As someone who makes games and is passionate about them, there’s not a lot of other majors or avenues that lead back to games, however music is definitely one of the big ones. Sound can make or break a game and soundtracks are very important to listener experience and overall fulfillment and enjoyment of the game. These are my favorite video game soundtracks.
1. Cuphead
For a time, my favorite video game soundtrack was Child of light, I thought it would be impossible for another game soundtrack to capture my attention span, but Cuphead was able to. Its use of big band jazz is perfect because it meshes right in with the game’s art style and themes. You play as a character with a cup on its head, but in the style of old Fleischer, Disney-era 30’s, and rubber hose animation, going through and beating bosses. Since the boss play is so hard the music intensifies the situation and really makes the game feel more fast-paced. The brilliance of this soundtrack isn’t even that it’s simply big band jazz, it’s multiple jazz styles from across the world and each song’s theme or style correspond to the theme of the boss. For example, there’s a simple big band in there, whilst also having elements of bossa nova, which is a very understated form of jazz, overall this music, heightens not only the game but the genre of jazz by bringing it into both an old as well as a modern context
Best Tracks: ‘Junkyard Jive’, ‘Botanic Panic’, ‘Inkwell Isle One’, ‘Pyramid Peril’
2. Child of Light
This game doesn’t appear on many lists due to its unknown familiarity, however, when games are mentioned as an art form this commonly pops up, as it is one of Ubisoft’s most well-crafted single-player games, due to its engaging mechanics and story, the art is a beautiful, painterly watercolor. This indie game revolves around playing as a princess named Aurora, who gets lost from her home and has to get back to her kingdom and fight enemies corrupting and attempting to destroy the realm. The composer is Quebecois-based Indie artist and pianist Couer De Pirate. Her use of the orchestra in-game is clean and satisfying. The flourishing strings complement the extravagant fantasy and the soft sound of the piano elevates the story, due to its emotional appeal, because at the end of it, Child of Light is a family story, with fantastical elements. The music conveys, both the emotional appeal and the epic fantasy energy of the game which makes it so unique
Best Tracks: ‘Off To Sleep’, ‘Aurora’s Theme’, ‘Hymn of The Light’, ‘Bolmus Populi’
3. Persona 5
For the same reason, Cuphead’s soundtrack is great, there are equally similar reasons why I appreciate Persona 5’s original Soundtrack. Get Up, Get Out There is one of my favorite songs and one of the highlights of this album. The mix between acid jazz and funk is smooth and the bass lines are clean and well-produced. This game has multiple tonalities, so trying to form a game around the simulations and slice-of-life aspects, whilst still trying to maintain that action and slow parts of the game can be quite hard. This game’s soundtrack manages to stride that balance amazingly well with its sound design and especially its soundtrack. The mixture of genres and the delicate balance of trying to maintain the momentum of this game makes this one of the best video game soundtracks of all time.
Best Tracks: ‘Life Will Change’, ‘Escape’, ‘Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There’
4. Minecraft: Volume Alpha
Many people see Minecraft as a ‘kids game’ but the potential to satisfy any kind of game type and player experience makes this game very unique and the sandbox style forces the soundtrack to be a certain way, C418. the composer, explained these challenges in an interview, so his solution was to make Minecraft’s soundtrack nostalgic, sweet, and calm ambiance without detracting the players from their style of gameplay. The influence of 80s ambience such as Brian Eno is clear in tracks such as Subwoofer Lullaby. The way the composition is created is unlike other simpler electronic tracks because the fusion of sound and the use of acoustic instrumentals not only makes this one of the best video games or ambient soundtracks of all time but one of the best albums of all time.
Best Tracks: Mice On Venus, Sweden, Minecraft, Subwoofer Lullaby, Mall
5. Super Meat Boy
Seemingly, this doesn’t seem to fit on the list, however, what makes this soundtrack so great, is that it manages to sound like an old 80s platformer game, without being there. These songs have really harsh and grinding synths, with strong guitar riffs but in the most fascinating industrial mix of sound, which perfectly fits the game of being a man made of meat and trying not to get hit by gears. This soundtrack manages to sound old and nostalgic, while also being completely unique and standing on its own, it’s almost a harsher version of a Mario soundtrack.
Best Tracks: Forest Funk, Betus Blues, Boy Meats Girl, Battle of Lil’ Slugger
