As we approach the end of another year of gaming, it’s always good to look back at some of the best moments of the year. While the gameplay and visuals of games are always considered incredibly important, soundtracks tend to be somewhat forgotten about.
No, they don’t have any direct affect on how the game will play out, but they do a lot to help us relate to the emotions of the characters in the game, or just get really pumped for a big battle up ahead. Other times, it’s the beautiful environments that are accompanied by beautiful orchestral soundtracks.
Whatever it may be, soundtracks shouldn’t be overlooked. Particularly when 2015 was such a great treat for the ears. So without further ado, let’s take a look at the ten best game soundtracks of 2015.
Fallout 4
Just as it did in Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas, Fallout 4’s soundtrack matched up perfectly with the world we were exploring. There are few better feelings in video games than going out into the wasteland with Five Stars’ ‘Atom Bomb Baby’ blasting out as you nail a Deathclaw in the face with a Mini Nuke from your Fat Man.
It’s obvious that Bethesda spends a lot of time carefully selecting these retro tracks to perfectly fit the tone of Fallout 4 and we can’t think of many better songs to showcase Fallout 4’s soundtrack than Atom Bomb Baby.
The Witcher 3
A beautifully composed soundtrack, The Witcher 3 went all out ensuring that the orchestral scores throughout the game matched the beauty of the whole world. As we rode Roach through forests, played a couple games of Gwent, and sliced our way through Wraiths, The Witcher 3’s soundtrack nailed the mood and the time period perfectly.
The Witcher 3 definitely had one of the most beautiful orchestral scores this year and ‘The Fields of Ard Skellig’ is one of the most notorious ones off the score. Now if you don’t mind us, we have a Griffin to slay!
Tales from the Borderlands
Tales from the Borderlands was something special. Not only has it become one of Telltale’s best episode game series, but the soundtrack it licensed for the game was nothing short of a masterpiece. Every intro and credit scene for each episode was matched with a licensed song that in one way or another just seemed to perfectly encapsulate the mood on the screen. Whether it was a chaotic escape, or the nervousness of a big plan being initiated, Tales from the Borderlands had a retro song to match.
As we watched our complete mismatch of adventurers make their way up to the top of the spacecraft during the intro of episode 4 and take off into space, with ‘To the Top’ by Twin Shadow playing, we knew our ambitious plan was just beginning, and oh boy did it kick off.
Life is Strange
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GJO_RpBnEg
Life is Strange put a lot of players into a position they hadn’t been in before. A dramatic life of a teenage girl in college… who can also turn back time. While this alone definitely meant that the story really stood out in contrast to a lot of other games that released this year, Life is Strange had a soundtrack that kept on giving.
Every track that played as we discovered another piece of the puzzle in Arcadia Bay perfectly encapsulated the moment. Heck, it was so good we even made a list of the best moments the soundtrack encapsulated the mood. Whether it was waking up to Something Good by Alt-J, or the emotional scenes of one of the endings with Spanish Sahara by Foals, we’ll always remember Life is Strange not just for its story but for its stellar choice of licensed songs as its soundtrack.
Assassins Creed: Syndicate
When Syndicate released in October, it was clear that the game had rectified many of the mistakes that Unity had suffered from, while truly nailing some other aspects. For example, the setting and soundtrack were so truly realized by Ubisoft that the pair really helped with the mood of a 19th century London setting and the gang war of London’s criminal underworld.
This is particularly highlighted in the above track ‘The Assassin Two-Step’ which played when you were engaged in a fight or a chase. The high-tempo orchestral score just screams 18th century Britain. It especially helped to set the scene and build the tension as we dashed through the pebbled streets of London, or slashed our way through countless enemies trying to put an end to our assassination work.
Bloodborne
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RzA_Oomra8
A key figure in Bloodborne lore, Ludwig’s appearance will have delighted fans of From Software’s 2015 masterpiece. The fight was gruelling and tough but with the Gothic orchestral score urging us on to finish the job and put an end to Ludwig, we slashed and swiped at his ‘accursed’ form until he transformed into his ‘holy blade’ form where the battle really kicked off.
From Software realised the significance of this battle to its fans and they made it so very special. The orchestral soundtrack to a delightfully devilish battle was a standout moment for us in The Old Hunters DLC and quickly became one of our favorite boss battles of the year.
Hotline Miami 2
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number brought back the retro graphics, addictive gameplay and excellent thumping soundtrack of its predecessor. Brutally blasting your way through waves of bad guys just seemed completely right when you’ve got the thumping bass of the Hotline Miami 2 hitting your ear drums and the track Roller Mobster is our standout track.
If you don’t believe us play the track above, close your eyes and remember the chaotic gameplay of Hotline Miami. You’ll be itching to jump right back in before you know it.
MGSV
It’s obvious that Kojima went through a whole drama with Metal Gear Solid V, but we feel that it was definitely worth the wait. The fruits of Kojima’s team’s labour could definitely be felt throughout the entire game, including one of the most dramatic soundtracks of the year.
Metal Gear Solid V’s soundtrack was one which matched the dramatic and often obscure nature of the game pretty perfectly with crescendos and powerful vocals. Sins of the Father is the real MVP of the Metal Gear Solid V soundtrack. Not only does Donna Burke sing the lyrics with so much gusto, but the beautiful orchestral score supporting her vocals framed a rather poignant moment within the game.
Halo 5
When it comes to big climactic moments in video games having a momentous soundtrack to boot, nobody has done it better or for as long as the Halo series has. One particular track will always come to mind for those moments when the action really starts to build up.
As we thought our way through Prometheans and Covenant alike on our quest to save the galaxy as Spartan Locke and Master Chief, ‘The Trials’ soundtrack thumped its way through our ears with its powerful drum beats and harmony of brass and string instruments. We headshot enemies, reloaded our rifles on the move, sprinting towards our objectives through a world and galaxy created with so time and devotion to the series. The track simply ups the ante with whatever you’re doing. We kinda feel like making toast to this would make us feel legendary. That’s how good this track is.
Splatoon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgAzo_WXW4k
Splatoon released this year on the Wii U to critical praise and soon grew a pretty loyal fanbase. Its vibrant colors and cartoon-looking characters hid a very technical multiplayer game on Nintendo’s home console. With the servers still highly active you can still seek out some ink-covering chaos quite easily, but just remember to listen out for the incredible soundtrack that supplements that splats as the chaos unfolds.
The first time we jumped into the Gusher Gauntlet and heard the track above playing, we felt our trigger finger itching. We needed to cover the whole place in ink pretty darn quick. As we swam our way up ink fountains, zipping between platforms and defeated enemies, the Gusher Gauntlet soundtrack served as a reminder that this game was completely off-the-wall.Â
Do you agree with our list of best soundtracks from this year? Have we missed out one of your favorite soundtracks from 2015? Let us know in the comments below.
Published: Dec 30, 2015 10:29 am