Best OST in a video game?

Very. And a tough call... I can say for sure that my top 5 (in no particular order) are:

1. Super Mario Odyssey
2. Persona 4
3. Tales of Symphonia
4. Cuphead
5. Kingdom Hearts (series)

 

I've never really thought about it before, but I really love the soundtracks for Banjo Kazooie and Tooie, and basically every Zelda game, but especially Wind Waker and Majora's Mask. The soundtracks for every area is completely unique and sets the atmosphere really well. And really, the ocean music in Wind Waker is probably the only reason why I actually enjoy sailing throughout the majority of the game.

 

Metroid Prime

Metroid Prime

Metroid Prime

 

A recent favorite for me has been Xenoblade Chronicles 2's music. In fact I'd argue that the OST of Xenoblade 2 is better than the original Xenoblade Chronicles, which is really saying something since that game has a great ost. The OST especially shines in the battle themes, but the overworld themes are stil very good. The Hyrule Warriors OST is something I've ben listening too and I never realized how good some of the music was.

 

Some of my favorite video game soundtracks come from games like Bravely Default and Octopath Traveler. I could listen to all those epic folky tracks all day.

 

As a writer I'm constantly collecting any music that inspires new ideas, and video game OSTs are a wonderful source. In particular, my favorite soundtracks are:

1.) Bloodborne. This is my all-time favorite album. The dark tone and unrepentant horror in every track gets my mind going every time. I've been able to create heaps of monsters from this, and awesome villains. Orchestras don't get much better than this--this is top-tier music even if you don't like Bloodborne as a game. Some tracks I recommend are: "Cleric Beast", "The One Reborn", "Ebrietas, Daughter of the Cosmos", "The First Hunter", "Ludwig, the Holy Blade", and "Laurence, the First Vicar". There's tons more of favorite tracks I have, but I'd be listing pretty much every song. Check it out if you're looking to put a little horror in your playlist.

2.) Dark Souls, especially Dark Souls one and three. Less scary than Bloodborne but still powerful. It's geared more towards dark fantasy than outright horror. I'm picky with soundtracks, so I have less favorite tracks here. Check out: "Great Wolf Sif", "Abyss Watchers", and "Lorian, Elder Prince, and Lothric, Younger Prince". There's a fan artist named Alex Roe who does excellent remixes of Souls songs, too.

3.) Pokémon! Pokémon has all kinds of good music, and I don't think it gets enough recognition, especially if we're talking about PMD. The high energy battle themes and generally more lighthearted tunes are a perfect counter to the more intense music I listen to, and they help me get in the mood for more G-rated/Pokémon themed RPs. I love most of the PMD music, and the battle themes from X/Y. Sun/Moon's environmental themes also get special mentions.

4.) Shadow of the Colossus. This one is iconic, so there isn't much to say that hasn't been said already. My recommended tracks from this one are: "Swift Horse", "Revived Power", "The Opened Way", "Demise of the Ritual", "Resurrection", and "A Despair-Filled Farewell".

Honorable Mentions: Portal 2, Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen (Bitterblack Isle songs), Red Dead Redemption, Darkest Dungeon, Monster Hunter: World, Okami.

 

I don't listen to video game music very much, but out of the OSTs I have heard these are my favorites:
The Last Guardian, Bloodborne, Cuphead, and Super Mario Galaxy 1&2. And from what I've heard of the Super Mario Odessey soundtrack, I like it too.

 

Music isn’t an aspect I usually focus on, but the winner of this is definitely Undertale. It’s the only game I’ve played with earphones on for the music. I like how each character has a distinct theme and the recurring leitmotifs used(most prominently from the song “Undertale”.). I feel like on every other game I played, the songs are too similar and repetitive.

 

Basically the only OST's I have are Pokémon X/Y and Diamond and Pearl, as well as Golden Sun/GoldenSun Lost Age. The Golden Sun ones especially are some of my favorite tracks.

 

Oh boy, here we go...

The lack of mentioning of NieR and NieR: Automata in this thread is downright criminal. These are games that utilise vocals perfectly to create an unparalleled experience in-game - vocal tracks being something I am a huge fan of in video games, when they're appropriate - and call upon a wide range of vocal styles to keep things fresh. When you typically only hear vocals in games with final boss battles or ridiculously overdramatic moments, that NieR has vocals playing in the background for damn near the entire game without feeling tired or repetitive is nothing short of remarkable.

