive identity, and is a huge contributing factor to the game's overall... freshness.

Splattack
Kraken Up
Tentacular Circus
Last Minute Splatfest

3. Bloodborne

Bloodborne was not a soundtrack that immediately leapt out and grabbed me, and nor does it play remarkably well in isolation in the same way that something like the Undertale soundtrack does. In the context of the game, however, it's a total knockout- emphasising the brutal and unforgiving tone without ever being unpleasant or difficult to listen to. On the whole, it's only fair to judge a soundtrack in the context it is presented in, and so it is that Bloodborne finds itself on this list- I can't accurately show it off like that, but if you want to experience the soundtrack as it's meant to be heard, then that's simply another excuse to play one of the year's finest.
 
Damn, I wish! :V

Thank you for handling the last soundtrack thread on such short notice. I really appreciated it, and I'm endlessly sorry that I couldn't make a post for it. Shit happened around that time which threw me for a loop for months to even the present and beyond, and I'll explain at a better time/place. I had the OP written after the last soundtrack thread was done, and I have the spreadsheet prepared already. The worst part is that I'd been working on the archive for weeks, didn't save the document, and was like noooooooo the day of posting this, haha. If I didn't beg Noi for help, then it would've gone up without a starter archive. Or a tinier starter one.
No problem, let's just say it gave me much more respect for anyone who takes the time to run one of these voting threads, a realisation that truly struck when I was tallying votes at around 2am.

I was actually surprised to already see the archive here when I first opened this thread, isn't it usually more of a gradually expanding work in progress? because it looks pretty robust already.

Bunch of new faces and posting styles to read, though! That's always a good!

wait

why do i have to be equated to the undertaker
what did i do to deserve this
first emcee calls me anime/a tsunderplane
and now this
y'all mean

In all seriousness, though, I'm probably nixing my "worst soundtrack of the year" award this year. Hopefully it returns next year. Still running through remix and original albums to see what else I can bang out. I just hope I'm not rusty.
Surely there's nothing wrong with been equated to a 50 year old balding geezer?

Now I think about it I don't think I've stumbled upon any remix albums this year myself.

The only thing I know is that Undertale is getting HM at best (it's got more than enough votes from everyone else lol)

I'm currently pondering the same approach (a page out of Noi's book you could say), though it's partly because I don't have much to say about it beyond "it's pretty great", much like the game itself I don't quite have the same fervour so everyone else's statements on it one up whatever I'd have to say.
Then again, it's earned those points that's for sure, the internal debate rages on....because clearly nothing is more important than my numerical rankings I'll no doubt look back on in a years time and think I'd change somewhat like I do almost every year.
 

Jintor

Member
1. Undertale

It's a fun soundtrack on its own but what really elevates this is the recurrent use of leitmotifs/remixes and soundscapes. Someone will probably have done an utterly insane writeup of the ways in which songs are other songs, and those songs are also other songs and so on, but suffice to say that musically speaking the Undertale OST is a work of genius.

Tracks of choice: too many to goddamn count, but Spider Dance | Death by Glamour | Hopes & Dreams/SAVE the World

2. Splatoon

If it weren't for Undertale this surf-rock squid-pop OST would be the freshest kid on the block. As it is it'll have to settle for just being sodding incredible. It's even got its own internal fictional bands! (ABXY best name)

Recommended tracks: Splatattack! | Friend List | Squid Sisters Song (Feel the Melody)



3 Crypt of the Necrodancer


Cheaters, you had three full soundtracks to play with! As you might expect a rhythm game about heavy beats has some satisfyingly heavy beats in all versions and I love them.

Rhythmmortis | Metalmancy (A_Rival Mix) | A Shadow To Prevail (Danny Baranowsky Mix)

HM:
Transformers Devastation (Constructicon Theme | Megatron Theme (Final) | Starscreams' Theme) , Persona 4 Dancing All Night (I'll Face Myself (And Keep On Dancing) | Now I Know (Yuu Miyake Mix) | Backside of the TV (Lotus Juice Mix))

Special Mention: MGSV:
Fantastic use of licenced music, especially in the opening, and The Phantom Pain and Quiet's Theme are great original pieces, but I don't remember a lot of the rest of it and jesus christ how could you fuck up the Sins of the Father moment so badly?

Things I Wish I Played:
Life is Strange, Bloodbourne, Xenoblade Chronicles X
 
No problem, let's just say it gave me much more respect for anyone who takes the time to run one of these voting threads, a realisation that truly struck when I was tallying votes at around 2am.

