Including Animal Crossing and The Sims but excluding Minecraft is basically the closest you can get to having a musical opinion that's objectively wrong.
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Pitchfork: 12 Best Video Game Soundtracks of the Past 20 Years
- Thread starter Icolin
- Start date
i can't listen to this without hearing the twin wardens saying shit like "DO YOU REALLY NEED THIS" or "NOT IMPRESSIVE" about my demon fusions
12 soundtracks for 20 years? You could easily come up with a Top 100 list for such a long period of time.
SotC's OST really is something else, man. Probably my favorite. I like the Space Channel 5 Part 2''s OST more than the first one's. Celeste and Undertale really have great OST. I havent played the other games..
I dunno what people except from a list with only 12 games from the past 20 years. Of course it would have tons of omissions. And its not like most people who discuss about music here or on other gaming boards know shit about music theory, production, etc. Your opinion is not more "objectively correct" than theirs.
I dunno what people except from a list with only 12 games from the past 20 years. Of course it would have tons of omissions. And its not like most people who discuss about music here or on other gaming boards know shit about music theory, production, etc. Your opinion is not more "objectively correct" than theirs.
The Sims? Well there's an unexpected pick. Cant say I disagree, thogh. Part of the charm of the original Sims was the whimsical soundtrack that sounded like very little else at the time.
So, let's all rise for what became the Sims Anthem:
You will likely run into this in some form in most The Sims games. I think it was the elevator music in Sims 3, and 4 has a rock version on the radio.
The original is still the best, though.
So, let's all rise for what became the Sims Anthem:
You will likely run into this in some form in most The Sims games. I think it was the elevator music in Sims 3, and 4 has a rock version on the radio.
The original is still the best, though.
Eh, I've seen worse.
Really hate that Eternal Sonata is the JRPG of choice on the list, but the soundtrack is its only redeeming quality.
Really hate that Eternal Sonata is the JRPG of choice on the list, but the soundtrack is its only redeeming quality.
i have a standing appointment at 9:55pm every day to go to nook's cranny and forget about all of my problems in life.
Nier has like the least generic video game soundtrack of all time lol
I know how you feel, I do the same thing sometimes
Katamari was robbed. New Leaf OST > New Horizons OST.
I have my other preferences or disagreements, but these are my main complaints.
Eternal Sonata is a weirdly specific deep cut. Is this widely considered good or is someone from Pfork just really going to bat for it?
I have my other preferences or disagreements, but these are my main complaints.
Eternal Sonata is a weirdly specific deep cut. Is this widely considered good or is someone from Pfork just really going to bat for it?
Wut, the ACNH soundtrack is not that good, not even close. The best track from the game (the shop closing theme) isn't even originally from that game, it's from New Leaf.
It had Chopin as one of the main characters and used a lot of his music. The non Chopin music was still pretty good though
Pretty pointless for people to be moaning that their own personal darling isn't featured when it's such a short list
Way ahead of you. Just whipped this up. It's not 100, but I put it together pretty quick. There's a lot missing that I didn't play extensively enough, and others that I've just forgot.
Diablo 2
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2
Max Payne
Metal Gear Solid 2
Final Fantasy X
Halo
Silent Hill 2
Warcraft 3
Metroid Prime
Kingdom Hearts
Call of Duty
Max Payne 2
Warcraft 3 The Frozen Throne
Silent Hill 3
Halo 2
World of Warcraft
Metal Gear Solid 3
Shadow of The Colossus
God of War
Gears of War
Bioshock
COD4
Halo 3
Uncharted
God of War 2
Gears of War 2
Metal Gear Solid 4
Mirror's Edge
Braid
World of Warcraft Wrath of the Lich King
COD MW2
Uncharted 2
Halo 3 ODST
Red Dead Redemption
Bioshock 2
Alan Wake
Dark Souls
Gears of War 3
Bastion
The Binding of Isaac
Max Payne 3
Torchlight 2
Fez
Bioshock Infinite
The Last of Us
Metro Last Light
Wolfenstein The New Order
The Witcher 3
Bloodborne
Ori and the Blind Forest
Dark Souls 3
Nier Automata
Doom
Hellblade
Call of Duty WWII
Red Dead Redemption 2
God of War
Celeste
AC Odyssey
Control
Death Stranding
The Outer Worlds
Metro Exodus
A Plague Tale Innocence
The Last of Us 2
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2
Max Payne
Metal Gear Solid 2
Final Fantasy X
Halo
Silent Hill 2
Warcraft 3
Metroid Prime
Kingdom Hearts
Call of Duty
Max Payne 2
Warcraft 3 The Frozen Throne
Silent Hill 3
Halo 2
World of Warcraft
Metal Gear Solid 3
Shadow of The Colossus
God of War
Gears of War
Bioshock
COD4
Halo 3
Uncharted
God of War 2
Gears of War 2
Metal Gear Solid 4
Mirror's Edge
Braid
World of Warcraft Wrath of the Lich King
COD MW2
Uncharted 2
Halo 3 ODST
Red Dead Redemption
Bioshock 2
Alan Wake
Dark Souls
Gears of War 3
Bastion
The Binding of Isaac
Max Payne 3
Torchlight 2
Fez
Bioshock Infinite
The Last of Us
Metro Last Light
Wolfenstein The New Order
The Witcher 3
Bloodborne
Ori and the Blind Forest
Dark Souls 3
Nier Automata
Doom
Hellblade
Call of Duty WWII
Red Dead Redemption 2
God of War
Celeste
AC Odyssey
Control
Death Stranding
The Outer Worlds
Metro Exodus
A Plague Tale Innocence
The Last of Us 2
THPS 2 AND NBA Street Vol. 2?