I fell in love with NieR's soundtrack the second I heard Blu Bird on the teaser website - months before the game was even released, back in 2009 - and it remains my all-time favourite soundtrack. Until I hear a village theme that terrifies me as much as Cold Steel Coffin did, or an overworld theme that makes me feel as upbeat as Hills of Radiant Winds (and considering how dark and miserable NieR is, that is no small feat), or a song as versatile and dramatic as Song of Ancients (which, despite having about fifty million remixes, sounds amazing each and every time, although the Fate version stands out to me for its in-game use) it will remain my favourite soundtrack of all time. There isn't a single bad track, and literally no other video game can boast that to me. There's always *something* I don't like in a game's music...except with NieR. The only thing I don't like about it is that there isn't an acapella album yet...keeping my fingers crossed. Given the latest orchestral album, I still have hopes.

Automata I feel the need to mention because, whilst having a soundtrack that isn't QUITE as memorable as the original NieR's, it still has some pretty standout moments. Amusement Park is one of the creepiest (and yet oddly relaxing) themes I've heard in a long time, and just when I thought Dark Colossus couldn't possibly get any better, this game remixes it and turns it up to eleven. Did I mention that a lot of the tracks have 8-bit versions that play during the hacking minigame? I LOVED that little touch. There isn't enough appreciation for 8-bit music these days.

...there's also Emil's shop song. That kind of speaks for itself.

Everything else I'm about to mention pales in comparison to NieR, but...

- Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate. I specify this because it's a celebration title that takes the best the series has to offer and puts it into one package, and I found World's music extremely depressing for how limited and repetitive it was...well, except for Vaal Hazak's theme, anyway. But there are so many standout unique monster themes that have me coming back to this series, that make each fight feel like a unique experience and a boss fight in and of itself: Astalos, Gammoth, Ahtal-Ka (first/third phase in particular), Valstrax, Crimson Fatalis (holy crap this theme makes the fight TERRIFYING when those meteors start coming down), Deviljho...to name a few of my favourites.

- Final Fantasy VIII. XII is my favourite FF, and as a series FF has some fairly standout tracks (as well as some I never want to hear again) but there is something about VIII's soundtrack in particular that I feel the need to mention...I think it's probably Shuffle or Boogie. Shuffle or Boogie is the track I listen to when I am doing things when I don't want to think. It's the track I hum under my breath without realising it. I still don't know years later if I want to shuffle or boogie...I'd probably look ridiculous doing either, honestly. I still remember the first time I heard Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec too (which I misheard and misspelled for more years than I would care to admit) and I loved it. I hate Lunatic Pandora with a passion but I still get it stuck in my head. The Legendary Beast inspires a little panic because I thought I was screwed the first time I got hit by Shockwave Pulsar. Fisherman's Horizon is something I like to listen to when I wake up in the middle of the night. I like other FF games too - bits and pieces of them, anyway - but VIII had my favourite soundtrack for years and years.

- Fairy Fencer F gets a mention for FULL CONTACT. I'm sorry, but I love that song. Boring crappy battle theme, scream "FAIRIZE!", transformation sequence, heavy rock with the cheesiest lyrics imaginable plays. My inner magical girl squeals with delight. I am not overly fond of the replacement theme they use halfway through the game, but I have to mention FULL CONTACT, because I'd be willing to bet nobody else will.

- I want to give a similar shout out to Persona 5's Life Will Change, too. Given how awful I find Persona music to be, this is something that surprises me. But this theme is absolutely perfect for pre boss anticipation.

- Castlevania as a series. Especially Michiru Yamane's tracks...that's pretty much everything from around Symphony of the Night up to Order of Ecclesia, if memory serves. Iga knows how to make a Metroidvania, but Yamane is THE Metroidvania composer. All those Clock Tower themes. On the whole I'd say Aria of Sorrow has the best soundtrack (it's also probably my favourite Castlevania, although I am VERY fond of Potrait of Ruin...and Circle of the Moon, despite how miserably hard I found it) but they're all absolutely fantastic. Yamane's involvement in Bloodstained is probably the biggest reason I am excited for it.

- Star Ocean: The Last Hope. This is a game that really gets a lot of unnecessary hatred from fans - come on, it's not as bad as the third or fifth games, and Edge Maverick sure as hell isn't as whiny or annoying as Luke fon Fabre from Tales of the Abyss - but Sakuraba did an AMAZING job composing for this. Maelstrom's Clutches is Sakuraba through and though, but it sounds absolutely spectacular, and Silk Road in the Sky made quite the impact on me when I first heard it for how relaxing it was. I Do, Therefore I Am, despite being a fairly standard track, is pretty atmospheric and otherworldly in context as well, which makes it perfect.

