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NeoGAF's Official Game Soundtracks of the Year 2015: Voting Ends January 17th
- Thread starter Dark Schala
- Start date
RevolverRoden
Member
1. Metal Gear Solid V
Just like the rest of the series MGSV's OST is amazing. It sounds a bit different because Ludvig Forsell composed this one, but it's still great.
V Has Come To
A Phantom Pain
Beautiful Mirage - The Vision Fades (FEELS right here)
Sins of The Father
Behind the Drapery
Nothing else was good enough to put on this list tbh (not to mention I haven't played many 2015 games). V is the only game that I actually listen to the OST outside the game.
Just like the rest of the series MGSV's OST is amazing. It sounds a bit different because Ludvig Forsell composed this one, but it's still great.
V Has Come To
A Phantom Pain
Beautiful Mirage - The Vision Fades (FEELS right here)
Sins of The Father
Behind the Drapery
Nothing else was good enough to put on this list tbh (not to mention I haven't played many 2015 games). V is the only game that I actually listen to the OST outside the game.
1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ; Could have been generic fantasy stuff, but they went with some out-of-left field instruments that perfectly compliment the game's slavic/polish flair. It's ambient, it's bombastic, but most importantly, it's unique. Getting Percival really knocked this out of the park.
Song of the Sword-Dancer
Steel for Humans
Ambient Skellige (Not Fields of Ard Skellige - the soundtrack is actually pretty dynamic so there's different variations under different settings, I enjoy this very ambient version that's simply not on the official soundtrack CD.
2. Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight ; Not going to lie, I didn't even play this game. I just really love Yuzo Koshiro's work and this soundtrack is no exception. It's by and large one of the best soundtracks I've heard all year. Sure, it's technically arrangements of older songs, but these arrangements are so good. Incredibly good.
Woodland Ruins
Bloody Fight - Betting it All
Forbidden Forest
3. Undertale ; Catchy and memorable as fuck. There's a lot of earthbound influence, but there's some other stuff in there. Dogsong will forever live in my heart! Why is it not on the top of my list? Because the loops are too short in a lot of places for these songs to really really hit with me. But hey, it's still incredible, and made even more incredible by the great remixes out there.
Honestly, since we've already had Undertale songs linked forever, I'll just link some badass remixes instead!:
Battle Against a True Hero - Dual Mix Feat. RichaadEB
Bonetrousle - Electric Violin (Gypsy/Polka/Metal Cover/Remix) by String Player Gamer
Waters of Megalovania - Waters of Nazareth/Megalovania Mashup by Botanic Sage
Honorable Mention:
MGSV - I don't like picking games that are mainly licensed tracks, but this one had a great lineup. Also Sins of the Father is really fucking good.
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate: I don't know about you, but for me, there's nothing quite like bashing in the face of a gigantic Sand Dragon Fish Shark Thing with a giant sand harpoon while this plays: Proof of a Hero
Song of the Sword-Dancer
Steel for Humans
Ambient Skellige (Not Fields of Ard Skellige - the soundtrack is actually pretty dynamic so there's different variations under different settings, I enjoy this very ambient version that's simply not on the official soundtrack CD.
2. Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight ; Not going to lie, I didn't even play this game. I just really love Yuzo Koshiro's work and this soundtrack is no exception. It's by and large one of the best soundtracks I've heard all year. Sure, it's technically arrangements of older songs, but these arrangements are so good. Incredibly good.
Woodland Ruins
Bloody Fight - Betting it All
Forbidden Forest
3. Undertale ; Catchy and memorable as fuck. There's a lot of earthbound influence, but there's some other stuff in there. Dogsong will forever live in my heart! Why is it not on the top of my list? Because the loops are too short in a lot of places for these songs to really really hit with me. But hey, it's still incredible, and made even more incredible by the great remixes out there.
Honestly, since we've already had Undertale songs linked forever, I'll just link some badass remixes instead!:
Battle Against a True Hero - Dual Mix Feat. RichaadEB
Bonetrousle - Electric Violin (Gypsy/Polka/Metal Cover/Remix) by String Player Gamer
Waters of Megalovania - Waters of Nazareth/Megalovania Mashup by Botanic Sage
Honorable Mention:
MGSV - I don't like picking games that are mainly licensed tracks, but this one had a great lineup. Also Sins of the Father is really fucking good.
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate: I don't know about you, but for me, there's nothing quite like bashing in the face of a gigantic Sand Dragon Fish Shark Thing with a giant sand harpoon while this plays: Proof of a Hero
1. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
Disclaimer: I haven't played SC yet (I know, I know) and didn't want to spoil myself on the joy of discovering that OST for the first time!
You know, I saw Schala's ballot from a few years back, didn't really know what to expect in terms of how my ears catch things, and I ended up blown away by the phenomenal quality of this OST. I didn't know I could vote for this until I checked the OP again haha, so I put most of the work into Stella Glow's review. I'll definitely give some due credit here. I have a friend's wedding to go to in a few hours but I figure i'll write a little bit about one track I really enjoyed. Maybe i'll write a more detailed analysis in the future about all of the tracks in this game on a blog or something, because this whole OST is really worth discussing at length.
Everything about this OST is perfect to me. The BGM, the battle themes, the character music, the way it's used in game, the way it changes depending on time of year, the scenarios, the schoolhouse, the cities, the dungeons... All of it is incredibly diverse and paints a distinctive picture wherever it's used in-game.
I'll just break down some minor observations of the main battle theme, The Glint of Cold Steel.
I love the main battle theme. Right at the start, the way the frequency-filter (the hi-pass filter gives it that cool wavy, in-and-out undulating texture) is used to change the texture of those opening synth chords is an ingenious way to add flair to notes that I found to be interesting on their own based on their harmonic value. Couple that with the piano and it's just lovely. The bass line is easily the most distinctive part of this track, being extremely agile, tactile, and near-melodic in nature. It moves past being just the bass voice and has some really interesting rhythmic deviations that drive the track forward in an engaging manner. Add in the syncopation and it just flows so well!
The piano melody goes beyond using only single notes and demonstrates some nice chord work in there too! It really helps fill out the sound like a piano should!
Next, the guitar comes in and sings it's part beautifully. The way it adds onto the piano in the last phrase group before the next main section is amazing. Then, in the B-section, the piano goes to full accompaniment mode and moves aside in both texture and dynamic so the guitar is able to shine through. The combination of the piano and guitar textures mixed with the amazing bass line just knocks this track out of the park. The way the main melodic theme and intervals just keep getting recalled throughout the track is amazing, and the way it's tightly integrated in the music is fantastic in all the various fragmented, augmented, and harmonicized ways.
Every time I go to work and just want to relax and enjoy the amazing Falcom music from this title, I put on either Game of Blades, Tie a Link of ARCUS!, The Glint of Cold Steel, or Atrocious Raid and go to town on getting my day's work done. I'm not exaggerating when I say that i've listened to those 4 tracks for a combined total of about 120 hours over the past 3 weeks. It's in my nature to really listen to music I love for really long periods of time, just to digest everything I can about every note, beat, instrument, dynamic, and the relationships between all of those elements. I love getting to know why the compositions work on a fundamental level, and love being able to recall what every single note of every part in every track is, and why it works the way it does. This game's soundtrack fell into that category for me. I love it that much. With just these few tracks, I feel like i'm only starting to really get a hang of the way each of those previously listed tracks function and exist. I can't wait to continue to go through the rest of the OST as I work my way through the year!
Though I woefully regret I don't have time to write more about this amazing soundtrack, just let me say that it easily is the best thing i've heard all year. The variety of stuff in this soundtrack is just amazing, and the amount of battle tracks is so damn good.
The soundtrack is outstanding, and every track really nails what it sets out to accomplish. The music portrays the world of this game flawlessly. Due to the various people behind the music, the varieties of styles and aesthetics contained in the tracks is massive. Thanks to this, the individual locales and general feel of the game's world come to life in a meaningful way. The style is just so damn good that it gels with me on a higher plane of existence. To say that it's compelling music feels like an understatement to me. I love it that much.
2. Stella Glow
I don't know the full credits for the compositions, but since all I know is Mitsuda's name is attached to this, i'll move forward crediting him for everything.
The variety and depth of this soundtrack is amazing. In the game there are five main witches, and each of them has a particular sound identity. I'll only be covering the main four because of time constraints. The first track listed under each witch is the main battle track for that witch or her levels. One really cool thing ATLUS USA did was get the original vocalist to record an english version of the OP, and it actually turned out really good. The timbre of her voice is perfect for the song.
The Water Witch, Lisette, has a lot more extended tertian harmonies associated with her, and probably has the most "vanilla" sound to her sound identity. This extended to the scene music, the battle music, and of course the pop songs. Most of the normal orchestra stuff falls under her main stuff too, because of her relationship with the main character mostly. It's not to say it's bad or uninteresting, but when we get to the other stuff the further down you read... man oh man is that stuff amazing. Song Magic 1.
The Wind Witch, Popo, has a lot of modal tendencies identifying closer to spanish music and harmonies, which are usually accentuated by the heavy use of classical guitar in many of her tunes, the most obvious being the battle music. Her song music is back to the J-Pop style through and through (and is my personal favorite of the songs/song magic songs). Song Magic 1.
The Fire Witch, Sakuya, has by far the most aesthetically different sound identity from any of the witches, as her sound identity is heavily influenced by eastern music and instruments (particularly Japan). The main instrument you hear in her songs is the shakuhachi, a type of Japanese wood flute that has a rich, mellow timbre. There's also a lot of shamisen too, which is a replacement for the classical guitar stylings you hear from the Wind Witch music. The koto also make an appearance too. Her associated battle music heavily features these instruments along with the usual rock accompaniment. This results in probably the most unique blending of styles the soundtrack has to offer, and I really LOVE it. Song Magic 1.
The Earth Witch, Mordimort, made her home in the desert in a place called Kashmistan, which should give you the idea that her music tends to be more middle-eastern focused. Everything from the Arabic modal system is fair game in her game music, making use of maqam such as the nawa athar and the shad 'araban. Sometimes the use of the more standard Arabic modes which usually is likened to the double harmonic major scale in western terms, or just plain Arabic scale. It's got that sweet augmented step. The extra instruments that add flair to her music are lots of the hand percussion that tend to be used in arabic music (tabla drums, or durbakk (further accented with finger cymbals)), the oud (a type of Arabic guitar), and the qanoon (kinda looks like a Japanese koto). Her stuff is really cool, and while her song music doesn't really reflect this background, it's all still really nice. Song Magic 1.
A lot of the event music is usually your standard fare, but there are really nice compositions in there no matter where you look. It's the kind of stuff you usually expect (all really catchy though!), but the chamber/solo/duet stuff in particular really stands out in terms of quality. I also have to mention the event music usually reflects the setting/witches (when applicable) like I mentioned earlier.. it's great! Besides the chamber stuff, there's a lot of electric pop-sounding music too, which I think is well done. One of of my favorite tracks that demonstrates the cooler small ensemble stuff is a piece that features a classical guitar solo (I don't think it's an oud in this instance) and a naay (arabic flute) solo that's just beautifully written.
The town music and map music is fantastic, the shop music is whimsical and catchy with a marimba melody, the tuning hall music sounds relaxing and peaceful with really nice sounding hand-drumming and piano countermelody, and the title music is just really, really good.
