The videogame music thread

Here's where you can discuss and share music from videogames
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DomsBeard
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by DomsBeard »

So after commenting on the Resident Evil thread I have spent the last couple of days listening to the soundtracks of 1, 2 and 3 (all on Spotify by the way). Couple of standouts for me which are both from 3:

After much deliberation I have decided this is the best variation of the save room music:



Calming enough but with the sense of dread.

Also this piece of music brings back memories of the horrible tension when the Nemesis is going to pounce any second, it is a feeling I have only had once since during Alien Isolation:

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brutaldeluxe09
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by brutaldeluxe09 »

Good Shot Janson wrote: May 19th, 2016, 2:38 am What really took Chaos Theory above and beyond, however, was its score. French Drum n' Bass composer Amon Tobin manages to arrange a chaotic (honestly, no pun intended), aggressive, borderline avant garde score...the most unlikely soundscape for a game about covert intelligence gathering....but here's the thing: it works. The score pulls you in and gives you that all important feeling of urgency, as well as the idea that you may not be completely in control of your situation. It was a hard choice, each song from this score being unique and enjoyable. So much so that I, being a record whore, own the album on vinyl.
Such a great soundtrack and album in it's own right, possibly my favourite OST though I believe that Amon Tobin is Brazilian, not French. Anyway, if it has not been included on the show already by now I second your selection of Ruthless, though almost every track could warrant inclusion.
Dingle Dongle

Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by Dingle Dongle »

Now that 2017 is over I'm going to select some of my favourite tracks from my playthroughs of last year

Yakuza 0: Rocket Nuts Groove
by Hidenori Shoji et al.
Although I've played a bit of Yakuza 3 & 4, I never got too far in because I enjoyed them so much, I did not want to spoil the series, as I started my full playthrough of the Original, Yakuza 0 & Kiwami were slated for western release.
Now I have finished the Yakuza 0, I literally had to stop myself from jumping straight into the next game. The game's soundtrack is amazing, allowing you to swap between goofy gangster and fierce fighter. But my selection today goes with the former, one of the songs that plays in some of the more ridiculous sidequests in the game.


Axiom Verge: Trace Awakens
by Thomas Happ
I'm sorry Axiom Verge, I left you in my backlog for too long and you deserve better. I can honestly say that Axiom Verge has vitalised my opinion of the metroidvania franchise and has opened up a new genre for me to explore (heh). The track I picked is played in the first area of the game, and really elevates the feeling of exploration of an unknown cave, with secrets hidden behind you at every step, not just for you, but for our playable character.


A Hat in Time: Windmill Peak
by Pascal Michael Stiefel
A Hat in Time is one of my favourite platformers of all time. The game wears it inspiration on it's sleeve and celebrates them in every aspect. The game has an excellent soundtrack, but I think The Windmill Peak is a beautiful rendition that will remind me of the love and care put into this game. Check it out.


Shadow of Memories: Bar 2
by Norikazu Miura, Hana Hashikawa, and Sayaka Yamaoka
Shadow of Memories is what I think of when I hear the phrase Hidden Gems. The game focuses on reverting your murder. A is one of the few games were your ending matters, only giving you an answer to one of the questions it brings up.
The soundtrack for the most part holds a sense of foreboding with your apparent death lurking behind every decision, with some jazzier songs for some of the buildings with the song I selected being one of them.


I may make a Part 2.
Dingle Dongle

Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by Dingle Dongle »

Ok I know it's premature of me to make a part 2 straight after my previous post but when I noticed that the tracklist had no songs from last years (second) best ost, I decided to add a couple more songs

Gravity Rush: Banga Ambient I
by Kohei Tanaka
Coming off of his beautiful renditions from Gravity Rush 1, Kohei Tanaka comes back with another wonderful soundtrack, which in any other year would have been an easy snag for soundtrack of the year. Unfortunately with soundtracks such as Nier Automata, it becomes a little bit more of a debate. The soundtrack has a wide variety of great tracks, Gravity Rush's signature Jazz, such as "A red apple fell from the sky", some more hybrid jazz such as "Lei Colmosna Ambient', some high-pace flutes with "Fire-Bound Lions", but I'm going to go with "Banga Ambient I". The game starts you in a new location, and I feel like this song was a perfect encapsulation of how I felt. Curiosity in a simple, beautiful, but surreal village.
Jormanks

Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by Jormanks »

Ok, first post.



I've been playing Persona 5 for the last couple of weeks, and it has been an amazing experience overall. But this song truck me for all the things that can make you feel. Just last night I finished Futaba's Castle, and I'll be missing humming along this while doing the puzzles and evading the freaking annoying Anubis monsters.

