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ResetEra Game Soundtracks of the Year 2019 - Voting Thread (READ THE OP)[Ends Jan. 26 23:59 EST]

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Grexeno

Grexeno

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Oct 25, 2017
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Introduction

Welcome to ResetEra's third annual video game soundtracks of the year thread! This thread will serve to create a common point of reference for ResetEra's favorite game soundtracks in 2019, place a spotlight on the industry's musical talent and expose people to great video game music that they haven't heard before. It will also host a (hopefully) comprehensive archive of the year's game music and other related information.

Also, many thanks to EarthPainting, who is the real hero here. Also thanks to Nocturnowl, Schala, and many others who have handled these threads in the past.

Voting Rules

For your vote, select up to 10 of your favorite game soundtracks of the year and rank them in the order of your preference. Your first pick will receive 10 points, your second pick will receive 9 points, your third pick will receive 8 points, and so on down the list. Feel free to post more than 10, but anything past 10 will be considered an honorable mention and will not count for any points or tiebreakers. They will, however, help us in building the archive.

No special formatting rules apply, since all tallying will be done by hand. Just be sure to clearly identify the ranking of your picks.

Please list at least 1-2 tracks you feel are your favorites from each soundtrack you vote for, as it will make the process of building the Archive much easier. It is also highly suggested that you give a quick write-up for at least one of your votes, but this is not explicitly required.

Sample Ballot

1. Game A (will receive 10 points)
2. Game B (will receive 9 points)
3. Game C (will receive 8 points)
4. Game D (will receive 7 points)
5. Game E (will receive 6 points)
6. Game F (will receive 5 points)
7. Game G (will receive 4 points)
8. Game H (will receive 3 points)
9. Game I (will receive 2 points)
10. Game J (will receive 1 point)

Honourable Mentions (if any)


If you wish to do any sort of write-ups for your vote, you may do so in any way you wish. And absolutely feel free to make your vote as pretty as you want to make it.

You're highly encouraged to do more than simply list your selections; please provide links to standout tracks if you can and take the time to describe what makes the soundtracks special to you. We're hoping that everyone will want to join the conversation and take the opportunity to discover new soundtracks and composers. The most important thing about this thread is to have fun with voting and discovering new things.

Voting will end on January 26th at 23:59 PM (EST). The votes will not be counted until after the voting period closes, so you may edit your post and change your vote as many times as you would like before then.

-----------------------------------

Ineligible Soundtracks: 2019 has seen many games which have been either re-releases, ports, remasters, or games that have seen staggered releases in different regions. Because of this, some soundtracks are ineligible for voting for various reasons. Generally, if a game is remastered or ported and there is not a substantial change to the game's soundtrack, it is not eligible. If there is a substantial change to the game's soundtrack, such as through DLC or expansion, it is eligible.


  • Regional: If a game was released for the first time in your region this year, it is eligible even if it was previously eligible in a previous year or will be released in other regions in 2020.
  • Late Ports: No non-2019 ports are eligible. They are only eligible for LTTP votes.
  • Virtual Console / PSOne/PS2 Classics / XBLA Classics: Not eligible.
  • HD Remasters with minimal changes: Remasters with minimal soundtrack changes are not eligible for point allocation this year. If you would like to vote for these Remasters, please do so in an honourable mention.
  • HD Remasters with major changes: Remasters with major soundtrack changes are eligible for point allocation. Please vote for these soundtracks normally.
  • Major expansions with new tracks: Expansions of some games are eligible for voting. Additionally, patch content for some games, such as Final Fantasy XIV, are eligible. If you are voting for these soundtracks, please specify that you are voting for their expansions.
Long story short: if you would like to mention a soundtrack or two that comes from a late port or re-release, you may add it onto your ballot as an honourable mention. If other soundtracks come up in conversation or via PMs, I will add them to the categories in this OP. If you have any substantial reasoning as to why an HD Remaster soundtrack should be eligible for point allocation, please send me a PM.

Aside from those exceptions, all soundtracks for games released in 2018 will be eligible, including licensed and partially-licensed soundtracks. To the extent that we're hoping to celebrate new music from this year and bring some attention to composers' new works, there's a bit of an implied "honour system" here; if you decide vote for a licensed soundtrack, an explanation as to why you think it was especially fitting for the game or thoughtfully compiled would be greatly appreciated.

If you have any questions about, or wish to discuss, a soundtrack's eligibility, please feel free to send a PM to me and I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible. Nine times out of ten, my answer will probably be "yes", but if you're unsure please message me.

-----------------------------------

Thread Features

Archive

As the thread continues to grow, an archive of many of this year's soundtracks will be built up for people to explore. In addition to soundtracks EarthPainting and I have found to be noteworthy, we will include every soundtrack mentioned in your posts. We will also work to include your favorite songs and your descriptions of the soundtracks. If you're passionate about any music from this year, take this as an opportunity to spread the word!

