Suggested by: Midrulean

Sonic's first true jump to 3D was not only a seminal moment for the franchise's gameplay, but also its sound. Adventure's iconic buttrock and genre experimentation full of life and energy would go on to codify what we think of as "the sound of Sonic" irreversibly: the dream team of Jun Senoue's sick riffs and Johnny Gioeli's vocals.

Standout Tracks:
"Open Your Heart"
"It Doesn't Matter Now"
"Run Through the Speed Highway ...for Speed Highway"
"Funky Groove Makes U Hot!? ...for Options"

Suggested by: SlapOnToast

I've heard people try to describe Metal Gear Rising's music as "so bad it's good" or as something that's "cheesy". To those who do so: Cowards, the lot of you. You fear Metal Gear Rising's power. Much like the game itself, MGR's soundtrack is operating at 11/10 at all times, full of adrenaline-pumping Cyber Metal designed for the express purpose of maximizing the amount of hype generated with every encounter, alongside being one of the few action games to figure out that making the vocals kick in when the 2nd phase of the fight starts is the SICKEST shit ever. Every track has great choruses, great riffs, and this wonderful industrial sound full of modulation and big blaring synths that goes well with the enemies Raiden encounters on his journey. The absolute pinnacle of the Rule of Cool.

Standout Tracks:
"The Stains of Time"
"The Only Thing I Know For Real"
"Collective Consciousness"
"The Hot Wind Blowing"

Suggested by: cencilezzi

I've only ever heard of this series in passing, so never in a million years would I have guessed that this is the kind of music that these games would be backed by. A combination of Bluegrass, Avant-Folk and Jazz overflowing with goofiness and tongue-in-cheek self-awareness, it's got charm and charisma pouring out the ass and I had a big ol' goofy smile on my face during tracks like "The Lil' Bonus Room" or "Klogg is Dead". It's hard to beat something that's as off-the-wall and earnest as this, and this whole soundtrack start to finish was a pleasant surprise.

Standout Tracks:
"Skullmonkey's Theme"
"Hard Boiler Eggs"
"The Worm Graveyard"
"Psychedelic Boogie Child"

Suggested by: FMTownsParty & fairywands

While all of the Team Silent Silent Hill games are generally agreed to have some fantastic soundtracks, 4 is very rarely ever brought up as an example, even though I think it can go toe-to-toe with the acclaimed soundtrack for fan-favorite Silent Hill 2. The tone in 4's soundtrack is the most desolate and depressing Silent Hill has ever sounded: the ambient tracks are the most foreboding and dread-inducing they've ever been; the more melodic tracks are sinister in nature, mixing in heavy percussion, strong electric guitar strums that hang in the stagnant air and cloudy synths that permeate the senses, and even the vocal tracks are full of despair and have a tone best described as 'wailing'. It's an absolutely haunting experience to sit through, even divorced from the context of the game, and it sits as both one of my favorite soundtracks and one of my favorite albums of all time.

Standout Tracks:
"Tender Sugar"
"Resting Comfortably"
"Wounded Warsong"
"Your Rain"

Suggested by: fairywands
One of my more contentious takes is listing SH3 as my least favorite of the Team Silent-helmed Silent Hill games, but inversely, the soundtrack for 3 is up there as one of my favorites in Akira Yamaoka's body of work. While still as nightmarish as ever when it comes down to the heavy Industrial Noise sound the series is renown for, the other tracks are a lot lighter than the other Silent Hill games, with a lot of Alt. Rock vocal tracks, and a more ethereal, beautiful sound to the horror with its floatier synths and melodic ambience instead of the dour grime and emptiness of the other Team Silent games, and it's a major factor in what makes Silent Hill 3 stand out from the rest of the series.