The game has thirteen battle tracks, which is a lot, but I guess expected given the length of the game and the variety of locales. The really awesome battle tracks are saved for the best encounters, those being more towards the end of the game. To avoid spoilers, i'll just post links to each of the three of the later game tracks that really stood out to me. Some of the later ones have some choral vocals mixed with rock, and two really awesome rock violin pieces (probably two of my favorites here).
There's also the group vocal pieces where all the witches perform in an ensemble, and I really like these tracks as well. Not only are the harmonies really interesting, but the way they're coupled with their accompaniment just sticks out in a way that tickles my brain with how adventurous it is in the way it moves both vertically and horizontally.
Overall, it's the game that really stood out to me the most in terms of quality this year. I found myself going back to listen to it a lot.
3. Code Name S.T.E.A.M
I've been dying to know what the hell Yoshito Sekigawa has been up to all these years (Game & Wario notwithstanding), and holy shit did we get a comeback. The soundtrack for this game oozes the kind of style i've been missing for all these years. The layered battle music is superb, the beats are so interesting (especially the syncopated stuff that just has that drive), and the compositions are just so damn tight that it's hard for me to find flaw with them. Not only is there a huge variety in this style of music demonstrated here, but each track is just so different from the next. My main love for the music here is how all the phrasing and ostinati are just so damn good in every song. They're all so unique, but each of them has such alluring qualities that makes them all sound so good.
The game also has a lot of electronic only tracks, and electronic tracks that integrate with the strings and guitars too, which come out really interesting most of the time. This comes into play with the way the dynamic sound design works in this game. Basically there are three versions of most of the map tracks, and depending on if you're hidden, seen by an enemy, it's the enemy's turn/you're engaged in combat, the music changes. The sound design choices are really cool with regards to the OST.
Also HOLY SHIT this track. The phrasing, the instrumentation, the eq mix, the interplay between the electric and acoustic instruments... just everything is perfect in this track. I always get major chills in the section around 1:19 where the violins take over with the melody. The guitar accompaniment in that section doing some heavy rhythmic guitar filling in for the set player in that section (which is just playing on hi-hat and bass drum in this section) to accommodate the correct balance needed for the strings to shine through the texture is just sheer genius and really demonstrates major orchestrational prowess that's needed to deliver engaging, interesting music.
It's just an awesome rock soundtrack that hits all the right spots for me. I can honestly say the music elevated my experience with this game, and I say this as someone who loved the gameplay too!
Some choice examples that aren't the track I listed above:
World in Danger
Pandemic Doomsday
Steam, Steel, Strangers III
Intersection: Me vs. You
The Enemy's Willful Eye
Honorable mentions:
The Legend of Legacy - It's Hamauzu doing Hamauzu things. As always, it's incredible.
Xenoblade Chronicles X - I really love the use of thematic material in this OST. It's all very complexly interwoven that most regular listeners won't be able to make all the significant connections that happen throughout this massive OST. I got some massive chills from a lot of the tracks in this one, and CODENAMEZ in particular is just a powerful piece of music with so much strength and energy that it's hard not to just crack a huge smile every time the horn section comes in and DOMINATES. Especially at 2:06, god damn. The raw power in the track is awe-inspiring.
Etrian Odyssey II Untold: The Fafnir Knight- Yuzo!
Etrian Mystery Dungeon - Koshiro!
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate - Man, all of this is amazing. Great monster tunes, town tunes, and more.
Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls - It's Masafumi Takada making a stylish as hell OST that lived up to the series' name, and yet again is a MAJOR part of setting the tone of the game. Yeah yeah yeah, yeahyeahyeaaaaaahh.
Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward - You can really hear Soken's growth in this one. The differences between the maturity of the compositions in this and ARR are like night and day. All of the Ishgard capital music in particular is just outstanding. Especially Ishgard Pillars (Daytime).
Yoshi's Wooly World - I had some minor expectations going in, but what I got out of this was just all around amazing quality.
Splatoon - So fresh, so good. The style is so perfect for the game that it's really inseparable from the core of the game for me. Nintendo just killed it this year on the musical front. Kirby was great too!
Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2 - Yeah man. Yeah. The four versions of the stage and the permutations of the Animal Crossing music are fantastic. Listen to that hot Big Blue remix and get back to me. It's amazing. All of it is.
Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson - Really great stuff this time around. Lots and lots of rock guitar, but then you get nice pleasant stuff like this base theme or this train music and it's all just so good.
Disclaimer: I haven't played SC yet (I know, I know) and didn't want to spoil myself on the joy of discovering that OST for the first time!
You know, I saw Schala's ballot from a few years back, didn't really know what to expect in terms of how my ears catch things, and I ended up blown away by the phenomenal quality of this OST. I didn't know I could vote for this until I checked the OP again haha, so I put most of the work into Stella Glow's review. I'll definitely give some due credit here. I have a friend's wedding to go to in a few hours but I figure i'll write a little bit about one track I really enjoyed. Maybe i'll write a more detailed analysis in the future about all of the tracks in this game on a blog or something, because this whole OST is really worth discussing at length.
Everything about this OST is perfect to me. The BGM, the battle themes, the character music, the way it's used in game, the way it changes depending on time of year, the scenarios, the schoolhouse, the cities, the dungeons... All of it is incredibly diverse and paints a distinctive picture wherever it's used in-game.
I'll just break down some minor observations of the main battle theme, The Glint of Cold Steel.
I love the main battle theme. Right at the start, the way the frequency-filter (the hi-pass filter gives it that cool wavy, in-and-out undulating texture) is used to change the texture of those opening synth chords is an ingenious way to add flair to notes that I found to be interesting on their own based on their harmonic value. Couple that with the piano and it's just lovely. The bass line is easily the most distinctive part of this track, being extremely agile, tactile, and near-melodic in nature. It moves past being just the bass voice and has some really interesting rhythmic deviations that drive the track forward in an engaging manner. Add in the syncopation and it just flows so well!
The piano melody goes beyond using only single notes and demonstrates some nice chord work in there too! It really helps fill out the sound like a piano should!
Next, the guitar comes in and sings it's part beautifully. The way it adds onto the piano in the last phrase group before the next main section is amazing. Then, in the B-section, the piano goes to full accompaniment mode and moves aside in both texture and dynamic so the guitar is able to shine through. The combination of the piano and guitar textures mixed with the amazing bass line just knocks this track out of the park. The way the main melodic theme and intervals just keep getting recalled throughout the track is amazing, and the way it's tightly integrated in the music is fantastic in all the various fragmented, augmented, and harmonicized ways.
Every time I go to work and just want to relax and enjoy the amazing Falcom music from this title, I put on either Game of Blades, Tie a Link of ARCUS!, The Glint of Cold Steel, or Atrocious Raid and go to town on getting my day's work done. I'm not exaggerating when I say that i've listened to those 4 tracks for a combined total of about 120 hours over the past 3 weeks. It's in my nature to really listen to music I love for really long periods of time, just to digest everything I can about every note, beat, instrument, dynamic, and the relationships between all of those elements. I love getting to know why the compositions work on a fundamental level, and love being able to recall what every single note of every part in every track is, and why it works the way it does. This game's soundtrack fell into that category for me. I love it that much. With just these few tracks, I feel like i'm only starting to really get a hang of the way each of those previously listed tracks function and exist. I can't wait to continue to go through the rest of the OST as I work my way through the year!
Though I woefully regret I don't have time to write more about this amazing soundtrack, just let me say that it easily is the best thing i've heard all year. The variety of stuff in this soundtrack is just amazing, and the amount of battle tracks is so damn good.
The soundtrack is outstanding, and every track really nails what it sets out to accomplish. The music portrays the world of this game flawlessly. Due to the various people behind the music, the varieties of styles and aesthetics contained in the tracks is massive. Thanks to this, the individual locales and general feel of the game's world come to life in a meaningful way. The style is just so damn good that it gels with me on a higher plane of existence. To say that it's compelling music feels like an understatement to me. I love it that much.
2. Stella Glow
I don't know the full credits for the compositions, but since all I know is Mitsuda's name is attached to this, i'll move forward crediting him for everything.
The variety and depth of this soundtrack is amazing. In the game there are five main witches, and each of them has a particular sound identity. I'll only be covering the main four because of time constraints. The first track listed under each witch is the main battle track for that witch or her levels. One really cool thing ATLUS USA did was get the original vocalist to record an english version of the OP, and it actually turned out really good. The timbre of her voice is perfect for the song.
The Water Witch, Lisette, has a lot more extended tertian harmonies associated with her, and probably has the most "vanilla" sound to her sound identity. This extended to the scene music, the battle music, and of course the pop songs. Most of the normal orchestra stuff falls under her main stuff too, because of her relationship with the main character mostly. It's not to say it's bad or uninteresting, but when we get to the other stuff the further down you read... man oh man is that stuff amazing. Song Magic 1.
The Wind Witch, Popo, has a lot of modal tendencies identifying closer to spanish music and harmonies, which are usually accentuated by the heavy use of classical guitar in many of her tunes, the most obvious being the battle music. Her song music is back to the J-Pop style through and through (and is my personal favorite of the songs/song magic songs). Song Magic 1.
The Fire Witch, Sakuya, has by far the most aesthetically different sound identity from any of the witches, as her sound identity is heavily influenced by eastern music and instruments (particularly Japan). The main instrument you hear in her songs is the shakuhachi, a type of Japanese wood flute that has a rich, mellow timbre. There's also a lot of shamisen too, which is a replacement for the classical guitar stylings you hear from the Wind Witch music. The koto also make an appearance too. Her associated battle music heavily features these instruments along with the usual rock accompaniment. This results in probably the most unique blending of styles the soundtrack has to offer, and I really LOVE it. Song Magic 1.
The Earth Witch, Mordimort, made her home in the desert in a place called Kashmistan, which should give you the idea that her music tends to be more middle-eastern focused. Everything from the Arabic modal system is fair game in her game music, making use of maqam such as the nawa athar and the shad 'araban. Sometimes the use of the more standard Arabic modes which usually is likened to the double harmonic major scale in western terms, or just plain Arabic scale. It's got that sweet augmented step. The extra instruments that add flair to her music are lots of the hand percussion that tend to be used in arabic music (tabla drums, or durbakk (further accented with finger cymbals)), the oud (a type of Arabic guitar), and the qanoon (kinda looks like a Japanese koto). Her stuff is really cool, and while her song music doesn't really reflect this background, it's all still really nice. Song Magic 1.
A lot of the event music is usually your standard fare, but there are really nice compositions in there no matter where you look. It's the kind of stuff you usually expect (all really catchy though!), but the chamber/solo/duet stuff in particular really stands out in terms of quality. I also have to mention the event music usually reflects the setting/witches (when applicable) like I mentioned earlier.. it's great! Besides the chamber stuff, there's a lot of electric pop-sounding music too, which I think is well done. One of of my favorite tracks that demonstrates the cooler small ensemble stuff is a piece that features a classical guitar solo (I don't think it's an oud in this instance) and a naay (arabic flute) solo that's just beautifully written.
The town music and map music is fantastic, the shop music is whimsical and catchy with a marimba melody, the tuning hall music sounds relaxing and peaceful with really nice sounding hand-drumming and piano countermelody, and the title music is just really, really good.
The game has thirteen battle tracks, which is a lot, but I guess expected given the length of the game and the variety of locales. The really awesome battle tracks are saved for the best encounters, those being more towards the end of the game. To avoid spoilers, i'll just post links to each of the three of the later game tracks that really stood out to me. Some of the later ones have some choral vocals mixed with rock, and two really awesome rock violin pieces (probably two of my favorites here).
There's also the group vocal pieces where all the witches perform in an ensemble, and I really like these tracks as well. Not only are the harmonies really interesting, but the way they're coupled with their accompaniment just sticks out in a way that tickles my brain with how adventurous it is in the way it moves both vertically and horizontally.
Overall, it's the game that really stood out to me the most in terms of quality this year. I found myself going back to listen to it a lot.
3. Code Name S.T.E.A.M
I've been dying to know what the hell Yoshito Sekigawa has been up to all these years (Game & Wario notwithstanding), and holy shit did we get a comeback. The soundtrack for this game oozes the kind of style i've been missing for all these years. The layered battle music is superb, the beats are so interesting (especially the syncopated stuff that just has that drive), and the compositions are just so damn tight that it's hard for me to find flaw with them. Not only is there a huge variety in this style of music demonstrated here, but each track is just so different from the next. My main love for the music here is how all the phrasing and ostinati are just so damn good in every song. They're all so unique, but each of them has such alluring qualities that makes them all sound so good.
The game also has a lot of electronic only tracks, and electronic tracks that integrate with the strings and guitars too, which come out really interesting most of the time. This comes into play with the way the dynamic sound design works in this game. Basically there are three versions of most of the map tracks, and depending on if you're hidden, seen by an enemy, it's the enemy's turn/you're engaged in combat, the music changes. The sound design choices are really cool with regards to the OST.
Also HOLY SHIT this track. The phrasing, the instrumentation, the eq mix, the interplay between the electric and acoustic instruments... just everything is perfect in this track. I always get major chills in the section around 1:19 where the violins take over with the melody. The guitar accompaniment in that section doing some heavy rhythmic guitar filling in for the set player in that section (which is just playing on hi-hat and bass drum in this section) to accommodate the correct balance needed for the strings to shine through the texture is just sheer genius and really demonstrates major orchestrational prowess that's needed to deliver engaging, interesting music.
It's just an awesome rock soundtrack that hits all the right spots for me. I can honestly say the music elevated my experience with this game, and I say this as someone who loved the gameplay too!
Some choice examples that aren't the track I listed above:
World in Danger
Pandemic Doomsday
Steam, Steel, Strangers III
Intersection: Me vs. You
The Enemy's Willful Eye
Honorable mentions:
The Legend of Legacy - It's Hamauzu doing Hamauzu things. As always, it's incredible.
Xenoblade Chronicles X - I really love the use of thematic material in this OST. It's all very complexly interwoven that most regular listeners won't be able to make all the significant connections that happen throughout this massive OST. I got some massive chills from a lot of the tracks in this one, and CODENAMEZ in particular is just a powerful piece of music with so much strength and energy that it's hard not to just crack a huge smile every time the horn section comes in and DOMINATES. Especially at 2:06, god damn. The raw power in the track is awe-inspiring.
Etrian Odyssey II Untold: The Fafnir Knight- Yuzo!
Etrian Mystery Dungeon - Koshiro!
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate - Man, all of this is amazing. Great monster tunes, town tunes, and more.
Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls - It's Masafumi Takada making a stylish as hell OST that lived up to the series' name, and yet again is a MAJOR part of setting the tone of the game. Yeah yeah yeah, yeahyeahyeaaaaaahh.
Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward - You can really hear Soken's growth in this one. The differences between the maturity of the compositions in this and ARR are like night and day. All of the Ishgard capital music in particular is just outstanding. Especially Ishgard Pillars (Daytime).
Yoshi's Wooly World - I had some minor expectations going in, but what I got out of this was just all around amazing quality.
Splatoon - So fresh, so good. The style is so perfect for the game that it's really inseparable from the core of the game for me. Nintendo just killed it this year on the musical front. Kirby was great too!
Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2 - Yeah man. Yeah. The four versions of the stage and the permutations of the Animal Crossing music are fantastic. Listen to that hot Big Blue remix and get back to me. It's amazing. All of it is.
Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson - Really great stuff this time around. Lots and lots of rock guitar, but then you get nice pleasant stuff like this base theme or this train music and it's all just so good.
1. The Witcher 3: I love the music in this game. It's great for starters but it also feels fresh - it doesn't sound like another game I've played before.
2. Bloodborne: If only for Gehrman, The First Hunter, but the rest of the OST is great too.
3. Metal Gear Solid V: Lots of great licensed songs but I also really enjoyed most of the original ones. A Phantom Pain is great.
4. TRANSFORMERS Devastation: Does a very good job at hyping up the fights.
2. Bloodborne: If only for Gehrman, The First Hunter, but the rest of the OST is great too.
3. Metal Gear Solid V: Lots of great licensed songs but I also really enjoyed most of the original ones. A Phantom Pain is great.
4. TRANSFORMERS Devastation: Does a very good job at hyping up the fights.
OniBarubary
Banned
Thoraxes, you da bomb.
I honestly probably wouldn't have said Bloodborne had a great OST until the DLC came out. Nothing from the original soundtrack grabbed me, though there are pieces that I listen to later now that I enjoy. But during my playthrough I almost didn't even notice it to be honest.
And then the DLC. Boy howdy. When I was fighting Ludwig I couldn't get over how amazing that track was. Like, legitimately shook me. And then O
. Was just as stellar. Those two tracks alone rocketed the music of this game up in my eyes. I just got destroyed by those tracks.
I honestly probably wouldn't have said Bloodborne had a great OST until the DLC came out. Nothing from the original soundtrack grabbed me, though there are pieces that I listen to later now that I enjoy. But during my playthrough I almost didn't even notice it to be honest.
And then the DLC. Boy howdy. When I was fighting Ludwig I couldn't get over how amazing that track was. Like, legitimately shook me. And then O
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MichaelEM3
Banned
1. Undertale ; Toby Fox delivered a masterfully-crafted OST that somehow manages to be equal parts uplifting, melancholic, and haunting. It expertly interweaves itself into every part of the game, regardless of tone. And it's the one OST I found myself going back to the most in 2015.
Bonetrousle
Another Medium
Spider Dance
Death by Glamour
Undertale
ASGORE
Hopes and Dreams
2. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; It was the perfect compliment to this sprawling, open-world fantasy epic.
Whispers of Oxenfurt
Kaer Morhen
Silver for Monsters...
The Fields of Ard Skellig
3. Crypt of the Necrodancer ; Danny Baranoswky is a musical genius. While I didn't take to Crypt of the Necrodancer as much as I would have hoped, the music left an undeniable impression on me.
Tombtorial
Disco Descent (1-1)
Honorable Mentions:
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Bloodborne
Bonetrousle
Another Medium
Spider Dance
Death by Glamour
Undertale
ASGORE
Hopes and Dreams
2. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt ; It was the perfect compliment to this sprawling, open-world fantasy epic.
Whispers of Oxenfurt
Kaer Morhen
Silver for Monsters...
The Fields of Ard Skellig
3. Crypt of the Necrodancer ; Danny Baranoswky is a musical genius. While I didn't take to Crypt of the Necrodancer as much as I would have hoped, the music left an undeniable impression on me.
Tombtorial
Disco Descent (1-1)
Honorable Mentions:
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Bloodborne
Ah, thanks for reminding me about this OST. I need to put it in my honorable mentions at least. It's really fucking good, and yes, Deadly Dance II is a stupidly good song.
Also, isn't it Yoshito Hirano? Did they change their name?
Spikematic
Member
1. Undertale - The best RPG soundtrack in decades, IMO. Loved just about every piece of music in this game, while the standouts are now some of my favorite tracks of all time. Bravo to Toby Fox for composing something so goddamn spectacular.
Waterfall
Death by Glamour
ASGORE
Hopes and Dreams
Undertale
2. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - A spectacular soundtrack rife with tracks ranging from exhilarating battle anthems to stirring atmospheric pieces. The fact that such awesome music was accompanied by some truly astonishing scenery and visuals just made them stand out even more.
The Fields of Ard Skellig
Hunt or Be Hunted
Silver for Monsters
3. Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward - The expansion continued A Realm Reborn's trend of having the best music ever in an MMORPG. Only fitting, seeing as how Final Fantasies have always been at the forefront of video game music.
Ishgard - The Pillars Theme (Day)
Ravana's Theme
Dungeon Boss Theme
4. Life is Strange - The music of this game was an essential ingredient in setting the mood for this stellar game. Re listening to some of the tracks still makes me emotional.
5. Bloodborne - Atmospheric, eerie and blood pumping tracks elevated Bloodborne's soundtrack to something really special.
Waterfall
Death by Glamour
ASGORE
Hopes and Dreams
Undertale
2. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - A spectacular soundtrack rife with tracks ranging from exhilarating battle anthems to stirring atmospheric pieces. The fact that such awesome music was accompanied by some truly astonishing scenery and visuals just made them stand out even more.
The Fields of Ard Skellig
Hunt or Be Hunted
Silver for Monsters
3. Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward - The expansion continued A Realm Reborn's trend of having the best music ever in an MMORPG. Only fitting, seeing as how Final Fantasies have always been at the forefront of video game music.
Ishgard - The Pillars Theme (Day)
Ravana's Theme
Dungeon Boss Theme
4. Life is Strange - The music of this game was an essential ingredient in setting the mood for this stellar game. Re listening to some of the tracks still makes me emotional.
5. Bloodborne - Atmospheric, eerie and blood pumping tracks elevated Bloodborne's soundtrack to something really special.
kuroneko0509
Member
1. Undertale
Undertale is brilliant not only because everything was made by one guy almost on his own, but because this allows the game to be extremely cohesive, and the music illustrates that very well. You feel there was this connection between the composition and the universe, the characters, the situations of the game.
Outside of the obvious (Asgore, Spider Dance, Megalovania, etc.), there are also many charmingtracks, like the delicate piano of Snowy that accompany you in the cold of the mountains, the few chords of Home that make you feel warm inside when you meet Toriel again at the beginning (it's clever that it's a variation on Hopes and Dreams), or the crystalline percussions of It's Raining Somewhere Else, calm before the storm. I'll also throw Quiet Water in here, serene track. That's the alternance of these atmospheric themes and the great, dynamic battle tracks that made Undertale's OST a standout.
2. Tales from the Borderlands
It's primarily because of the licenced tracks, but hell if the didn't choose exactly the right songs to illustrate each episode intros. Busy Earnin, Kiss the Sky, Pieces of the People we Love, To the Top (probably my favorite intro of them all) and Retrograde are all pretty perfect, catchy choices, integrate very well in the game and are matched with very good visual intros. And as often with Telltale, the end theme is good too (My Silver Lining).
And the rest isn't bad either, with good western like music : Boot Game, Lonely Road put you in the right mood.
3. Rocket League
I can't stop playing Rocket League, and that's not because of the music. But the OST is surprisingly good with modern, catchy, songs, with an electro feeling to them, like Love Thru the Night, Flying Forever and Angel Wings or Breathing Underwater. It's not an OST linked to a great story or memorable characters, and it doesn't play when you play the game, but it's telling that you still want to listen to it after you switch your console off.
Honorable mention : I love Sins of the Father from Metal Gear Solid 5, and particularly when Quiet's Theme opens it like in the 2013 trailer. Maybe the best MGS theme. A lot of emotions in this song. The game... That's another story.