The format is as follows:


  • Game Title (album information linked)
  • Composer(s)
  • Sample Tracks (song titles with links to YouTube, Bandcamp and/or other appropriate websites)
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
Keiki Kobayashi
Daredevil
Hush
Fort Grays Air Base Hangar

AI: The Somnium Files
Keisuke Ito
Falco
Lemniscate
Investigation 4/Interrogation

Anthem
Sarah Schachner
The Titan
The Freelancers
Emerald Abyss

Apex Legends
Stephen Barton
Main Theme
You are the Jumpmaster
Preparing the Arena

Astral Chain
Satoshi Igarashi
Task Force Neuron
Savior
Jena Anderson

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Michiru Yamane
Gears of Fortune
Voyage of Promise
Lost Garden

Borderlands 3
Jesper Kyd, Michael McCann, Finishing Move Inc., Raison Varner
Katagawa Ball Boss
Mouthpiece
Killavolt

Cadence of Hyrule
Danny Baranowsky
Overworld
Gerudo Valley
Death Mountain

Code Vein
Go Shiina
Memory of the Lost
All of You
Battle

Concrete Genie
Sam Marshall
Main Theme
Denska
The Lighthouse

Control
Petri Alanko, Martin Stig Andersen
Take Control
Sankarin Tango
Voces Ignotas

Crackdown 3
Finishing Move Inc.
Rooftop Race
Jaxon's Jam
Djimon Keita

Daemon X Machina
Junichi Nakatsuru, Rio Hamamoto
Arms of Immortal
Overkill
Inherit the Stars

Darksiders Genesis
Gareth Coker
Combat
Astarte
Main Menu

Days Gone
Nathan Whitehead
Soldier's Eyes
The Freakshow
Yesterday

Dead or Alive 6
Hiromu Akaba, Yosuke Kinoshita
Throwdown
Forbidden Fortune
Miyabi

Death Stranding
Ludvig Forssell, Various Artists
BB
Path
Bridges

Devil May Cry 5
Kota Suzuki
Devil Trigger
Unbearable Pressure
Garage

Disco Elysium
British Sea Power
Whirling In Rags
Joyce
Hardcore Disco

Etrian Odyssey Nexus
Yuzo Koshiro
Exaltation
Eastern Shrine
Unrest - Slaughtered

Far Cry New Dawn
Tyler Bates, John Swihart
Hope County
Highwaymen Anthem
Enforcer

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
Masayoshi Soken, Nobuo Uematsu, Masashi Hamauzu, Kenji Ito, Naoshi Mizuta, Masaharu Iwata, Hitoshi Sakimoto
Civilizations
Invincible
Landslide

Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Takeru Kanazaki, Hiroki Morishita, Rei Kondoh
Blue Skies and a Battle
Shambhala
Fodlan Winds

Gears 5
Ramin Djawadi
Kait's Theme
Riftworm Village
Kraken Combat

God Eater 3
Go Shiina
The Dying World
Twisting Tunnels
Devil´s Gaze

Indivisible
Hiroki Kikuta
Crucial Fixture
Main Theme
Lost Genesis

Jump Force
Takanori Arima, Zac Zinger, Chad Seiter, Jerome Leroy
Lobby
Japan
Mexico

Kingdom Hearts III
Yoko Shimomura, Takeharu Ishimoto, Tsuyoshi Sekito
Toy Box Battle
Starlight Way
Dream Eater

Left Alive
Hidenori Iwasaki
Fallen Hero
Shadow of Zaftra
Novo Slava

Life Is Strange 2
Jonathan Morali
Into The Woods
Milk & Bone
Held Apart

Little Town Hero
Toby Fox, Hitomi Sato
Hero
Monster Battle 1
VS. Matock

Luigi's Mansion 3
Chad York, Darren Radtke
E. Gadd's Laboratory
Mezzanine
Boss Steward

Man of Medan
Jason Graves
The Temerity of Youth
Where's the Skipper
Olson

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order
Takahiro Umeda, Masafumi Okubo
Battle
Shadowland
Attilan

Metro Exodus
Alexei Omelchuk
Race Against Fate
In the House, In a Heartbeat
Dawn of Hope

Mortal Kombat 11
Wilbert Roget
Special Forces Desert Command
Chaotian Age
Sea of Blood

My Time at Portia
Claude Ruelle
Spring 2
Flight
Battle

Oninaki
Shunsuke Tsuchiya, Mariam Abounnasr
Battle
Sad
Boss 5

Outer Wilds
Andrew Prahlow
Outer Wilds
Nomai Ruins
Final Voyage

Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth
Atsushi Kitajoh
Road Less Taken
Invitation to Freedom
Nothing is Promised

Pokémon Sword and Shield
Minako Adachi, Go Ichinose
Gym Leader
Sonia
Battle Tower

Rage 2
ohan Nilsson, Andreas Kinger, Eirik Røland
Wellsprings
Ain't it funny
Main menu

Resident Evil 2
Shusaku Uchiyama, Zhenlan Kang
Raccoon City
Save Room
Consequence

River City Girls
Megan McDuffee, Chipzel, Dale North, Nathan Sharp
The Hunt
Unseen
Bully

Romancing SaGa 3
Kenji Ito
The Battle
Four Noble Devils
The Wicked Will Never Prosper

SaGa: Scarlet Grace
Kenji Ito
Tread on Flowers
Deities: Guardians
Into Bright Light

Sayonara Wild Hearts
Daniel Olsén
Begin Again
Mine
A Place I Don't Know

Shenmue 3
Ryuji Iuchi
Theme
Battle
Chopping Wood

Shovel Knight: King of Cards
Jake Kaufman, Manami Matsumae
Birder Ruins
Glidewing
Percy

Slay the Spire
Clark Aboud
Meet the Merchant
Battle With the Champ
The City

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Gordy Haab, Stephen Barton
Cal Kestis
Menu
Arena

SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech
Pelle Cahndlerby, Oscar Rydelius, Erik Gudmundson
Battle
Your Hand in Mine
Action over words

Super Mario Maker 2
Atsuko Asahi, Toru Minegishi, Sayako Doi, Koji Kondo
Course World
Sky Theme (Maker Ver.)
Desert

Team Sonic Racing
Jun Senoue, Tee Lopes
Roulette Road
Sky Road
Frozen Junkyard

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Minako Hamano, Kozue Ishikawa, Ryo Nagamatsu
Overworld
Tal Tal Heights
Face Shrine

The Lego Movie 2 Videogame
Simon Withenshaw
Galaxy Map
Harmony City (Quiet)
Sparkles (Main)

