The best video game soundtracks are the ones that stick with you. There are plenty of good soundtracks that feel good in the moment, but the ones that stick around once the game is said and done are what we’d consider the most impressive of the bunch. It’s not like there’s a small number to choose from either, have you seen the number of games that have come out? How on Earth are you meant to pick the best video game soundtracks from among them?
Well, good news, we’re going to go ahead and do it for you. That means you’re not allowed to disagree with you, because we don’t see you making a list about the best video game soundtrack ever, do we?
The Best Video Game Soundtracks Ever
This list has been genuinely troublesome to work out. We’ve decided to go with the songs that are at their best in and out of the game, which means we’re aiming for a set of absolute bops. Let’s dive into the best video game soundtracks ever then.
Transistor
You could easily change this with Bastion, Pyre, or Hades, because every soundtrack that Darren Korb, Ashley Barrett, and their team over at Supergiant Games have released has been absolutely sublime. The mix of wonderfully relevant lyrics, the stunning melodies, the haunting and enchanting voices of both Korb and Barrett make for some of the best music around in and out of gaming. If you’re ever in the need of some emotional tinder, then listening to anything from Transistor is sure to set a flame inside of you, and the unnerving remixes push it above the other options here in our opinion.
Persona 5
“You’ll never see it coming!” Well, you probably did. If you’ve played Persona 5, you don’t need us to preach the gospel of the bouncing soundtrack to you. The menu music alone is enough to make any Persona 5 player have flashbacks and start talking about their favourite relationships in the game, and it’s easy to see why. Just put the soundtrack on at a party and watch the guests light up as the songs flow from one to the next. Or don’t. We’re not the boss of you or parties.
Jet Set Radio
The Jet Set Radio soundtrack is an excellent way of injecting a little bit of rebellious joy into your earholes. The soundtracks from Hideki Naganuma are absolutely unreal, and combine a mix of completely original songs along with licensed music as well.
The mix is heady, and makes for some intensely upbeat tunes to work to, workout to, or just vibe to. It’s impossible to listen to this soundtrack without a smile on your face, and if you don’t believe us, just go ahead and try. We’ll not accept any kind of proof showing it is, in fact, possible to be sad while listening to Jet Set Radio, because we don’t want to hear it.
Risk of Rain 2
As with the Supergiant Games, you could easily swap this for the original Risk of Rain too. The musical compositions created by Chris Christodoulou are some of the most intricate and mixed of any game. Songs flow from heavy metal into funk without missing a beat, and each track will take up residence in your brain while refusing to pay rent, and you’ll just be happy they decided to drop by.
The Risk of Rain 2 soundtrack edges out the original purely because it feels as though it shows how much Christodoulou has improved, and the more recent tracks made for the Void Survivors DLC are something else entirely. It’s a soundtrack that truly feels out of this world.
Katamari Damacy
“NANA-NANANANANA-NA-NA-NA, NA-NA-NANA-NA-
NANA-NANANANANA-NA-NA-NA, NA-NA-NANA-NA-
NANA-NANANANANA-NA-NA-NA, NA-NA-NANA-NA-
NANA-NANANANANA-NA-NA-NA, NA-NA-NANA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA”
That’s how the opening song of Katamari Damacy starts. If you’ve played the game before, then that alone has probably led to you booting up the OST and listening to it. If you’ve not played the game before, then rectify that immediately you fool, you absolute buffoon, what’s wrong with you?
Apologies, it’s rare that gatekeeping spews forth from us, but Katamari Damacy is a magical, nonsensical, universe-defining game that absolutely has to be played by everyone so go and sort that out. Once you’ve done that, go and listen to the OST and your life will improve notably.
Buy Katamari Damacy Reroll here.
Minecraft
Minecraft, to us, is the epitome of the word vibes. We’re not even 100% sure what vibes are if we’re being honest, but whatever they are, the Minecraft soundtrack fits it. There’s something intensely calming about nearly every song on the OST. It’s probably partly due to how relaxing the game itself can be, but it’s still impressive how good the music is even out of context.
Dark Souls
This nearly didn’t get included, but here we are, simping for FromSoftware like fools once again. Every soundtrack FromSoftware has created has been fairly sublime, but perhaps the crowning jewel of the series, at least musically, is the simple “plin plin plon” of Gwyn’s theme.
The sheer power of those three notes is unparalleled, and akin to the opening note of Welcome to the Black Parade. Even more impressive is the fact that they then go back to that same “plin plin plon” at the end of Dark Souls 3 as you’re beating down the Soul of Cinder.
