Videogame musical scores

[Brikar99]

With today's release of the 'Portal 2' soundtrack, and having recently listened to some game-related scores, I thought it might be interesting to talk a bit about the fact that music for games is in something of a boon right now.

Michael Giacchino got his start in videogames, now he's scoring major motion pictures and winning Oscars 'n' stuff.

Recently, the score for "Bulletstorm" was released as a free download, and I thought that was a pretty impressive score. It riffs on the Hans Zimmer-style, over-blown action movie scores. I haven't played the game, but given what I know of it, it seems like it would fit the style of the game perfectly. It's gone-for-broke bombastic, mixing standard brassy orchestral elements with a ridiculous chorus and crunching guitars and percussion. I have to admit, I've actually found it fun to listen to in the car on my way to work. Here's the main theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqfB9OcKC_w

I'm listening to 'Portal 2' right now, which is kinda making me think this is what I wanted the score for 'Tron: Legacy' to be.

Other recent favorites of mine were Bear McCreary's "Dark Void" and Greg Edmonson's "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves."

I think it's really cool to see a lot of this great music being released. What are some of your favorites?

 

[Amaris]

Some game soundtracks are just beautiful. I have always loved the World of Warcraft soundtracks for each expansion, with my favorite being "Silvermoon City" from The Burning Crusade (my favorite expansion).

Star Trek: Bridge Commander also has a great soundtrack, with it's use of soft strings and flutes. It sets a terrific tone, as one would expect from a motion picture quality soundtrack. Greatly immersive, particularly when it ramps things up while you're in battle.

While I'm on the subject of Star Trek, so does Star Trek: Klingon Academy. The Klingon Opera and heavy war drums just make a terrific environment in which to immerse yourself.

 

[Jadzia]

Lazy Jones has to be one of the best videogame scores ever, written by musical genius David Whittaker...

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWxlYYA8yrg[/yt]

It spawned a handful of remixes, such as this one by Instant Remedy
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B239NRFdPHo[/yt]

 

[Haggis and tatties]

Some game soundtracks are just beautiful. I have always loved the World of Warcraft soundtracks for each expansion, with my favorite being "Silvermoon City" from The Burning Crusade (my favorite expansion).

Star Trek: Bridge Commander also has a great soundtrack, with it's use of soft strings and flutes. It sets a terrific tone, as one would expect from a motion picture quality soundtrack. Greatly immersive, particularly when it ramps things up while you're in battle.

While I'm on the subject of Star Trek, so does Star Trek: Klingon Academy. The Klingon Opera and heavy war drums just make a terrific environment in which to immerse yourself.

Star trek academy also had a fantastic score with the opening intro movie really catching the whole Trek movie sound of the period.

Still get the hairs on the back of my neck standing up when i hear it....its so Motion picture sounding.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jj9o6kze4M0[/yt]

 

[HotRod]

Jack Wall for Mass Effect 1 & 2! I have never in my life heard a better score for a game then the one for Mass Effect 2. If I feel the need to get pumped up for something I will often blast "Suicide Mission" on my iPod. Here's hoping Bioware had a good reason for replacing Wall with Clint Mansell for ME:3.

 

[Lonemagpie]

I love videogame soundtracks as much as movie ones- faves include Giacchino's score for Medal Of Honor Frontline, Jesper Kyd's scores for Freedom Fighters and Hitman Silent Assassin, whoever did Turok 2...

 

[Jax]

Mass Effect, Heavy Rain, Uncharted (especially UC 2) all have excellent musical scores, I mean movie esq. I always really enjoyed the intro to Metal Gear Solid 2 as well and go back even further I always felt Sonic 2 and Streets of Rage sounded great.

 

[Canadave]

World of Goo had a pretty brilliant soundtrack.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22WwCLHvHc4&feature=related[/yt]

SimCity 4 also had some amazing stuff. This one I've actually heard used a couple of times in Mythbusters.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCfimZEArAQ&feature=related[/yt]

And to reach a little further back, Rare's games for the N64 always had awesome soundtracks, Banjo-Kazooie being my personal favourite.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRyIPt01AVM&feature=related[/yt]

 

[Servo]

Inon Zur's music for Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas is fantastic. Atmospheric, haunting and beautiful.

The same goes for Jeremy Soule's soundtrack for Oblivion. Can't wait to hear his work on Skyrim.

 

[Yoda]

What's more epic than One-Winged Angel?

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AygsOmhN8tE&feature=channel_video_title[/yt]

Best theme of all time:

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3dB0qEcG20[/yt]

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Deus Ex had some wicked music.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_wsxDFRbEk[/yt]

Homeworld also remains a very memorable game score for me:

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnMmStooMqA&feature=related[/yt]

 

[Servo]

What's more epic than One-Winged Angel?

That's brilliant.

 

[Servo]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl5xbFXrFU4[/yt]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXbm7cyB678&feature=related[/yt]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3kV1QqQIDM[/yt]

 

[Owain Taggart]

Love the Uncharted 2 soundtrack. Definitely has this big adventure movie vibe coming from it:

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxAGxwnd6eY[/yt]

 

[Arrqh]

Needs more Chronotrigger:

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wU-Z1Jyr9j8[/yt]

Metroid over the years has also had some great tracks:

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZX2N9_7NO8[/yt]

And more recently, I don't think the ME2 sountrack was nearly as good as the first one, but it had a few standout tracks:

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTsD2FjmLsw[/yt]

 

[Servo]

The main theme from Killzone 2, by Joris de Man is epic on toast...

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op7F54aacDY&feature=related[/yt]

And no game soundtrack thread is truly complete without mentioning Frank Klepacki's awesome work on the Command & Conquer series, specifically his Red Alert themes...

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nFKPVfDrgU[/yt]

 

[Kelthaz]

Touhou. Who would have thought that a bullet hell would have some beautiful music?

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7dLp2Eb7cg[/yt]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN1BhwqX29w[/yt]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZkZWevMtiI[/yt]

 

[Skywalker]

Speaking of Jack Wall, I thought his score for Jade Empire was excellent, too.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoDD_s4jyNc[/yt]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHYARoLPpDw[/yt]

 

[Jadzia]

Rastan

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYFXyqFJOt8[/yt]

 

[chotunes]

Speaking of game music -- Sound Byte publishes a series of video interviews with game music composers, and the newest video interview is with composer Winifred Phillips, whose credits include The Da Vinci Code, Speed Racer, Legend of the Guardians and The Maw, among others. She was interviewed by Sophia Tong, who writes the Sound Byte video game music blog. A lot of her game music is featured in the video - here's a link to that:

Meet the Composers - Winifred Phillips - Sound Byte