The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince
G-angle
The Witch of Madness
Heart Beating Fast
Collection Box of the Whimsical Witch

ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove
Cody Wright, Nick Stubblefield
Theme Refunkified
Alien Breakdown
This Crazy Planet

Tom Clancy's The Division 2
Ola Strandh
Balcony Rotary
Dock Wrecks
Saint

Trials of Mana
Hiroki Kikuta
Nuclear Fusion
Meridian Child
Splash Hop

Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince
Ari Pulkkinen
A Wizard's Worst Nightmare
Main theme
Craghill Moors

Valfaris
Curt Victor Bryant
Absolute Collision
Chronic Dissolution
Settlement of Rays

Void Bastards
Ryan Roth
Walk the Plank
Unpaid Overtime
Quantum

Wargroove
Phonetic Hero
Ancient Blood
Fledgling Queen
Cheeky Ruckus

Wolfenstein: Youngblood
Martin Stig Andersen, Tom Salta
Nazi Problem
Eagle from Berlin
Underground

YIIK: A Postmodern RPG
Andrew Allanson, Michael Kelly, Toby Fox, Calum Bowen
Name Your Friends
Into The Mind
Minor Conversation

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair
David Wise, Grant Kirkhope, Matt Griffin & Dan Murdoch
Urban Uprise Updraft
Pagie Power
Stage Clear Rescue a Bee

Yoshi's Crafted World
Kazufumi Umeda
Main theme
Boss
Canyon

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox
Falcom Sound Team jdk
Cloaca Maxima
Crossing A/A
Forgotten Days
 
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DNAbro

DNAbro

Member
Oct 25, 2017
25,833
There is only one 100% correct answer

1. Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
Masayoshi Soken has proven himself to be the best in the business with this release. The depth and variety of the music is astounding. The music often pairs so well with what is going on in and the visuals that it's a wonder that he isn't writing the scenes to fit it. Warning the videos have spoilers.
Walking into the final area of the game with this track playing


was an absolutely magical moment that I won't forget anytime soon.

Another track that completely blows me away is the Innocence boss fight music. As as one of the biggest moments of the game the music absolutely reflects the excitement and hype of the battle as a remix of the main boss theme.


And last one I post, the final boss theme with the award for "The absolute best timing to the start of a song." The moment this started playing I literally jumped off the couch and sai

Now that I'm done gushing about Shadowbringers, here are some other noteworthy OST
2. Yuppie Psycho
An OST by Garoad who should be a bigger name by now.
The Shell is my fav song on the OST.

3. Kingdom Hearts 3
Another fantastic Shimomura OST, though it is a bit weaker due to reliance on remixes. Also no official release for the OST yet sucks. Fav track
Scala Ad Caelum

4.Pokémon Sword and Shield
The gym theme is hype
That's all I can think of right now. I may update this later.

5.Persona Q2 - Very high quality Persona OST. The variety makes up for some weaker tracks.
 
Naga

Naga

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Aug 29, 2019
7,850
Wooo! Partly signed up on era for that, I was thinking of asking if this thread was happening.
Looking forward to the usual write-ups and to discover some new cool music! Hope it'll get pinned (like the 2020 anticipated games thread) too :)
 
Moara

Moara

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Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,815
1. Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
Masayoshi Soken, Keiichi Okabe

On top of being the best Final Fantasy game in general, it also has the best soundtrack




 
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NewDust

NewDust

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Oct 25, 2017
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hydruxo

hydruxo

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Member
Oct 25, 2017
20,395
  1. Death Stranding
    Once, There Was An Explosion
    A Final Waltz
    BB's Theme
  2. Borderlands 3
    Main Menu Theme
    Captain Haunt
    Katagawa Ball
  3. Kingdom Hearts III
    Scala Ad Caelum
    Vector To The Heavens / The Other Promise
    Monstropolis Field 2 - Factory
  4. Outer Wilds
    14.3 Billion Years
    Main Menu Theme
    Travelers
  5. Destiny 2: Shadowkeep
    Sanctified Mind
    Eye of the Storm
    Eden
I could probably list a few more but beyond those five it'd be stretching it for the sake of making a list. This year wasn't particularly remarkable in terms of gaming soundtracks IMO.
 
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Deleted member 51789

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Jan 9, 2019
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1. Sayonara Wild Hearts - Daniel Olsén, Jonathan Eng, Linnea Olsson
Begin Again
Mine

2. The Outer Wilds - Andrew Pahlow
Timber Hearth
Outer Wilds

3. Heaven's Vault - Laurence Chapman
Before the Fall
The Nebula

4. A Plague Tale: Innocence - Oliviere Deriviere
A Plague Tale
The Inquisition

5. Fire Emblem Three Houses - Takeru Kanazaki, Hiroki Morishita, Rei Kondoh
The Night of the Ball
As Swift as Wind

6. A Short Hike - Mark Sparling
Beach Buds
Somewhere in the Woods

7. Pokemon Sword/Shield - Minako Adachi, Go Ichinose
Gym Leader Battle
Marnie Battle Music
 
Phendrift

Phendrift

Member
Oct 25, 2017
32,267
1. Sayonara Wild Hearts - Daniel Olsen, Jonathan Eng, Linnea Olsen
Dead of Night
Begin Again
The World We Knew

2. Death Stranding - Ludvig Forssell
BB's Theme
The Face of Our New Hope
Once There Was an Explosion

3. Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Takeru Kanazaki, Hiroki Morishita, Rei Kondoh
Main Theme
As Swift As Wind
Blue Skies and a Battle

4. Cadence of Hyrule - Crypt of the Necrodancer feat. The Legend of Zelda - Danny Baranowski, Koji Kondo
Overworld
Gerudo Valley
1-1