Undertale is brilliant not only because everything was made by one guy almost on his own, but because this allows the game to be extremely cohesive, and the music illustrates that very well. You feel there was this connection between the composition and the universe, the characters, the situations of the game.
Outside of the obvious (Asgore, Spider Dance, Megalovania, etc.), there are also many charmingtracks, like the delicate piano of Snowy that accompany you in the cold of the mountains, the few chords of Home that make you feel warm inside when you meet Toriel again at the beginning (it's clever that it's a variation on Hopes and Dreams), or the crystalline percussions of It's Raining Somewhere Else, calm before the storm. I'll also throw Quiet Water in here, serene track. That's the alternance of these atmospheric themes and the great, dynamic battle tracks that made Undertale's OST a standout.
2. Tales from the Borderlands
It's primarily because of the licenced tracks, but hell if the didn't choose exactly the right songs to illustrate each episode intros. Busy Earnin, Kiss the Sky, Pieces of the People we Love, To the Top (probably my favorite intro of them all) and Retrograde are all pretty perfect, catchy choices, integrate very well in the game and are matched with very good visual intros. And as often with Telltale, the end theme is good too (My Silver Lining).
And the rest isn't bad either, with good western like music : Boot Game, Lonely Road put you in the right mood.
3. Rocket League
I can't stop playing Rocket League, and that's not because of the music. But the OST is surprisingly good with modern, catchy, songs, with an electro feeling to them, like Love Thru the Night, Flying Forever and Angel Wings or Breathing Underwater. It's not an OST linked to a great story or memorable characters, and it doesn't play when you play the game, but it's telling that you still want to listen to it after you switch your console off.
Honorable mention : I love Sins of the Father from Metal Gear Solid 5, and particularly when Quiet's Theme opens it like in the 2013 trailer. Maybe the best MGS theme. A lot of emotions in this song. The game... That's another story.
Going to write more later. Just wanted to get my votes in, before I miss the deadline.
1. Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward
2. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
3. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC
Honorable Mentions:
Bloodborne
Final Fantasy Type-0 HD
Nights of Azure
Tales of Zestiria
1. Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward
2. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
3. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC
Honorable Mentions:
Bloodborne
Final Fantasy Type-0 HD
Nights of Azure
Tales of Zestiria
Haha thanks. If I had more time I would've made it a lot better too! And I would've gone more in depth too!
Thank you#!
Ah, I didn't know that. No clue about the name change.
EDIT: I should mention I only really knew the composer by family name for a long time.
1. Undertale
Undertale is such a great game- it's funny, has a great story, and a great cast. It's OST is one of my favorite game OSTs of all time. I completed Undertale in October and I still find myself humming some of the songs without realizing it. I bought the soundtrack and it's hard to find a song on there that I don't like at all. I'm sure people have already posted some of the best ones, but I'll go ahead and list my faves because why not?
Fallen Down (Reprise) - I don't know how often this one is mentioned, but it's one of my favorites. I really like listening to this one, Don't Give Up, and Hopes and Dream/SAVE the World together. So good.
Undertale
Hopes and Dreams+SAVE the World
Death by Glamour
Bergentrückung+ASGORE - can't have the ASGORE theme without Bergentrückung imo
2. Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward
FFXIV has always had an excellent soundtrack, and Heavensward did not dissapoint. I'd actually really love to hear Soken do some music for some other FFs or even some other games as I really like what he's done for ARR and Heavensward. My top tracks:
Dragonsong - The video has major spoilers for the end of ARR
Dungeon Boss Music - When I was actively playing the game, I never got tired of this song even with the daily tome grind and having to constantly hear it.
Aetherochemical Research Facility
Singularity Reactor - Major spoilers for final boss of Heavensward main story. Man, this track is soooo good.
3. Tales of Zestiria
I've been a huge Tales fan since Destiny on the PS1 released. Most Tales OSTs tend to be pretty forgettable for the most part- they'll have maybe 1 or 2 great songs and a few good ones and then the rest would be pretty basic. Zestiria, however, really surprised me with how quality the soundtrack was overall. Some of my faves:
White Light
Existence to be Feared
Melody of Water is the Guide in Spiritual Mist
Competing with the Honor of the Land - I really, really like this track, but I really, really don't like like... one little section of it. If it wasn't there, this would be perfect.
Undertale is such a great game- it's funny, has a great story, and a great cast. It's OST is one of my favorite game OSTs of all time. I completed Undertale in October and I still find myself humming some of the songs without realizing it. I bought the soundtrack and it's hard to find a song on there that I don't like at all. I'm sure people have already posted some of the best ones, but I'll go ahead and list my faves because why not?
Fallen Down (Reprise) - I don't know how often this one is mentioned, but it's one of my favorites. I really like listening to this one, Don't Give Up, and Hopes and Dream/SAVE the World together. So good.
Undertale
Hopes and Dreams+SAVE the World
Death by Glamour
Bergentrückung+ASGORE - can't have the ASGORE theme without Bergentrückung imo
2. Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward
FFXIV has always had an excellent soundtrack, and Heavensward did not dissapoint. I'd actually really love to hear Soken do some music for some other FFs or even some other games as I really like what he's done for ARR and Heavensward. My top tracks:
Dragonsong - The video has major spoilers for the end of ARR
Dungeon Boss Music - When I was actively playing the game, I never got tired of this song even with the daily tome grind and having to constantly hear it.
Aetherochemical Research Facility
Singularity Reactor - Major spoilers for final boss of Heavensward main story. Man, this track is soooo good.
3. Tales of Zestiria
I've been a huge Tales fan since Destiny on the PS1 released. Most Tales OSTs tend to be pretty forgettable for the most part- they'll have maybe 1 or 2 great songs and a few good ones and then the rest would be pretty basic. Zestiria, however, really surprised me with how quality the soundtrack was overall. Some of my faves:
White Light
Existence to be Feared
Melody of Water is the Guide in Spiritual Mist
Competing with the Honor of the Land - I really, really like this track, but I really, really don't like like... one little section of it. If it wasn't there, this would be perfect.
victreeb3l
Member
1. Splatoon
So fresh, so catchy, so varied, so much fun. The soundtrack gets me so hyped. "Splattack!" is the best theme song of the year by far. The "squid voices" was such a great idea as well, it really gives the tracks an unique identity. Even the jingles are catchy as hell. 90% of the time I want to win matches because I want to hear the Battle Win theme.
I absolutely adored this ost. Still listen to it even after all this time and havent gotten tired of it.
Tracks:
Maritime Memory (credits)
Splattack!
Squid Sisters
Friends List
Quick Start
Booyah Base (try not to bob your head to this)
Ika Jamaica
2. Xenoblade Chronicles X
I was ready to hate on it but after 150 hours this OST completely won me over. The cheese in some of the tracks are ridiculously catchy. The continent themes are amazing. Primordia is one of the best "first level" tracks I've heard. It does a fantastic job of establishing the setting and what the player is in for. Its like "Welcome to Mira. Dont get killed."
And man, the theme gives me goosebumps every single time.
Sawano does such a great job of mixing instruments and sounds. The tracks are so richly layered, I'm always discovering new sounds even hours later. Its kind of his thing but man his sound fits this game so well.
I had a hard time choosing between this or Splatoon for #1 but I went with Splatoon due to variety and the JSR nostalgia was strong.
Tracks:
Sylvalum Field (Night)
Oblivia Theme
THEME X
Noctilum Theme
Z15 Field
Re:Arr X
3. Halo 5: Guardians
Its no Marty but I loved this OST. Great job at remixing some fan favorites.
Tracks:
1. Kamchatka
2. Blue Team
3. The Trials
Honorabe Mentions:
The Witcher 3. The OST isn't bad but outside of one or two songs, I really dont enjoy listening to them outside of the game.
So fresh, so catchy, so varied, so much fun. The soundtrack gets me so hyped. "Splattack!" is the best theme song of the year by far. The "squid voices" was such a great idea as well, it really gives the tracks an unique identity. Even the jingles are catchy as hell. 90% of the time I want to win matches because I want to hear the Battle Win theme.
I absolutely adored this ost. Still listen to it even after all this time and havent gotten tired of it.
Tracks:
Maritime Memory (credits)
Splattack!
Squid Sisters
Friends List
Quick Start
Booyah Base (try not to bob your head to this)
Ika Jamaica
2. Xenoblade Chronicles X
I was ready to hate on it but after 150 hours this OST completely won me over. The cheese in some of the tracks are ridiculously catchy. The continent themes are amazing. Primordia is one of the best "first level" tracks I've heard. It does a fantastic job of establishing the setting and what the player is in for. Its like "Welcome to Mira. Dont get killed."
And man, the theme gives me goosebumps every single time.
Sawano does such a great job of mixing instruments and sounds. The tracks are so richly layered, I'm always discovering new sounds even hours later. Its kind of his thing but man his sound fits this game so well.
I had a hard time choosing between this or Splatoon for #1 but I went with Splatoon due to variety and the JSR nostalgia was strong.
Tracks:
Sylvalum Field (Night)
Oblivia Theme
THEME X
Noctilum Theme
Z15 Field
Re:Arr X
3. Halo 5: Guardians
Its no Marty but I loved this OST. Great job at remixing some fan favorites.
Tracks:
1. Kamchatka
2. Blue Team
3. The Trials
Honorabe Mentions:
The Witcher 3. The OST isn't bad but outside of one or two songs, I really dont enjoy listening to them outside of the game.
Dark Schala
Eloquent Princess
Because this week was so damn busy with 8-hr shifts every day and a few final exams for me, I didn't get a chance to work on my writeup much. I feel similarly, heh. I'm glad you still pumped one out. I'm pretty impressed that Sen no Kiseki beat out everything for you this year. I would've loved to have heard your thoughts on Heavensward, but you and I have discussed Soken elsewhere. I suppose I should take up the reins on that, eh?
I think when Sen no Kiseki came out for me, I may have given it second or third place due to a few inconsistencies that I felt the soundtrack had? However, I hope you enjoy Sen II because the music's even more consistent, and the whole game and soundtrack are a blast to experience.
I was going to give a day extension because I kinda feel like I might need it, but nah, I'll just use tomorrow and tonight to write one up. I don't have to go in at 6 AM on Monday so it would've been manageable. :V
1. Metal Gear Solid V - The Phantom Pain
The best licensed soundtrack in a game since GTA Vice City. I will always associate Aha's Take on Me with Big Boss from now on. Also some PHENOMENAL original vocal tracks, probably the best in the series besides MGS3.
Take on Me
The Man Who Sold the World
Sins of the Father
Quiet's Theme
2. Splatoon
This game is stylish as fuck, and the soundtrack is no exception. Some awesome music to be found here.
Main Theme
Booyah Base
Final Boss
3. Yoshi's Wooly World
This game is so adorable. Music is great too!
Clawdaddy Beach
Bounceabout Woods
Fluffy Snow Here we Go!
The best licensed soundtrack in a game since GTA Vice City. I will always associate Aha's Take on Me with Big Boss from now on. Also some PHENOMENAL original vocal tracks, probably the best in the series besides MGS3.
Take on Me
The Man Who Sold the World
Sins of the Father
Quiet's Theme
2. Splatoon
This game is stylish as fuck, and the soundtrack is no exception. Some awesome music to be found here.
Main Theme
Booyah Base
Final Boss
3. Yoshi's Wooly World
This game is so adorable. Music is great too!