No lie, NBA Street Vol 2 was literally the first soundtrack that came to mind before I opened the topic.
The other was Def Jam: Fight For New York.
No lie, NBA Street Vol 2 was literally the first soundtrack that came to mind before I opened the topic.
The other was Def Jam: Fight For New York.
- Kingdom Hearts
- Minecraft
- NieR games
- Doom
- Tetris Effect
- Last of Us
- Halo games
So many good titles snubbed.
- Minecraft
- NieR games
- Doom
- Tetris Effect
- Last of Us
- Halo games
So many good titles snubbed.
The list is really varied, so I'll give them props for that. I would have added different games, but whatever.
This is a music list, which isn't fact. It's subjective. What you might consider trash, someone else might love. So I always think this idea that someone's music lists being trash because you don't agree with it is such a bad hot take, and in itself, trash.
This is a music list, which isn't fact. It's subjective. What you might consider trash, someone else might love. So I always think this idea that someone's music lists being trash because you don't agree with it is such a bad hot take, and in itself, trash.
Repping Animal Crossing over Splatoon? What's happened to Pitchfork?
Wet Floor should be right up their alley, while K.K. Slider sold out many seasons ago.
Wet Floor should be right up their alley, while K.K. Slider sold out many seasons ago.
Persona 5 is the best original soundtrack i've heard in my 4 decades of gaming.
NBA Street Vol 2 is the best licensed soundtrack. As soon as it started and you heard T.R.O.Y. for the first time on the title screen, it was just unfair for everyone else.
NBA Street Vol 2 is the best licensed soundtrack. As soon as it started and you heard T.R.O.Y. for the first time on the title screen, it was just unfair for everyone else.
No Bloodborne, no Final Fantasy XIII or XIII-2, no SMT 4, no SMT 3, no Hotline Miami, no Nier Automata, no Danganronpa V3.
Glad Persona 5 is on there. Soundtrack is excellent, and the new songs in Royal are just as amazing.
And this is the thing with music taste, it's subjective. I wouldn't pick any of those as my favorites of all time.
Maybe Nier Automata would make the list, but I'd personally put something like Xenogears/Xenoblade over it if I was trying to make a varied list without repeating a genre/style.
Really odd list imo. Easier to mention the ones I agree with, Celeste and SotC. The rest ranges from good but not great (P5, Undertale, SC5) to "really?" (Sims, Animal Crossing) to cheating (Tony Hawk).
Always super hard to try and make a list like this when there's so much good stuff out there (not enough Journey or Tetris Effect for me) but they're all pretty damn good soundtracks. Nice variety of genres - great licensed soundtrack picks too.
Xenoblade, Xenogears and Nier Automata aren't even trying to say similar things with their music. They have different tones and derive inspirations from very different countries of origin regarding what they sound like. So yeah taste is subjective, but I wouldn't say there's overlap with these three games.
one of my favorite aspects of animal crossing nh is how you can use the instruments you find and build to supplement the k. k. songs. i believe the game either changes the key of the instruments based on whatever song is playing, or most of the songs just happen to mesh well with the notes they've baked into the instruments. regardless, it rarely sounds bad and is one of my favorite elements of the game.
Happy P5 and Celeste are there, but it's missing Umineko, NieR 1 and Automata, The House in Fata Morgana, Tetris Effect, VA-11 Hall-A, Silent Hill 2, Hotline Miami, etc.
All I was saying is if I was making a list that I wanted to be varied, I would pick one of those without trying to overlap numerous orchestral soundtracks. You're correct with all of that info, but when I'm listening to any of those... they all have a similar mood.
There's no way to make a comprehensive 12-soundtrack list covering 20 years. You're going to leave off some worthy stuff no matter what.
This would not be my list (my biggest grumble is the exclusion of Katamari Damacy), but it's cool seeing some less-obvious stuff like Space Channel 5 and NBA Street Vol. 2 getting recognition.
This would not be my list (my biggest grumble is the exclusion of Katamari Damacy), but it's cool seeing some less-obvious stuff like Space Channel 5 and NBA Street Vol. 2 getting recognition.
Let's see what is in the list.
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Ok, Undertale and Celeste are there. Good. Undertale in particular is one of the greatest, in fact.
But Persona 5... Yes, it is good, but for me, Q2 beats it easily. Invitation to Freedom is way better than Last Surprise.
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Ok, Undertale and Celeste are there. Good. Undertale in particular is one of the greatest, in fact.
But Persona 5... Yes, it is good, but for me, Q2 beats it easily. Invitation to Freedom is way better than Last Surprise.
Yes please. I second this. But perhaps of the '21st Century', rather than 'the past 20 years', which doesn't make for a catchy list title. Sorry, 2000.
Not exactly in my taste, but everyone has different likes and all that stuff....
For me, the ost from the Wind Waker is among my favourites of the past two decades. Koji Kondo and all the composers that participated in it hit it out of the park with that one, my favorite Zelda soundtrack ever.
For me, the ost from the Wind Waker is among my favourites of the past two decades. Koji Kondo and all the composers that participated in it hit it out of the park with that one, my favorite Zelda soundtrack ever.
None of that music is "music for the game." It's just super popular licensed music. I don't think that counts when talking about a "best soundtrack" since it's just popular songs of the era copy pasted into a game.
I love THPS' music, but it doesn't count. Same with the radio songs in GTA. Only the original GTA music created for the game should qualify here.
I know lists are personal opinions and usually they are interesting to look at and move on but I cannot fathom a best soundtrack list with either Nier games or Final Fantasy XIV. Like, this boggles my mind.