5. Kingdom Hearts III - Yoko Shimomura
Oscurita di Xehanort
Scala ad Caelum
The Key to All
 
KOfLegend

KOfLegend

Member
Jun 17, 2019
1,794
  1. Sayonara Wild Hearts - I'd post the entire soundtrack if I could to be honest. Absolutely marvelous stuff.
    Begin Again
    Mine
    Inside
    Wild Hearts Never Die

  2. Kingdom Hearts III
    Scala Ad Caelum
    The Other Promise/Vector to the Heavens - (TEARS)
    Enter the Darkness (Arrange)
    Arendelle (Field Theme)

  3. Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth
    Road Less Taken
    Wait and See
    Remember, We Got Your Back
    Pull the Trigger

  4. Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair
    Main Theme
    Windmill Way - Windy
    Frantic Fountains - Frozen
    Gasping Glade

  5. Fire Emblem: Three Houses
    The Edge of Dawn
    Fodlan Winds (Rain)
    Fodlan Winds (Thunder)
    Tearing Through Heaven (Rain)

  6. Life is Strange 2 - The licensed soundtrack is incredible but that doesn't count in my opinion. Thankfully, the original soundtrack is just as good.
    Into the Woods
    Free Spirits
    Karen
    Blood Brothers/Lone Wolf

  7. Heaven's Vault
    Before the Fall
    The Nebula

  8. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
    Preview 03 (Unnamed Track)
    Ascent
    (MAJOR SPOILERS) - Actual Title: Trilla's Death

  9. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
    Title
    Sword Search on Koholint Island
    Staff Roll

  10. Celeste: Farewell
    Fear of the Unknown
    Beyond the Heart
    Farewell

  11. Pokemon Sword and Shield (Honorable Mention)
    Battle! Rival Hop
    Battle! Gym Leader
    Battle! Challenger at the Battle Tower
 
Evilisk

Evilisk

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,355
1. Touhou Kikeijuu ~ Wily Beast and Weakest Creature
243px-Th17cover.jpg

Composer: ZUN
Entrust this World to Idols ~ Idolatrize World
Prince Shotoku's Pegasus ~ Dark Pegasus
Beast Metropolis
Unlocated Hell
The Stone Baby and the Submerged Cow
Joutoujin of Ceramics

Yep, it's another Touhou game though, it's not quite a "good" one. To keep it short, the soundtrack is a bit too experimental for its good. While the soundtrack never gets truly awful, the worst you can say is that a lot of the early game tracks blend together a bit too well (and aren't that distinct). Considering the series' other, more experimental soundtracks, it could have been worse, but when your favourite series has such high standards, it's hard to not feel a little spoiled. Luckily, the second half of the game and its soundtrack *really* pick up the slack, with Idolatrize World and Dark Pegasus being *absolute bangers*. ZUN's done better, but I think this soundtrack is saved by its musical highs.


2. Touhou Shinjutou ~ Hollow Song of Birds
256px-HSoBcover.jpg

Composer: Wanwan
Noble Green Cinderella
Soaring Over 8 Billion Kalpas ~ Sinful Rampage
Golden Hymn ~ Ibis Trismegistus
Glass Heart Chevalier
(Sorry for the 15 minute looped videos, these are the best quality versions on YouTube. The full soundtrack is actually up on the composer's Bandcamp page)

Yes it's another Touhou game. No it's not an official one. Yes I did just vote for a fan game. No I am totally serious about this. While I didn't end up voting this over the official Touhou game, don't sleep on this soundtrack. While it may not have the highs of WBaWC's soundtrack, it's a way more consistent listening experience that does a great job skirting the line between "yeah this sounds like a Touhou track" and "you'd never hear ZUN compose something like this". It's fresh, it's fun and it's surprisingly on par with an official Touhou soundtrack (only beaten out by WBaWC having some serious contenders for the "best themes in Touhou" category). I seriously can't believe how good this soundtrack is. My recommendations for getting into the soundtrack are Noble Green Cinderella and Sinful Rampage.


3. Kingdom Hearts III
86191-1556055999.png

(Note: this is not the official art for the KH3 soundtrack)
Composers: Yoko Shimomura, Takeharu Ishimoto, Tsuyoshi Sekito
Scala Ad Caelum
Xehanort Clones
Toy Box Battle Theme

While I can't say I enjoyed all of my time with Kingdom Hearts 3, I really can't fault the soundtrack here. The music was great.


4. Indivisible
3ouq02q.jpg

Composer: Hiroki Kikuta
Eulogia
Dark Rainforest
Power of the Third Eye

I wasn't able to play or buy this in 2019 (because I made the executive decision to not buy anymore games in the last quarter of 2019) so I just lived vicariously through its soundtrack (and also some LP's). I obviously can't comment on how the music is used in-game but dammit, the music is still so good anyways!
 
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Paquete_PT

Paquete_PT

Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
5,313
  1. The Outer Wilds - Andrew Pahlow
    Timber Hearth
    Outer Wilds
  2. Death Stranding - Ludvig Forssell, Various Artists
    Once, There Was An Explosion
    A Final Waltz
    BB's Theme
  3. Sayonara Wild Hearts - Daniel Olsén, Jonathan Eng, Linnea Olsson
    Begin Again
    Mine

It was not the best of years when it comes to overall games, but these 3 soundtracks will go down as some of the most memorable in the entire generation.
It's a toss up between The Outer Wilds and Death Stranding, TOW comes on top because of how fitting the soundtrack is, how it evokes the feeling of exploration while being heartwarming and comfortable, specially due to the game's loop nature. Even after weeks since I've played the game, it still comes back to me every once in a while.
Death Stranding is amazing and if you count all the songs included it gets even better. Special points for the way the music is incorporated into the game moments.
Sayonara Wild Hearts wasn't a hit for me as it was for so many people on Era, but Begin Again is one of the best pop songs I've heard in recent years.
 
Aswitch

Aswitch

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Nov 27, 2017
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Los Angeles, CA
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Nali

Nali

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Oct 25, 2017
3,641
Of the games I played this year, the standouts were all known creators and/or franchises continuing to do what they do best:

1. Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
Shadowbringers would not be the incredible and deeply affecting experience it is without Soken's music elevating it every step of the way.​

2. Shovel Knight: King of Cards
Virt continues to channel early '90s Konami and gets even more baroque than the last time out.​

3. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Much like the game itself, Yamane isn't doing anything new here. Much like the game itself, nobody wanted her to.​

4. Team Sonic Racing
Jun Senoue doesn't quite channel late '90s Jun Senoue, but he gets the closest he has in a long time with a bunch of guest artists in tow.​
​
5. ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove
If you have a desperate need for incredibly funky bass and don't have a Herbie Hancock album handy, ToeJam & Earl is still a perfectly acceptable substitute.​


LTTP shoutout to Monster Boy, which I missed in 2018 thanks to the PC build coming out months after the fact.
 
Exile In Mudville

Exile In Mudville

Member
May 10, 2019
675
  1. Hypnospace Outlaw
    Jay Tholen, Erik Helwig (as The Chowder Man), Various Artists
    Hypnospace Is Cool
    Icy Girl
    Granny Cream's Hot Butter Ice Cream
    Nothing Left For Me - Seepage
    Ready To Shave
    Millennium Anthem (2000 New Years Eve)
I could post 20 songs from this soundtrack and still feel like I'm missing something. There's licensed stuff that I didn't post (the Glamocaster stuff is particularly pretty great) but the thing is that any game that basically invents a musical landscape as rich as this one for its reality deserves some kind of recognition.
 
ohlawd

ohlawd

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
2,307
Phantagrande
  1. Etrian Odyssey Nexus ; What it do babyyyyyyyyy. You know it was coming. The native songs from Nexus and the remixed songs from III are so good.
    Eastern Shrine
    Unrest - Slaughtered
    Waterfall Woodlands (EO3)
  2. Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & The Secret Hideout ; It was coming part two
    Secret Base
    Volcano 1
    Tower 1
  3. Atelier Lulua ~The Scion of Arland~ ; Part three
    Lulua Chasing Stars
    It'll All Work Out... Somehow!
    Cygnus
  4. Pokemon Sword/Shield ; bruh we haven't had a banger go this hard since 6th gen. The audience chanting is hype af. welp I gotta give the people what they want *dynamaxes Pokemon*
    Gym Leader Battle
    Wyndon
  5. Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth ; Cinematic Tale is a nostalgia trip. Got the four female vocalists in one song wew
    Invitation to Freedom
    Cinematic Tale
  6. Mary Skelter 2 ; Heard the first song for like 30 hours and it's still as good as it was the first time.
    Tales of Hameln
    Quantum Mechanics
  7. Fire Emblem: Three Houses ; You hear this all the time too like the above but also doesn't get old.
    Fodlan Winds (Rain)
  8. Astral Chain ; I remember idling the game for about half an hour when I first heard this song lol
    Task Force Neuron
eff man I keep editing this. should be the last time now.
 
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dancingphlower

dancingphlower

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Oct 27, 2017
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Rommaz

Rommaz

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Nov 27, 2017
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Kitwe, Zambia.
Finally best voting thread is here.

1. Kingdom Hearts III
Yoko Shimomura, Takeharu Ishimoto, Tsuyoshi Sekito
Scala Ad Caelum
The original tracks are absolutely fantastic as one would expect but the remixes of older tracks really elevate this so much. They invoke the right amount of nostalgia while feeling grander than the older versions. The soundtrack went a long way to making sure that playing KH3 was a delight all the time.

2. Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Takeru Kanazaki, Hiroki Morishita, Rei Kondoh
Fòdlan Winds (Rain)
I firmly believe that Fòdlan Winds (Rain) is the best videogame song this year. That is because it, and Similarly many of Three House's songs , seem to have this ability to just blend in perfectly during the gameplay but at the same time be present enough for you to not get it out of your head. Rain and thunder variations also make the soundtrack feel fresh very often.

3. Devil May Cry 5
Kota Suzuki
Silver Bullet
High octane Vocal tracks that really get you into the mood when killing demons. Great as expected from the DMC franchise.

4. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Michiru Yamane
Forgotten Jade
The game is the closest thing to a SOTN ripoff and likewise the soundtrack of the game is too. And that's a good thing.

5. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Yuka Kitamura
Sekiro, the One armed wolf
A nice mix of epic bombastic tracks and unnerving uneasy songs like in Dark souls 3. It works similarly as well for Sekiro.

6. Death Stranding
Ludvig Forssell, Various Artists
BB's Theme
I wasn't particularly fond of DS' low roar tracks but BB's theme alone merits a mention.

7. Astral Chain
Satoshi Igarashi
Task Force Neuron
Similarly with Astral Chain to Death Stranding, the music was decent but the Task Force song is what really merits it's inclusion.
 
Lonestar

Lonestar

Roll Tahd, Pawl
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
3,555
1. Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
Masayoshi Soken, Nobuo Uematsu, Masashi Hamauzu, Kenji Ito, Naoshi Mizuta, Masaharu Iwata, Hitoshi Sakimoto
Insanity
Titania
The Twinning (A Long Fall)
Mt. Gulg

The only logical choice for Soundtrack of the year is FFXIV Shadowbringers. Consider yourselves fortunate you are allowed to listen to the music of the heavens.
 
