• Touhou 6 New Classic Score Attack Ongoing!

    Read the submission rules, prizes and everything inbetween here:

    Good luck!

    Also check out the community art event here! Everyone is welcome!

Other Game Music

Finishing off the Animal Crossing series with its most recent installment, New Horizons. Totaka remains the sound director for the franchise, though I continue to experience difficulty in determining the specific extent of his involvement in composition. Additional names attached to the OST are Yasuaki Iwata, Yumi Takahashi, Shinobu Nagata, and Masato Ohashi.

Leitmotif prevalence is increased compared to New Leaf, and more dynamic compared to Wild World; arrangements overall seem to strike a balanced medium between the two. The standard themes make their usual return with minimal adjustment (with the notable exception of "Jolly Redd's Treasure Trawler"), but where the soundtrack really stood out to me were in its fresh compositions, of which there are admittedly few (at least in the base game, which is all I had time to get through). I still feel Wild World remains the standard for the franchise's music, but I appreciate the ways in which that standard is uniquely exemplified in each successive entry; not everything has to be boldly innovative. Overall, I've been quite impressed with the strength of melodies through this series; even the first game (which I hold to be the weakest one musically) had some enduring motifs that experienced elaboration as the games progressed.









And one more for the road:
 
Last edited:
Bit late, but 'tis the season ya know?

Figured I'd cover ARC Raiders, but less due to it's unexpected popularity and more because I've been enjoying The Finals soundtrack through the year since I initially featured it. Granted Strandberg and co. seem to have had minimal involvement; rather, music here has been handled mainly by Patrik Andrén and Johan Söderqvist. That being said, there are familiar tones to this OST which may be just enough to indicate the relationship between the two games. The comparison is clearer in the relatively intense arrangements ("Barons and Queens," "ARC Raiders (II)"), but not completely absent in the quantitatively more prevalent atmospheric tracks ("Infinite Space," "Speranza"). Music isn't technically a priority in games like this, and I wouldn't say my expectations were exceeded, but it's a respectable effort nonetheless, and I appreciate it for what it is.



 
Been accumulating miscellaneous remixes over the past couple months, and now is as good a time as any to offload them.
I'm not sure of how Fraymakers is doing development wise, but it at least seems to be better than Gensokyo Night Festival. Recently a collab with A Hat in Time was announced, which included an arrangement of "Your Contract Has Expired" by none other than FamilyJules!

subversiveasset - Final Spice (Sax Cover Story)
More than just a quality performance, this video also provided commentary analysis on the composition process of the source piece, which the arrangement is subsequently built around.

Viper Dragoon X - Threefold Melody
I waited quite a while for someone to finally arrange a full version of this, and I'm determined the effort should be appreciated as much as possible (seriously, why did it take so long?).
 
Gotta give credit to serious sam, and by extension, Damjan Mravunac. He is a pretty darn good musician, and it also helps that the games are pretty good! here are some tracks.

Siberiade
The calmness of the beginning leading to the rather intense second half does wonders that one doesn't normally think possible... It also helps with the beginning of the level being on a church ground, but doesn't quite fit in with the later parts of the level.

Freedom Too
Fun fact, this is actually a remix of a song from Serious Sam: The Second encounter called Freedom!
 
With the renewed nomination of Supergiant Games' to several Game Awards categories, I was inclined to review and feature the soundtrack of the original Hades. My initial impressions back in 2020 weren't particularly favorable, not because the quality was in any way lacking, but simply due to my preferences toward strong melodic progression. Darren Korb, musical genius though he be, tends to favor experimental mood setters that feel very engaging without actually altering their motifs very much through their duration, and this simply wasn't something I could appreciate very well back then (even as I could recognize the objective quality of his work). Thankfully time has brought perspective, and I can better enjoy his compositions now; that being said, my stronger preferences remain unaltered, and these sorts of arrangements remain something I respect without being something I regularly go out of my way to listen to.

In this particular execution, Korb emphasizes acoustic-heavy folk against heavier rock and synth elements. I hesitate to identify any overarching trend in the composition style, but it's undeniably very "Korb," and anyone familiar with his work will recognize his presence here.




 
My all-time favourite is this piece from the visual novel Little Busters. Ever since I first listened to this masterpiece, it has never failed to make me shed a tear.



