Soundtracks to play: Video game music that rivals the best movie scores

It is undeniable that some video game soundtracks can earnestly rival the music scores from some movies. In this guide, we will have a look at some of the most popular video game soundtracks that are worth hearing and learning about, that can rival popular scores from movies.

What’s the role of music in video games?

Soundtracks and ambient music is certainly a necessary addition to any video game, particularly in MMOs (Massively Multiplayer Online Games) and RPGs (Role-Playing Games.) It is a way for players to attach to the storyline or the gameplay much more and have proper remembrance of the game.

Here’s why soundtracks are important to any game and what aspects do they enhance!

Setting the game’s tone & atmosphere

Apart from shaping the game’s overall experience, the soundtrack is also extremely important in creating a proper experience. Horror games for example require more of an eerie background music, in comparison to adventure or shooter games. It’s all about the music and background noises that will shape the player’s mood towards the game.

Enhance the in-game storytelling

Particular soundtracks or noises could underline crucial points in the game’s story, as they are being told. A recurring soundtrack could be signifying the presence of a character or entity that’s important for you to understand about, as it plays an important role in the story. Anyone with a knack and passion for creating music can verify how hard it is to rival movie scores with a relatively small set creating gaming soundtracks.

Guide the experience of the player

Nobody can deny that the soundtrack of a game often plays a vital role in navigating and guiding the player toward a clue or a progression key point. Most game developers use music to provide guidance and adjust the pace and rhythm toward what’s happening currently in the game and what does the player encounter. Here we may also mention the notorious “Why do I hear boss music?” meme.

Game soundtracks that rival with movie scores

After going over the surface of what impact soundtracks and music have on gaming, it’s time to review some of the most popular and notorious game soundtracks.

Final Fantasy VII (1997)

Composer: Nobuo Uematsu

We might as well start our list strong with the Final Fantasy VII 1997 soundtrack, considered to be the greatest compositional piece out there. We’re not only speaking about a single theme playing in the game, but multiple tracks like the “Aerith’s Theme” and the “One-Winged Angel” composition that have without a doubt become iconic.

Why does it rival movie scores?

The truth is that this type of music was much ahead of its time. Regardless of what critics have to say, this type of detail in music production was rarely encountered even in the movie industry at that time. Nobuo Uematsu has proven video game soundtracks to have much more potential than players genuinely thought at the time.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)

Composer: Koji Kondo

Ocarina of Time had perhaps the most excelling soundtracks from the entire franchise, considering its early release in 1998. Soundtracks from the game such as “Gerudo Valley,” “Zelda’s Lullaby” and “Song of Storms” had robust compositions and were appreciated by the players.

Why does it rival movie scores?

The deeply emotional and epic composition of Ocarina of Time’s soundtrack had the ability to evoke powerful emotions in players. The soundtrack was so good that it made players listen to it 10–15 years after completing the game.

Call of Duty: Cold War (2020)

Composer: Jack Wall

Apart from its engaging gameplay, COD Cold War is also known for its notorious and tense soundtrack themes. The game is designed to upkeep you with the tense themes that change depending on what stage of the game you are on. Nonetheless, music alone is rarely enough to engage players in the long run, but a cold war unlock all service boost should enrich your inventory and help you progress faster!

Why does it rival movie scores?

We believe a shooter-styled franchise cannot have more matching music than Call of Duty. It becomes evident that the compositors knew what they were making music for and some of the themes still rock to this day.

Bloodborne (2015)

Composers: Yuka Kitamura, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Tsukasa Saitoh

For an action role-playing game, Bloodborne has one of the best soundtracks out there. The engaging and tense, yet so poetic collection of themes makes you certain that the composers knew what they were doing.

Why does it rival movie scores?

We’re seeing much progress in regard to how soundtracks for MMO and RPG games are produced and Bloodborne is no exception. We believe in rivals with movie scores because the themes perfectly match the game’s dark and eerie atmosphere, without compromising the gameplay.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2007)

Composers: Harry Gregson-Williams, Stephen Barton

Renowned for its intense and cinematic music, all games from the Call of Duty franchise can seamlessly outrival some movie scores out there. However, Modern Warfare was released in 2007 and had some really epic and long-lived tracks that players simply loved. You should certainly hear about soundtracks from COD MW such as “Sinking Feeling,” “Shanty Town” and “Charlie Don’t Surf.”

Why does it rival movie scores?

The sole purpose of COD soundtracks is to create this tense feeling and desire for survival by defeating your enemies. In this sense, the compositors did a great job by always sharpening the players with the tense soundtracks.

Conclusion

After going through some of the most notorious and memorable game soundtracks, it’s safe to say that movie scores are quite compromised. With the amount of investments going to composition in game production studios, the soundtracks are bound to much further improvements in the future.

The editorial unit