It doesn’t get said enough – soundtracks can make or break a video game. When a good soundtrack is added to a game, it completely changes the experience.
From catchy tunes to emotional symphonies, it’s no lie that a good video game soundtrack can fill us with nostalgia years after we first heard it whilst playing the game. In this article, we take a look at some of the best soundtracks in video games.
Take a look at the list below and see if any of these soundtracks resonate with you.
Halo 3 Soundtrack
The entire Halo franchise had some incredible music. Out of all of the Halo games, however, we liked Halo 3 the most. From the moment you boot up the game and land on the main menu, to the moment you finish the final level, incredible music is playing in the background.
The music in the Halo 3 soundtrack is nothing short of epic. During the campaign, every last track manages to capture the emotion and moment that’s happening during the game.
When we first opened Halo 3 for the first time, the main menu music already sounded incredibly nostalgic to us, but after completing the campaign, returning back to the menu left an even bigger impact on us. We’ve included the legendary main menu music below.
There wasn’t a moment of dullness throughout the soundtrack, however, so if you’re looking for a nostalgia trip, you can listen to the entire soundtrack here.
Halo 2 Soundtrack
Okay, okay, we’re not going to include the soundtrack for every last Halo game ever, but if there was one game that deserved just as much attention as the Halo 3 soundtrack, it would have to be the soundtrack in Halo 2.
Returning to the world of the Master Chief with Halo 2 for the first time felt like stepping into this futuristic, excitable reimagining of Halo: Combat Evolved. Everything seemed bigger and better this time around.
From the multiplayer to the campaign, every last thing about Halo 2 improved upon the first game, and this was reflected in the music. The main menu music had a fresh, heavier re-spin on it, suggesting that players should be prepared for the Master Chief to be even more badass than before.
We really liked the variety of the soundtrack that spread throughout the campaign too. There are some incredible epic moments, as well as some more emotional moments that touch on the humanity of the Master Chief and the UNSC’s story.
Here’s the full soundtrack, if you’re interested. Warning, there’s over 2 hours of content here.
Bioshock Infinite
Whether or not you feel like Bioshock Infinite deserves to stand among the first two games is down to personal opinion, but there’s no denying that it was a great game that could stand alone on it’s own.
The soundtrack was filled with tense moments, moments of emotion and fragility, and especially moments of pure terror that could strike anxiety into the player. We loved every last second of it. It’s fair to say that Bioshock Infinite would not have been the same without the memorable soundtrack.
You can have a listen to the soundtrack here.
The Last Of Us
With one of the best stories in video game history, The Last Of Us absolutely needed a good soundtrack to go with it.
Thankfully, every last second of music in The Last Of Us perfectly fitted the game as it played out and truly amplified the story even further.
With the sad, hopeless apocalyptic premise of the story, the soundtrack for The Last Of Us truly touched on the kind of emotions you’d expect to feel if your whole world was torn apart around you.
The soundtrack certainly had a sadder feel to it than most of the other soundtracks on this list. In fact, just listening to the soundtrack we’ve posted below might just get your eyes to tear up a bit. Somehow, the music played throughout the soundtrack manage to transport you back to the first time you experience the gripping storytelling of The Last Of Us.
Listen to the soundtrack here.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Okay, we need to wipe off our tears. Give us a second. If you’re looking for something that’ll pump you up and energize you as opposed to filling your head with sadness, the Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance soundtrack will be for you.
The music is heavy, aggressive and pumps you up. It perfectly accompanies the kind of gameplay that Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance puts a focus on.
There are some quieter moments throughout the soundtrack, too, but honestly they don’t last for long.
You can take a listen to the soundtrack here.
Shadow of the Colossus
Shadow of the Colossus will forever go down in history as one of those magically enchanting games that draw you in till the early hours of the morning.
With its relatively silent approach, the developers had to put a lot of trust in the composers to create music that could tell a story that the lack of spoken word couldn’t.
Thankfully, the composers did an excellent job at creating a soundtrack that could accompany the game. With the backing music, Shadow of the Colossus somehow felt even bigger and more epic than it could ever do without it.
Just listen to the first few minutes of the soundtrack below and you’ll know exactly what we mean.
Listen to the full soundtrack here.
Super Mario Bros.
We thought we’d end with a fun one. Whilst not as emotionally gripping as any of the other soundtracks on this list, we can’t help but give a nod to the classic Super Mario Bros. soundtrack.
The main reason this is on here is because it’s just so catchy. Listen to the soundtrack below and we bet you you’ll be humming it throughout the day.
There are of course many other melodies besides the famous main theme music, and the composers actually did a great job to capture the look and feel of the different environments Mario fights his way through, despite the memory limitations that games had back then.
Listen to the full soundtrack here.
Summary
Do you think that we’ve missed any soundtracks that absolutely need a mention on our best video game soundtrack list? If you do, let us know!