With another year comes another crop of absolutely fantastic video game soundtracks. 2010 was overall a pretty fantastic year for video game music that saw chiptunes claw their way even further into the mainstream, as well as the continued prevalence of huge sweeping orchestral scores that rival, and in some cases surpass, their Hollywood counterparts.
I thought I’d begin 2011 with a look back at some of my favorite soundtracks of 2010 in the ever-popular top 10 list format. While I managed to fit in quite a large number of gaming hours into 2010, I didn’t play every game released, so if you’ve got any games I may have overlooked let me know and I’ll make an effort to check them out.
So without further ado….
10. Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2 was a special game, so special that had I made a list of my favorite games of 2011, it would have been my game of the year. Everything from the characters to the graphical style contributed to what in my opinion is the most realized video game world ever created. While the soundtrack is definitely iterative of the first game, series composer Jack Wall left a few cards up his sleeve for the sequel. Much like how Mass Effect 2 focused on the creation of a larger and more diverse team, the character themes stand out above the rest for capturing the motifs and emotions of your crew further adding to the depth of the experience.
Choice Cuts: Mordin, The Illusive Man, Suicide Mission
9. Deadly Premonition
While this may seem like a joke, I am of the opinion that songs that get stuck in your head are actually expertly composed as opposed to congealed. In 2010, there was no song that stuck in my head past a game’s completion then that of Deadly Premonition’s go-to cut scene theme, Life is Beautiful. Typically, expertly crafted songs are only heard once or twice during a play through, but Life Is Beautiful remained a steady and constant reminder that Deadly Premonition is not a typical game. My hat goes off to SWERY65 and the sound team at Access Games, Please keep doing what you’re doing.
Choice Cuts: Life Is Beautiful, Red Tree
8. Fallout: New Vegas
As I stated in my review, I missed the boat when Fallout 3 came out, but when a copy of New Vegas fell in my lap, I couldn’t resist giving the franchise a try. The music in New Vegas is incredibly understated – definitely not in a bad way, though. The game world of New Vegas provides the perfect backdrop for the score to fade in and out as you fight and explore throughout the wasteland, making the moment-to-moment instances far more exciting then they ought to be. And finally, two words: Wayne Newton.
Choice Cuts: Jacobstown Night, Credits Theme, Main Theme
7. Digital: A Love Story
I played Digital in one sitting; sounds impressive but less so when you learn it’s only about 2 hours long. The music played throughout consists of a few scattershot chiptune tracks that help to create and cement the setting and mood of the game, which is essential in a text adventure. With Digital being a freeware release (and making the soundtrack files easily accessible in the resources folder), there is no reason not to check it out.
Choice Cuts: Future and it Doesn’t Work, Paper Dolls
6. Super Meat Boy
You know a soundtrack is good when an indie developer puts it up for sale upon the begging of its fanbase, as was the case with Super Meat Boy. I wouldn’t say that Super Meat Boy does anything drastically different with the usual chiptune formula as the credence of “If it ain’t broke’ seems to echo throughout. The wide breadth of selections, in addition to the way that the music continues playing without pause during gameplay shows that Team Meat actively thought about the sound design and player experience of Super Meat Boy more then the typical indie developer does.
Choice Cuts: C.H.A.D.’s Lullaby, Hot Damned, Meat Golem
5. No More Heroes 2
Certain aspects of No More Heroes 2 are brilliant, others are middling at best. The place on the list certainly is confirmation that the music featured in the game is not placed in the latter category. Despite the lack of the great and never-ending exposition prior to the game’s boss battles that was featured prominently in the first title, the music that accompanies the fights themselves are fantastic. One song in particular, Philistine, guaranteed the soundtrack a high spot on my list.
Choice Cuts: Do You Want More, Titanium Bat, Philistine
4. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game
I follow the artist Anamanguchi (the band responsible for the music in the game) on Twitter, and they were rightly confused when soundtrack of the year deliberations were happening at various online outlets that had Scott Pilgrim going up against DJ Hero 2 and thus the music of Jay-Z and Lady GaGa (a discussion I will reserve for another post). Incredibly original and executed to perfection, Anamanaguchi stayed true to both the film and the graphic novel with an album that could stand on it’s own merits separate from any other media.
Choice Cuts: Rock Club, Subboss Theme, Technoman
3. Red Dead Redemption
While not completely original in its execution, the soundtrack of Red Dead Redemption contributed immensely to the overall look and feel of the universe that Rockstar strove to create. Taking pages from Morricone, and other notable composers that gave such life and character to the spaghetti westerns of the 60s and 70s, the soundtrack hits its mark every time it is called for with varied yet cohesive and familiar arrangements sprinkled throughout the lengthy adventure.
Choice Cuts: El Club De Los Cuerpos, Far Away, Dead End Alley
2. Kirby’s Epic Yarn
The perfect sounds for the insanely cute and gloriously rendered yarn aesthetic accompany Epic Yarn with series staples and new compositions receiving arrangements featuring vibrant and haunting pianos, cheerful keyboard instruments, and a diverse array of percussion. With the Yarn art style being the game’s main selling point, the soundtrack goes a long way in selling the nostalgic memories of childhood to gamers of any age.
Choice Cuts: Cozy Cabin, Lava Landing, Butter Building
1. Super Mario Galaxy 2
The soundtrack of Super Mario Galaxy was sublime; the sequel proves to be no exception. Beautifully orchestrated and endlessly imaginative, every world retains a distinct flavor all its own while still staying true to the decades old roots of the series. If you have yet to experience either games (with Galaxy 2 being a natural extension of the first title as opposed to a true iteration) I implore you to pick them up to experience some of the best music that has been in any game, ever.
Choice Cuts: Wild Glide Galaxy, Honeyhop Galaxy, Throwback Galaxy
Now that you’ve read my top 10 soundtracks of the year, I’d bet you’d love to hear me talk a little about them and listen to some clips of music from each game, right? Well I’m toying with a new audio feature to accompany these written blogs, so let me know if you dig the new format.
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