Clawdaddy Beach
Bounceabout Woods
Fluffy Snow Here we Go!
Dark Schala
Eloquent Princess
Because at least two people brought it up, I'll allow for the extra day. January 17th at 11:59 PM PST. That's the last extension I'll give. I tweeted a mod to change it for meeeee~
Y'all better give me some good posts, then! Cuz I'm 1/4 of the way through mine!!
Y'all better give me some good posts, then! Cuz I'm 1/4 of the way through mine!!
Shit I forgot about this thread.
Don't care if it gets counted, but here goes:
1. FINAL FANTASY XIV: HEAVENSWARD
2. LISA the Joyful
Honorable mention to LISA the Painful too since it came out in December of 2014 and I didn't play it until 2015. This soundtrack is DIRTY, dirty like all the shit you do in that game. Best FrootyLoops OST 2015.
3. Legend of Legacy
Don't care if it gets counted, but here goes:
1. FINAL FANTASY XIV: HEAVENSWARD
2. LISA the Joyful
Honorable mention to LISA the Painful too since it came out in December of 2014 and I didn't play it until 2015. This soundtrack is DIRTY, dirty like all the shit you do in that game. Best FrootyLoops OST 2015.
3. Legend of Legacy
I hear where you're coming from on the work shifts! That stuff just gets busy, and I work full-time with like 2-3 hours to spare each night, most of which I use catching up on news/twitter/e-mails, etc.Because this week was so damn busy with 8-hr shifts every day and a few final exams for me, I didn't get a chance to work on my writeup much. I feel similarly, heh. I'm glad you still pumped one out. I'm pretty impressed that Sen no Kiseki beat out everything for you this year. I would've loved to have heard your thoughts on Heavensward, but you and I have discussed Soken elsewhere. I suppose I should take up the reins on that, eh?
I think when Sen no Kiseki came out for me, I may have given it second or third place due to a few inconsistencies that I felt the soundtrack had? However, I hope you enjoy Sen II because the music's even more consistent, and the whole game and soundtrack are a blast to experience.
I was going to give a day extension because I kinda feel like I might need it, but nah, I'll just use tomorrow and tonight to write one up. I don't have to go in at 6 AM on Monday so it would've been manageable. :V
Definitely regarding Heavensward! There's so much good stuff in that OST I feel like I could talk forever about it. Just the sheer variety of styles that Soken exhibits is great. And the sometimes weird combinations and juxtapositions of tracks are always things in there I really ended up liking. I think it's totally worth more discussion for sure! Especially his growth as a video game composer! Like you said, we've discussed the music of the game before, and I think it totally is worth some more being written about it. He really took off his limiters for it, and it shows. I think one of the tracks that really got me to pay attention to the music was actually the 2nd phase Bismarck music. From there I found the pillars music I linked in my honorable mentions, and then I just went down the rabbit hole of just consuming and digesting as much of the music as I could. I know not a lot of people could deal with the repetition like I do, but I totally mean it when I say that I will listen to something for like 40 hours a week, non-stop, just because I like it that much and want to know everything about it, inside and out.
Also should mention that I totally think that Soken would be awesome on another mainline FF game, especially if he was given a proper recording budget for performers. I'm amazed at the stuff he pumps out now, but imagine how much more amazing his stuff is going to get when he starts recording with an orchestra (or just all live instruments in general), and works with an orchestrator and stuff. It's pretty much going to be the best thing.
I didn't really know much about the Legend of Heroes series until a friend told me at our annual New Year's party "It's basically one of the best series i've ever played." He's not a person prone to talk in anything resembling absolutes, nor does he ever talk with hyperbole, so to hear him make a statement like that, I knew that I had screwed myself by not giving the games the attention they deserve.
Trails of Cold Steel ended up actually being my first real exposure to the series, and I plan on just going through all of it if I can help it, because from what i've seen with my time in even just this one game, I know I will like all of it. It gets me, and I get it, and we both just love being there for each other. I've gotten bad enough that I even think about the stories of the NPCs in Trista while i'm at work or out and about, and how their lives will play out over the course of the game, not to mention the main plot and characters too. I spent like 10 minutes with a friend earlier today talking about Becky and Hugo, haha. Like I mentioned in my review (this applies to the whole game really, not just the music), the whole package of the series just gels with me on a higher plane of existence.
And even though I had read your other reviews the previous years and listened to the tracks you linked, I didn't have any first-hand exposure to the music of the Falcom Sound Team outside of those tracks you listed, and didn't really have any context for any of them too. I think it's probably why I reacted (and am still reacting) so strongly to the music in Cold Steel/Sen no Kiseki. To know that their output is so awesome on just my first exposure to them, and to have people tell me it gets even better, makes me super-excited to see what else there is for me to discover from them.
I'm at the point now where i'm hopelessly addicted to listening to the Sen no Kiseki OST pretty much anytime I plug in my headphones. Im lucky to have a job where I can just pop on headphones and listen to it for eight hours a day while I do my work. The ways I have come to love the music in that OST just keep growing in number with each new listen. Just the way everything is constructed in there, from the harmonies to the melodies, from the orchestration to the instrumental choices... I just like it all. And I really mean all of it.
OrlanisWorks
Banned
Gotta vote. Gotta get my votes.
1. Life is Strange
I listened to the soundtrack quite a few times and it is so easily connected to all moments through each episode. It also caused the desire to produce music to come back to me. Thanks DONTNOD for getting Syd Matters, Jose Gonzalez, John Morali, and a whole bunch of other beautiful stuff into my life.
2. Witcher 3
White Run is an solid intro to game world, but King Brans Last Voyage makes it something more inviting. It alone brought me into the Witcher universe. Great stuff.
3. Rocket League
More than a fitting licensed soundtrack for one relentless, melodic electronic track after another to ride along with a silly, incredibly entertaining sport game.
4. Fallout 4
Despite the game itself not being an amazing experience I had hoped it to be, the music is very well produced and fits in everywhere it happens to be, in whatever situation.
Might post links later if I can get on something other than mobile. Thanks for the extension.
1. Life is Strange
I listened to the soundtrack quite a few times and it is so easily connected to all moments through each episode. It also caused the desire to produce music to come back to me. Thanks DONTNOD for getting Syd Matters, Jose Gonzalez, John Morali, and a whole bunch of other beautiful stuff into my life.
2. Witcher 3
White Run is an solid intro to game world, but King Brans Last Voyage makes it something more inviting. It alone brought me into the Witcher universe. Great stuff.
3. Rocket League
More than a fitting licensed soundtrack for one relentless, melodic electronic track after another to ride along with a silly, incredibly entertaining sport game.
4. Fallout 4
Despite the game itself not being an amazing experience I had hoped it to be, the music is very well produced and fits in everywhere it happens to be, in whatever situation.
Might post links later if I can get on something other than mobile. Thanks for the extension.
Nocturnowl
Member
I could use the knowledge on instruments he has to avoid my vague descriptions like "that woodwind of sorts...I think".
Adry9
Member
1. Life is Strange
Foals - Spanish Sahara
2. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Percival & Marcin Przybyłowicz - ...Steel For Humans
3. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World
Honorable Mention: Her Story
Chris Zabriskie - That Kid in Fourth Grade Who Really Liked the Denver Broncos
LTTP: Transistor
Darren Korb - Old Friends
Foals - Spanish Sahara
2. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Percival & Marcin Przybyłowicz - ...Steel For Humans
3. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World
Honorable Mention: Her Story
Chris Zabriskie - That Kid in Fourth Grade Who Really Liked the Denver Broncos
LTTP: Transistor
Darren Korb - Old Friends
I'm pretty bad at placing instruments as well. I am so far behind on my musical knowledge and I'm futilely trying to learn more. These threads help a lot in getting me to verbalize my thoughts.
SatelliteOfLove
Member
Yeah, he keeps focused way better than my spray and pray spewing (although I was kind enough to forewarn! lol)
Eolz
Member
I should have written my vote way earlier (not much time for long posts), but here we go.
Might get some slight edits (mainly music links) before tomorrow's deadline.
1. Xenoblade Chronicles X
This is a soundtrack that really grows on you. A lot of people might dismiss it by saying "it's too anime" or "the lyrics are ridiculous", but that would be missing how energetic and beautifully composed those tracks are. On top of that, all the ambient music fits extremely well the area it's linked to, and you will understand only by playing the game.
Again, the more hours you spend in the game, the better this OST gets.
Theme X - Uncontrollable - Field Kaijou
2. Legend of Legacy
Some tracks are reminiscent of FFXIII-3, some remind you of some other works from this composer, but all of them still manage to feel completely unique. By playing this game, you understand why the soundtrack manage to be something that would be able to fit different mediums (book, movie, game, cd, etc). Those tracks will tell you a story on their own, without the need of a narrator or anything else, but add that, and they will be sublimed. This is a soundtrack that will make you think more than any other released this year.
3. The Witcher 3
A lot of the OST was already quoted, so I'll skip on this, but it just keeps improving on the previous games' soundtracks, not only in terms of original score, but also in terms of ambient music. Absolutely fantastic on that last point, it really helps when you just want to explore the world and start to get lost in your own thoughts while admiring fantastic landscapes and environments. The score itself could make any big Fantasy movie jealous.
Honourable mentions
x. Codename Steam: as some others said previously, reminded me a bit of the last Advance Wars with a mix of industrial and rock elements. This game is really underrated, its soundtrack too.
x. Mario&Luigi Paper Jam: like the game, it felt way better than its predecessors, but also felt a bit too classic like some recent Nintendo games. Really good original compositions and great remixes, but a lot of remixes nonetheless
x. Bloodborne: excellent soundtrack, but not as memorable as I hoped it to be. Fits really well the gameplay too.
x. Halo 5: felt it was the first great Halo soundtrack since ODST. Really better than expected.
LTTP
- Guilty Gear Xrd: Basically a 2014 release, but the Steam release allowed to enjoy a great rock/metal soundtrack as usual with this franchise.
Heavy Day - The Lily of Steel - Marionette
Might get some slight edits (mainly music links) before tomorrow's deadline.
1. Xenoblade Chronicles X
This is a soundtrack that really grows on you. A lot of people might dismiss it by saying "it's too anime" or "the lyrics are ridiculous", but that would be missing how energetic and beautifully composed those tracks are. On top of that, all the ambient music fits extremely well the area it's linked to, and you will understand only by playing the game.
Again, the more hours you spend in the game, the better this OST gets.
Theme X - Uncontrollable - Field Kaijou
2. Legend of Legacy
Some tracks are reminiscent of FFXIII-3, some remind you of some other works from this composer, but all of them still manage to feel completely unique. By playing this game, you understand why the soundtrack manage to be something that would be able to fit different mediums (book, movie, game, cd, etc). Those tracks will tell you a story on their own, without the need of a narrator or anything else, but add that, and they will be sublimed. This is a soundtrack that will make you think more than any other released this year.
3. The Witcher 3
A lot of the OST was already quoted, so I'll skip on this, but it just keeps improving on the previous games' soundtracks, not only in terms of original score, but also in terms of ambient music. Absolutely fantastic on that last point, it really helps when you just want to explore the world and start to get lost in your own thoughts while admiring fantastic landscapes and environments. The score itself could make any big Fantasy movie jealous.