I was actually surprised to already see the archive here when I first opened this thread, isn't it usually more of a gradually expanding work in progress? because it looks pretty robust already.
Maybe it's worth thinking about doing a shared Google Doc that people can add to over the course of the year. Invite some folks in whom you can trust not to sabotage the operation, and it should really help ease up on the amount of work for 2016. You could probably do something similar with the vote count too. I'm always down to contribute and help.
 

MrBadger

Member
1. Undertale

A great gaming experience lifted by an incredible soundtrack. It's telling that this was a passion project, and even more telling that a lot of the game's fights were inspired by the music rather than the other way around.

Megalovania (because I'm sure nobody else in this thread has linked it yet)
Death by Glamour
Metal Crusher
Finale
Hopes and Dreams
Nyeh Heh Heh!

2. Yoshi's Wooly World

It's a modern Yoshi game and it has good music. I know, shocking. The music in this game just makes me happy. It's so nice and uplifting

Bunson the Hot Dog
Windmill Hill
Shy but Deadly
Fort Course
Frozen Solid and Chilled
Staff Roll

3. Transformers Devastation

All it's missing is crazy lyrics to match the GOAT Metal Gear Rising. Featuring a great theme song from Vince DiCola that sounds like something straight out of the G1 movie

Shockwave
Soundwave
Motormaster
Face the Devastation

Honorable Mentions -

Mario and Luigi Paper Jam

I've listened to some of the soundtrack and what I've heard is fantastic, but I've been putting off the game until Christmas so I've not heard the whole thing. Still want to give it a mention

Splatoon

It's creative and interesting, but there's only a few songs that I'd listen to outside of the game, like the final boss theme. Still deserves a mention though because it's a good soundtrack.

LTTP:

Donkey Kong Country 2

I was no stranger to this game's amazing music, but I only actually got the game this year so this was my first time hearing it in context
 
ohlawd's post reminding me that this yearly thread also tends to double as my dose of my listening to the seemingly annual Atelier and Etrian Odyssey soundtracks that turn up. Also that Cathar was a cool village theme from MH4U.
Judging by Noi's post I may be adding FFXIV to this JRPG trifecta if it continues spilling out music (wait if it's an MMO do I still call it JRPG?).

Maybe it's worth thinking about doing a shared Google Doc that people can add to over the course of the year. Invite some folks in whom you can trust not to sabotage the operation, and it should really help ease up on the amount of work for 2016. You could probably do something similar with the vote count too. I'm always down to contribute and help.

Interesting idea and the offer for more help is always appreciated.

LTTP:

Donkey Kong Country 2

I was no stranger to this game's amazing music, but I only actually got the game this year so this was my first time hearing it in context
yeeeessss
 

ohlawd

Member
ohlawd's post reminding me that this yearly thread also tends to double as my dose of my listening to the seemingly annual Atelier and Etrian Odyssey soundtracks that turn up. Also that Cathar was a cool village theme from MH4U.

sorry, Owl. expect Atelier Sophie and Etrian Odyssey V (GOD WILLING) for 2016 Soundtracks of the Year

I can always bank on these two series having legit soundtracks. Will be a sad day in hell if either screw up an entry.
 
1. Bloodborne
Bloodborne is a game that makes its music count, held back for only a few moments, most commonly of which is when a grotesque beast arrives on the scene packing a big ol’ health bar to indicate that it’s boss time and the arrival of music in turn often becomes the herald of horror.
After I first finished Bloodborne if you’d asked me to state my favourite tracks I’d just have said “I don’t really remember any of them”. Due to the rather sparse usage of music as well as a familiar theme between the vast majority of it usually involving lots of choir and bombast this isn’t too much of a surprise, it’s one of those ones where I had to go out of my way and listen to it outside the game to really appreciate it.

Of course this approach is nothing new for From Software’s recent titles, Bloodborne is taking the same musical setup as the Souls games but with one difference I find incredibly noticeable.
And that is just how much better it sounds, coming off Dark Souls 2 especially which I found pretty forgettable Bloodborne has gone so far beyond it that it completely threw me just how great the music is this time around. Not just for the full on orchestration, the themes themselves just come across a lot stronger, they even have a boss battle set to a music box melody and it’s grand.