Every time I remember the scene where it starts playing, I get emotional, I listen to a lot of game music and this one have a special place in my heart
 
The OST for Octopath Traveler 0 was made available last week, and I wasted no time in procuring it in spite of complications. For those who don't know, this game is a rework (best term I can settle on for it) of Champions of the Continent, featuring much of the same content but repackaged for proper release with gacha mechanics removed. As such, the soundtrack includes music from the mobile game as well as additional tracks composed by Yasunori Nishiki specifically for the full release; as the previously compiled OSTs have experienced rather dubious publication schedules (the second volume still isn't available on western streaming platforms), my own sharing thereof has been somewhat disorganized, and as such I feel justified in considering them part and parcel for the purposes of this feature.

As a complete set, Octopath 0 stands up quite well alongside the other two main entries of the series, featuring the same range and intricacy as all of Nishiki's work. Instrumentation favors the usual celtic orchestral style, featuring flutes and fiddles alongside full string ensembles with additional horns and metal elements for more intense tracks. A distinguishing feature of these albums is track variants representing theme progression, as with developing towns or evolving areas (though this sees limited employment compared to other similar gimmicks, such as the day/night variants of Octopath 2). Overall I hope this release helps better propagate the earlier arrangements that may otherwise have been overlooked.





 
I nearly managed to get through the whole month according to plan. I'd hoped to listen through the Dispatch OST once it came to streaming platforms, only to be thwarted by its exclusivity to subscription-based forms of the same (which I do not use). I still want to cover it eventually, but end-of-December is simply far too busy for an undertaking of that magnitude under such conditions. As I'd nothing else lined up in time, I'm falling back on a refeature I wanted to do anyway.

Last year I briefly covered The Finals, which I wasn't especially impressed with at the time but expressed optimism with the direction the composers seemed to be going. That optimism has has been fulfilled, and I've been enjoying the season-by-season addendums throughout the year since. Carl Strandberg and Olof Strömqvist have established themselves as those primarily in charge of musical development, though Ed Hargrave and Christopher Peduru-Aratchi are consistently involved. Melodic progression has become more consistent in the series, and they've even employed a couple leitmotifs. Theme varies by album, but an underlying style has emerged to characterize the whole, and I've found myself acclimating to it more strongly than I would have predicted.



 
Welcome all to year's end, 2025 edition. A lot of exciting releases took place these past twelve months, and I managed to cover a few of them within the allotted time. Before I get to those, however, a brief look at those I didn't get to:

I sure I'll regret not finding time for Dispatch, but realistically there's nothing I could have done. I've managed to catch snippets of the music, and it seems promising. Oh well; just something to look forward to next year.

Wanderstop impressed me quite a bit, almost taking the number five spot for the year; I suspect it might have if I'd experienced it in-game, but ultimately that isn't the criteria I want to be applying. Experienced directly, the album was just barely lacking sufficient range to boost my regards towards it.

That's about it actually. If not for the unexpected break in features caused by the site transition, I might have covered Monster Hunter Wilds, but I've my doubts over whether it would match up to its predecessor; however impressive it might be in its own right, I have to hold successive releases to a higher standard, for which reason Octopath Traveler 0 is similarly excluded. There were arguably several new Nintendo soundtracks I'd have enjoyed, but their determination to make accessing their music as difficult as possible has simply become too obnoxious for me. So without further preamble, on to my five favorite VGM soundtracks of 2025!

#5:
Baranowsky, Conroy, Moukala & Brechner - Rift of the Necrodancer
Close call FTR, and I'm still not quite satisfied with it, but it does technically fit my ramifications, mainly that this production marks an advancement in the franchise's music. For once, Baranowsky is sharing composition responsibility with a range of talented musicians, and collectively they've delivered a uniquely varied selection that remains cohesive. I'm somewhat personally sore about the continued gatekeeping of the Shopkeeper tracks, but putting that aside I've no real reason to preclude this musical achievement.

#4:
Cazok - Everhood 2
This one was much easier. I recall seeing a lot of critique against Everhood 2, mostly regarding comparison to its predecessor. IMO there was never any true competition; a sequel ought to branch out and expand from its foundations, and that's exactly what was done in this instance. Time has only strengthened my confidence in this perspective.
Normally I post the main/menu theme, but in this case it's so short that I don't feel the soundtrack is accurately represented thereby, so I'm using a different track instead.

