Ever since the emergence of videogames, each has had its own unique themes and musical scores. Once gaming reached the public's eye, however, developers began giving heightened attention to sound design, and as evidenced by today's standards, many have gone toe-to-toe with Hollywood's best. We all remember those moving orchestral scores that we grew up with and are in awe of those that continue to blow us away, but which stand above the rest? The following list displays the Top Five Original Scores from Gaming. Enjoy!
TOP FIVE ORIGINAL SCORES
5) MAFIA II
Most likely, very few saw this one coming. The original Mafia had a solid soundtrack by 2002 standards, but considering Mafia II is truly a separate installment with minimal ties to its predecessor, its soundtrack is ranked separately. Composed by Matus Siroky and Adam Kuruc, Slovak composers, and performed by the Prague FILMharmonic Orchestra, one of the most renowned in Europe, all forty-eight tracks flow seamlessly and deliver some of the most riveting sounds in gaming. Its implementation into the game world and its standalone completeness make it an album that rivals even famous mafia scores, including Nino Rota's The Godfather Trilogy. Combining moving piano melodies, exquisite violin segments, and a variety of other sounds that reflect the era, Mafia II is almost worth the experience for the soundtrack alone.
4) THE FABLE SERIES
What's not to love about Peter Molyneux's Fable series...other than false promises and a rapidly outdating formula? Fine, that was a low-blow, but we're not here to discuss its gameplay's triumphs and tribulations. What truly made Fable its own was not only a fun world to plunder or save, but an orchestral score that brought it all to life and made the player feel as if he truly were on a heroic quest to save (or destroy) Albion. Russell Shaw's work in both the original and the sequel is immediately identifiable, and for good reason. No matter where you went in the game, the soft tunes followed you. The many regions of the mystical kingdom also gained personalities of their own through music unique to their location and, in turn, gave you identity. Fable is not only at the top of its genre, but among the best of gaming period.
3)THE BIOSHOCK SERIES
Bioshock crept onto the scene in 2007 and in no time at all, was hailed one of the most memorable series debuts in the industry. The gameplay was intricate and unique, the graphics pretty, and the story masterful. But, had it not been for the intense and horrifying sounds that met you when you first stepped into that bathysphere, the world would have felt incomplete. Imagine for a moment what it was like when you first heard Andrew Ryan's speech... "I built something different. I built the impossible. I built....Rapture." The music is building momentum, and then the screen descends, revealing a fully constructed art deco city standing atop of the ocean floor. You do not know why you're here or what you're capable of, and the mystery is overwhelming--all direct results of a stunning score that seems to further trap you beneath the ocean's surface. This is Bioshock, and Garry Schyman's uncanny talent transports you into another world beneath our own.
2) THE ELDER SCROLLS SERIES
Be it Tamriel or Morrowind, Bethesda's fully-rendered worlds are a fantasy gamer's dream come true. As with Bioshock, its many components are rightfully praised, but in the same fashion, its music brings it to life. Arena battles are intensified by the fusion of the crowd's chanting and the music that rages all around you, the vast catacombs of ancient Elves bear down on you as an eery tune echoes off its crumbling walls, and the glory of the Imperial City shines when the trumpets reach their climax and the view pans up to its iconic tower that seems to all but touch the sky. The music never stops in the Elder Scrolls, and all the while, you feel an integral part of the world. Morrowind and Oblivion deserve the greatest credit here, as they brought the series from greatness to legendary with some of the most notable sound design in history.
1) THE HALO SERIES
What did you expect? Halo's long-running claim to gaming's greatest franchise is well-deserved as it nails every facet of entertainment. Martin O'Donnell has earned his fame by carrying out the most demanding task a composer can be handed: design an original score that builds off his prior work and do so for gaming's most popular series with the highest expectations. Year after year for a decade, this man and those that work along side him have successfully brought new sounds to the industry while maintaining the beloved scores of old throughout six installments. Perhaps what makes its songs so powerful is the ability to cater to a variety of audiences and emotions. The same Catholic-influenced chanting that is signature of the series can just as easily illicit grief and despair as it can invoke a desire to crush the hordes of aliens that stand in your way. To say that Halo has the best original score is only the peak of the iceberg, and to delve into its specifics could fill an entire blog itself. So suffice it to say that regardless of your feelings toward to the games themselves, Halo's numerous scores are not only the best in the gaming industry,they are arguably the crowning achievement in the entertainment industry as a whole.
I didn't slaughter half of the galaxy for nothing.
Post your list below and tell us what fits your Top Five Best Original Scores! More rankings coming soon from Gaming's Greatest!