Standout Tracks:
"You're Not Here"
"End of Small Sanctuary"
"Please Love Me... Once More"
"Letter - From The Lost Days"

Suggested by: fairywands

I'll be upfront: This is firmly in my Top 5 albums of all time as one of the greatest pieces of music I've ever heard. I am forever indebted to the rando with shit taste on YouTube who put "Shopping for Goods in Palmira" in a Worst Video Game Music playlist. From front to back, the heavy use of modulated vocal samples and traditional Japanese instruments to create this unmistakably mystical/tribal tone, the strange rhythms and patterns put together with only the vaguest notions of music theory and harmony that could have only come about from a man who can't read sheet music, it all comes together beautifully to make Evergrace's soundtrack one of the most magical and otherwordly musical experiences I've ever had the pleasure of listening to. It's so creative and mystic, and it's left a permanent mark on my soul from now til evermore.

Standout Tracks:
"Expression II - Will"
"Sunbeams Streaming Through Leaves on the Hill"
"Howl"
"The Edge of the World"

Suggested by: FranzMagitek

A friend of mine introduced me to Tim Follin with the infamous Pictionary (NES) Title Screen theme, and ever since then my life has not known peace. For someone who on all accounts didn't seem to hold a very high opinion on video game music and didn't even seem to particularly enjoy making it, Tim Follin's mastery of soundchips is a sight to behold. Plok's soundtrack is at the top of its class, wielding its heavy Prog Rock influences and hardware-bending synth modulation to create a soundtrack so impressive that Miyamoto couldn't believe the SNES was capable of making those kind of sounds. It's an outstanding, forward-thinking soundtrack that showcases some of the best of a genre that doesn't see much airtime in the world of video game soundtracks.

Standout Tracks:
"Beach"
"Akrillic"
"Flea Pit"
"Boss"

Suggested by: radicalraisin

There was a time in my life when I was obsessed with this fuzzy little marsupial, but coming back to this soundtrack years later, it's shocking how well this stands the test of time. The heavy use of tribal percussion sounds that were iconic to Crash at the time alongside the more modern influences including Rock & Roll and Industrial to represent that duality between nature and industry that lies at the heart of every Crash Bandicoot game really helps this soundtrack standout even within its own series. Every track has that animated energy to it, perfectly befitting the aesthetics of everyone's favorite Scrimblo Bimblo.

Standout Tracks:
"Warp Room"
"Hang Eight/Air Crash/Plant Food"
"The Eel Deal/Sewer or Later/Hangin' Out"
"Tiny Tiger"

Suggested by: Ophelia

I know the Game Gear wasn't workin' with a whole lot hardware-wise, but this sounds like it was composed by a calculator. While there are a few songs that actually make attempts to sound like something resembling music, few tracks reach the dizzying highs of "kind of alright", with most of the soundtrack sounding like an Amiga fell down a flight of stairs. It's... strange, if nothing else, but I honestly don't know if I could muster up the vitriol to call this "absolute garbage" or whatever. It's more confusing above all-else.

Standout(?) Tracks:
"Intro"
"Healing Area (Constance Temple)"
"Ignis Fort"
"Hoenheim Lab"

Suggested by: theadhdagenda

Having had zero prior knowledge or interest in The World Ends With You, this soundtrack has single-handedly convinced me to check this game out. This thing is a beast, blasting a funky as hell amalgamation of J-Pop, Hip-Hop and Big Beat that left me with flat on my ass with how good it all was. The urban pop sound of the youth that permeates every song couldn't have been a better match for the aesthetics and target audience of this game.

(Also that sample used in "Psychedelic" is also used in the Danganronpa track "Class Trial - Solar Edition" and I am ashamed that that was the first thing I noticed upon listening.)