NotLiquid

NotLiquid

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
34,734
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1. Katana Zero
LudoWic, Bill Kiley, Justin Stander
I'm going to have a lot to write about this game once I hash out my GOTY list but for the time being, suffice it to say that Katana Zero hit those sweet spots you'd expect from a psychedelic kill 'em up in the vein of Hotline Miami, sporting a neon drenched synthwave score that doesn't skimp on the details. What stood out to me with this soundtrack was its commitment to escalation; most of the standout tracks on this OST follows a "progressive" song structure formula, particularly the tracks composed by LudoWic, that gradually build themselves up into a spine chilling crescendo. It's the kind of subtle trick that not only reflects on the game's escalating emotional stakes but also the depravity and intensity of the game itself, and appropriately culminates with an explosive finale - making it all the more appropriate that those interludes between the killing sport some serene ambiances and comedowns that allow you to reflect on the experience.
Breath Of A Serpent
Meat Grinder
Full Confession

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2. Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes
DJ Abo, DJ 1-2
The composer selection for Travis Strikes Again came as a bit of a surprise to most fans. Rather than bringing Jun Fukuda, Akira Yamaoka or even series legacy composer Masafumi Takada, the game's OST would instead be managed by two local Japanese producers, DJ Abo and DJ 1-2. For a series so revered for its music it seems risky to employ what's ostensibly unknown names to tackle what is a partial return for the franchise, but when the game itself is billed on the back of its indie spirit it also makes sense to extend that to the soundtrack, and that commitment paid off. TSA features some of the most mood-appropriate bangers I've experienced all year that covers a gamut of genres well befitting to the aesthetics of the multitude of worlds you explore. The composers' talent is well on display here, especially for the level Killer Marathon; which sports a selection of music that could easily contend for OST of the year all on its own. Still waiting for an official soundtrack release on this one.
Silver Face
Welcome to Hell
Love Secret Desire

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3. My Friend Pedro
Navie D, Noisecream, Battlejuice, Maks_SF
As if Katana Zero wasn't enough in Devolver's conquest to out-Hotline Miami their own catalog this year, My Friend Pedro comes courtesy of DeadToast Entertainment, sporting another synthwave soundtrack that trades away its emotional resonance with a heavy dose of electro-industrial flavor. What's easily the grimiest soundtrack of the year is no less catchy for the wear; all style and substance which ends up making one of the wackiest yet coolest premises in gaming this year not spare on how bludgeoning and brutal it is on the surface, with tracks that would make Carpenter Brut blush.
Low Life On The Highway
Cave Crawl
Mist Of Rage

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4. Astral Chain
Satoshi Igarashi, Naofumi Harada, Hitomi Kurokawa
Djent is taking over game OSTs, and thank god for that. First we had Doom's heavy chugging OST in 2016 and now Astral Chain comes three years later to wipe the floor with a bonus dose of catchy hooks and melodies to boot. This is a soundtrack that, much like the game it's from, is so unabashedly "anime" in all the right ways, right down to an opening vocal theme that becomes infectious after the fourth listen. Of course, despite some of its extremely heavy battle music it knows how to reel things in with some buttery smooth electro tracks like the serene Task Force Neuron theme, or the utterly gorgeous Ark Mall theme. This is one of those Nintendo properties that I wish they'd add to Smash if only for the good selection of music we'd get along with it.
Savior
Hermit Training
Jena Anderson
 
Nocturnowl

Nocturnowl

Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,052
1. Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair

I'm nothing if not predictable, though this OST was one I actually wasn't expecting to bee as strong as it was. The original Yooka-Laylee was a Kirkhope and Wise joint leaning more towards Kirkhope and it was perfectly good, just not great.

Much like the game itself, the sequel is a huge improvement and there's an unexpected twist in here, amongst all the obligatory David Wise hype you've got two of Playtonic's in house composers putting in work here, and they're damn good!
Come for Wise and Kirkhope, stay for Griffin and Murdoch, in fact I think Matt Griffin takes on the bulk of the OST to excellent results.
Would you believe the original game actually has very little Ukulele in it? well this one makes up for it and then some, they take that plucky little thing and do all they can to get as much sound variety out of it (ah the power of technology!) leading to an OST that's like a folky jaunt down platformer way.



Griffin's Cliffside Quest is a standout, using that classic trope of the main theme adding more instruments as you progress, each gem returned to the goal layers on more to the already strong base.

Turbine Trouble come to us from Dan Murdoch, bringing the dose of atmosphere you'd expect from a damp and dank mechanical stage.

And of course, The Wise One Cometh, I'm pretty sure the absolute earworm that is the main theme is already in this thread so here's something for those of you who have felt his output has been too jolly for your moody SNES craving vibes, Scareship Scroll gives me a light celtic vibe and I'm sure this is still being done via a modified Ukulele of all things (along with DAT FLUTE, can't keep Wise away from the woodwinds these days it seems and I'm all for it)

My one bugbear with this OST? the official version's main theme is the shorter one from the trailer reveal and also lacks its peppy challenge room music, booooo!
Fortunately youtubers have me covered


2. Bloodstained Ritual of the Night

Another case of "here's one of your top three game composers doing a spiritual successor version of one of your fave soundtracks with some funky friends in tow.
Yep, it's time for a Michiru Yamane fix, the gap since the sublime Order of Ecclesia OST isn't quite as long as it seems thanks to a jazzier stopover with Skullgirls carrying the torch, but damn it's still felt like far too long since I got that oh so distinct tone of hers as I roamed gothic castle halls.

It's safe to say there's not much unexpected in here, much like the game itself the music is content with being more of the same and sometimes that's all I need, they'll always get me with a baroque library theme, you better believe that chapel area dusts the cobwebs off the church organ, it's even got a track that's gonna give you flashbacks to Portrait of Ruin's Pyramid areas.



