Soundtrack Club May Submissions

This one for sure! Used to listen to it a ton on long car rides.

lc

So good! Great choice.

Varun Kachhwaha

i see that people have already mentioned FF15, but i wanna reinforce that thought, the game is obviously not perfect, but the music is insane. I could listen to Veiled in Black forever, in fact i kinda already put it on repeat often on games which music that i don't enjoy as much during combat. Then you get hit by some very chill songs like 'Safe Haven' or some very good vibes like 'A quick pit stop' and Cindy's theme. But to me the best song that is so good i think it could be easily be a immortal classic is 'Valse di Fantastica'. This song by itself, while EXTREMELY underutilized in the game, makes me come to a full pause in my day to just listen to it while having chills. Its the best thing i ever heard in my life coming out of a video game that does not have to me, any relation to a in game moment. Let me explain what i mean by that with a example: the song 'Thank you/Reset' in okami makes me cry every single time due to when it happens in the game, and its probably my favorite song ever in a game thanks to that, but it is mostly because of me knowing when the song happens. 'Valse di fantastica' has none of that and is still completely incredible to me.

AshesOfAranea

If 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim hasn't been nominated yet, I'd give that a nomination. It's one of the coolest Hitoshi Sakimoto x Basiscape soundtracks to date. "Isoleucine" and "Phenylalanine" are fantastic battle themes, "Self Sacrifice" is so emotionally rich, and "Brat Overflow" is an awesome theme that wears its GiTS Yoko Kanno / Gabriela Robin inspiration on its sleeve. It's not streaming anywhere as far as I can tell, but I think you can find it on digital storefronts at least.

lc

Everybody's Gone to the Rapture Honestly, without this score, I'm not sure I would have enjoyed playing this game. I would go as far as to say that the whole game is a just a vehicle for it. I can just listen to this whatever my mood, it's a balm for the soul. Just puts me to ease. The whole album just carries this beautiful flow from track to track. The Mourning Tree is a personal favourite. Just wonderful, Jessica Curry take a bow, because I honestly believe this is as close to perfection as you can get.

Varun Kachhwaha

Journey I'm surprised no one has said this yet. It's a phenomenal soundtrack, one that really defines the game. Beautiful work by Austin Wintory, something that stands on it's own, and really adds an extra something to the game. I'm just not eloquent enough to express how beautiful this soundtrack is. How important it is to gaming as a whole. Of course the title track Nascence is what comes to mind when thinking of the game.

Varun Kachhwaha

also highly recommend track 13 :)

Alex_AI

Hi Bloodworth and Brad, Once again I just want to add my thanks for doing this, I love that the Allies are branching out into some musical content, because it's obvious when watching you guys talk about certain soundtracks, or music in general that it is something that excites all of you, I love to see it. For my suggestion, I'd like to throw Super Castlevania IV out there. It's OST ranges From typical but best in class Medieval fare, to full on Gothic horror epics tied together with modern rock style drums, the arrangements and orchestration on that soundtrack really pushed the SNES to it's limits, and stands up to this day as one of the reasons Konami's Kukeiha Club were the best in the biz at the time. Super Metroid with it's little 3 note tri-tone opening, and Castlevania starting with a haunting dirge on the title screen are two of the greatest openings in all of gaming, and it's entirely because of the composers. In terms of availability I can see the OST listed on some European sites for like £35, so hopefully it's readily available somewhere that's handy for the USA as well! (There's a youtube playlist as well if that's allowed) Anyway, excited for the next episode no matter what you guys choose, and absolutely cannot wait to hear you talk about Mitsuda & Uematsu's seminal job on Chrono Trigger!

Ciaran Lyttle

Daniel Deluxe did an amazing job with GhostRunner and i know brad enjoyed the game. I always enjoy soundtracks that really keep to the pace of the game. I think it perfectly blends in the chaotic fast combat and the platforming that makes you forget about the restarts.

Teph

Here is a playlist of the OST on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD35AB82C130CE57B

John McCullough

As if for where to get the soundtrack, It is available in itunes https://music.apple.com/us/album/subarashiki-konosekai-the-world-ends-with-you/285863053 Or you can listen to the tracks on youtube here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL23F4F091CE9ABB26