#3:
Toby Fox - DELTARUNE
Feels weird putting this here, for a multitude of reasons, but I don't think there'll be a better opportunity. I've hitherto maintained the perspective that Deltarune was in a pre-release state these past several years, backed up by the official designation of the first two chapters as the "demo." With this year's updates, however, the game is being marketed as a proper product, albeit with additional content expected in the future. I believe it reasonable to consider this equivalent to early-access, and as I've previously included titles of similar status in these rankings, I feel justified in including this particular title now.
What's the main theme for this though? "Before the Story?" "Don't Forget?" Imma go with "Faint Glow" for now, but I wouldn't be surprised if a future update switched things up again.

#2 & #1:
Lorien Testard - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 & Christopher Larkin - Hollow Knight: Silksong
I genuinely can't make up my mind which to put in each spot. I fear bias toward Silksong (the one game on this list I've actually played this year), but I can also confidently say it exhibits more of what I originally loved about VGM, being more focused and with a tone of passion throughout. Clair Obscur's OST is an unparalleled masterpiece, but its sheer scale is somewhat intimidating, and I can't help but think this isn't what I want the industry to focus on achieving. I can't in good conscience put either ahead of the other, so I've put them together instead.


Finally, I had some trouble deciding on what soundtrack I'd consider most "memorable" from my discoveries this year. I've been listening to a lot of The Finals, but it's hard to justify that as a fresh discovery, and while I've been very impressed with several other soundtracks, I haven't necessarily been drawn to recall many of them following their features. Symphonia very nearly takes priority for style alone, but if I'm completely honest with myself . . .
#0:
ACE & Kenji Hiramatsu - Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (and to a lesser extent 3)
I'm actually somewhat annoyed at how strong an impression these soundtracks have left on me. They're far too large for my tastes, I harbor a degree of scorn for the game's themselves, and I tend to recall specific tracks more than the full package. But for all that I can't deny being impressed with the music, not just initially but continually upon further reflection. So there it is; but don't expect me to cover the series again.

That's that. Happy New Year everyone; y'all will hear from me again in 2026!
 
At the turn, I was here fixing links (family was too tired for celebrating, so it seemed a fair use of the time). Everything's back in order for the time being, so here's the next annual record (complete with this year's Undertale remix compendium).
Features (in order of initial posting):

Ultimate Chicken Horse – Main Titles, Farm, Pier, Old House

Sonic CD – Sonic ~ You Can Do Anything (Instrumental), Quartz Quadrant, Tidal Tempest, Quartz Quadrant “P” Mix, Metallic Madness “P” Mix, Stardust Speedway “B” Mix, Palmtree Panic “G” Mix

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops – Match, Hot War, Gene, Elisa, Comradery, Revelation, Sad Man’s Theme, Calling to the Night

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus – Calling to the Night (Piano)

Ultrakill – Deep Blue, Requiem, War Without Reason

Terraria – Night, Corruption, Boss 2

Red Dead Redemption II – Outlaws from the West, A Strange Kindness, “Mrs. Sadie Adler, Widow”, Fleeting Joy, “Banking, the Old American Art”, Revenge is a Dish Best Eaten, Unshaken, The Housebuilding Song

Thomas Was Alone – United We Stand, Ghosts of the Past, A Time for Change, Where Are You?

Silent Hill – Claw Finger, Never Again, Fear of the Dark, Die, I’ll Kill You, My Justice For You, She

Mindwave – Although the Sky

Void Stranger – Voided

Sid Meier's Civilization IV – Baba Yetu

Silent Hill 2 – White Noiz, Silent Heaven, Heaven’s Night, Betrayal, True, Theme of Laura

Alan Wake II – Herald of Darkness

Silent Hill 3 – Memory of the Waters, “Never Forgive Me, Never Forget Me,” Flower Crown of Poppy, A Stray Child, Maternal Heart

Silent Hill 4: The Room – Melancholy Requiem, Fever Chill, Wounded Warsong, Nightmarish Waltz

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes – Arenside, Dead Countess

Everhood 2 – The Tunnel, The Wheel of Harma, Creepy Cave, Humanity Boss Battle, Sun Room (Mix), Creative Realms, Raven’s Tutorial (Part 2), The Mushroom King

Zombies/Corporate Life Simulator – Scream, Purpose, Epic, Tetrapod, La Luna

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – King & Country, Harvest Dawn, Bloodlust, Deep Waters, Minstrel’s Lament

Rift of the Necrodancer – Glass Cages, Overthinker, Om and On, Spookhouse Pop (Shopkeeper), Main Title

