TUNIC, FEZ, Nier Automata, Outer Wilds.
I also have a soft spot for Paper Mario and TTYD, those soundtracks are full of bops
From video gaming to card games and stuff in between, if it's gaming you can probably discuss it here!
Please Note: Gaming memes are permitted to be posted on Meme Mondays, but will otherwise be removed in an effort to allow other discussions to take place.
See also Gaming's sister community Tabletop Gaming.
This community's icon was made by Aaron Schneider, under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
TUNIC, FEZ, Nier Automata, Outer Wilds.
I also have a soft spot for Paper Mario and TTYD, those soundtracks are full of bops
Outer Wilds is my number 1 all time fave OST. It makes me feel things.
Ori and the Blind Forest's ost is phenomenal.
I think all of the Supergiant Games have great soundtrack. Transistor was what got me into their games, and it was the soundtrack that caught my attention first.
Outer Wilds. Yeah it's one of the greatest games ever made, but would it be so good without that soundtrack? Debatable.
I petitioned to play something from it at my actual wedding (sadly was overruled), and I know I'm not the only one.
Hollow Knight
Omori
Doom 2016 and eternal
Mario odyssey
Terraria
Resident evil 4
Deathloop
Bloodborne
Nier Automata
Spectre tourment
Crypt of the necrodancer
Amnesia a machine for pigs
Metroid prime
Persona 5
Guilty gear strive
Undertale
Cuphead
These are all of my favorites personally. Omori or hollow knight being the best.
Indie games in general have great OSTs, MGS:R and Persona (and SMT in general) are obvious popular picks.
The World Ends With You is less mainstream (with one of the few gripes being the lack of boss-specific themes, at least in the DS original I played - but it makes up with the diverse overworld and normal battle themes), as is Etrian Odyssey.
All the soundtracks Darren Korb makes for Supergiant. Hades resonates more with me as it's the one I've played the most, but I'm also a huge fan of Transistor's.
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy 6 (the opera aria was played at my wedding)
Castlevania 3, specifically the six channel Famicom version
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
I'm old, if you couldn't tell
For focused work:
Other:
I like OST that goes hard (bass heavy) and I didn't see any here. My personal favorites are:
I have probably forgotten some games and I will be happy to discover others as it is quite niche.
Both the Nier games have amazing soundtracks that I listen to frequently.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is also great although I don't really listen to it on its own. It really makes the game feel much more impactful while playing.
Donkey Kong Country 2
I like epic, intense soundtracks so, Darkest Dungeon and Frostpunk. Monster Train is pretty good too.
The Nier Automata OST is perfection. Almost every single track is memorable and lovable, I often relisten the whole ost just for fun
Zelda: Twilight Princess is probably my all time favorite. Midna's theme is so delightfully haunting in its several variations.
Doom 2016 on some days, Pillars of Eternity on others
Bastion and Hades have just cool soundtracks you can listen to anytime. When pure adrenaline is needed the DOOM soundtrack.
While there's no correct answer here, I think the most widely beloved OSTs of all time probably belong to the Final Fantasy, Donkey Kong, Legend of Zelda, and Super Mario IPs.
Undertale is my #1. Bully is my #2.
Endless Space 2. The best OST I have ever come across in 20+ years of gaming. Several hundred hours in and I'm still not sick of any of the tracks.
Oh gosh where do I even start. I have a massive list of VGM soundtracks that I listen to but if I had to pick some favs currently:
I really vibe with Minecraft. The nostalgia just hits different when I listen to it.
Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal have amazing soundtracks!
Mass Effect 3 OST has seen it's fair share of play time as well though that might be just as much because I love the game so much.
Oh! Cyberpunk 2077 is amazing as well. Especially the songs from the radio stations in the game.
All-timer has to go to Chrono Trigger. Absolutely incredible soundtrack from start to finish.
There are so many good OSTs and often it's the combination of the memory of the game szene and the song, but trying to separate those two I still love Hollow Knight, Nier automata and the new Zelda tears of the kingdom. Also Hades and some diablo songs really slap.