Standout Tracks:
"Long Dream"
"Hybrid"
"Psychedelic"
"Game Over"

Suggested by: NOWITSREYNTIME17

Despite being in the prime audience for this game as a teen, I was late to the party with this one, having only played it on my Switch back in 2019. Nonetheless, I managed to sink 130+ hours into X without even batting an eye. It's characters, it's story, it's... everything for lack of a better term resonated deeply within me and the soundtrack is major factor in that. Final Fantasy scores are always at the very least a baseline "good" but out of the two Final Fantasy games I've played so far, X takes the cake easily. The big sweeping orchestral stuff does the job fine enough, but with a few exceptions, what stood out the most to me were tracks like "The Sight of Spira", with it's deeply intimate and charming tone; or something like "Seymour Battle" that manages to command the weight of an epic orchestral backing but with the production of a EDM track. It's so unique and memorable that even now, I find myself playing "Besaid Island" in the back of my mind, or whistling "Hymn of the Fayth" while walking around. It's a deeply moving soundtrack that just screams PS2 JRPG and I mean that as the highest possible compliment I could possibly give anything.

Standout Tracks:
"Enemy Attack"
"The Sight of Spira"
"Blitz Off"
"Challenge"

Suggested by: Rellni944

Masafumi Takada is a composer with a hell of a track record, but no matter what he's working on, he has that sauce, that distinctive style that really makes his stuff stand out from the crowd, which is probably why he's worked with Suda51 for so long. His work on Grasshoper Manufacture's many games, Danganronpa, and God Hand just to name a few have shown that he has some serious chops across all genres, but Killer7 managed to worm its way to my heart as one of my personal favorites in his discography. It's unique electronic tones interspersed with genre-defying ambience gives this soundtrack a great feel that perfectly accompanies both its conspiratorial plot, off-kilter tone and stylish visuals; as well as its masterclass sound design.

Standout Tracks:
"Sweet Blue Flag"
"Multiple Personality"
"Tecks Mecks"
"Dissociative Identity"

Suggested by: Rellni944

(DS Version specifically)
To be perfectly honest, I wasn't expecting this to be as good as it was. There's some weird genres at play here, mixing in that iconic 50s-60s era black & white sci-fi sound with this sample-heavy Instrumental Hip Hop and Electronica. There's also a surprising nice use of leitmotifs for each playable character, with each stage having an appropriately-themed remix of the current character's theme. It's a lot more effort that I expected, and its another result of the shockingly common trend among shovelware composers to put way more effort into their work than anyone really asks for/will notice.

Standout Tracks:
"Main Menu Theme"
"Mothership (Ginormica)"
"Modesto (The Missing Link)"
"Gallaxhar Boss"

Suggested by: Chap

I have no idea what a "Langrisser" is but god damn this rocks. I don't know what's with this trend of genres like SRPGs having insanely good music but I adore what Langrisser is working with. From the vaguely German title and generic fantasy aesthetic, I was expecting some serviceable Orchestral stuff but getting hit with some stellar Symphonic Metal for Langrisser 1 was a pleasant surprise (and if I'm being honest, a more interesting way to get in touch with your European musical roots instead of the stuffiness of classical composers.) Langrisser 2 is a bit of a step down, ditching the intense metal and bombast of 1 for a more synth-heavy, Funk and Pop-inspired feel, but there's still plenty of strong tracks in both games and its a shockingly good listen.

Standout Tracks (L1):
"Tapfer, Steh Auf!"
"Path of the Wind"
"Encroaching Enemy"
"Into The Fray"

Standout Tracks(L2):
"Neo Holy War"
"No Surrender"
"Darkness Incarnate"
"Imelda"

Suggested by: unaderon

Music for mischief. The sounds of tomfoolery. Rayman Origins' soundtrack is full of whimsy and humor, invoking unique musical approaches and sounds, from scatting in gibberish to the use of instruments like kazoos in some of the tracks. It's all suitably comical and goofy, but beneath the gaffs lie some truly interesting genre experimentation and variety, from World Music to Jazz to Classical, all while maintaining that sense of wonder and joy within its melodies and harmonies. A surprisingly standout experience for a Ubisoft game.