Every track in the OST is pretty good, but this is a nice and maybe underrated standalone piece.
Joshihatsumitsu

Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by Joshihatsumitsu »

Jormanks wrote: January 25th, 2018, 6:43 pm Ok, first post.



I've been playing Persona 5 for the last couple of weeks, and it has been an amazing experience overall. But this song truck me for all the things that can make you feel. Just last night I finished Futaba's Castle, and I'll be missing humming along this while doing the puzzles and evading the freaking annoying Anubis monsters.

Every track in the OST is pretty good, but this is a nice and maybe underrated standalone piece.

Edit: sorry, i don't know how to insert the video player
I'm glad someone else noticed that particular piece of music too! Shijo Meguro has an uncanny knack for getting the right mood for the right setting.
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MauricioMM
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by MauricioMM »

Recently I’ve been playing NieR: Automata and so far I’ve liked it very much. It’s got an incredible storyline —some anime tropes notwithstanding— and interesting characters (I love the design and acting of the Machine Lifeforms) but if there’s something that really stands out for me among everything this game has to offer is its atmosphere.

Part of it can be credited to its good, so good soundtrack :) For example, this soft and melancholic piece that plays on the Bunker, the androids’ safe and monochromatic base of operations, the first in-game location that I would qualify as breathtaking.




"Fortress of Lies", by Keiichi Okabe (NieR: Automata)
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ReprobateGamer
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by ReprobateGamer »

With February's Games with Gold, I've been reminding just how much I enjoyed Split/Second.

It's been several years since last I played it and whilst the graphics are slightly showing their age, the gameplay more than holds up. Anyone looking for a sim perfect racer need not apply but anyone who misses Burnout, or anyone looking for more explosions with their driving should grab this whilst available.

Can't find details on the composer so presumably an in-house job by Black Rock Studio's - most likely one of the two Audio Directors Steve Enmey, as he has released parts of the score on Soudcloud, the score is suitably epic, considering the scale of the devastation that can be wrought whilst racing. Dams, airport control towers, river spanning train bridges and even an aircraft carrier are all targets for wrecking your rivals.

Each music track seems to have three variants that are blended in as the action escalates. Remain in first from the off and have no near misses and the score can be almost pedestrian but clawing your way up the pack dodging bombs, collapsing buildings and helicopters swinging dump trucks as improvised demolition balls is suitably pounding and adrenaline filled.


I've picked the track Heavy Hitter as it's great example of the upbeat tracks progressively getting more intense.

With Black Rock long closed by publisher Disney Interactive, the sequel hook remains unfulfilled - lacklustre sales showing either the critical response out of phase with the buying public, or else that it was a pedal to the floor racer that was released at a bad time.
But the score remains a delight to listen to.
rob25X
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by rob25X »

A great track from one of my personal favorite PS3 games and soundtracks, 'Lave' from 'Super Stardust HD'.
Not much to say about it really but classic video game music I'm sure you'll agree.

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CODEMONKEY
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by CODEMONKEY »

Being a fan of the SNES mini's menu theme music I was intrigued to find out what the NES mini menu theme music sounded like. Having never seen the machine in the wild due it being rarer than hens' teeth, I have no idea how well the games play on it but I did find the menu theme music on youtube and was pleasantly surprised that it too was a very humble track. Hope you enjoy this track as much as I have in all its 8bit loveliness.

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MarkHoog
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by MarkHoog »

I got Expand in a Humble Bundle, and it was one of those puzzle games that really surprised me and drew me in; you're basically just escorting a red square through some ever-expanding circular mazes, but the soundtrack by Christopher Larkin (who also did last year's Hollow Knight) actually turned it into a cathartic experience. Making my way through the final maze as the majestic 10-minute track 'Closure' played was as emotionally satisfying an experience as shooting my way through the airport in Max Payne 3 or escaping the tree in Ori & The Blind Forest. Anyway, that track is way too long, so here is a short one:

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MauricioMM
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by MauricioMM »



"The Bottom", by Tomáš Dvořák aka Floex (Machinarium)

Man, I love this soundtrack so much :) If there’s one thing that makes the people at Amanita Design stand out among the indie crowd is their very distinguishing aesthetics. In the case of Machinarium, which I’d consider their magnum opus so far, a big part of its charm comes from Floex’s musical composition.

It’s cool how, despite how dreadful and kind of oppresive the game’s eponymous city looks at a first glance, the music succeeds in fully representing the sometimes whimsical, sometimes quirky, sometimes airy (for lack of a better term) and always mesmerising atmosphere of this setting.
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Flabyo
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by Flabyo »

I’ll just leave this here.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018- ... it-spotify

There are a dozen different versions of Daddy Mulk alone... there’s a lot of stuff there.

Like, a LOT.
kintaris

Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by kintaris »

Not your usual request - I think Lena Raine (@kuraine), composer for Celeste, has some strict rules about the use of her music so even though it's an amazing soundtrack, I don't want to suggest it for the show directly.