I've been listening to some choice tracks from Final Fantasy XIV, mostly from the big epic finales. I probably should be excited for XVI, but I just reaaally don't trust the action JRPG setup.
However, an even better soundtrack to me is Ori and the Blind Forest, as you mentioned - it has some epic bangers to it, but it's also an incredible soundtrack even for the calm, peaceful tracks playing while exploring.
Credit to Nier Automata for what it's worth...there's some tracks I really like in there on their own, but...I honestly feel like those really good tracks just don't often fit the gameplay. They have some hard-hitting vocal tracks playing while 2B is wandering the city or standing around, and it really warps the feel of the pacing. I mention it because it's just an interesting example to me of "good music" not actually fitting as a soundtrack.
Outer wilds Subnautica Subnautica Below zero FTL and into the breach are some of my favorites personally
Halo 1-3 and probably reach too. There is just something about those strings that hit differently. The music perfectly portrays the feeling of loneliness and being the "last" spartan trying your best to save the human race from extinction.
Disasterpeace is an AMAZING composer and has done some stellar work in both video games and film as well. Here's a couple of my favorites from video games:
Please check out some of his other work here: http://disasterpeace.com/music
OST's are my JAM!
Ori is a classic. - It's equal parts haunting and jubilant. Death Stranding - Don't be so serious. Every song is a masterpiece. Overwatch - It's just good fun Witcher 3 - hey lele lelele lele lele ley! Cyberpunk - Dark, broody, and invigorating Divinity Original Sin 1 and 2 - Absolute fantasy. If you want a VGM OST to plan your d&d session to, this is a great option Red Dead Redemption 2 - Maybe it's partly because Arthur Morgan's story is so incredible but this soundtrack gives me the shivers. "May I stand unshaken... Amid, amidst a crash of the world?" omggg give it to me D'Angelo
There's tons more I'm missing here. But these ones stand out to me.
I would say Factorio, the music fits both the atmosphere of an alien planet and a gigantic factory polluting the landscape
Just in case some of you don't know...
https://downloads.khinsider.com/
It is a website with gamerips of soundtracks. There are ways to download albums without making accounts, so don't go signing up for this.
Enjoy!
Literally any Final Fantasy for me. Nobuo Uematsu is just an incredible composer.
Dragon Quest series too, although Koichi Sugiyama was a…not great person.
Monkey Island 2 holds a special place for me because it introduced iMUSE and dynamically altering the music with the environment which was years ahead of its time.
I love Amplitude Studios soundtracks (Endless Legend, Endless Space 1&2, Humankind). They're great background music while thinking about stuff (like at work). Though maybe I just got Pavlov'd into thinking that since they're strategy games 😅
Also, Persona 4! The soundtrack is so nostalgic and reminds me of my childhood somehow.
Pyre's both my favorite game and has my favorite OST. The tracks are layered in a way that they can change on the fly - and the instruments of certain characters kick in during the magical superbowl theme in really satisfying ways. Here's a couple examples:
The Dissidents' theme: Thrash Pack
Final showdown theme versus Dissidents: Never to Return
The Essence's theme: Sky Dance
Final Showdown theme versus Essence: Never to Return
Favorite tracks gotta be Path to Glory, though.
Necrodancer soundtrack is criminally good.
Shadow of the Colossus by Kow Otani
Freedom Fighters by Jesper Kyd
Outer Wilds Journey Flower Abzu Shadow of the Colossus The last Guardian Mass effect Metal Gear Solid Undertale Thomas Was Alone What Remains of Edith Finch Dear Esther Firewatch No Man's Sky Death Stranding
I really like video game soundtracks :)
Probably showing my age with this, but Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
Stellaris, Crypt of the Necrodancer, FTL, Invisible Inc, and basically any Supergiant game
Can't believe noone has mentioned Doom 2016, one of my favorites!
Outer Wilds is great. Have so many songs on my list of favourites!