Symphonia – A Music Tale, Whispers Among the Leaves, Zenith, Unforgiven Soul, Take Flight

Chambers – Bourbon, Wellwater

Xenoblade Chronicles – Agniratha Mechonis Capital, Colony 9, Colony 9 (Night), Sword Valley (Night), You Will Know Our Names, Memories, Colony 6 ~ Hope, Satorl Marsh (Night), Mechonis Field, Prologue B

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 – The Heroic Adventures, Battle!!, Gormott, Jump Towards the Morning Sun, Alba Cavanich (Night), Omens of Life, Counterattack, The Decision, You Will Recall Our Names

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach – D.J. Music Man

Xenoblade Chronicles X – no3=NO.EX01 (No.EX 01), z?2f0i1e2l0d914 (Z? Field), N木ig木ht木L (Night Forest), fiKAIeldJOU (Field of the Sea), z39b20co13mi01cal09 (Z39B Comical), Wir fliegen (We Fly), no2=THEMEX (Theme X), Uncontrollable

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 – Yzana Plains, A Life Sent On, Moebius, Keves Battle, City, Erythia Sea, Soldiers’ Paean, A Formidable Enemy, Fort O'Virbus (Night), Urayan Tunnels, Moebius Battle, You Will Know Our Names ~ Finale

Bloons Tower Defense 6 – Party Time, Fiesta Flamenco, Primal One, Winter Nights

Skullgirls – Unfinished Business, Schmeebop, Moonlit Melee, Royal Canopy Waltz, Clear Breeze, The Crowd Goes Wild
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Lumiere, World Map - In Lumiere’s Name, Red Birds Are Tied to the Ground, Firecamp - Sciel, Flying Waters - Electric Tides, Monoco, Alicia
Sea of Stars – Zephyr And Sky (Day), Detritus Born, The Clockwork Castle, Volcanic Pursuit, Sky Base, The Storm Calls for You!

Antonblast – Dynamite Man … in Boiler City, Hydroelectrickery … in Slowroast Sewer, Gettin’ Tighter … in Cinnamon Springs, The Children Yearn … for the Bomb Candy Mines, Commit to the Bit … VS. Freako Dragon!

Octopath Traveler – “Victor’s Hollow, Jewel of the Forest”

Octopath Traveler 2 – The Winterlands (Night)

Super Mario Odyssey – New Donk City, Fossil Falls, Steam Gardens, Battling Bowser 1: Showdown in Nimbus Arena, Underground Moon Caverns, Jump Up Super Star! ~ New Donk City Festival ~ 8-Bit, Traversing Tostarena

Sonic Unleashed – Dark Gaia Appears, Windmill Isle (Day), Shamar (Night), Cool Edge (Night), Empire City (Day), Jungle Joyride (Day), Boss Battle (Night), Rooftop Run (Day)

Hiveswap: Act 2 – Ticket to Ride: Rusty, Ticket to Ride: Quadrant Confusion, Above Sea Level, The Prince of All Mustardbloods

Undertale – An Ending, Dating Start!, Waterfall, CORE, Fallen Down (Reprise), Long Elevator, Last Goodbye

Deltarune – Board Clear, MIKE the BOARD please!, Big City Board, Ruder Buster, GLACIER, TV WORLD, Faint Glow

Hollow Knight: Silksong – Deep Docks, Bellhart, Strive, The Mist, Phantom, Silksong

Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Moonlight Canyon Labyrinth, Meteoric Beast Battle, Lost in Alivel Mall, The Falling Star Now Pierces Through the Lagrange Point ~ Sing of Radiant Theia (Full Medley)

Wanderstop – Wanderstop Part 2, Chocolatl Part 1, Oolong Part 2, The House, Cinnamon Part 7

Webbed – Spider on a Balloon, Ant Ant Ant, Beetles’ Ditty

Blade Chimera – Rising Sun, Central City, Conflict

Animal Crossing: Population Growing – New Year’s Countdown ~ 5 Minutes, 3 PM, Nook’s Cranny, 8 PM, 2 AM, Fireworks Festival, Mr. Resetti, K.K. Cruisin’ (Live)

Library of Ruina – Kether Battle, Gone Angels, Roland Boss, The Red Mist

Limbus Company – Canto IV Battle Theme A1, Canto VI Battle Theme B1, Canto VI Boss 4 Battle Theme