Honourable mentions
x. Codename Steam: as some others said previously, reminded me a bit of the last Advance Wars with a mix of industrial and rock elements. This game is really underrated, its soundtrack too.
x. Mario&Luigi Paper Jam: like the game, it felt way better than its predecessors, but also felt a bit too classic like some recent Nintendo games. Really good original compositions and great remixes, but a lot of remixes nonetheless
x. Bloodborne: excellent soundtrack, but not as memorable as I hoped it to be. Fits really well the gameplay too.
x. Halo 5: felt it was the first great Halo soundtrack since ODST. Really better than expected.
LTTP
- Guilty Gear Xrd: Basically a 2014 release, but the Steam release allowed to enjoy a great rock/metal soundtrack as usual with this franchise.
Heavy Day - The Lily of Steel - Marionette
dancrane212
Member
1. Halo 5: Guardians - Excellent blend of the old and new. Scavengers was something I immediately tracked down after hearing it in the second mission of the game - gotta love those drums.
2. Ori and the Blind Forest - Music does a wonderful job of hitting emotional moments, especially in the chase scenes.
3. Wolfenstien: The Old Blood - That credits song is something else. Mick Gordon is a king.
x. Life is Strange - My favorite licensed soundtrack since Alan Wake.
2. Ori and the Blind Forest - Music does a wonderful job of hitting emotional moments, especially in the chase scenes.
3. Wolfenstien: The Old Blood - That credits song is something else. Mick Gordon is a king.
x. Life is Strange - My favorite licensed soundtrack since Alan Wake.
1. Undertale
One of the most addictive soundtracks of a new game I've heard in years. Death by Glamour, BergentrБckung/ASGORE, Battle Against a True Hero and Megalovania probably rank amongst some of my favorite boss themes ever. And the scene where "Undertale" plays in elevates that track into instantly memorable territory for me.
2. Bloodborne
Possibly my favorite "Souls" game soundtrack, though it's a really tough call between this and Dark Souls. Regardless of which one I actually prefer, this is definetely the one with the highest highs with tracks such as The First Hunter, Father Gascoigne, Micolash and some of the new DLC tracks.
3. Metal Gear Solid V
While the instrumental soundtrack is thoroughly forgettable, the original vocal tracks and licensed soundtrack are all amazing. Besides, it introduced me to what is now one of my favorite renditions of The Man Who Sold the World.
One of the most addictive soundtracks of a new game I've heard in years. Death by Glamour, BergentrБckung/ASGORE, Battle Against a True Hero and Megalovania probably rank amongst some of my favorite boss themes ever. And the scene where "Undertale" plays in elevates that track into instantly memorable territory for me.
2. Bloodborne
Possibly my favorite "Souls" game soundtrack, though it's a really tough call between this and Dark Souls. Regardless of which one I actually prefer, this is definetely the one with the highest highs with tracks such as The First Hunter, Father Gascoigne, Micolash and some of the new DLC tracks.
3. Metal Gear Solid V
While the instrumental soundtrack is thoroughly forgettable, the original vocal tracks and licensed soundtrack are all amazing. Besides, it introduced me to what is now one of my favorite renditions of The Man Who Sold the World.
Azure Phoenix
Member
1. Undertale
I mean, it just has to be. No matter what you feel about the game itself the soundtrack ranges only from great to incredible. The boss themes in particular are where the game shines like nothing that I've listened to since Nier's OST, they so perfectly fit the character and the mood of the battle, from the whimsical Bonetrousle for
to the energising Battle Against a True Hero for one of the toughest fights,
.
Megalovania
Bonetrousle
Battle Against a True Hero
Save the World
2. Splatoon
You'd think listening to the same couple of songs on loop for every match would get tiresome, but somehow Splatoon's mad and impossible to categorise soundtrack doesn't. It's stylish in a way I've not encountered since Jet Set Radio, fitting perfectly with the crazy and colourful atmosphere of the game. The first time I heard the Splatfest song I literally had it on repeat for 4 hours straight, something I don't think I've ever done before.
Splatfest Battle
Maritime Memory
Splattack!
3. Etrian Mystery Dungeon
Honestly I haven't played EMD since I'm not great at the Shiren/Mystery Dungeon style of games, but I've seen more than enough speedruns and listened to the OST enough to know that I adore it as much as other Etrian games - in particular some of the remixes of prior EO songs manage to completely blow their (already amazing) original versions out of the water (most notably Chalky Woods).
The End of Raging Winds
Chalky Woods
Hoist the Sword and Pride in the Heart
I mean, it just has to be. No matter what you feel about the game itself the soundtrack ranges only from great to incredible. The boss themes in particular are where the game shines like nothing that I've listened to since Nier's OST, they so perfectly fit the character and the mood of the battle, from the whimsical Bonetrousle for
Papyrus
Undyne
Megalovania
Bonetrousle
Battle Against a True Hero
Save the World
2. Splatoon
You'd think listening to the same couple of songs on loop for every match would get tiresome, but somehow Splatoon's mad and impossible to categorise soundtrack doesn't. It's stylish in a way I've not encountered since Jet Set Radio, fitting perfectly with the crazy and colourful atmosphere of the game. The first time I heard the Splatfest song I literally had it on repeat for 4 hours straight, something I don't think I've ever done before.
Splatfest Battle
Maritime Memory
Splattack!
3. Etrian Mystery Dungeon
Honestly I haven't played EMD since I'm not great at the Shiren/Mystery Dungeon style of games, but I've seen more than enough speedruns and listened to the OST enough to know that I adore it as much as other Etrian games - in particular some of the remixes of prior EO songs manage to completely blow their (already amazing) original versions out of the water (most notably Chalky Woods).
The End of Raging Winds
Chalky Woods
Hoist the Sword and Pride in the Heart
Fancy Clown
Member
1. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
2. Bloodborne
3. OlliOlli 2
Honorable Mentions:
x. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
x. Transformers: Devastation
x. Axiom Verge
2. Bloodborne
3. OlliOlli 2
Honorable Mentions:
x. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
x. Transformers: Devastation
x. Axiom Verge
1. Bloodborne
2. Undertale
3. The Order: 1886
Bloodborne is my favorite From soundtrack since King's Field IV The Ancient City. I've listened to it more often than any one individual record in 2015, and it was the only game soundtrack to make my top 11 records of the year when I got asked by a friend for his music blog. It's a masterpiece and full of both memorable haunting melodies and nuanced composition well suited to its live orchestra performance. Favorite tracks: Ebrietas Daughter of the Cosmos, Cleric Beast, The First Hunter, The Watchers.
Undertale is a pure delight. Memorable piano melodies and a great nostalgic vibe throughout. I haven't beaten the game yet (trying to get it done before the GOTY thread deadline) but I've listened to the soundtrack a lot at work and it's a good listen even out of context.
The same goes for The Order: 1886. I've never played the game but I listened to this at work a fair amount and it's quite good brooding dark music. I dig it.
Honorable mentions: Titan Souls, Axiom Verge.
2. Undertale
3. The Order: 1886
Bloodborne is my favorite From soundtrack since King's Field IV The Ancient City. I've listened to it more often than any one individual record in 2015, and it was the only game soundtrack to make my top 11 records of the year when I got asked by a friend for his music blog. It's a masterpiece and full of both memorable haunting melodies and nuanced composition well suited to its live orchestra performance. Favorite tracks: Ebrietas Daughter of the Cosmos, Cleric Beast, The First Hunter, The Watchers.
Undertale is a pure delight. Memorable piano melodies and a great nostalgic vibe throughout. I haven't beaten the game yet (trying to get it done before the GOTY thread deadline) but I've listened to the soundtrack a lot at work and it's a good listen even out of context.
The same goes for The Order: 1886. I've never played the game but I listened to this at work a fair amount and it's quite good brooding dark music. I dig it.
Honorable mentions: Titan Souls, Axiom Verge.
Not much time left for me to vote, but that's okay, there were two Etrian Odyssey game released in 2015.
1. Etrian Mystery Dungeon
So yeah, I love the music of this series, I haven't had the chance to vote for this series in one of these thread due to when I joined Neogaf, so I guess I'll be making up for that now. It feels a little odd to put a soundtrack that is pretty much all covers in first place, but then I listen to the tracks that first showed up in the best EO soundtrack, EOIII, and I stop caring about that.
Hoist the Sword and Pride in the Heart The boss theme from EOIII finally makes it's return. The original quickly became one of my favorite boss themes in any video game, and Etrian Mystery Dungeon's take on it does it justice.
Chalky Woods Also from EOIII, the fifth labyrinth theme of that game. I've always liked that theme, and I'm glad to hear it here.
Faith is My Pillar the second battle them from EOIV, I loved it there and I love the new take on it here.
Each Justice The final boss theme from EOIII, I expected something more like Hoist the Sword given the style of the original, but this works a lot better than I would have thought.
The End of Raging Winds First this song showed up in EOIII, then it was brought to EOIV, I loved it in both those games and the new take on it here is refreshing, I wouldn't mind if it keeps showing up in the series from now on.
2. Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight
I had some mixed feelings about the original EOII's soundtrack, don't get me wrong, it was still pretty great all around, but I felt the first half was kind of weak compared to the rest of the series, while the second half was very strong. The remake did a very good job fixing that for me, though I'd still say it's mostly the back half and some new themes that steal the show.
Labyrinth III - Woodlands of Frozen Flowers This is one that fell in the first half, it wasn't bad, but it really benefits from instruments used in the 3DS games.
Bloody Fight - Betting it All A new battle theme for the story mode class, full of energy fitting for whenever the Fafnir Knight activates the power up.
War - Shadows of Death over there A new boss theme for the extra labyrinth added to the remake. I had to stop what I was doing and listen to for a while the first time it showed up, then my party was decimated because I was unprepared on Expert mode.
Labyrinth IV - Cherry Tree Bridge The original was already one of my favorite songs in the series, and I have no complaints with it here. A different take of this song is also in Etrian Mystery Dungeon, but I'm just listing this one so there's some variety in my votes, and I like this take on it more.
Labyrinth V - Heavens' Rock Seat Same with Cherry Tree Bridge, the original was one of my favorite songs in the series, and I love what they did with it.
3. Undertale
From my very quick look at the votes in this thread, it really wouldn't surprise me to see Undertale win this, and for a good reason. I haven't played this yet, I plan on it, but until I get to it I'll just have to listen to the soundtrack. I normally like to wait until I play a game to listen to a soundtrack, but I decided not to wait after hearing the music in the trailer and so I can vote for it here. There's not much for me to say about the songs since I don't have the context, I look forward to hearing it all when I do play through it.
Bonetrousle
Heartache
Spear of Justice
ASGORE
Megalovania
1. Etrian Mystery Dungeon
So yeah, I love the music of this series, I haven't had the chance to vote for this series in one of these thread due to when I joined Neogaf, so I guess I'll be making up for that now. It feels a little odd to put a soundtrack that is pretty much all covers in first place, but then I listen to the tracks that first showed up in the best EO soundtrack, EOIII, and I stop caring about that.
Hoist the Sword and Pride in the Heart The boss theme from EOIII finally makes it's return. The original quickly became one of my favorite boss themes in any video game, and Etrian Mystery Dungeon's take on it does it justice.
Chalky Woods Also from EOIII, the fifth labyrinth theme of that game. I've always liked that theme, and I'm glad to hear it here.
Faith is My Pillar the second battle them from EOIV, I loved it there and I love the new take on it here.
Each Justice The final boss theme from EOIII, I expected something more like Hoist the Sword given the style of the original, but this works a lot better than I would have thought.
The End of Raging Winds First this song showed up in EOIII, then it was brought to EOIV, I loved it in both those games and the new take on it here is refreshing, I wouldn't mind if it keeps showing up in the series from now on.
2. Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight
I had some mixed feelings about the original EOII's soundtrack, don't get me wrong, it was still pretty great all around, but I felt the first half was kind of weak compared to the rest of the series, while the second half was very strong. The remake did a very good job fixing that for me, though I'd still say it's mostly the back half and some new themes that steal the show.
Labyrinth III - Woodlands of Frozen Flowers This is one that fell in the first half, it wasn't bad, but it really benefits from instruments used in the 3DS games.
Bloody Fight - Betting it All A new battle theme for the story mode class, full of energy fitting for whenever the Fafnir Knight activates the power up.
War - Shadows of Death over there A new boss theme for the extra labyrinth added to the remake. I had to stop what I was doing and listen to for a while the first time it showed up, then my party was decimated because I was unprepared on Expert mode.
Labyrinth IV - Cherry Tree Bridge The original was already one of my favorite songs in the series, and I have no complaints with it here. A different take of this song is also in Etrian Mystery Dungeon, but I'm just listing this one so there's some variety in my votes, and I like this take on it more.
Labyrinth V - Heavens' Rock Seat Same with Cherry Tree Bridge, the original was one of my favorite songs in the series, and I love what they did with it.
3. Undertale
From my very quick look at the votes in this thread, it really wouldn't surprise me to see Undertale win this, and for a good reason. I haven't played this yet, I plan on it, but until I get to it I'll just have to listen to the soundtrack. I normally like to wait until I play a game to listen to a soundtrack, but I decided not to wait after hearing the music in the trailer and so I can vote for it here. There's not much for me to say about the songs since I don't have the context, I look forward to hearing it all when I do play through it.
Bonetrousle
Heartache
Spear of Justice
ASGORE
Megalovania
I'm trying to get off my butt. Honestly, though there were fewer standouts for me this year. A lot of the smaller, er, indie titles like Undertale flew under my radar and I usually don't like to vote on OST's that I haven't played the game for.
I should also say that I'm moving away from picking games that used licensed songs. Both Life Is Strange and Tales From the Borderlands mostly used licensed tunes for their more emotional moments and these songs were so good that I added them to my every day library (in the car, running, etc.) but I also feel that you could take the song from the game and it wouldn't have a huge damper on it.
There's an art, undeniably about picking the right song to go with your scene, and LIS and TOB did it wonderfully. However, below are some tunes that were made specifically for the game, and I think that deserves more credit.
With that said, let's get to the sounds and tones that did leave a lasting beat.
1. Witcher 3
It really says something about an open world game when you can name more than a few tracks and those tracks don't piss you off because if their repeatable nature. I never tired of that lady singing that wey heeeyy ah heeeyyy heeeyyy song over and over while I WITCHERING ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT.
The 'moment' that I had though had to be with Priscilla's Song. Not only was the cutscene a really neat moment, but the song combines with the visuals had that type of heart where you can feel both composer and developer reaching out of the screen and saying: "Hey, this is what we are guys, this is our hard work and our passion."
The Wolven Storm
2. Metal Gear Solid 5
This is a different beast. This is mostly getting on the list because of two songs. Namely Sins of the Father and Quiet's theme. The fact that it's in second place should tell you that I played these tunes over and over before and after the game released.
WHOA HOOOOOOOOOOO.
3. Halo 5
Finally, a Halo game where the music has you paying attention to it. I can name a few tracks right off the back like Light Is Green and Blue Team that really stuck with me long after I was done with the SP and blowing fools away in MP.
I really hope they stick with Kazuma for Halo 6. My only wish now is that he comes up with a rocking (Halo 5 spoiler)
theme.
It's a little new, and a little old, but an instant classic for me.
For the record, I'd like to mention Ori and the Blind Forest and Assassins Creed Syndicate. Ori had some very emotional songs that really blew me away, and Syndicate had this really cool trick where the sounds would pluck and flow when you started climbing a tower and jumping off. Good stuff.
I should also say that I'm moving away from picking games that used licensed songs. Both Life Is Strange and Tales From the Borderlands mostly used licensed tunes for their more emotional moments and these songs were so good that I added them to my every day library (in the car, running, etc.) but I also feel that you could take the song from the game and it wouldn't have a huge damper on it.
There's an art, undeniably about picking the right song to go with your scene, and LIS and TOB did it wonderfully. However, below are some tunes that were made specifically for the game, and I think that deserves more credit.
With that said, let's get to the sounds and tones that did leave a lasting beat.
1. Witcher 3
It really says something about an open world game when you can name more than a few tracks and those tracks don't piss you off because if their repeatable nature. I never tired of that lady singing that wey heeeyy ah heeeyyy heeeyyy song over and over while I WITCHERING ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT.
The 'moment' that I had though had to be with Priscilla's Song. Not only was the cutscene a really neat moment, but the song combines with the visuals had that type of heart where you can feel both composer and developer reaching out of the screen and saying: "Hey, this is what we are guys, this is our hard work and our passion."
The Wolven Storm
2. Metal Gear Solid 5
This is a different beast. This is mostly getting on the list because of two songs. Namely Sins of the Father and Quiet's theme. The fact that it's in second place should tell you that I played these tunes over and over before and after the game released.
WHOA HOOOOOOOOOOO.
3. Halo 5
Finally, a Halo game where the music has you paying attention to it. I can name a few tracks right off the back like Light Is Green and Blue Team that really stuck with me long after I was done with the SP and blowing fools away in MP.
I really hope they stick with Kazuma for Halo 6. My only wish now is that he comes up with a rocking (Halo 5 spoiler)
Cortana
It's a little new, and a little old, but an instant classic for me.
For the record, I'd like to mention Ori and the Blind Forest and Assassins Creed Syndicate. Ori had some very emotional songs that really blew me away, and Syndicate had this really cool trick where the sounds would pluck and flow when you started climbing a tower and jumping off. Good stuff.
Man how can you not love First Campaign.
I think the part where it picks up towards the end isn't that good. The rest of the song is good, but that brought it down for me, making it my least favorite first battle theme in the series.
Dark Schala
Eloquent Princess
A reminder, since CorvoSol forgot about it: voting ends tomorrow night, not tonight!
You have another weekend day to get that vote in! I'm on page 5 of my word document, so I'm afraid my vote will not be as long as previous years'.
You have another weekend day to get that vote in! I'm on page 5 of my word document, so I'm afraid my vote will not be as long as previous years'.
1. Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.
I had never played anything before that was composed by Sekigawa, and I can see why the man has his loyal cult following. The soundtrack combines both classical and metal influences into a memorable, dynamic masterpiece that adjusts to your circumstance without interruption. Some favorites:
Intersection: Me vs You
World in Danger
Blessings
2. FAST Racing Neo
My expectations were very much shattered given how lazy the OST was for Nano Assault Neo (there were only about 5 or so songs in the entire game). A very engaging techno track that is synched well with the race course, with one caveat: it only loops well on subsonic. If you play on the higher speeds, there's part of each music track that get cut off by finishing early, which is a bit of a shame since a lot of dedicated playtime is spent on the higher speeds. Standout picks:
Daitoshi Station
Kenshu Jungle
3. Splatoon
A very energetic, eary-woomy OST. Not terribly much to say that already hasn't been.
I am Octavio
Ink Me Up
Honorable Mentions
Xenoblade Chronicles X - This has too many "donts" in terms of sound mixing for me to get nominated
Runbow - energetic, but gets a bit repetitive
Sorry to disappoint but I just can't bring myself to write paragraphs on this stuff, despite my very strong feelings for S.T.E.A.M.
I had never played anything before that was composed by Sekigawa, and I can see why the man has his loyal cult following. The soundtrack combines both classical and metal influences into a memorable, dynamic masterpiece that adjusts to your circumstance without interruption. Some favorites:
Intersection: Me vs You
World in Danger
Blessings
2. FAST Racing Neo
My expectations were very much shattered given how lazy the OST was for Nano Assault Neo (there were only about 5 or so songs in the entire game). A very engaging techno track that is synched well with the race course, with one caveat: it only loops well on subsonic. If you play on the higher speeds, there's part of each music track that get cut off by finishing early, which is a bit of a shame since a lot of dedicated playtime is spent on the higher speeds. Standout picks:
Daitoshi Station
Kenshu Jungle
3. Splatoon
A very energetic, eary-woomy OST. Not terribly much to say that already hasn't been.
I am Octavio
Ink Me Up
Honorable Mentions
Xenoblade Chronicles X - This has too many "donts" in terms of sound mixing for me to get nominated
Runbow - energetic, but gets a bit repetitive
Sorry to disappoint but I just can't bring myself to write paragraphs on this stuff, despite my very strong feelings for S.T.E.A.M.
1. Splatoon
Amazing soundtrack that is both catchy and appealing, whilst also being incredibly different from anything else out there and seems like the kind of stuff that squid kids would actually listen to. The soundtrack is certified fresh.
2. Xenoblade Chronicles X
A soundtrack that was very controversial, but I believe deserves a spot on this list because what it does right, it really does right.
3. Mario Maker
Classic music from older Mario titles, remixes that take those classics and spin them in new and interesting ways, amazing sound design (music flawlessly changes from remix to original, whilst editing the game literally sings the name of the item you place in key with the song, etc.). The game's presentation is just great overall, only missing out on a higher spot because many of the songs aren't new.
Amazing soundtrack that is both catchy and appealing, whilst also being incredibly different from anything else out there and seems like the kind of stuff that squid kids would actually listen to. The soundtrack is certified fresh.
2. Xenoblade Chronicles X
A soundtrack that was very controversial, but I believe deserves a spot on this list because what it does right, it really does right.
3. Mario Maker
Classic music from older Mario titles, remixes that take those classics and spin them in new and interesting ways, amazing sound design (music flawlessly changes from remix to original, whilst editing the game literally sings the name of the item you place in key with the song, etc.). The game's presentation is just great overall, only missing out on a higher spot because many of the songs aren't new.
1.FINAL FANTASY XIV: HEAVENSWARD
At the start of last year I was pretty much done with Final Fantasy. I'd burned out on the series in 2012, and years of Square Enix churning out shittier and shittier games and pretending they were hot shit, along with the rabid, fanatical defense of said games sort of put me off of both the series and the fandom. Along came some friends, asking me to play FFXIV with them. I figured heck, why not? Multiplayer FF was a great idea back in the Crystal Chronicles days. Honestly, A Realm Reborn was pretty frustrating, and much of it seemed to embody the problems that I had with modern FF anyway. Then I hit Heavensward. Specifically, I heard my first vote:
Dragonsong is the main theme of the game, and it's a major leitmotif for much of the game's soundtrack. The song is, by and large, melancholic, setting the tone for the game's central conflict, the Dragonsong War. Almost every major questline is effected by this sense of sorrow, but what sells me on Dragonsong is the way the lyrics hold different meaning over the course of the game. When you first start, the circle none can break and the bonds of hope shattered by betrayal refer to the events from A Realm Reborn's ending, but by the game's ending, and well into current content it refers to the numerous horrible acts you witness and uncover over the course of the war.
