Best original video game soundtrack of all time.

I want to hear what all you think is the best video game soundtrack of all time. I don't want a licensed music soundtrack, but a soundtrack with nothing but original content. Please try not to list a whole series, because then 90% of the posts will have Halo and Final Fantasy in them. Also, for the sake of discussion, try to explain a bit why you think it is the best.

I don't have just one best, but I do have mulitple ones I could argue for.

Halo ODST

While I think every Halo game has fantastic music, ODST's music is by far the best. It has such a unique tone to it when compared to the rest of the series but it still sounds like Halo. The combination of sparse orchestral, electronica, and jazz makes it one of the most unique soundtracks I've ever heard. Very few game's soundtracks add so much to the gaming experience as well as can stand alone as orchestral pieces.

Battlefield 1942

It's really only one peice of music, but it's damn iconic and fits the series perfectly. I also really dig how it has been translated into every single Battlefield game. Some of them going for a louder, more booming orchestral score and others picking a more rock variation of it. Excellent music.

Though while I believe these are some of the best (among others I won't list), I believe that the single best soundtrack in any video game ever was in 1999's Homeworld on the PC.

If you haven't heard it, I'll just leave you with one peice of music to give you a taste of what to expect.

Homeworld Soundtrack

The soundtrack is almost impossible to describe. So I won't bother.

Chrono Cross. Bar none.

Composed by Yasunori Mitsuda, with such amazing tracks as:

On the Beach of Dreams
Scars of Time
The Girl Who Stole the Stars

I mean, the music speaks for itself. Chrono Cross might not be loved by the Chrono series fandom much, but even they have to admit Mitsuda went above and beyond with this OST.

I hate to be a nostalgia freak but Ocarina of Time.

That's hard. Halo 2 is definitely up there.

Hm... there is so much great music in games...

I would say these are my top 3.

Ocarina of Time Gerudo Valley (about halfway done learning this on guitar.)

Radiant Historia An Earnest Desire of Grey (Yes, all the themes have such an awesome title.)

Silent Hill Shattered Memories. Hell Frozen Rain (The atmospheric music is incredible as well)

There is so much awesome music, I feel bad narrowing it down to those three... but they are standouts.

NIER.

Honorable mentions to the Halo series, Ocarina of Time and Blazblue.

Streets of Rage 2

Though I enjoyed FF7 and Halo 2's OST was awesome as well

It is a toss-up between Super Meat Boy and Bastion. Please, please check these soundtracks out, you won't be dissapointed. +25 points for the best soundtracks of this generation.

SMB - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_lGyV9JIVI

Bastion - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDflVhOpS4E

It is a toss-up between Super Meat Boy and Bastion. Please, please check these soundtracks out, you won't be dissapointed. +25 points for the best soundtracks of this generation.

Frostbite24

Oh yeah, Bastion. INCREDIBLE.

-Red Alert 2

-MechWarrior 4: Vengeance

-Halo 3

World of Warcraft

Halo series

Zelda OoT and TP

[QUOTE="Frostbite24"]

It is a toss-up between Super Meat Boy and Bastion. Please, please check these soundtracks out, you won't be dissapointed. +25 points for the best soundtracks of this generation.

waltefmoney

Oh yeah, Bastion. INCREDIBLE.

Oh crap I forgot about Bastion...

Man, how could I be so stupid. I have it right here on my iPod.

This is not even close for me;

1 - Deus Ex (dated now I suppose but still amazing) - Gives me goosebumps when I hear it, even now 12 years later.

Human Revolution's soundtrack was also pretty exceptional.

Streets of Rage 2 is a good one, whoever mentioned that, I remember thinking its soundtrack was amazing when I played it back in the 90's.

I've recently finished Crysis 2, and this got stuck in my head, so that's what I'm gonna say :P

The Witcher series, TES series, DA series, BioShock, AC, Portal, WoW, MGS, and Silent Hill also deserve a mention. If I didn't says Crysis I would have said this.

[QUOTE="waltefmoney"]

[QUOTE="Frostbite24"]

It is a toss-up between Super Meat Boy and Bastion. Please, please check these soundtracks out, you won't be dissapointed. +25 points for the best soundtracks of this generation.

Wasdie

Oh yeah, Bastion. INCREDIBLE.

Oh crap I forgot about Bastion...

Man, how could I be so stupid. I have it right here on my iPod.

The only two I've played (in recent memory) and actually took notice of the music were God of War 3 and World of Warcraft (all expansions, but especially TBC)

I still listen to this soundtrack more than any other game. The music fits the game and levels so well that when I hear a song I instantly know what level it is.

If you don't know the songs: Havealisten

Thunder Force IV

Thunder Force III

Streets of Rage I

Castlevania IV

I can name a ton more from which i think the OST is GOAT, but i don't got a fresh memory atm.

TC got it right.

I had Homeworld in mind entereing this thread.