Animal Crossing: Wild World – Title Screen, New Year’s Party, Post Office (Day), The Roost, Able Sisters, Nookway, 6 AM, 11 AM (Snow), 5 AM, 2 AM (Rain), 10 PM, 7 PM (Snow), Café K.K. (Live), K.K. Calypso (Live), Agent K.K. (Live)

Animal Crossing: New Leaf – Town Tree, 8 AM (Snow), 1 PM, Island Tour (Night ~ 30 Seconds Remaining), Main Street 2 (Day), 1 AM, 12 PM, Super T&T, 8 PM (Rain), Bubblegum K.K. (Live)

Animal Crossing: New Horizons – 6:00 AM ~ Snowy, Airport Lobby (Tinny Speaker Ver.), 7:00 AM ~ Clear, 2:00 PM ~ Rainy, Resident Services ~ Tent, 5:00 PM ~ Clear, Island Life Orientation 6 ~ Clear, Turkey Day, K.K. Welcome Horizons (Live)

ARC Raiders – The Rust Belt, The Pioneers, Scrappy the Rooster, City of Toledo

Fraymakers – Your Contract Has Expired

Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem – Siberiade, Freedom Too

Hades – Scourge of the Furies, Wretched Shades, The Exalted, Last Words, Rage of the Myrmidons

Little Busters! – Approaching Light

Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent – The Uncharted Isle of Orsa, Decisive Battle III, Hell: Location I ~ Accursed, The Realm Divine

Octopath Traveler – Wishvale: Prosperous Days Ahead, Those Summoned from Nil

The Finals – Overload Arena, xX_TF_CNS_8BitHighway_192Kbps_Xx, Into the Unknown, The Merry League


Technicalities (special cases):

Spammer Lammy’s Sonic CD US Soundtrack Remastered – Quartz Quadrant (Good Future), Metallic Madness (Present), Robotnik, Special Stage, Stardust Speedway (Bad Future), Sonic Boom (Ending Ver.)

Alan Wake II – Herald of Darkness (Complete Edit), Herald of Darkness (Music Video)

Silent Hill 4: The Room OST – Traversing The Portals of Reality

Remix Rampage – Cloud Ruins REMIX (The Messenger)

Marcato Sound – Cave Story: Finale

Chambers: The Outlaw – Sunriser, Sneering Imperialist

JuurTy – Power Cords (SYNTH REMIX)

com_poser – Cloud Ruins ~ Portal to the Sea of Stars

Octopath Traveler: Break & Boost Vol. 2 – “Break: I'cirlo, a Motley Town”

Checherex – Once upon a time

Underveil The Sequel – PRESS START! …too cliché?

Cats_have7lives – Your Best Friend

GENTLE LOVE – Fallen Down

The Noble Demon – Ruins

TheOneUps – Uwa So Temperate

Sturfall – Extremely Climactic Dummy Battle

An Evening with the Underground Symphonic Orchestra – Intermission: Unnecessarily Tense

Takuma Nishimura – Enemy Approaching

Insaneintherain – Ghost Fight

King Musical Mel – Determination (Regal)

Holder – Home

Undercast – Home (music box)

Osirois Music – Heartache

Kāru – Sans

boogerman – NYEH HEH HEH!

RebeccaETripp – Snowy

Robotic Wisp – Uwa! So Holiday

Triple B Music – DOGBASS (2023)

Undertale Piano Collections 2 – Mysterious Place

Laura Platt, feat. David Russell – dogsong but you are trapped in an elevator

NoteBlock, feat. Stevie Pilgrim – Snowdin Town

Losing Faith Music – Shop

M. Bulteau – Boneklezmer

でたみね2! -Keep Our Determination!- – Dating w/ Mr. P

NewAmateur – Dating (In)Tense!

Kroons – Dating Fight!

Zaxiade – Premonition

Philiplol – Danger Mystery

ToxicxEternity – Undyne

Hyuman – Japantale ~ Waterfall

Tazmi – Run!

ChromaTone – Quiet Water

R3 Music Box – Memory/Undertale

Lenich & Kirya – Bird That Carries You Over a Disproportionately Small Gap

Emdasche – Dummy!

anothermedian – it’s not that pathetic of a house, i've seen worse.

Hiveswap Act 1 – Spooktune

BillyTheBard11th – Spookwave

DJ KIFFSTER – Ghouliday

InstrumentManiac – Chill

LEAF XCEED Music Division – Thundersnail

Goatman Gamer – Temmie Village

Ben Briggs – Tem Shop

Twinstrumental – NGAHHH!

