It’s 2022, and the gaming industry has become a hundred-billion-dollar market. From its humble beginnings with simple plots, games now have epic stories worthy of novels. The gameplays, cut scenes, and soundtracks have become so immersive that they can now be comparable to Hollywood blockbusters. (Playing is even better with your lightning-fast PLDT Home WiFi 6 connection, right?)
Discover some of the best gaming soundtracks to ever hit the scene!
Ever since home entertainment titan Sony entered the industry, gaming soundtracks have never been the same. The company used its audio technology to push the industry forward, prompting the evolution of soundtracks from cartoonish monotone beats to actual music with instruments and voices. Here are the most exciting gaming soundtracks that get you in the zone.
“Liberi Fatalli” from Final Fantasy VIII
When Square Enix released Final Fantasy VIII’s remastered version, fans of the 1999 classic once again heard this immortal opening theme. Arguably the most iconic song in the entire franchise, “Liberi Fatalli” translates roughly to mean “Fated Children,” and some may know it as Edea’s Theme (not to be confused with “Succession of Witches”).
Reminiscent of Carl Orff’s “O Fortuna,” this composition by Nobuo Uematsu is the first Final Fantasy theme to be recorded with a full orchestra and accompanied by an actual choir. Initially heard in the game’s opening sequence, it blew fans away in 1999 as it was also the first entry in the Final Fantasy franchise to feature realistic characters and environment.
“Dovahkiin Song” from Elder Scrolls V Skyrim
What song can better get you in the mood to hunt dragons, slay wraiths, and explore dungeons than Skyrim’s “Dovahkiin Song”? The theme captures the game’s ancient Scandinavian tone with its marching tune, powerful vocals, and thunderous drums. The Dovahkiin song is sure to invoke the Dragonborn sleeping inside every adventurer!
“Unity” from StarCraft II Legacy of the Void
Visuals are important in creating a compelling video game trailer, but the music that plays in the background is just as important. This was exactly when fans got when the trailer for Legacy of the Void first came out. Fans were ecstatic to watch a small group of Protoss Zealots dish it out against a swarm of Zergs, and the song evokes the spirit of fighting back against a seemingly unbeatable threat. Don’t forget to say the magic words “Power Overwhelming!”
“Halo 2 Theme Song” from Halo 2
It starts slow, almost Gregorian chant-ish, then you hear electric guitar grunge, which pushes to exciting riffs and heart-stomping marching tunes. Halo 2’s theme songs give the impression of a medieval sword and mage’s story set in space. As players shoot their way through scores of aliens, the theme captures the astounding sense of victory as the music crescendos to an explosive climax.
“Metal Gear Solid Alert Theme” from Metal Gear Solid
Ironically, the game’s iconic theme songs play during its most stressful moments. Whenever the main character Snake gets spotted, you hear a sudden high-pitched sound effect that confirms you’ve been discovered. After which, the game enters the alert phase then the alert theme begins to play. The game’s objective is to remain hidden, and it has ways of forcing you to hide instead of fighting openly. Sometimes, however, this is easier said than done—especially when thrilling music plays as you try to look for a spot where enemy soldiers can’t see you. Metal Gear Solid may not be a survival horror game, but it’s not for the faint heart.
“Nate’s Theme” from The Uncharted Series
Do you ever wonder what it feels like to play Indiana Jones? If yes, then Uncharted is a must-try for you. Players take control of professional treasure hunter Nathan “Nate” Drake as he traverses treacherous jungles, battle thugs, avoid traps, and solve puzzles in search of a massive booty—and “Nate’s Theme” perfectly matches the spirit of adventure and triumph with its upbeat tune, dreamy violins, and jungle drums.
“Journey Main Theme” from Journey
The Journey is definitely the most unique game on this list. There are no words, no dialogues, hostilities are limited, and it has no combat system. It’s an open-world adventure game that involves an unnamed robed figure traveling through a vast world towards a distant mountain. The theme does not evoke excitement, adventure, or dread—it’s a calm and somewhat somber tone that perfectly accompanies the massive barren wasteland that players must traverse to achieve their goals.
“God of War Theme” from God of War IV
Nothing spells epic other than God of War and hereby warrants a soundtrack as epic as the game itself. The “God of War Theme” is composed by veteran Hollywood composer Bear McCreary who also did the soundtracks for various films and TV shows like Agents of Shield, Battlestar Galactica, Outlander, The Walking Dead, and Godzilla: King of the Monsters. McCreary decided that the music should embody the game’s themes and the main character Kratos himself, which explains the overbearing tones played throughout its runtime.