I particularly enjoy Repentance, a track that contains spoilers to actually describe the main reason it floats my boat, let's just say it's taking one of the game's more serene tracks and turning it into a boss theme and those choral elements in this new context are just the best, shit that might be enough to work it out if it wasn't obvious like every one of IGA's games!

One of the most immediately stand out tracks that flies right into your ears and gets you PUMPED the moment you first stroll into the area it plays is by Ryusuke Fujioka, who brings us Gears of Fortune for the game's twin spiralling towers, the strings here feel like they're rising with you!

Oh and I'm so sure the titular Ritual of the Night track is kicking off appropriately with the Castlevania death theme, or maybe it's the most perfect coincidence.


3. Fire Emblem Three Houses

Remember when Nintendo went back into their usual youtube curmudgeon mode and were dead set on ensuring we couldn't listen to this OST on the internet while of course not offering any way to hear it from themselves? Classic Ninty (and they're actually still doing it so my links might be dead next week!)

And boy did we want to listen, Three Houses continues the incredibly strong run of FE soundtracks since Awakening revived it, following up the Shadows of Valentia soundtrack (that I totally snubbed at the time, please forgive me!) is quite the tall order, so obviously the only solution was to give us those who dubstep in the dark….I'd say I swear it makes sense in context but my 60 plus hours of gameplay never even took me down paths that led to the game's most WTF musical moment, among numerous other killer tracks where I'm still left imagining the context to, as I try to withhold myself from making a third run.

Three Houses is one of those games that takes one main theme and remixes the ever loving heck out of it, much like the game's maps and characters, you'll keep seeing something familiar reinterpreted in many varied ways. Fortunately this ain't no Yoshi game (see Crafted World for how this can go very wrong) and after all this time I'm still not sick of hearing the main theme in its many forms, from peppy light conversation all the way to climactic endgame showdowns.

Not at all uncommon coming off Fire Emblem Fates and its insistence for us to be the ocean's grey waves or whatever, but mercifully the lyrical variant here "Edge of Dawn" doesn't crop up nearly as much as "Lost in Thoughts, All Alone" to wear you down, it actually feels nice to finally hear the lyrical rendition that actually uses those words to say something regarding one of its central characters, so yay!

Otherwise we've got an absolute bop for mere map preparation, a triumphant epilogue transitioning into the ever pleasing Fire Emblem theme and this combo I'm gonna highlight here...
You've got Blue Skies and a Battle for the schools summer throwdown, it's all fun and wargames but still a battle for house supremacy, the theme sells the prestige of the event well.
Years pass and the three houses find themselves drawn back together under very different circumstances and, well hot damn, what a theme redux, layering on the central recurring motif of Three Houses and a booming choir, epic by the numbers but oh so warranted.



Now I just need to actually experience a funeral of flowers in game because holy shit this is some HOLY SHIT.

Still don't believe me that this OST is the tits? well here's what WWE Superstar™ and playable Bomberman character Xavier Woods had to say about it over on giant bomb...
"The music in this game--especially the battle music--is so beyond perfect that I, uh, made some really good memories with it... "
Indeed Xavier, indeed, now have the New Day come out at Mania as the three house leaders and maybe the product can be salvaged.


4. Sayonora Wild Hearts

I mean, it's basically an interactive pop album, the whole thing would sink if it wasn't filled with energetic lyrical goodness.

This is one where I'd sooner say that if the concept intrigues you to just check it out and experience the game in its full hour and a half long concept.

I will say that the smaller segments focused on instrumental (sorta) tracks are a bit ho-hum, on the other hand one of the game's most memorable gameplay moments comes via "parallel universes" which leverages that wonderful melding of music and gameplay to create an inspired segment that I'd rather keep under wraps because you should totally play it yourself.

Much like a certain moreish snack, when it pops it just don't stop, and much like pop music the majority of tunes here are about those thorny relationships, thus it's indistinguishable from actual popular music, undisputed fact!
And if you really need a teaser...
Begin again
You'd be surprised what the actual game is having accompany this track, hint: it's pure rule of cool.


5. Team Sonic Racing
Well, if nothing else you can usually count on good music for Sonic, even when the game underwhelms, truly a tale as old as time.

So funny thing about TSR, this game spent most of its pre release period just posting tracks from the game in lieu of actual new footage or much information at all, so there was at least one aspect of the game they were confident on, so much so it was the actual marketing.

Despite seeming like it was gonna be a remix bonanza like Generations and Mania before it, TSR actually has a strong spread of new tracks and runs through a mini Sonic generations of series composers like Senoue, Ohtani and Tee Lopes. alongside the reason you'll still remember certain Sonic game openings like Crush 40 and Hyper Potions. They invited everyone! Except Richard Jaques who did the last racer, but it's cool because he outed himself as a bullying bozo anyway.

Haunted Castle makes me really want to hear what else Tee Lopes could bring to mainline 3D sonic, Sonicvania up in here.

Clockwork Pyramid let's Senoue rip like it's Sonic Adventure 2 all over again

Ice Mountain is the peanut butter and jam of remixes, who knew that Unleashed's Cool Edge (an underrated classic by the way!) would merge so well with Colour's Reach for the Stars?! well, these guys clearly but good on them for not keeping it a secret.


6. Ape Out

Let me dive in here before Xtortion does.

This OST mention doesn't play by the usual rules, because the whole game is this improvisational jazz session that will have the percussion ramp up with the tension, have cymbals crash as your hapless human victim slams into a wall splattering all over the shop or simply when WORDS burst onto the screen as you transition into the next stage segment.
As such there's not really a traditional OST going on here, it's music working in full tandem with the gameplay ("reactive" as the trailers would say) where the game itself is set up as a series of LPs with a suitable visual style to match its influence.

Basically it's impressive and cool stuff with audio and it's absolutely worth mentioning.
Needs more brass horns tho, come on I just want to wield a flamethrower holding human while horns blaze out their own cacophony!


7. The Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening

Yep, it's a bunch of already existing tracks updated from beeps and boops to something more, as such I've chucked it further down this list.
Link's Awakening was always a game with a ton of great little themes putting in work on the game boy, I loved Ryo Nagamatsu's approach to A Link Between Worlds and this game while not quite as strong, carries a similar sort of tone with its reinterpretations.

Old favourites of mine like Sword Search are brought up to modern standards wonderfully, while Face Shrine's hauntingingly sombre makeover also brings the aforementioned beeps and boops along to deliver a true series classic that seems to stick with all who played this remake.


8. Pokemon Sword and Shield

There's a strong energy running through this OST, the battles truly channel sport event vibes with multiple phases culminating in legitimately hype crowd chanting to coincide with the dynamax moments. This is all taken alongside some more traditionally Pokemon themes in your towns and routes.

Buuuuut, I do think they've reached a stage where the music sounds a bit muffled like it's still designed for a 3DS (insert easy pot shot at the game itself here) and that kinda weakens a lot of the tracks (getting some awkward Twilight Princess flashbacks with the tracks using wolf howling, a shame because it's almost there but still sounds off), as well as some instances where tracks sound too frantic under the weight of sheer noise (Lookin' at you Bede and standard trainer battles)

It doesn't grab me as much as Sun/Moon's lively island jams. Nor does it sound as clean as last years classical reinterpretation of Red/Blue with Let's Go.
Still when it's on you get crackers like Marnie's theme or Hop's Mario & Luigi (RIP AlphaDream) style battle theme.

Oh and there's this Toby Fox guy or something tucked in here as well, WHOEVER THAT IS, I hear he worked on this one Little Town Hero game but no one played that, a true mystery man.


9. Astral Chain

There's this wonderful article of insight on platinum's dev blog with a freakin' graph to illustrate the approach to music here.

igarashi_1_EN.png


Actually the article says everything better than I ever could so...yeah read that and check their examples.


10. Untitled Goose Game

Remember that reactive music approach mentioned for Ape Out? This is like the classical version of that where instead of punctuating brutal ape violence, it's punctuating obnoxious bird dickery.

It really elevates the art of flaunting your wingspan while being chased with a broom as a piano frantically accelerates through a Dubussy suite.

Centuries away from being 2019 music of course, but its usage is perfect.


LTTP
This year I finally got to play Castlevania Bloodlines all the way through thanks to the CV collection, the original Yamane CV OST!
Full circle in this post from Bloodlines to Bloodstained.

Where I discovered that Iron Blue Intention is at its best on the mega drive (genuine twist tbh) and Prayer of a Tragic Queen is a top tune that has somehow avoided being used again in future games, this is the proto wood carving partita!


Post release content

Smash Bros fighter packs (and even one mii costume) continue to bolster it's killer remix lineup, none better for me than getting Grant Kirkhope to revisit Spiral Mountain, I adore this remix and getting to hear notable japanese composers get their hands on some B-K was a treat to be sure.

Monster Hunter Iceborne was a thing and while its new spins on old monster themes left me a bit cold (laugh dammit!). the main theme for the expansion was a strong 'un

---
Random award for punchy sound design: GatoRoboto, this game's moving and shooting in the mecha has such a weighty kick to it in a retro wrapper and you can thank the sound effects (and screen shake) for that!

Random award for "I didn't care for the rest of the OST, but this one song was a banger!": Devil Trigger of course from DMCV, I don't remember much else from this one but I wont be forgetting Devil Trigger any time soon.
 
TubaZef

TubaZef

Member
Oct 28, 2017
3,563
Brazil
ABBA's Helicopter said:
  1. Hypnospace Outlaw
    Jay Tholen, Erik Helwig (as The Chowder Man), Various Artists
    Hypnospace Is Cool
    Icy Girl
    Granny Cream's Hot Butter Ice Cream
    Nothing Left For Me - Seepage
    Ready To Shave
    Millennium Anthem (2000 New Years Eve)
I could post 20 songs from this soundtrack and still feel like I'm missing something. There's licensed stuff that I didn't post (the Glamocaster stuff is particularly pretty great) but the thing is that any game that basically invents a musical landscape as rich as this one for its reality deserves some kind of recognition.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Came here to post Ready to Shave.

Glad someone already did. Great game
 
Freeglader

Freeglader

Unshakable Resolve - One Winged Slayer
Member
Nov 13, 2017
825
1. Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
I honestly think XIV has one of the best, if not the best, FF soundtracks of all time. This game absolutely deserves soundtrack of the year. Masayoshi Soken has more than proven himself as a worthy successor to Uematsu. These are my two favorite themes from the game followed closely by the Innocence theme:
Knowledge Never Sleeps (Crystarium Theme #2)
Sands of Amber (Amh Araeng Theme #1)

2. Kingdom Hearts III
VS Saix (The Other Promise/Vector to the Heavens)

3. Astral Chain
 
Noodle

Noodle

Banned
Aug 22, 2018
3,427
1. Devil May Cry 5
Kota Suzuki
Devil Trigger

It was never any contest. Game used it every opportunity it could and I have both this and covers of it.

Special mention: Terminator Resistance
 
jett

jett

Community Resettler
Member
Oct 25, 2017
44,646
1. Ace Combat 7
2. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
3. Shovel Knight: King of Cards
4. Devil May Cry 5
5. River City Girls
 
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