Sully Orchestration – Spear of Justice

MaximumGuitar – Ooo

Desolo Zantas – Alphys

Valerie Chiappetta – It’s Showtime!

Gooseworx – Metal Crusher

Smooth McGroove – Another Medium

Divid – Uwa! So HEATS!!

LongBoxofChocolate – Make Your Life Hell

Soshu – Hotel but it's a decent remix

Zerwuw – Can You Really Call This A Hotel, I Didn't Receive A Mint On My Pillow Or Anything

Vigil Serus – Confession

SiIvaGunner – Live Report

SharaX – Death Report

Th3 Sound of Crows – Spider Dance

hesangasong (Heui Sung Kim) – “Wrong Enemy” for Piano Trio

Malcolm Robinson – Oh! One True Love

Undertale Online Orchestra – Oh! Dungeon

muzikg – It's Raining Somewhere Else

Random Channel – Core Approach Complete V2

Kamex – Core Remix 2

Amosdoll Music – Last Episode!

Sheet Music Boss – Oh My…

Jazztick – Death by Glamour

GuildmasterMusic (Timothy Despard) – For the Fans

Lionmight (String Player Gamer) – Long Elevator

FamilyJules – Undertale

RetroSpecter – SONG THAT MIGHT PLAY WHEN YOU FIGHT SANS

Relative258 – The Choice

Vetrom – Small Shock

Gédéon – The Barrier

Undertale Live – Bergentrückung

NyxTheShield – Asgore the Fallen King (2020 Remake)

Arcien – You Idiot

Jeremiah George (Jericho George) – Induced Chaos for Bloodlust

Carameii – Finale but its by HANS ZIMMER

Undertale the Musical – An Ending

EjsuDubs – She’s Playing Piano

Karasu – Libra

bran – Amalgam

CritikalVA – Fallen Down Reprise

VariableSteve – DON’T GIVE UP

FalKKonE – Hopes and Dreams

Tristan Gray – God of Hyperdeath

CaixoTrilogy – Salvar El Mundo

Legendav, feat. Christian Richardson – His Theme

GumballFan13 – Final Power

Cloudjumper – Reunited

SaGa! – Menu (Full)

Rabbitmeat – Respite

Ro Panuganti – Bring It In Guys

Nick Nitro – Last Goodbye

Jafet Meza – But the Earth Refused to Die

The Second Narrator – Battle Against a True Hero

Dethraxx – Power of “NEO” EXTENDED

RichaadEB & ThunderScott – MEGALOVANIA (2019 ver.)

qkelp (?) – Goodnight

DJMykah – Dog Shrine

Undertale 5th Anniversary Concert – Absolutely Overfamiliar Shrine

Stormheart – Mad Mew Mew

Ilay Boter – Dog Casino

Nappy – Bonetrousle Trailer Version

The Great Anansi – Dark, Darker, Yet Darker

SayMaxWell – Megalo Strike Back

Risty – But Nobody Came

Undertale: The Untouched Radio – falling 5742

RichGC – Wrong Number Song

Undertale 10th Anniversary Stream – Abandoned Town, Ultranap, Memory (10 years later), Song That Plays When Somebody Verses Sans

FAYNALY – Live Report

Sumask – Ohhhhohohoho!

Camellia – BIG SHOT

Studi01 – RAISE UP YOUR BAT

subversiveasset – Final Spice (Sax Cover Story)

Viper Dragoon X – Threefold Melody

Is the double spacing okay, or would line-by-line be preferable? I can't decide which is better . . .
 
Last edited:
Sometimes a soundtrack puts me in mind to what "music" technically is. I hold to a belief that order and intention are integral aspects to art, and that attempts to subvert these aspects either wrap back around to them or otherwise fail to accomplish their goals. But in such cases as the BGM of Portal 2, I find an alternative approach reminiscent of postmodernist ideals that nonetheless manages to avoid its pitfalls, a false form of randomness meticulously constructed to cultivate its perception, but in actuality the most dynamic form of composition I am aware of. A multitude of alternating parts are set to trigger over one another, each unique combination resulting in a separate experience; some are barely distinguishable from each other, but others will hardly be recognizable as related to the whole at all, and none individually are necessarily the most accurate representation of the artist's intentions. Music it is, but of a form that defies my attempts to categorize it, and illicit my respect for the audaciousness of its creation.