- Speaking of Sakuraba...Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria. That's his magnum opus as far as I'm concerned. He's done a lot of good work with the Tales series but it all sounds very samey after a while, but he really upped the ante for this game. How Wicked Ruler and Unrestrained Struggle are two of my all-time favourite boss themes. Dancing Without Malice Or Mercy deserves a mention too.

- Also, Baten Kaitos. Similar vein to Valkyrie Profile and Star Ocean, yet with its own unique flavour that is distinctly not-Tales.

- Eternal Sonata for similar reasons. There isn't much to say about Sakuraba's style after a while as it's very distinct - when he composes, you KNOW it's him - but Eternal Sonata's classical motif made the music really fit. Also, Scrap and Build Ourselves. Chopin's music as a battle theme? Yes please.

- Echoing my support of the Souls series and Bloodborne. Absolute silence punctuated by ridiculously ovedramatic boss battle themes really packs a punch and makes for one hell of an experience that is pretty much constantly tense. The third game more than the first I would say, but even so. Let's all pretend the second game doesn't exist. There's nothing worth talking about there anyway as far as I'm concerned...even the music seemed subdued and wanting.

- ...and Xenoblade Chronicles. Part of the joy of this game - which is also my favourite game of all time - was how spectacular the soundtrack was. I actually dragged the final battle out just so I could listen to The God Slaying Sword and win right as the chorus reached its peak. Unique themes for day and night really set the stage, and whilst I am sick to death of You Will Know Our Names - which was never that good to begin with, people! - I will never tire of One Who Gets In Our Way. Satorl Marsh's night theme is also one of my favourite tracks of all time outside of NieR's soundtrack. I SUPPOSE the second game, awful as it is, has some memorable tracks, but they're fewer and far between. Spirit Crucible Elpys was beautiful and relaxing - despite that being an EXTREMELY stressful part of the game - and Tantal's day theme is spectacular. A lot of it felt derivative from the first game, but it had its moments.

- I hate Tales of Zestiria, but the four temple themes - Competing with the Honour of the Land, Fight Between The Wind And The Blinking Sky, Melody Of Water Is The Guide In Spiritual Mist (this one especially, that piano!), and Flaming Bonds Are Being Tested - are amongst the best the Tales series has ever offered. Go Shiina's involvement in the soundtrack for this game paid back in spades, because despite how awful this game is, it definitely provides a suitable atmosphere.

- Despite being derived almost entirely from ALTTP, I think A Link Between Worlds deserves a mention for how good some of its music was. I love Yuga's theme for how ridiculously camp and melodramatic is - much like its subject matter - and Lorule Castle is one of the best final dungeon themes of any video game, ever. It builds up and up the more of the dungeon you do until the end its a full blown orchestra and choir, and I loved that sense of progression. Outside of Atelier Meruru's map theme (which also got more complex the more you developed the kingdom) I've never heard anything quite like it.

- Hyrule Warriors surprised me as well, for its rock/metal remixes of classic Zelda themes being as good as they were. It also added its own unique tracks - Remnant of Twilight is my personal favourite, it's delightfully ominous and always my music of choice whenever I'm not using Molgera's battle theme - that didn't feel as though they'd come from a different series. As a series Warriors is often heavy handed with its music, and I was delighted that that wasn't the case with this. God knows Fire Emblem Warriors could have been shown a lot more love and care in the music department...

- My inner child is screaming at me to mention the classic Sonic games...so, from the first to the third. Music of my childhood that I still love and think is amongst the best general stage-based music video game has to offer...except for those bloody Casino Zone themes. Sonic 2 stands out in the music department, but there's nothing quite like Green Hill Zone, even after all these years. EVERYONE knows Green Hill Zone. For good reason.
...also, Infinite's theme from Sonic Forces. It's so edgy I cut my finger just listening to it. Then I listened to Little V's cover of it. It's a miracle they managed to stitch me back together after that. I could feel myself de-aging back to a sixteen year old...which was around the time Shadow the Hedgehog was released, with that awful Crush 40 song. God almighty. Moving on.

- Ace Attorney as a series has some fantastic music, too. I'm especially fond of Lordly Tailor Department Store for some reason...and Phoenix's ringtone. I didn't play Phoenix Wright until last year, so I was delighted by how...old school it all was? I think it's the soundfont, but this music is an absolute delight for how obscenely dramatic it gets at times.

