Game Soundtracks to be Remembered

A good video game has music that fits the style and atmosphere of the story. You may not necessarily be able to hum any of the tunes, but it certainly didn’t disrupt your playing. On the other hand, we’ve all played games where the music is so obnoxious you can think of nothing but getting the setting to change in hopes that something more bearable will play.

Then there are the rare games played that have music so beautiful and so epic you not only can sing the lyrics or recall the tune in fine detail, but if you’re like me, actually buy the soundtrack to the game!

There are two games in particular that had such gorgeous and stunning music that I was even more moved by the story because of the musical crutch it had to lean on. I praise these two games not only for the artistic beauty of the music, but how it captured the world of the game and the emotions that cast of characters held throughout game play.

Shadow of the Colossus

Released in 2005, Shadow of the Colossus is the spiritual successor and prequel to the game, Ico. It follows the story of a young man named Wander who has agreed to travel across an empty and lonely land with no company but his horse in order to kill sixteen colossi to restore the life of a woman named Mono.

Wander does not speak, nor interact with just about anything, but the turmoil and pain he is going through is written so clearly on his face that you just know, walking into this game, it will not end well.

Shadow of the Colossus had great praise upon its release, most specifically for its soundtrack, winning ‘Soundtrack of the Year’ by Electronic Gaming Monthly. The emptiness of the world, mixed with gentle orchestra pieces sets a very somber, almost heartbreaking tone for the rest of the game.

Especially epic tracks played throughout the game occur when Wander encounters a colossi. One moment, with probably the most moving of all fight songs, is when the track, A Violent Encounter, plays while Wander must fight a colossi and is screaming desperately for the aid of his horse, Agro, blending his distress and the music’s perfectly. A moving game story wise, but something on a completely higher scale when paired with the music by Ko Otani.

Chrono Cross

Released in 2000 with a soundtrack written by Yasunori Mitsuda, Chrono Cross received a near perfect rating for its game play, graphics and wonderful story. Mitsuda, having previously worked on Chrono Trigger, was hired by director Masato Kato to continue with the feel of ‘Chrono sound.’ Mitsuda said he drew upon scenery as his inspiration, keeping to old world influences. This gave the game, which has its story set in two alternate worlds, a very unique and eclectic feel to each realm.

Mitsuda purposefully game the Home world and Another world bright and dark moods, which allows the player to instantly know where they are, simply feeling from the music they are either in a welcoming place or are lonely and lost. The soundtrack to Chrono Cross is, more often than not, very light in terms of how much sound there is, which is completely opposite of Otani’s orchestras, but for this game, the story is told better with less.

The song which I feel was the most important, the one that really did pull the entire story and atmosphere of the game together was the final track, Radical Dreamers - The Unstolen Jewel, sung by Noriko Mitose.

It is so elegant and deep, hopeful and sad, it honestly pulls every emotion felt throughout the game into one complete song. It is said that upon playing the game with the soundtrack inserted, director Kato, was brought to tears by the ending theme.