César Villa

Hi blood, since you asked for suggestions that can be easily acquired. I present to you the the Etrian Odyssey 4 Soundtrack which should be available on amazon. The Etrian games follow a specific formula of dungeon crawling. You usually create your own party and fight your way through the different environments in a labyrinth therefore the Soundtrack mostly consists of ambient menu and dungeon themes and a handful of battle themes but with etrian 4 we also got overworld map themes, as you get to explore certain areas via airship. Each etrian starts usually with a green and lush first dungeon for you to explore. As it is just the beginning it is nice to have a relaxing track to ease you in, which etrian 4 nails with track number 4 „Labyrinth I – Lushwood woodlands“ . What do you imagine when hearing this track? Looking for a jolly town theme? How about track number 8? Now to something i often enjoy with JRPG Soundtracks. Each etrian title gives you a new battle theme once you reach the second half of the Labyrinths. I personally love the surprise of suddenly getting a new standard battle theme and in etrian 4 the second one (track 22) was a huge improvement upon the first (track 5) which did not stand out as much to me. I remember pausing a lot just to listen to it. What makes this particular soundtrack special for me, is the fact that it is the first 3ds etrian game which gave it a huge increase in overall depth and quality of music. Don't get me wrong i also enjoy the previous games 16 bit tunes but it left you wonder occasionally what it could potentially sound like. To get an idea of what i mean: the track „Tumult - Crest of a Violent Wave“ from the etrian 3 soundtrack was rearranged as „Tumult - Beyond the Scorching Heat“ in this album and perfected even more on the etrian 5 soundtrack. In all fairness i could probably go on and on about this one and instead i shall let you discover it on your own and would love to hear everyone's thoughts on this one :) L&R Alex PS: fingers crossed for a new etrian on switch :)

Alex_AI

For my suggestion, I want to submit a bit of a hidden gem of a soundtrack from Monster Boy & The Cursed Kingdom. It feels like a modernised version of a Wonder Boy soundtrack with classical and rock elements combined. It also has nice call backs with having chiptune versions of some of the tracks as well. There isn't an album to purchase for some reason, however you can find a Youtube playlist for the game's soundtrack to listen to.

Anthony Stevens

I listened to the Nier Replicant soundtrack today and have to say, this is one of the only soundtracks I've listened to and plan to keep, where I haven't played the game/don't personally intend to due to backlog and other upcoming games. It hits the same feels with different emotions as Ori & The Will Of The Wisps did, even though I don't have the context for the songs. Stand out tracks include: Fleeting Words / Outsider: Assume it's a boss fight, but it's very dramatic and has a big sense of urgency with the choir adding to the melody produced by the strings. His Dream / This Dream: Both have the same effect of having a relaxing vibe to them, like bringing back good memories. The Lost Forest: The melody from the guitar makes it feel like a mythical journey being taken alongside the tribal sounding drum and chants in the background.

Anthony Stevens

Chrono Trigger, now you are talking. I never played the game in its prime. I didn't like rpgs growing up, but when I got older and after playing the NES & SNES Final Fantasy games and just hearing from a lot of people how great it was I decided I'd give it a try; convinced it couldn't live up to expectations. It did, and the music was a crucial part of it. I could talk hours and hours about this but I'll stick to 4 themes. The battle theme.- The first time that bass and drums started playing, I just thought "oh yeah; it's on, monsters!" It builds up perfectly with the keyboard joining after a few beats. Ruined World.- This one is weird, because is not one that I like to listen stand alone, but the moment it started playing on the game, is when I thought "wow, this game does live up to expectations". The desolation it conveys matches perfectly the state of the future in which everything is ruined... hence the name. Chrono Trigger.- Of course the track named after the game and protagonist kicks ass. That drum march beat starts with that thunderous sounds that can make one stand to anything with bravery... something definitely needed to fight the final boss of the game Honorable mentions: There are quite a few tracks that have that melancholic feel that can bring one to tears: Memories of Green, Wind Scene, Secret of the Forest. And my favorite.- Corridors of time. My God what a tune. again playing on the build up, I can hardly believe the SNES was capable of producing those sounds. The percussions, and keyboard make this atmosphere that I can only call heavenly. If I believed in the afterlife; I would ask for this song to be played at my funeral as my soul transcends this world, but since I don't; I just play it again and again when I feel blue for something and it always find comfort in it. Now as for suggestion, since Brad is in the panel, what better opportunity to bring up "The World Ends With You". I consider the score of that game quite unique, because it relies in both instrumental tracks and voiced songs; and they work perfectly to set up the atmosphere of Shibuya, the reaper game and everything around you. That sounds track has been part of my library for almost 15 years now, and I can't and won't get tired of it. The battle themes "Long Dream", "Hybrid", "Ooparts", "Someday", all bring something to the every battle; but my personal favorites are "Transformation" & the "No name (Secret Track)" also know as "Emptiness and..." just take the cake from the intro with those power cords that just scream "This is gonna be good". Same can be said about the different the overworld themes like the melancholic "Amnesia" or "Shibuya" or the more upbeat "underground" & "calling" (which has been my ringtone for calls for 10 years now; come on, it's appropriate when the first lyrics are "someone is calling"). This was way longer that I wanted, but really, I could keep writing about this all day. Estamos en contact, César.

César Villa

Good day! I suggest Donkey Kong '94 on Gameboy

Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, it's on youtube, not sure if anywhere else though...

Monika

I would like to suggest Final Fantasy X & Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike.

Joshua Turner

This is a bit of cheating, because it contains music from multiple games, but soundtrack of <b>Command & Conquer Remastered Collection</b> is probably the best part of this remaster. If you need an elevator pitch, I have two words for you: Hell March. The best part of this remaster (which is on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate) is that it has music player, so you don’t need to buy soundtrack to listen to its music.