Some other greats are Mass Effect 1 and The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

I've recently finished Crysis 2, and this got stuck in my head, so that's what I'm gonna say :P

svenus97

Great song, it's the single best thing about Crysis 2

[QUOTE="svenus97"]

I've recently finished Crysis 2, and this got stuck in my head, so that's what I'm gonna say :P

R4gn4r0k

Great song, it's the single best thing about Crysis 2

Mass Effect

Assassin's Creed

Crappy games but excellent music

Also

Skyrim

Uncharted 2

Limbo

Nier

Lost Odyssey

The Mass Effect games.

It is a toss-up between Super Meat Boy and Bastion. Please, please check these soundtracks out, you won't be dissapointed. +25 points for the best soundtracks of this generation.

SMB - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_lGyV9JIVI

Bastion - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDflVhOpS4E

Frostbite24

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0mQk7JEVq4

Halo, nuff' said.

TC got it right.

I had Homeworld in mind entereing this thread.

Some other greats are Mass Effect 1 and The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

with_teeth26

To The Moon

Oh, one of these threads. My favorite is probably Sonic 3 & Knuckles, but these are some of my top tunes:

Thunder Force IV - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Thunder Force III - 1, 2, 3
M.U.S.H.A - 1, 2, 3
Herzog Zwei - 1, 2
Shinobi III - 1
Batman (Genesis) - 1, 2
Sonic 1 - 1, 2, 3
Sonic 2 - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Sonic 3 & Knuckles - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Sonic CD - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Streets of Rage - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Streets of Rage 2 - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Streets of Rage 3 - 1, 2
Virtual on Cyber Troopers - 1, 2, 3
Sonic 3D Blast (Saturn) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Sonic Colors - 1, 2. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Sonic Generations - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Virtua Fighter 2 - 1, 2
NiGHTS INTO DREAMS - 1 ,2
Metroid Prime - 1, 2, 3, 4
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes - 1, 2, 3

[QUOTE="R4gn4r0k"]

[QUOTE="svenus97"]

I've recently finished Crysis 2, and this got stuck in my head, so that's what I'm gonna say :P

svenus97

Great song, it's the single best thing about Crysis 2

It's certainly not bad but I was dissapointent because it was much more linear than the first one. And the MP tried to be too much like COD. Besides that, yeah the game is pretty fun.

Too hard to pick one but highlights for me are FF7, Super Meat Boy, Nier, Classic sonic games, Donkey Kong Country, Command and Conquer, Streets of Rage 2, Scott Pilgrim, Um Jammer Lammy/Parappa the Rapper, Megaman 2, Duck Tales and sol Feace (Mega CD version). And tons more I have obviously missed.

MGS2

Ace combat 5

FFVII

those are probably my top 3.

Hard Reset- Final Fight!

[QUOTE="Frostbite24"]

It is a toss-up between Super Meat Boy and Bastion. Please, please check these soundtracks out, you won't be dissapointed. +25 points for the best soundtracks of this generation.

SMB - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_lGyV9JIVI

Bastion - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDflVhOpS4E

Loegi

Oh, and also Radiant Historia.

Yoko Shimomura delivered an amazing if short OST for this gem of a DS title. With such wonderful tracks as:

Blue Radiance
Where the Wind and Feathers Return
Memories of the World

A close runner-up to Chrono Cross, IMO.

The Darkness.

It just works.

• Super Mario Bros. 1 and 3, World
• Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2
• Final Fantasy I - X and XIII
• Chrono Trigger
• Chrono Cross
• Baten Kaitos
• Sonic 1, 2 and 3&K
• Halo CE
• MGS1 and 2
• Bastion
• LOZ ALTTP, OOT, SS
• Megaman 2, 3 and 9
• Persona 3 and 4
• Fire Emblem: POR
• Super Metroid, Metroid Prime 1, 2 and 3

There are many, personally I like:

• Prototype
• World of Warcraft
• Crysis 2
• Darksiders
• God of War

[QUOTE="svenus97"][QUOTE="R4gn4r0k"]

Great song, it's the single best thing about Crysis 2

R4gn4r0k

It's certainly not bad but I was dissapointent because it was much more linear than the first one. And the MP tried to be too much like COD. Besides that, yeah the game is pretty fun.

Deus Ex

The Witcher

Planescape Torment

Dark Souls

BioShock

Bastion

Oh, and also Radiant Historia.

Yoko Shimomura delivered an amazing if short OST for this gem of a DS title. With such wonderful tracks as:

Blue Radiance
Where the Wind and Feathers Return
Memories of the World

A close runner-up to Chrono Cross, IMO.

mmmwksil

Memories of the World was my favorite song from that game.
Yoko Shimomura is definitely a great composer and had a hand with my favorite soundtrack; Xenoblade Chronicles. She was responsible for the main theme, which sounds amazing.

The group ACE+ and Manami Kiyota were the main composers for the game and did a fantastic job capturing the mood for each area and event in the game. Shame that both haven't done work on any other video game and don't seem to be composing for any future games; not that I know of anyway. Hopefully the soundtrack will get a little more recognition when Xenoblade gets its North American release.