To clarify, this isn't a Portal 2 feature; I may yet get to that at some point, but it's not actually the best example of this phenomena, considering it has an OST which provides "definitive" versions of its dynamic tracks. Besides this, my habit is to utilize the first feature of the year for games that are special to me on a deeper level than just their music, and it was with that goal in mind that I sought out the soundtrack to Tron 2.0. Unbeknownst to me, Nathan Grigg had employed a similar method of dynamic composition, with most in-game music consisting of semi-random segments procedurally generated into loops. Unlike my initial example, however, no definitive edit exists in the form of an official release; in fact this feature might have been impossible had not someone taken the time to record some examples of the music in-game some years ago, editing them for listening purposes (I don't usually credit the uploaders in these features, but in this case I think "redfox34" is owed the shoutout).

As earlier stated, I didn't know anything about this until this week. I recall playing a bit of the game growing up, but most of my memories of it are of watching my father progress through it. I have a distant familiarity with software design, not enough to do any actual coding but enough to appreciate references made to its intricacies. The original Tron film wasn't particularly focused on worldbuilding, and the franchise has taken a more fantasy-esque direction since Legacy (Uprising was good though). In contrast, Tron 2.0 took full advantage of its premise in its gameplay design, ranging from server hopping for level transitions to viruses as hazard elements. This approach appealed to me at the time, and continues to intrigue me today; it seems somewhat fitting to discover the music was designed with a similar thematic intention.

The uploader separated "ambient" and "combat" loops from each other; in-game these would seamlessly transition into each other, but it'd be difficult to pin down the specific track fragments exclusive to one scenario or another. I have little doubt that the process by which all this is implemented is far more complicated than I'm able to truly comprehend; nonetheless, I like to think I can pick out certain consistent elements throughout. I also ought to note that not all music for the game was designed in this manner; things like the title screen and cutscenes would have static compositions, and these are worth considering for their tonal consistency with the less stable examples.




 
I would have to say, an unexpected track that I found that was quite a good track would have to be the modern Warfare Zombies Dark Aether contract theme. MW III doesn't have all that great of a soundtrack, with most of the songs being forgettable at best, but this song just has such a good theme, along with a great variety of parts that just make it work. Props to the people who made it, as this really is a diamond in the rough.

 
I occasionally refer to a video game soundtrack as being "cinematic," denoting thereby a style comparable to that of film scoring, the emphasis being upon enhancing the visual scene. These are particularly prevalent in story-heavy games, where gameplay is of secondary importance to the overall experience. Such soundtracks are typically of lesser interest to me, lacking the usual characteristics which suit music for casual listening, but that does not mean they are any less noteworthy as artistic expression. I'll admit to having higher hopes for Dispatch, based upon the snippets of sound I caught in promotionals and the occasional clip, but my disappointment in this case is certainly a matter of preference rather than lacking merit; objectively, this is an excellent example of the cinematic style of VGM in every way.

The majority of the soundtrack is made up of synthwave compositions arranged by Andrew Arcadi and Skyler Barto. There's a fair tonal range through the collection (intense, laid-back, chipper, etc.), but many tracks share a degree of constraint, allowing the focus to remain primarily upon whatever scenes they may accompany. I presume tracks with stronger presence are intended for gameplay segments or scenes with less cognitive demands (such as a montage). These tracks tend to stand out as closer to what I expect from VGM, but do not necessarily represent the overall form of the soundtrack; nonetheless, I can't help but gravitate towards them over those with lighter progression. Thankfully, I feel the style of the whole is accurately conveyed regardless.




 
Refeature this week, 'cause the occasional callback serves to reaffirm how much quality music already exists. Back when I did the initial feature for Nine Sols, I already had a few tracks on backup which I intended to use later; I figure it's been long enough.

Contributing to the occasion, I'd like to take this opportunity to highlight the intriguing system of composer credits as it pertains to collaborations. The music team for Nine Sols consisted of several individuals, and the OST's metadata leaves some ambiguity as to who was responsible for what (at least on its own). To illustrate: Track 21, "Stargazer," is credited to Troy Lin, featuring FFXX; Track 22, "Malice," is credited to Troy Lin and FFXX. I can only presume there were distinct roles FFXX took between these two tracks, though I can't discern what the distinction was. I might hypothesize a comparison to Hiveswap Act 1's composition process, but I've no way of knowing for sure.




