I’ve started recognizing when a section of a game feels baller, but it’s 99% because of the soundtrack. They can have the most generic basis for an emotional scene, and then as long as the music nails the mood it could be just blocks on a screen.
Final Fantasy XIV has had awe-inspiring tracks for the finales of each expansion since Shadowbringers; pretty much starting at the final zone through the final dungeon and trial.
Ace Attorney always gets it with its confrontation tracks; it could just be two people arguing in a hallway and it turns the battle of words into the most epic thing.
I’ll also give a shout out to Ori and the Blind Forest / Will of the Wisps. For both of those, it’s not just a few banger tracks for the exciting moments; even the downtime tracks are so memorable.
No game will ever have a better soundtrack than Halo 3
The Sims 2
Mechanicus and
Ixion
Both games came out fairly recent and have OSTs by Guillaume David. They are both good games on their own, but get great due to the OST.
You can check tehm out here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLsX9WUdYnU&list=PLnSG0OA5vYnTLQ77f5EmLoW52vIX5jAAK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhTXyUERugQ&list=PLLIWYDpOq7WJYefSkcfYujE5JaLmB0Ezf
Minecraft
Nier Automata
Subnautica
secret tip: Fez
I’ve been listening to alot of Amateur composers like Boris Harazanov, Baltic House Orchestra, Mathias Fritsch and Filip Lakovic.
- FTL Multiverse (Kix et. al.)
- Touhou
- Supergiant Games
- Blue Archive
- Minecraft
Sly cooper 1, crash twinsanity, Witcher 3, Banjo-Kazooie, Hi-Fi Rush, Nier Automata
The Twinsanoty soundtrack is… insane ;)
The old Deus Ex and Endless Space are the ones I listen to the most.
Nier Automata, Cyberpunk, System Shock 2, GTA Vice City, Doom 2016 (I cannot listen to Eternals soundtrack knowing how Mick Gordon got ripped off there)
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2
The Neverhood
Evvra bohda waaaayyyyooooo
To The Moon
I have played that game five times (so I could share the experience with other people) and have broken down into tears at the end every time.
Hard pick because I listen to a game or series for a while, then another. Just today I went and listened to a lot of Sonic tracks, which I do once every few months. I guess Atlus games (SMT, Persona, EO), Metal Gear Rising, Ace Attorney, TWEWY are in the lead off the top of my head, but after a month I might give a different answer. My relaxing music playlist is mostly the official classical arrangements of Etrian Odyssey 1+2, so let’s go with that.