However, she is doing the interview rounds and chatting about her music, so she might make a great guest or Interview Extra!
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Richard
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by Richard »

I have been playing my way through "Night in the Woods" on Switch lately. The writing and atmosphere are both wonderful, and fit well with the struggles of college dropout Mae and her return to Possum Springs, her declining post-industrial hometown. Each day, as I wake up in the late afternoon, I ritually practice a couple of songs on my bass in the rhythm minigame reminiscent of "Um Jammer Lammy" or "Guitar Hero." My favorite (and the one I've actually become good at) is "Die Anywhere Else," which sounds like the kind of songs we would play in our garage band back in the mid-'90s. Hearing this track immediately transports me back to the despair and nihilism that accompanied my post-high school years.



I also saw that there are quite a few covers of the song, ranging from ballads to metal to pop-punk. It's a nice extension of the NITW universe by its fans.

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Jobobonobo
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by Jobobonobo »

This will be a different kind of request as it will be three songs instead of one but since there is a common thread running through each song, I would suggest it to be a singular piece. One of my absolute favourite tracks from the soundtrack of Horizon Zero Dawn is the Song To The Sun by Jonathon Williams. You come across a group of red robed Carja priests in Meridian City who perform a chant as part of their ritual. Depending on the time of day they will perform a different chant at morning, midday and evening. When I first heard this, I got genuine goosebumps. This series of chants show the sheer vocal power of a choral performance. I never get tired of hearing it.





blueallday

Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by blueallday »

Time for some Final Fantasy II tracks! I posted my thoughts on the game for the main C&R podcast. Even though I'm not a fan of the game itself, I do think it has some great music. Here are my personal favorites:

1. Battle Theme
Upbeat, uptempo, and always driving forward. It's like the notes are imploring you to attack, attack, attack (but in this game's case, attack yourself lol).


2. Rebel Army
For a theme that is representative of virtuous rebels who fight against an evil empire, it is noticeably melancholy. Instead of a John Williams-esque, rousing theme, we get one that communicates that these characters will need to find resolve through hardship in order for them to be victorious.


3. Ancient Castle
Unification. Optimism. The way it builds upon itself, incorporating new sounds, but coming just short of feeling fully developed, is such a brilliant way to put you in the midst of a forgotten civilization of great warriors.


4. The Princess's Seduction (aka Temptation of the Princess)
Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, smuggled into a Final Fantasy game. Tchaikovsky's source music is beautiful and recognizable, but here Uematsu has boiled it down to its essence. I love the arrangement, and I love the chiptune representation. I wish I could have heard this with the Japanese audience in 1988. I think it is indicative of the potential for game music.
I'm including both the PS1 and original Famicom versions here, because they're both so different and fascinating to listen to, considering they're differently interpreting the same source music.

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Peditis
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by Peditis »

I wanted to request a song from VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action because: 1) it's a great visual novel about a bartender in a dystopian city, in which you must serve drinks and listen to the stories of your customers, from augmented humans and armored cops called "White Knights" to talking, T-shirt wearing, Shiba Inu dogs and sex-worker androids that look like kids (creepy to say the least); and 2) the soundtrack is AMAZING, and there's never enough songs with saxophones in it in videogame's music.

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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by Stalkedbycats »

While I would hate to be pigeon-holed as the arcade flight-sim guy, I still have to ask: Was Crimson Skies a great game or what? It combined accessibility with surprising depth in terms of aircraft customization and variety that actually made piloting a heavily armed and armoured Balmoral flying fortress feel very different from whizzing around your enemies in an autogyro and peppering them with machine-gun fire like the world's deadliest mosquito.
Its setting in an alternate history 1930s where the US has broken up into dozens of bickering balkan-states and air pirates roam the skies in carrier zeppelins too strikes just the right balance between colourful ludicrousness and being detailed and thoughtful enough to still somehow appear believable. FASA certainly had a knack for creating worlds.
Of course all this is helped by the fact that I can't get the damn thing to run on a modern machine, leaving memories from when I was eight blissfully undisturbed. That they're as vivid as ever surely speaks to the game's credit.
One thing I can confirm has held up, however, is the title theme. All it takes is a couple of keys to get me back in full swashbuckling mode. "Let's get this straight, sister: Errol Flynn pretends to be me, not the other way around." indeed:
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by seansthomas »



Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - Indoline Praetorium (Day)

I can't say I'm enjoying the recent epic from Monolith Soft compared to the first Xenoblade Chronicles game, however the score has been a highlight and kept me playing it. It's been varied, adapts to the time of day and occasionally really surprised you.

This track caught me completely off guard, and its beauty floored me after several hours of battle music and cut scenes.
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