Alexander Zyryanov

Ghostrunner

SuperSushiii

Final Fantasy VII Remake. I know this has already been submitted but it's so good it'll have to be talked about anyway, and it's a great topic for Brad! Plus, you already have two Square games in there, may as well make it a Square month! As for why... It's just such a incredible soundtrack, not only because the music is fantastic but also because of how it was implemented. To take the classic FFVII tracks and remake them just as good, add new alternate versions of a lot of tracks that change depending on if you're in combat or with the stages of a boss and to have it all flow so well without ever feeling like it's abruptly changing or getting cut off is no small feat. And on top of that, the way they use music to tie in to the story and give you hints is great as well. I think the whole thing was put on spotify so it shouldn't be hard to find.

Erik

Mirror's Edge: Catalyst. This soundtrack is a masterclass in establishing a mood, then building it until it explodes, then getting to hear the sounds of the smoke clearing over tracks that are 15 minute symphonies of sound. I'm still amazed that it's only $10 on iTunes, since the album is just over 5 hours in length. I can't recommend it enough. Please, please give it a listen.

Patton Werner

Persona 5

Sage_Mode_Q

Would have loved to hear Ben gush about Persona 5 but If I had to choose any other ally to give there thoughts it be Brad or Huber!

Sage_Mode_Q

Google Doc list was a great call, Blood, thanks! As for mine this month (in addition to my previous month's), I'm suggesting Beyond Good & Evil!

John McCullough

That is a GOOD one.

John McCullough

Thanks so much for including the Google doc! I'll always want to give a new suggestion every time, and this really helps to make sure I don't provide repeats from other Patrons as well. Taking your feedback from last time into account, a soundtrack I think isn't talked about enough that the Allies may not have given much listen time to (but I still believe is implemented well): Dishonored 2 Very somber and subtle in tone, most of the tracks, to me, lean on great use of strings to provide a unique identity and atmosphere for Karnaca, be it tranquil while your exploring, eavesdropping on NPCs and looting everything you come across, or a sense of dreadful tension in some of the darker areas and combat. It's easy for me to be playing in a level for an extended period of time and realize the music has me subconsciously hunching my shoulders slightly as I try to avoid detection. And a special shoutout to a couple of musicians you can find at three separate points in the game so long as you maintain good relations with the Howler gang AND haven't robbed any of the Black Markets, If you listen to all three of their unique performances in their entirety, you get a trophy/achievement.

Brandon K Gann

I would love to hear y'alls take on Jet Set Radio or Jet Set Radio Future.

Madison Graham

My suggestions is the OST for Mad Rat Dead. It's a fantastic OST based around electroswing. It's different from a lot of games out there as the music is essential to gameplay and the driving force behind movement in the level (as you can only move well when you're on the beat). I thoroughly enjoyed it and rather than just being about ambiance or driving battles forward it's really the beating heart and soul of the game. I can't say enough good things about it! Even if it's not chosen give it a listen, I think it'll worm it's way into your brain!

Tzp2gameknight

Going off of Happy Gaming, I would love to hear a talk about Hades’ soundtrack! And just for the person who’s here this time, Kingdom Hearts II.

Joey Bruno

I want to nominate FFXV. I understand the game is by no means perfect, but the music was so emotionally affecting to me and really helped convey powerful themes of tranquility (safe haven), meloncholoy (somnus) and grandeur (Valse di Fantastica). The music has stuck with me long after I finished the game!

Brandon Ray

I just want to showdout the Wingspan soundtrack this month! Gently pastoral bucolic vibes are a perfect fit for a strategy board game about collecting Birbs! Need to relax or reflect? WINGSPAN.

PanaMuse

Would love to hear Brad talk FFVII original soundtrack.

TravelingSnowman

Since Square Enix seems to the theme this month, I'm going to throw in Bravely Default. One of the best things to come out of the announcement of Bravely Default 2 was the fact that REVO was coming back to do the music. The entire soundtrack is wall-to-wall bangers but special mention to the The Serpent Eating the Ground, the final battle theme, and the way it builds and gathers each character's theme towards victory.

Asbo Zappruder

Just putting a post here to come back to in order to add recommendations. I want to cross reference some stuff against what was already on your list to avoid repeats. Thanks for putting the Doc together! It’s a very big help.

Happy Gaming

Smash bros would be a great one! I watched a youtube video of all the Smash Intro themes, and they're all bangers!! I was, however, disappointed in the comments unanimously deciding the N64 theme was the worst.. I'm not sure if it's nostalgia, but I think that's one of the most innovative and stylish ones! It's like Flying Lotus with it's light speed futuristic grooves!!

St0mpz

Been listening to a lot of Darren Korb lately. His style always mixes traditional, sometimes older instruments with a more synthetic and electronic vibe that’s so unique. I think Bastion is definitely one of my favorites of his work

Happy Gaming

FF7 Remake pleeeeeeeasse

Andrew Gaunt