Games you feel wouldn't be the same if not for its soundtrack

[Emerald]

Both Jet Set Radio games for sure.

 

[Jon God]

Burnout series, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series, Sonic series, Portal series, Tetris Effect, Rez, Katamari series, Alan Wake...

geezzz too many to count.

 

[Starlatine]

Hotline miami easily

The game is somewhat fun but it was the soundtrack that turned heads towards it

 

[JumbiePrime]

I really can't think of a game where music didnt help elevate at least a scene or two .

 

[Joltik]

Is there a game that has been hailed as amazing that actually has a bad soundtrack? Legit curious.

Click to shrink...

Dragon Quest XI

Great game that has a lousy OST.

 

[KOfLegend]

Persona 4: The Thread. The three Hashino games, really, but P4's soundtrack is essential to Persona 4.

 

[Scruffy8642]

I feel like Nier Automata is like 50% it's soundtrack. Damn good.

 

[SPRidley]

FZero GX looses a little bit of the charm of the rest of the series becuase of the shitty music during the races, thats for sure.

 

[ray_caster]

All games, essentially.

But if I had to pick, the Halo series stands out as the music is absolutely integral to the experience.

 

[Noctis Winters]

-Vampyr
-Thumper
-Hotline Miami
-Metal Gear Solid games (including Rrvengance☺️)
-The Last Of Us
-Final Fantasy games
-The original Tomb Raider trilogy. (Admittedly most of TR isn't music per say but the creepy atmospheric noise tracks during gameplay is very effective).
-Child Of Light
-Vice City

All of these soundtracks are standouts to me in terms of being inextricably part of the experience of the games, as important as any other aspect of them.

 

[Kr1spy]

Honestly, music makes a huuuge difference to me in most games (I imagine many other posters here feel similarly). So without thinking too hard about it, the first ones that come to mind are...

Donkey Kong Country 1 & 2
Doom 2016 & Eternal
Hotline Miami
Katamari Damacy
Phoenix Wright series

 

[Leo]

Yoshi's Island. I think the main reason why I could never enjoy the sequel (Yoshi's Island DS) is because of the soundtrack.

 

[Zen_Master]

The music in the original Unreal was part of the whole experience for me, as important as the visuals to convey the idea of an alien, ethereal landscape and world:

 

[big_z]

Nier Automata
Furi

With nier the music makes a mediocre gaming experience more enjoyable than it really is.

 

[Vitamin_B_Complex]

I am convinced that the new Doom games would not work without the music.

 

[DeadeyeNull]

Like All Zelda, pokemon, and guilty gear games. I honestly don't think I could consider a game good without a good soundtrack, or at least good sound design in the case of something like hellblade.

 

[Quinho]

All of them.

 

[Arithmetician]

Games that haven't been mentioned yet: Octopath Traveler, Hollow Knight.

The journey into the City of Tears really needs the soundtrack to elevate it to the experience it is.

 

[Jombie]

NieR and Automata
Silent Hill
Last of Us

 

[Pixel_Stream]

13 sentinels: Aegis Rim

 

[Game Rogue]

Rez

 

[Mr_Kuschels]

Far Cry 3
The scene where Vaas talks about insanity paired with that track gave me goosebumps.

 

[Lewpop]

100% has to be Tekken 3, character themes that were all stylistically similar yet so dramatically varied. Music was a massive component of the first 5 (+TTT) games in the series, but Tekken 3's music played a huge part in making it as memorable as it is for me.

 

[Masterspeed]

Risk of Rain 2. Without the music it would be such a slog

 

[Vazra]

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World
No More Heroes

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

Pretty much all of them. Super Meat Boy is a great example of this. The version with the new music is unplayable to me.

 

[Splader]

Ori and Especially Ori 2.

The games would still be great, but it was the soundtrack and the emotional beats they hit that really elevated the entire experience for me.

 

[ShyMel]

I definitely played the Corpse Party titles with the sound lower at points because many of the tracks are very good at setting the horror atmosphere. Though several of the final chapter tracks were played at full volume. The Higurashi soundtrack is also excellent at setting the mood, to the point where I stopped playing it at night lol. Ar no surge was mentioned earlier so I will throw in Ar tonelico as well.

 

[Chumunga64]

every game with good music

 

[Alecs27]

FFXV. The only thing that saves the game is the superb ost

 

[zoodoo]

100% Hotline Miami
I would not have played it for sure

 

[sweetmini]

Without going the heavily copyrighted soundtracks (GTA Vice City, GH2, Crazy Taxi etc)... Lumines and Tetris Effect... these immediately come to mind... the music is even more important than the gameplay in these games.

However there were many old games where the soundtrack was the main attraction, particularly on old 8/16bits computers, so i 'll just stop with these two, since the intent really was to put the music front and center to the experience, it was important for it to be good in order to have enjoyable experiences.

I'll however give one other game... Nier Automata... damn the soundtrack was fannnnntastic and elevating the game so much.

 

[TheBiInBilingual]

Is there a game that has been hailed as amazing that actually has a bad soundtrack? Legit curious.

Click to shrink...

I'm not saying it's bad, but I feel nothing listening to the music in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Excluding K.K. Slider, he rocks.

 

[Aeana]

Literally all video games. The soundtrack is as much of a game's identity as any other piece.

 

[Kurtikeya]

As impressive as Cuphead is, I wouldn't have found it as memorable without its soundtrack.

 

[aiswyda]

Persona.

Click to shrink...

This. Listening to the tracks on Spotify takes me back—a lot of the tracks I associate with gameplay or specific moments and that carries such a heavy emotional connection for me.

 

[Deleted member 17210]

Most games but Last Ninja came to mind first.

 

[unholyFarmer]

Super Meat Boy and it did happen when the newer ports dropped Danny B.

Click to shrink...

One and done. Super Meat Boy just doesn't hold well without Danny B.

 

[bob100]

I mean Red Dead Redemtion would not have been the same if

Spoiler: Red Dead Redemption Spoiler

Jose Gonzales - Far Away didn't play when entering Mexico

 

[Nocturnowl]

Sayonara Wild Hearts for sure
It works entirely because the music is perfectly married to the otherwise really simple yet snazzy looking gameplay

 

[TheShampion]

Dicey Dungeons is a fun game, but the soundtrack makes it a great game to go back to over and over again.

 

[TerremotoDePorta]

Ctrl + F

"Hades"

"0 results found"

WHAT THE FUCK. It didn't get GOTY nominations against AAA titles for nothing, and the dynamic soundtrack (ramping up when in battle and smoothly quieting to just a bass line after fights) is part of that.

Also, Ace Combat (and by extension Project Wingman) deserve a mention, because one thing is to do a final boss track, and another is to have the music representation of a Tango TO THE DEATH:

 

[CognitiveAtrophy]

I'm sure it's been mentioned but Nier.

The game wouldn't have been remotely as successful if it wasn't for Okabe's soundtrack.

 

[Deleted member 7883]

Furi. A great boss rush made brilliant through its OST.

Hotline Miami 1/2 and APE OUT also come to mind.

 

[darkkinder]

Silent hill with Akira Yamaoka + Mary Elizabeth Mcglyn

Edit: Supergiant Games (their games have a unique ost)

 

[MentalZer0]

GTA SA, one of my favorite games of all time. 50% because of the soundtrack.