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.
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)
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
Last edited: