Great game music.

[Worgen]

I don't mean the game start screen theme, but I mean themes to certain areas such as forest, lava, ice, high tech, etc etc. So what are some of your favorites?

Best forest theme

Best snow theme

Best underwater lonely feeling theme

Best cyberpunk theme

EDIT: Finally just changed the thread title since everyone was using it for just general music anyway.

 

[SckizoBoy]

A bit restrictive, I think, well for me because the sort of game I play doesn't have climate/biome based themes for the most part, so I'll give a cop out answer.

For all I like the Family motif for Assassin's Creed series, the best theme music will always be the opening to Deus Ex: Human Revolution when Adam Jensen is being operated on in the background:


That said, if you'll accept battle themes, then the Total War series gives us quite a lot of really good battle themes e.g.:



Admittedly, Dominion of the Sea sounds better when you're commanding an army (horse archer spamming and Carrhae-ing your way to victory will never get old to me), while Without Re-Mors is just as good as a listening experience as when commanding the Vermintide.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Playdead's INSIDE and its "shockwave" puzzle. It's achingly beautiful unto itself, but made even more so within the context of the game as a bittersweet reprieve in what up to that point is a bleak, depressing and oppressive experience. Martin Stig Andersen completely outdid himself here.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

 

[Wintermute]

Best computer theme

 

[BrawlMan]

Spoiler: My favs.

 

[Elvis Starburst]

Spoiler: My favs.

Dang, not every day I see a choice from this game rolling around. I'm kinda curious what about Let's Go gets ya the most compared to the rest? If it's the Asian theme, I find Ain't That Funny to be a good bopper personally (I think that's how it's said?)

 

[BrawlMan]

Dang, not every day I see a choice from this game rolling around. I'm kinda curious what about Let's Go gets ya the most compared to the rest? If it's the Asian theme, I find Ain't That Funny to be a good bopper personally (I think that's how it's said?)

I love nearly all of the songs on this soundtrack so it's hard to choose. I will say the best on this soundtrack are Let's Go (I do listen more to than Ain't That Funny), Body That, Survival, Ride, Breathe!, and Move. The only song I find really weak is Death & Honor. And then you have Anarchy Reigns/Max Anarchy that outclasses Mad World's soundtrack.

Spoiler: Anarchy Reigns

 

[Elvis Starburst]

I love nearly all of the songs on this soundtrack so it's hard to choose. I will say the best on this soundtrack are Let's Go (I do listen more to than Ain't That Funny), Body That, Survival, Ride, Breathe!, and Move. The only song I find really weak is Death & Honor. And then you have Anarchy Reigns/Max Anarchy that outclasses Mad World's soundtrack.

Man, been listening to a lot of the songs from that soundtrack now that you mentioned it and they're excellent. As for Mad World, I find myself really liking Ain't That Funny, Move, Survival, Soul, and a bit of a soft spot for You Don't Know Me. The guitar riff during the chorus is just juicy on a good sound system. I also don't mind Death & Honour. I don't like the songs from Mad Castle, those being Crazy, Deathwatch, and Crimson Rain. They didn't jam with me as well as the rest

 

[Phoenixmgs]

A bit of cheat but Gravity Rush's ending theme is so awesome

Vampyr had a lot of great cello driven music even though it was a shit game.

The MGS games have tons of great themes for its many areas over the years.

 

[ObsidianJones]

So this will be emotional for me.


I remember when I first got into this area. I beat the enemies, and then I was about to go to the next screen... and then I stopped. I heard the music. And it affected me.

I used to turn on the game, beat the enemies, and sit there just to listen to the music. Now listening to it makes me tear up a little bit. A lot, actually.

There are other songs, but right now I'm going to give this beautiful piece of art the focus it deserves.

 

[Hawki]

Selecting one theme per IP:

Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Meg7brjI4RU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gPBmDptqlQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7jxkg7Yh-w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtGYsC8vjDg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erKkWGfEW9U

 

[Worgen]

I should have been more specific, I should have been way more specific.
I mean like music from theme levels, such as the best music from a desert level.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

A bit of cheat by Gravity Rush's ending theme is so awesome

Vampyr had a lot of great cello driven music even though it was a shit game.

The MGS games have tons of great themes for its many areas over the years.

This one sticks with me more than MGS3’s, even if that was the better game.

 

[Phoenixmgs]

This one sticks with me more than MGS3’s, even if that was the better game.

That last fight with Liquid is so awesome almost completely because of the music with a track from each game (including the Old Snake theme). I could through each game's soundtrack and probably remember well over half the tracks.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

That last fight with Liquid is so awesome almost completely because of the music with a track from each game (including the Old Snake theme). I could through each game's soundtrack and probably remember well over half the tracks.

One area where Kojima’s budget really was justified.

 

[Nick Calandra]

I know you said no "Main Themes", but this opening song for Ghost of Tsushima is just too damn good not to share.

 

[SckizoBoy]

I know you said no "Main Themes", but this opening song for Ghost of Tsushima is just too damn good not to share.

Ugh, as if I didn't have more reasons to play this game!

 

[Casual Shinji]

So, just a question, but how is it that game scores are still so damn good when movie scores have totally gone down the pot? Like, what are game studios doing different from movie studios when it comes to music?

 

[SckizoBoy]

So, just a question, but how is it that game scores are still so damn good when movie scores have totally gone down the pot? Like, what are game studios doing different from movie studios when it comes to music?

Probably because the perception is that trailer/background sound track music has become quite a bloated (and thus divisive, since for every individual that swears by and enjoys the music it outputs, you'll have another detractor accusing it of recycling derivative stuff just to emulate the sound of what regular listeners want) market so well known soundtrack composers price themselves out of the market that movie studios either can't afford their services or can't be bothered to go through the hassle of thrashing out a contract for said services, so they'll take on a relative unknown who is part of said bloated & divisive market.

Not so for games because they have their own market and creators within it (exceptions exist, of course) have few no illusions about what they're getting out of it. While enthusiasts exist for it, game soundtrack composers aren't household names and (hopefully) never will be, not like movie soundtrack composers. Also, because of the sheer volume within a lot of games, it's difficult to have a single composer do all the composition with the intent of keeping the player engaged for the entire experience. So, because 'soundtrack composed by' will often be a collective credit, it means a different creative experience from movie soundtracks (unless the management/direction is incompetent, not unheard of, but w/e).

At least, that's my take on it.