Debated on this last one as the proper main theme for my year's end ranking post (but ultimately still went with "Main Theme II"). Aside from being a masterful arrangement in any context, the blending of languages seemed especially cohesive with the song's pacing, moreso than other instances of the technique I've hitherto encountered.
 
The name of one of the Forum lists reminded me of this jam lmao


The violins, the bassline, the Knight of the Wind leitmotif

we really underappreciated Sonic & The Black Knight, huh?
 
I had my eyes on MIO: Memories In Orbit since its announcement trailer; the artstyle put me in mind to Gris, and the overall presentation had me prepared for a similarly aesthetic soundtrack. Nicolas Gueguen far exceeded my expectations; the balance of atmosphere, progression, thematic style and dynamic quality is exemplary, and on a sizable scale at that. Certain elements are worth highlighting; most noteworthy is the use of choir sounds to characterize the soundtrack, using the unique but consistent instrumentation to craft a recognizable identity to the music. Genre is fairly consistent, but with calculated variance, especially with specific combat themes, challenging the prevailing atmosphere with complimentary contrast. Overall, the bar's been set high for the rest of the year.




 
When I was initially "getting into" VGM, trying to expand my experiences and familiarize myself with things more generally popular, I tended to ask acquaintances about their personal preferences. I received a wide range of answers, but more often focused on the game experience than the musical quality, as evidenced by the wanting followup of track recommendations; I wasn't as comfortable then with devoting considerable time to thorough investigation, so having something specific to start with was important to me. Worse was being recommended an entire franchise without qualification, as was the case with one who pointed me towards Uncharted, but couldn't decide which OST was best to look into first. As was often my way in such cases, I ultimately put off the endeavor for later. That was years ago now, and I've decided for no particular reason to finally take it on.

The first game is Drake's Fortune, and the soundtrack thereof was composed by Greg Edmonson. I would categorize it as primarily cinematic in style, but with a stronger emphasis on intensity than usual. Most tracks are dynamic, and their lower-energy portions retain a sense of urgency; hardly any exclusively low-energy or ambient tracks are present. This surprised me, given the narrative-focused nature of the game, but given low-energy arrangements for similar games tend to be the weaker listening experiences, I figure the OST benefitted in this regard. Nonetheless, I'm hoping for greater range as the series progresses, both for the sake of contrast and variety.




 
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves features more of Edmonson's work, and in largely the same style as its predecessor: light on motifs (though not entirely devoid), focus on mood and accompaniment, comparable to a film score. Some Oriental elements are integrated into the instrumentation later on in the soundtrack to reflect the game's setting, specifically focused on Mongolian/Tibetan styles (or so I gather; I can't personally verify the authenticity thereof, but it makes sense to me). There's a bit more range between tracks, which is to say some are more clearly distinguished for specific tones rather than being dynamically constructed. Additionally, the more dynamic tracks have been presented in the OST with less cohesiveness than previously; while this technically takes away from the listening experience, I'm inclined to appreciate it for the insight it offers into the arrangement process.




 
Up to this point, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception has been the soundtrack I've been most familiar with in the series. Edmonson's compositions are accompanied by contributions from Azam Ali and Clint Bajakian, which while few compare favorably to the rest. There's a strong middle-eastern influence in both instrumentation and arrangement, though the cinematic style is still predominant. Track range is better than ever, and it seems a middle ground has been struck between the cohesive arrangements of the first installment and segmented compilations of the second. Even with the contest of those OSTs, I'm inclined to consider this the best of the series thus far.




 
In the wake of Silksong, I've scavenged a number of remixes I consider worthy of sharing (feels like it's been a while since the last Fracture Feature).
Kateryna Sushko - Cogwork Dancers (Accordion Cover)
What a marvelous instrument the accordion is! The music for this fight is of a measured pace to compliment its mechanics, and subsequently suitable for this unique solo.

A B - Whispering Vaults (8-Bit Cover)
8-bit covers are usually lacking in imagination for me, and the more noteworthy exceptions tend to be exceptionally intense, so I find it quite novel for one to exhibit such depth at a relatively low energy.

RYS - Far Fields OST but it's Metal
This guy apparently has an established reputation in the Hollow Knight fandom, but I still think he deserves more attention. Prog rock is shockingly appropriate for Larkin's compositions.

Theophany - Choral Chambers
Genuinely shocked me to see this in my recommended, and it did not disappoint. Arrangements of "Choral Chambers" are inevitably in tough competition (as it should be), but I'm confident in asserting this as amongst the best there'll ever be.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top