Outside of battle themes you’ve got tracks like “Hail the Nightmare” which is rather chilling in that it’s one of the few tracks that serves as an areas background music as you’re dragged against your will into completely unknown and hostile territory, eerie and helps put the player further on edge.
Bloodborne claws its way to the top spot with the help of the Old Hunters DLC which elevated it to greater heights with a mere handful of new tracks that rank as some of the very best of the lot.

Ludwig The Accursed/ The Holy Blade: One of the recurring tropes of Bloodborne boss battles is how they may transform, become more aggressive or mix things up the more damage they take. This battle against Ludwig is one where the accompanying music takes the opportunity to join in on this aspect by shifting into a second theme when the boss himself decides that playtime is over.
The Accursed side of things has a more bleak tone, a touch murky as well but then you hit the transition to The Holy Blade and sweet merciful Kos do things escalate, perfect harmony with the boss itself (well in concept, in execution I found the second half of the fight easier for my tastes).

The First Hunter is like everything great about the soundtrack thrown into one wonderfully morose package, just bloody fantastic.

To think I almost slept on this soundtrack, that would certainly be a nightmare I wouldn’t have awakened from and even then I still almost missed out on some of the great stuff like how someone in the Old Hunters specifically singled out this small portion of Laurence’s boss theme that is simply glorious, of course I didn’t notice during the actual fight because FUUUUCK Laurence.


2. Undertale
Okay you win Undertale, take the points you rightly earned.
A funny thing about Undertale’s soundtrack is how despite the vast number of tracks there’s a lot of recurring themes but it’s done so in a way that I didn’t really notice until combing through the OST myself post game. Slowly but surely my ears kept perking up thinking “hang on, isn’t this track also used back there?” and to go even further it may smoothly transition into another recurring theme in a way that just comes across as completely natural.

Normally I find heading back to a well once too often in a soundtrack can be a bit detrimental on the whole but as far as usage of leit motifs is concerned Toby Fox may have pulled off some of the best usage of them in any gaming OST. Weaving themes together seamlessly in a way that helps ensure memorability, define character specific themes and to pull the right emotional resonance out the bag when necessary.
All of this wrapped up in a style that merges classic chiptune stylings with modern elements in a completely cohesive fashion sounding both nostalgic and modern at the same time.

Feels like the entire soundtrack has already been dropped in this thread so I’ll keep things briefer here…
It’s Raining Somewhere Else: It should be known I have a weakness for the sound of rainfall, there’s like a seedy yet melancholy noire vibe here and I’d say it stands out as one of the more unique tracks in the entire OST.

Fallen Down (Reprise): I don’t know exactly how to describe the backing elements that come in around 28 secs but they give me this oddly nostalgic feeling (and not just because this is the return of a track that plays right at the start of the game). Then it segues into what I think would be Undertale’s main theme now with some woodwind thing that I dig (so descriptive!)

Basically this is a soundtrack that really fits like a glove and had me laughing when I first heard simple stuff like Dog Song and Ghouliday just for their rather absurd nature. Undertale’s OST can run the emotional gamut, something something Hopes and Dreams.


3. Yoshi’s Wooly World
It’s been a rather rough time since Yoshi’s Story for Yoshi soundtracks, well I suppose Touch & Go was a decent set of remixes with a few new tracks and then the less said about anything else the better, “The Yoshi Clan” from New Island still haunts my nightmares.

Though in a way this is really the musical successor to Kirby’s Epic Yarn, only more upbeat and funkier to more fit this wooly world. You know because wool is funkier than yarn, a known fact.
Surprisingly there’s no remixes of past Yoshi themes that I can recall in this game, everything is new and has a consistently good quality to boot, making amends for the last decade of Yoshi games.

Spiky Stroll: I was unprepared for this smooth jive and apparently we’ve got the brother of DAT FLUTE from that one other Wii U platformer soundtrack I wouldn’t shut up about last year on board. I think this track demonstrates a nice tone difference for a mellow track coming off of Epic Yarn which would opt for a more pleasant piano focused track for that role while the tone of this similar yet different spiritual successor has a more laidback vibe.

Duplicitious Delve: Electronic focused in only the way a jaunty platformer would choose to go, mellow and moody in its own way. Much like Xtortionist’s take on “Frozen Solid and Chilled” earlier in the thread it’s all about hitting that synth backing. Plus on the second loop of the theme the final synth section gets extended with some extra acoustic guitar background, yum.

Fluffin’ Puffin Babysitting: Straight into the happy from the word go here and it never lets up on that front. Plus it has clapping before the loop, you know just in case it wasn’t nauseatingly jolly enough.