...there are more, but I'm hungry. I'll come back to this thread. Maybe.

 

I just remembered, the music from the game Crypt of the Necrodancer is really good as well. Unlike typical video game music, each track is composed like an actual song, without the looping, and the upbeat rock style music is very engaging to listen to.

 

I forgot to mention Bayonetta 2. That was careless of me. From the moment it opens with The Legend of Aesir - which gave me chills, much the same way One of a Kind did in the original game - it delivers some of the most ridiculously overdramatic boss battles themes in recent years. It makes the Souls' boss battles sound positively tame by comparison...although that might be because the game itself is significantly faster paced. But that same use of choir alongside orchestra for dramatic effect creates a similarly spectacular atmosphere that really pulls you into the fight.

But given that you're fighting demons as well as angels in this one - and there are more than five or six boss battles, as it's quite a bit longer than the original - there is a lot more variety in rhythm and tone for the accompanying music, which is much appreciated.

Insidious - Consumer of All is one of my personal favourites, as it's perfect for an underwater boss battle...with a giant glowing demon manta ray thing that fires off lasers like it's a schmup or something. Gomorrah - Devourer of the Divine is pretty damn terrifying, too. On the lighter side of things there are tracks like Valor - In Courage and Gallantry, and Glamor - In Charm and Allure. You definitely know what kind of creature you're fighting by the music that plays...if you can spare the time to listen, anyway. God knows you can't on Infinite Climax, unless you have the reaction speed of a ninja...

Whilst a lot of the music from it is also used in Bayonetta 2, the original Bayonetta has some standout tracks as well. You May Call Me Father may just be the best use of piano in any video game ever. The Greatest Jubilee is a pretty fantastic final boss theme. The individual boss themes of Fortitudo, Sapientia, Iustitia and Temperantia are also amazing.

Also, these games made me like Fly me the Moon and Moon River. That's nothing short of miraculous.

 

I think Jet Set Radio Future had a pretty epic soundtrack! The funky techno, pop, and electro really set the tone for the entire game. It had such a fun OST.

 

For me I have several. NieR: Automata. I've never played this game, but I love its musics. These songs have made entire scenes and ideas for me and my writing and are the soul of the newest book I'm writing. I've listen to most all the songs in this track as each give a new scene and are beautiful to listen to.

Xenoblade Chronicles X. While I don't love every track in this mix like in NieR, The few that I love are amazing. I'm always so excited when I go into battle just to listen to the music. I've listened to Xenoblade chronicles' fight songs and I have to say that they have one really good one, but Xenoblade Chronicles X has five amazing battle themes each unique in their own way.

Undertale. I like eight bit music, but undertale take eight bit music to the extreme. All the music in this game is a joy to listen to and those that aren't are just for the memes.

 

@Dawn Thanks for explaining the perfection of NieR's OST. I've only played Automata, but you nailed it down. Especially good for me was how non-distracting the vocals were (I think only Become As Gods and the end credits had real-language-words in them), and how fluidly the fade-between on zones of soundtrack would be. I need to disagree with you on the amusement park though: it is perfect for the zone, but I got tired of hearing that soundtrack and the homebase soundtrack too much over time. Excellent, but they wore on me.

Cuphead, as mentioned above, was a soundtrack made with love. The only thing it was missing was individual uniqueness about the music. You can ask me to hum the soundtrack of any Mega Man X series game level, and I can probably do it easy. Not with Cuphhead though. Everything was so consistent that nothing stood out. It was great all around though, despite that.

Donkey Kong Country, especially 2, was beautiful and iconic and perfect in every way. I think the only track of that entire OST I don't like is the amusement park levels, for some reason (maybe I dislike amusement parks). I could listen to that series OST on loop for a few days and not get bored, I won't lie.

 

The two that I immediately think of is Fire Emblem (Just about any of them) and Ace Combat 6.

All of the fire emblem games that I've played had beautiful music that sort of got you into the moment, imo

Ace Combat 6 had basically the same thing but their music was more of what I like, slow, beautiful, yet somehow fit the dogfighting type combat that was happening.

 

1. A Hat in Time. The diversity of the music, along with all the different little gimmicks and leitmotifs... glorious.
2. Splatoon 2! I love the peppy, upbeat themes in there and all the different bands!
3. Minecraft. I love the ambience and how you don't notice it until you notice it, and then you can't un-notice it.
4. Earthbound. Just... Earthbound.
5. A little indie game called Tadpole Treble. The music actually plays an integral role in the game, with the notes being obstacles you have to avoid.