Dragonsong occurs in a variety of styles and tones over the course of the game. From the contemplative and somber Contention to the harsh and overbearing Knights' theme. Perhaps my favorite instance, however, is the way the theme evolves during the endgame sequences. Imagination is a stirring take that plays during the final dungeon. The bass and percussion uphold a swift melody that bespeaks the urgency of the hero's mission. The requisite Latin Chorus foreshadows the Very Definite Evil approaching (it /is/ Final Fantasy after all!). What I like most, however, is that there's a sort of heroic feeling to the normally sorrowful Dragonsong leitmotif. This is magnified in Heroes, where the final boss' theme is almost a tribute to the hero he's pretending to be. It's sort of a perverse lie told atop a sad truth: Sure, everyone has suffered because of the Dragonsong War, but look how heroic it's made us all! and the like. What I especially enjoy about Heroes is that there's a frantic, manic sense to the song, reflective of the way your enemy is slowly breaking down over the course of the fight. This isn't present in Heroes (Extreme) in part, I like to think, because that battle is a retelling, but also to sort of signify the increased difficulty of the fight.
Thok Ast Thok receives my second vote from the game. As an ode to combat, sung during battle with a terrifying, formic God of War, accompanied by string instruments and a deep, masculine vocal track, it's perhaps one of the most recognizable songs in the game. What endears the track to me, in particular, is that the final phase of the song actually reminds me of Mongolian Throat Singing. More accurately Tuvan Throat Singing, or Khoomei is a style of song in which a singer produces two tones at once, sort of warbling their throat as they do. Historically such songs were sung in praise of the spirits of nature. Given that Ravana, the enemy in question, is a God of War, it's only fitting that his own be in praise of the spirit of war. I had the rare opportunity to hear this kind of singing during my travels in China, so Ravana's theme, with its droning voice and string accompaniment sort of call it to mind immediately. What I find interesting is that the song has been adapted for more global tastes. Ravana's voice is melodious, and the movement of the strings is akin to a waltz.
The last song for which I am voting is Alexander: Boss Battle. In a game full to the brim with sweeping, orchestral music, Alexander stands out as a strange, eclectic kind of techno-pop dance tune. Its fitting for the mechanical fortress in which you hear it, but I think the reason I'm such a big fan is because it reminds me a lot of works by Sexy Synthesizer. A key difference is that Soken's Alexander doesn't use the square waves SS make a point of using. Still, Synthesizer's work on other Square themes leaves Alexander dying for a rendition. I digress however. The beauty of Alexander is in the fact that it is so completely jarring with the vast majority of the soundtrack. Even Imagination and Heroes, which play in mechanical fortresses as well, maintain a more or less orchestral feeling. The only other song on the entire soundtrack that's even quite like it is Woe that is Madness.
On the whole, the range and variety of Heavensward's OST are perhaps the single most defining trait of it (and ARR)'s music as a whole. It's hard to not praise it for making so many daring and adventurous choices with its soundtrack, especially when there are times where if feels like Square's modern composers have begun to play it utterly safe (as is the case with Yoko Shimomura's work of late.) I highly suggest that fans of RPG sound tracks, if not fans of all video game jams, check Heavensward out.
2.Final Fantasy Type-0 HD
Type-0 is perhaps another game whose soundtrack I might characterize as a bit safe. It is, by and large, what you would expect of a Final Fantasy soundtrack. That isn't, however, to do disservice to the work put into it. On a whole, I think the OST perfectly conveys the concept-imagery that Type-0 is built around. There's an air of menace, urgency and militarism, and the game's soundtrack is comprised largely of either more traditional, orchestral pieces and more electronic, hard-rock pieces, almost emblematic of the more mechanical Militesian Empire and the agrarian Dominian of Rubrum in the game.
What Becomes of Us is the perfect song to sort of convey the ideas of FFT-0, as befitting the game's main theme. It crops up in Tempus Finis and Vermillion Fire in dramatically different ways. The song is driven by a Latin chorus and powerful string instruments. First heard in the opening video and echoed at times throughout the plot, What Becomes of Us emulates the variant movements of diverse regiments of militaries engaged in combat by staggering male and female choirs with the string instruments, overlaying them atop a steady percussive cadence. I'm particularly fond of the theme as it appears in The Quiet Bloodbath. This instrumental, guitar rendition kind of illustrates what I think FFT-0 was trying to capture: a rejuvenation of classic Final Fantasy. It's the game's main theme as a slow-rock. It takes the older concept of a full-scale orchestra with latin singing and upbeats and turns it into a more contemplative rock piece. This sort of reinvention of the games' theme is reflective of how Type-0 takes the time-worn story of the war for the crystals and tries to reinvent it.
Apostles of the Crystal is perhaps my favorite song in the game. Unlike What Becomes of Us, it's a driving guitar piece played during boss battles and as the theme for the main characters. As such, it's markedly tragic, combining the stirring tones of conflict with the understated melancholy of child soldiers. It's an angsty piece, but it fits the cast to a t. I'm not the best at waxing poetic about rock, but I'm a fan of the way the song manages to feel somehow slow and fast at the same time.
In my eyes, the next best song that really manages to capture this same sense of reinvention is Standing Strong on the Ground, a rendition of the main series' Chocobo theme, which uses brass horns to sort of create a march of the time-honored song. We all know the Chocobo theme and how it's been everything from a Mambo to a Samba to Techno, Electric and Metal. Type-0 has its own, more standardized Chocobo Theme which retains the joyous, playful feeling of the original, but Standing Strong on the Ground distinguishes it self for militarizing the gaiety of the Chocobo theme. The weaponization of the song reflective of the way ordinarily carefree youth have been turned into living weapons in Rubrum's battle for survival.
Ultimately, Type-0's soundtrack remains fairly safe. There's nothing particularly risky about the combination of rock and orchestra, but the use of both safe choices is no less for it. The soundtrack upholds the game perfectly, and it helps to set the tone of reinvention that the alleged "New Tale of the Crystal" was supposed to be all about.
3.Undertale
Undertale is sort of the out-of-nowhere game that at first I hated because it had the same kind of irritatingly enthusiastic fanbase that Steven Universe has. After sitting down with it and actually playing it for a bit, though, I saw why it was so beloved. No small part of the magic of the game is its soundtrack, which calls to mind the music of yesteryear, but isn't afraid to make use of the fact that it's not yesteryear at all.
Enemy Approaching! is one of my favorite songs in the game because it sort of tells you everything you need to know about the soundtrack right up front. It emulates the square-wave feeling of songs like Battle Scene and Battle with a Dangerous Foe while bringing its own unique flavor to the fold. The moment I heard this, I fell for Undertale.
Fallen Down is a brief piece that plays at the game's opening, but it carries considerable emotion in that short amount of time. Its Reprise serves as something of an extension, with both the song and reprise sort of demonstrating how I feel that Undertale's music, though seeking to emulate the old, 8-bit soundtracks of the past, does not feel constrained by them. The multiple tracks in this song aren't the kind of thing I'd expect to hear in an NES game's capacity, but I'm glad for their presence all the same.
Megalovania is an incredibly fun, upbeat song. It feels to me more like a Super Nintendo track than a Nintendo era one, but I don't really give a fuck about the particulars of a song like this. The title reminds me a lot of the days when Yoko Shimomura wrote fun songs like Megalomania. It isn't really a 1:1 comparison, but there's something about how frenetic both songs are that makes me feel that way, I guess.
The point is, Undertale is an amazing sound track and game, and I'm all the more impressed to set it up here alongside two Final Fantasy games with much, much more money at their disposal.
Late to the Party
Transistor
Because you fucking plebes didn't vote for her enough last year, I'm here to remind you of the OST you scum snubbed for fucking Now That's What I Call Smash 50.
Transistor is a sort of artsy Diablo-type RPG that takes place in the aesthetically obsessed city of Cloudbank. It follows the adventure of Red, the musician robbed of her voice, and her unnecessarily erotic super weapon sentient sword/boyfriend as they seek to defeat the Camerata and stop the assimilation of the city into an uncreative, controlled state. It's an endearing love story about, at least in my eyes, the clash between individuality and unity, diversity and conformity.
Despite this typically cyberpunk setting, Cloudbank is strangely utopian. There's little to no mention of poverty, and everyone seems to live lives of comparative luxury. The struggles of the populace are, as I mentioned above, largely aesthetic.
As befitting a game where art and creativity are so central to the setting and themes, and the heroine is a renowned vocalist, Transistor's soundtrack is a vibrant, beautiful sort of "old-world electronic post-rock" as described by David Korb, the composer. Ashley Barret lends an element of soul, of vibrancy to the tracks. Her voice is so enchanting the game has a dedicated button just to switching tracks from Instrumental to Hummed. Why do you need a dedicated button to listen to Ashley Barret hum the entire soundtrack of the game?
Because dear God listen to that woman hum.
The Spine is the best song in the game, bar none. For whatever reason, it doesn't play during the actual boss fight with The Spine of the World, but its connection to that is still an integral part of it. Muttered to Red by Transistor during the lead in to the encounter with The Spine, this slow-rock describes in no small way the power the protagonist finds herself holding. The Spine of the World is hers, twisted and tied. It's fragile, yet the most important and powerful part of the world as well. There's not a lot I can really go into regarding the lyrics that wouldn't spoil the game, but that it plays when we first learn something regarding our protagonist, Red, and is connected with the Behemoth that is driving The Transistor to madness is in keeping with the violent and yet remorseful undercurrent of the song.
I'm tempted to letWe All Become's scene speak for itself, because I feel it's an incredible introductory scene that really tells the player exactly what they're in for in Transistor, but I guess I should touch upon a few points. We all Become is indicative of the game's main threat, The Process, and "Moving out to the Country" is something of an enigmatic euphemism within the game. The song sings specifically of the things Red wants to do instead of Becoming. It's the Individualist Anthem that cuts in contrast to the game's assimilating antagonists. Most notably, the scene and song play before In Circles, the song that accompanies the first boss battle against a member of the Camerata. Or rather, we hear Red's anthem of self and witness her subsequent loss thereof moments before the battle with one of the perpetrators, and the decidedly harsh song that accompanies that "I won't save you."
We All Become is an all around upbeat, enjoyable track which I think really gets the Player pumped for the adventure they're going to go on. The last song from the game that I want to touch on is, fittingly enough, the game's ending theme. Paper Boats is a beautiful song about the fragility of self and the inextricable nature of the heroine and her companion. Again, I can't go about spoiling the actual plot of the game, but the lyrics work almost as an explanation for the ending, which can come as something of a shock.
In sum, Transistor was a beautiful game that doesn't really get the recognition it deserves. Ashley Barret's voice is beautiful, and Korb's work makes the entire story of a voiceless Songstress trying to prevent a Cyberpunk Apocalypse work that much better. Even if the game never wins any awards, I'll talk till I'm blue in the face about it in the hopes of getting others interested.
SatoAilDarko
Member
Just a heads up I edited my post, #51, two days ago to change my number #3 pick from Super Mario Maker to Rodea the Sky Soldier.
I only put links for Rodea since the other games are already well represented.
Also if any knows who sings that Rodea song from the original 2011 trailer that would be great. It's an unlockable background music selection along with another vocal song called Prototype. It's not on the Official Soundtrack as that's done by Takayuki Nakamura.
I only put links for Rodea since the other games are already well represented.
Also if any knows who sings that Rodea song from the original 2011 trailer that would be great. It's an unlockable background music selection along with another vocal song called Prototype. It's not on the Official Soundtrack as that's done by Takayuki Nakamura.