Standout Tracks:
"Shooter - Kazoo"
"Jungle World - Joyeuse Baston"
"Food World - Paradise"
"Music World - Classic"

Suggested by: bad_news

While not an original composed score, Hotline Miami's soundtrack is the up there as one of the greatest Synthwave mixtapes of all time. A handpicked selection of underground Electronic artists given the chance to shine as the backing sounds of the rampage of a one-man killing machine hopped up on adrenaline and the all-encompassing haze of violence. Whether it be tracks like M.O.O.N.'s "Hydrogen" that are constantly building up towards a climax that never arrives, or Perturbator's "Miami Disco", that get the player in the groove of the mayhem, all of the excitement these tracks build up dissipate into the ether when the bloodshed is done and the creeping dread of El Huervo's "Crush" slowly seeps in, leaving you knee-deep in the results of your actions. While I think Hotline Miami 2's score is better overall with its bigger roster of artists and genres, Hotline Miami 1's limited choices result in a soundtrack where every track is meticulously chosen to produce the perfect atmosphere for the experience, and its all the stronger because of it.

Standout Tracks:
"Crystals"
"Musikk Per Automatikk"
"Daisuke"
"Turf"

Suggested by: mellorine

Metroid has always been the odd one out when it comes to Nintendo's big franchises. Unlike the family-friendly Mario or the high-fantasy action of Zelda, Metroid is a sci-fi epic light on characters or cartoonish charm, focused entirely on isolation and near-constantly bordering on outright horror, taking obvious inspiration from things like Ridley Scott's Alien or the works of H. R. Giger. This extends to Metroid's soundtrack. Standing as the black sheep of the family, Metroid soundtracks have always had a heavy focus on Dark Ambient, creating audioscapes as barren and alien as the planets Samus often finds herself on. It's a distinctly unique approach compared to its contemporaries and Super Metroid is no different. Even within the confines of the SNES sound chip, the atmosphere of each track is impeccable, balancing bombastic tracks like "Theme of Samus Aran Galactic Warrior" with the frantic, Horror Synth-esque boss themes and the desolate & lonely area themes like "Wrecked Ship" and "Planet Zebes (Arrival on Crateria)". It's not a soundtrack full of strong melodies or catchy tunes, but as a horror score it knocks it out of the park, and gives Super Metroid the strong sense of atmosphere people look back fondly on today.

Standout Tracks:
"Theme of Super Metroid"
"Brinstar (Dense Vegetation Area)"
"Brinstar (Red Swamp Area)"
"Big Boss Confrontation BGM (Ridley, Draygon)"

Suggested by: Malcolm_Moon4

The Yakuza games have always had very contemporary soundtracks, a usual mix of Jazz Funk and Rock in the earlier games to sell that classic gangster vibe and while sonically in-line with the rest of the series up to this point, Yakuza: Like a Dragon's genre shift into a turn-based JRPG turns what would be a pretty standard affair into one of the more memorable JRPG soundtracks in a while. Analogous to something like The World Ends With You or Earthbound's combination of modern-day sounds with fantasy conventions to create a modern-day adventure, Like A Dragon's blood-pumping mix of bumpin' EDM & Trance ground Ichiban's high-concept fantasy delusions and Dragon Quest aspirations with the sounds of the contemporary music landscape. Thematically appropriate and a total banger of an OST.

Standout Tracks:
"Asphodelos"
"Monken's Beeper"
"Brutality"
"Triplet After Triplet"

Suggested by: Llamadev

On the JRPG soundtrack spectrum, Ar Tonelico resides in a space somewhere between the Chaos-language New Wave of NieR and the MIDI orchestral dreamscape of Final Fantasy X. Taking place in a fantasy world where song is power, there's a fitting focus on vocal patterns and sounds, with ethereal choirs and singers belting out Celtic Hymns in a mythical nonsense language that's that's both easy on the ears and gives that magical, mystic vibe. The instrumentation is fittingly fantastical, taking on a sound analogous to Celtic Folk Tunes and Chamber Music, with these woodwind and lyre-heavy compositions played in this massive soundscape that reverberates around your skull like the halls of a cathedral. Juxtaposed to this are bizarre rap samples from that one CD a lot of Japanese artists were sampling at the time, and just some fuckin' weird sounding songs (shout-outs to that song that sounds like Gershon Kingsley's "Popcorn" but with a sick Breakbeat drum sample played over it). A strange, borderline alien soundtrack that is nonetheless incredibly intriguing to listen to.

