The videogame music thread

[Jon Cheetham]

I have to share with people who aren't playing this game (which they should) the majesty that is its soundtrack.

It's quite long at nearly 7 minutes but I think the effortlessly cool 'The Painful Way' gives a good impression of this game's sound, which brilliantly pairs with its lavish hand-drawn visuals. Not to mention hearing the song whenever I start another attempt to escape Daddy Hades' realm is incredibly exciting.

[Stalkedbycats]

Pretty much every track off the Ace Combat 7 OST deserves to be on the show (and I'm sure I'll come back to recommend a bunch of others eventually) but I think I'll go with the song that plays over the credits for now. Simply because it stands out so much. Even if they're excellent, I've heard plenty of examples of electronic and orchestral arrangements in games, same with latin chants and progressive rock but I can't say the same for waltzy love songs in french, let alone in the context of an arcade flight game featuring giant flying aircraft carriers and railguns. Even if it's a little on the nose to play it when the credits roll over a shot of what's basically a sci-fi Eiffel Tower.

[Ash]

It's been a while since I last submitted a tune to Sound Of Play but I recently got into Nihon Falcom's Ys series, starting with the incredible Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, and I just had to share this stellar track... Sunshine Coastline.

It's my sorely needed feel-good tune of 2020!

[raisinbman]

Heads up: https://www.eventhubs.com/news/2020/sep ... k-hadoken/

[Richard]

I have started playing some spooky games this month, kicking off with Paratopic, a short, experimental walking sim that looks like a cursed PS One game and feels like a dream recounted by David Lynch. The brief playtime (coming in at under an hour), disjointed narrative, and lack of traditional game play elements might put some people off, but I enjoyed my creepy run through this unsettling Backrooms of a game.

The music, including this track, "Birdwatcher's Theme," is implemented well to pull the player just a little deeper into this low-fi polygonal purgatory.

[Dyboyl]

My submission: Paper Boats from Transistor



Pretty sure I teared up when this came in at the end of the game.

[NoMoreSpearows]

I've learned over the years that I have two primary weaknesses when it comes to video game music: a strong element of brass instrumentation, and extraordinarily passionate vocalists singing somewhat nonsensical lyrics. Needless to say, this is one of my current favorites.

[Jobobonobo]

The level where this ominous track first plays really makes this one of the most memorable tunes in Rayman Origins. You are frolicking in sunlit waters with happy squeaky voices singing like in typical water levels in the game but then you swim deeper and the voices fade away, it gets quieter and this haunting little piece plays instead. "The Abyss" by Christophe Héral is a piece which perfectly captures the deep sea; mysterious, harsh and more than a little creepy. It is a great throwback to the more atmospheric soundtrack of Rayman 2 and a nice example of the musical versatility present in this series.

[MauricioMM]

Speaking of Rayman: Origins’ OST:


“Ocean World: Glou Glou”, by Christophe Héral.

I just enjoy the whimsical composition of this particular track. Jazz and cartoony voices, what a mix

[Mr Ixolite]

The level where this ominous track first plays really makes this one of the most memorable tunes in Rayman Origins. You are frolicking in sunlit waters with happy squeaky voices singing like in typical water levels in the game but then you swim deeper and the voices fade away, it gets quieter and this haunting little piece plays instead. "The Abyss" by Christophe Héral is a piece which perfectly captures the deep sea; mysterious, harsh and more than a little creepy. It is a great throwback to the more atmospheric soundtrack of Rayman 2 and a nice example of the musical versatility present in this series.

It doesn't help that I find the deep sea terrifying in general, but that track made my hair stand on end. I remember playing through that entire level as a ball of tension, holding my controller in a vice-like grip.
Now that I know what terrors the darkness holds its not as creepy, but still plenty creepy nonetheless.

[MauricioMM]

“Calm Before the Storm”, by Mikolai Stroinski (Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales)

Hands down the best game I’ve played this year (at least so far), thanks among many things to its beautifully composed and “on-brand” soundtrack. Pretty much all of this OST is enjoyable but, as usual with The Witcher music, I found a special delight in the more pleasant sounding tracks like this one. Revisiting this saga felt like going back home

[Jobobonobo]

Speaking of Rayman: Origins’ OST:


“Ocean World: Glou Glou”, by Christophe Héral.

I just enjoy the whimsical composition of this particular track. Jazz and cartoony voices, what a mix

Yeah, this is an absolute banger, just pure fun. People have a go at water levels a lot but the modern Rayman games absolutely nail them in both gameplay and music.

It doesn't help that I find the deep sea terrifying in general, but that track made my hair stand on end. I remember playing through that entire level as a ball of tension, holding my controller in a vice-like grip.
Now that I know what terrors the darkness holds its not as creepy, but still plenty creepy nonetheless.

It really is one of the true highlights of the entire game. Yeah, if you are already anxious around the deep, this track does not help allay those fears at all

[Flabyo]

Genshin Impact has a pretty massive score already, so much so there are two different orchestras involved in recording it all...

I really like this subtle piece though, it plays while you’re exploring the over world at night, just before dawn.

[Simonsloth]

Probably too late to make the Halloween special but Ray’s the dead has a a delightfully spooky soundtrack with Jake Kaufman among the contributing artists.

I kickstarted this game at the launch of the PS4 and itS finally arrived just in time for Halloween.

The track I’ve chosen is by Jake Kaufman called Party at the Graveyard.

[Toon Scottoon]

I've always wanted to make suggestions, but I want to avoid duplicates. Is there a spreadsheet somewhere that shows what's already been on the show? If so can someone throw me a link to it. Thank you.

[ratsoalbion]

There isn’t, although you can use the search function on the website.

Given that radio shows play the same songs every hour, we have absolutely no problem playing the same track more than once spread over several years!

[Toon Scottoon]

Thanks for the heads up. I like that justification for the repeats. Stay safe everybody.

[Richard]

I just wrapped up a play through of Horace, one of the most remarkable narrative platformers I have ever experienced. Made by a team of just two people, the game's core mechanics are somewhere between Super Meat Boy and Teslagrad, but it quickly blossoms into an expansive Metroidvania, with a mixture of arcade mini-games and one-off creative diversions thrown in. The whole package is tied together with context for all of the usual bizarre platforming tropes, a truly unpredictable, genuinely funny, and deeply emotional existential story, constant pop-cultural references, and a full text-to-speech narration by the titular robot. On paper, it might sound exhausting, but this is at its heart a love letter to video games and video gamers, and one that will no doubt one day earn its well-deserved status as a cult classic.

The soundtrack mostly contains chiptune renditions of classical music, with a handful of originals thrown in. This track, taken from Verdi's Requiem, wouldn't seem out of place set to a Mega Man boss fight.

[seansthomas]

My daughter and I are having a great time blasting through the co-op indie adventure 'Knights and bikes'. It feels like a wonderfully stylish kids book brought to life with deft humour and original energy. I'm only 5 chapters in but also sense it'll have that miraculous Pixar-trait of working on a different emotional level to an adult as opposed to playing it as a kid.

But the BEST thing about it is the title theme and the way it appears in the game. After years of orchestral scores and sombre music, it's a joy to hear a lo-fi punk rant blare out

[svyatogornyj]

Since it's December I wanted to share this suggestion from Army Men: Sarge's Heroes of all things. I had the good (mis?)fortune of playing it a lot when I was younger.

https://soundcloud.com/vgmc/living-room ... es?p=a&c=0