Favorite, most unique game soundtracks?

Technology and Gaming
#1

As the title suggests, what are your favorite soundtracks that also sound very distinguishable from other OSTs?

Here are some of my favorites:

HL/HL2
Diablo
Daggerfall
Unreal
Hexen
Quake 1 (though not totally)

[COLOR=‘Gray’]
(I would have put Morrowind on here, but I also feel that it reminds me heavily of movie OSTs, so It looses some of it’s uniqueness - it’s still totally great tho)

I think HL definitely has an OST that stands out, because the sounds they use for their tracks sound like sounds that are from HL to me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmHW9hS2KZU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHuFKWBf-k0&feature=related
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Yapk7PTNDw

DF as well, despite being midi, I think the music captures the feel of many of the climate types and Times of day:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A5yjeIgijw
The redone ones still seem to sound unique too, despite not being MIDI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b89Qa8qPmT0&feature=related
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEUSMqL1mMw&feature=related

Of course Unreal is definitely one that is memorable, as again it is extremely atmospheric in it’s music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6pq393A2iE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YWfb3ti4V8&feature=related
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=burzlYxbUmI&feature=related
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCbUxrZiUKk

Diablo, we all know the bone chilling sound of that OST that very few are able to mimic (if at all)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12Q-r7zV4EM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0KSoDKE26o&feature=related

I obviously missed some on my list, but what about you guys, what OST do you listen to that you can tell and just know it sounds different then anything else?

#2

Mass effect. IT’S JUST EPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIC. And mysterious. Captured the whole feeling of mass effect series perfectly.

#3

Civilization IV OST.

#4

Most modern video games have soundtracks that entirely focus on atmospheric styles largely because of the advent of audible dialogue (listening to people talk and having a complex melody over top doesn’t mesh well).

It’s a shame because melody was important for so long in video games and largely stays around for marketing purposes (Zelda, Mario, etc.) Bloodshot has named some of the best atmospheric soundtracks of modern games (Matt Uelmen is aggressively creative), but it’d be interesting to try and find the best unabashedly melodic soundtracks from today’s games.

The soundtrack to Oblivion is largely atmospheric, and done really well. It does have some shining moments of melodic bliss, though. The oboe section from “Wings of Kynareth” has some beautiful modal changes that just kill me. The repeated melody later on is more of a crescendo but doesn’t contain that simple power of the soaring oboe with the dynamic shifting harmonies of the soft strings underneath.

The following pan-diatonic clusters done with a chorus, I believe, act as the bridge to the string section repeating the melody. It works surprisingly well and still retains that optimistic mystery despite introducing lots of dissonance. Also, you can’t beat that beautiful harp riff that minimalistically references the opening motif. Alright I changed my mind, the whole damn song is great!

https://youtu.be/NlY9yxXuT9w

#5

Ratchet and clank

#6

Halo, Deus Ex, the first Spyro the dragon

#7

The Halo series; ODST is currently my favorite.
Mechwarrior 2; both 31st Century Combat and Mercenaries.
Command & Conquer series; but only if the composer is Frank Klepacki.
Anything by Jeremy Soule.
Lennie Moore’s sountrack to Outcast.

#8

Fallout (not the new games radio stations)

#9

The Neverhood

#10

Homeworld
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+homeworld+soundtrack&qpvt=youtube+homeworld+soundtrack&mid=E3B1756D2BE0C15F1FE2E3B1756D2BE0C15F1FE2&FORM=LKVR7

MechWarrior 2 : 31st Century Combat
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=mechwarrior+2+soundtrack&sk=&mid=09FA145D443A1D37073809FA145D443A1D370738&FORM=LKVR7

#11

Heroes of might and magic two three and four.

One and five have excellent soundtracks aswell, but two three and four are just plain amazing.

Also, daggerfall, hexen and unreal.

#12

PPPPPPPP and Castlevania, symphony of the night
Mass Effect 2: Lair of the shadow broker
Music from the Trailer from Deus Ex HR

The music playing off the Aircraft Carrier during the battle is also p epic

also the ost from BC2:Vietnam is also cool

#13

World Of Goo
Best Of Times (soo beautiful!)
World Of Goo Beginning
Brave Adventurers
Screamer

Chrono Trigger (Every track is soo nostalgic for me)
Chrono Trigger Theme
Battle With Magus EPIC
Frog’s Theme… Best Track EVER
The Trial

Portal 2
Her Chamber
Power Mad
The Part Where He Kills You

Psychonauts
Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp
The Watchman’s Twisted Reality
Meat Circus
Taking On Velvetopia’s Worst
Agent Cruller’s Sacred Hall

#14

Has anyone here played Nimbus?

I like alot of the songs from that game.

#15

Mario and tetris :smiley:

#16

Painkiller: heavens got a hitman. No, not these makeshift shitty painkiller games that fanboy devs keep bringing out, the original Painkiller and it’s soundtrack.

#17

Haha! Some of you might like the Halo soundtrack, and that’s cool, but it is by no means “unique”. Was it more successful than other video game soundtracks? Yes. Does that necessarily mean it is exceptionally different? No.

You could argue that it executed certain common forms better than its peers, but not that it was stylistically set apart.

Back to listing: I don’t play minecraft, but I’d say that it’s a pretty unique soundtrack. I like the way C418 cuts up his samples between different kinds or instances of reverb to give it a strange sense of space. Gives it a sense of narrative in my opinion. It’s also very minimalistic instrument wise, which sets it apart from a lot of the complex synthesizers used in today’s games. There’s also a definite influence of prepared piano music in his stuff. A hint of the aleatoric you might say. Very different.

#18

PPPPPP, Deus Ex, Mass Effect 1.

#19

I like many songs from the old sonic games, here’s a few:

Sonic 2 - Chemical Plant zone
Sonic & Knuckles - Flying Battery zone act 1
Sonic & Knuckles - Flying Battery zone act 2

And I also like some of the songs that you hear in Sims 3 in the stereos:

Ladytron - Young Estruscians
Junkie XL - Groove on

#20

I’m surprised nobody mentioned Super Meat Boy yet.
Quite exhilarating…

Founded in 2004, Leakfree.org became one of the first online communities dedicated to Valve’s Source engine development. It is more famously known for the formation of Black Mesa: Source under the 'Leakfree Modification Team' handle in September 2004.