Lair of the Smooch Spiders: This one has that kind of dark fairytale vibe running through it, a bit mischievous and mysterious, I’ll always appreciate the Harpsichord.


Honourable Mentions

Ori and the Blind Forest
Here’s another soundtrack that’s big on recurring melodies, Gareth Corker and chums put together a corker here (LAUGH DAMMIT) with a soulful and moving OST that greatly enhances the beautifully animated world and in turn makes the game really feel like an animated feature come to life.
Lots of woodwinds around these parts, if I recall correctly one of the angles here was to be lighter on the percussion side and fill that void with alternatives like flutes and the like. Thoroughly charming, occasionally moving and while not always the catchiest provides ever so fitting backing to the game world.

First Steps into the Sunken Glades
is certainly one way to start an adventure, the forest is decaying, Ori is weak and alone and the somber tone here really emphasizes that as the journey here begins not with an exuberant bang but with unease, also that piano goodness.

Escaping the Ruins has an intro that has the perfect full of wonder tone for uncovering the core of a lost temple, soon business picks up as per ruin logic everything starts crumbling because that’s what ruins do when disturbed and the music more than accommodates this event, the strings pick up and we’re flung into a remix of the game’s main theme.

And for something more jolly, Naru embracing the light as one of the game’s cinematic accompaniments, oh Naru you loveable bear like thing you.
We should be getting a few more tracks with the definitive edition, Yippers!


Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
Simultaneously the best and worst thing about this soundtrack is its decision to pluck so many tracks from the series back catalogue. The good thing about this is not only have they pulled from a plethora of entries but they’re legitimately the best some of the classic tracks have ever sounded. The negative to this is that while there is a number of new tracks in this game there’s not quite enough of them which drops this into honourable mention category as it relies a bit more on past work, it also stings because the new stuff is so good I really want more of it.

I don’t think there’s quite enough Shogo Sakai in my life these days, the tasty new morsels he offers in Rainbow Curse are full of pep and come across like a big step up from his work on Mass Attack.
Great Cave Escape is the standout, soooooo gooooooood, a strong candidate for my favourite individual track from a game this year. I find it a bit reminiscent of his Mother 3 work alongside the clear Kirby nature of it, much synth, much love. And then the brass comes in, THEN THE STRINGS, IT’S TOO MUCH!

Kirby Rocket's Big Blastoff challenges Yoshi’s Wooly World for title of pure joyful ecstasy theme champion, initially I thought to myself that maybe it was a bit too cheesy, then I just decided to embrace the cheese, the right choice trust me.

And how about those many remixes? what a bounty here, Shogo Sakai may not have been remixing anything for Smash this time around but judging by what’s on display here he really should’ve, ah if only there was more from Dreamland 3 though.
However I did get my favourites from Dreamland 2, heck yeah Coo's Theme!


Runbow
Here’s a compact soundtrack from Dan Rodrigues that as the man himself (i assume) states “started with a mix of Jazz-Afro-Cuban-Blues-Bossa-Nova-Cinematic-Surf Rock”. Yeah it’s a pretty snazzy batch that helps it stand out. Percussion is on point throughout this soundtrack.

Two Feet and a Heartbeat : Souped up version of the main menu theme, just kinda goes awesomely bananas as it progresses on.
It’s Spooky Without You: Spooky themed music hasn’t inspired the urge to dance this much since…the monster mash? Don’t judge, it was a graveyard smash.

Whew, I'll tackle my LttP choice later.
I think I'm actually finding it easier doing the SotY writeups than the GotY ones these days.

sorry, Owl. expect Atelier Sophie and Etrian Odyssey V (GOD WILLING) for 2016 Soundtracks of the Year

I can always bank on these two series having legit soundtracks. Will be a sad day in hell if either screw up an entry.
I've got to say, they always seem consistently high quality.
 

Kodaman

Member
i haven't even played NecroDancer yet I voted for it.

I've voted for soundtracks whose games I've never played. It's a different approach but since we are voting for the music, its fine.
If anything, it gives you a different perspective, kind of a little more "objective" view of the music in itself.
 

Ryoku

Member
1. Xenoblade Chronicles X
2. Rocket League
3. Splatoon

While I don't feel as though Splatoon's soundtrack can stand by itself, it does a wonderful job in immersing the player within the game, and is a perfect fit for the world Nintendo has created for the game.
 
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