Standout Tracks:
"Nidohogg"
"Voice of Life"
"EXEC_PURGER.#Misha Extracting-."
"EXEC_RIG=VEDA-."

Suggested by: oersted

As a general rule of thumb when it comes to video game soundtracks: Yoko Shimomura can do no wrong, and Live A Live is no exception. A smorgasbord of genres from Spaghetti Western to Chinese Folk Music to Baroque all represent the different time periods each chapter takes place in, and it allows the soundtrack to spread its wings and have a healthy variety of tunes that keeps things interesting. Admittedly I think its weaker than a lot of Shimomura's other works, but it's Yoko Shimomura and a weak Yoko Shimomura score is still heads and shoulders above its contemporaries. Well worth a listen.

Standout Tracks:
"Wait for Truth"
"Demon King's Prelude"
"Difficult Fight"
"Pure Odio"

Suggested by: Kam

One of Portal 2's biggest strength is its quiet ambiance, which made the fact that it has a little over three hours of music a real shock for me, because I certainly didn't remember three hours worth of music when I first played through it. On repeat listen however, I was struck by how characteristic and unique Portal 2's music sounded, the kind of sound you hear that makes you go "Yeah, that's Portal music alright". The Kraftwerk-esque Ambient Electronic soundscape, mixed with hints of Glitch, Bit Music and Progressive Electronic (even delving into Hardcore for the final boss theme), all lend to the cold, detached feeling the test chambers invoke with its sterile walls and clean, minimalist aesthetic. It's not something I would listen to outside the context of the game, but it's integral to making Portal 2 what it is.

Standout Tracks:
"The Friendly Faith Plate"
"Halls of Science 4"
"Bombs for Throwing at You"
"Want You Gone"

Suggested by: Archagent

While I am unfamiliar with most of Supergiant's games, the one thing I do know about their oeuvre is their stellar soundtracks. Like much of Supergiant's sound work, the dynamic OST of Pyre is one of its standout features, changing to match the game, either diegetically with the various acoutstic lute-only covers of songs played by an NPC, or the credits song changing its lyrics to reflect your choices made in-game, its a truly staggering amount of work and care put into the game's atmosphere. This would be for naught if the compositions weren't up to snuff, however, the Folktronica sounds of Pyre's world are some of the most atmospheric tracks I've heard in a game. The Folktronica/Post-Rock sounds of each track lend themselves perfectly to the plot and characters of Pyre, and not a single dud is to be found amongst this tracklist, a truly impressive feat for a 2 hour soundtrack. My interest in this game has been piqued just from the music alone, which I personally believe is one of the highest compliments you could give a game's soundtrack.

Standout Tracks:
"In The Flame"
"The Eight Scribes"
"Dread Design"
"Knights of the Sea"

Suggested by: Lead

Shin Megami Tensei V obviously draws a lot from previous entries in the franchise, most notably Nocturne, and its evident in the direction SMT V took its soundtrack. Nocturne focused a lot on ambience, on tone-setting, using the contrast of cloudy, overwhelming synths and subtle electronic elements with the pulse-pounding Industrial Rock sounds of the battle themes, and in this regard, SMT V is no different. SMT V dabbles in a wider palette of ambient noise, building off the cyberpunk, Post-Industrial sounds of Shin Megami Tensei IV with the Drone Metal/Post-Punk stylings of the Da'at overworld themes to the more ritualistic, Tribal Ambient sounds of the shops, save points and cutscene score. The battle themes also take influence from Nocturne's use of vocals, with V sporting synthetic choirs in its numerous battle themes, as well as sporting the energy of IV's similarly varied array of battle themes. It manages to be inspired without being derivative, building on the trends of the past set by the likes of Meguro while carrying on the new sound established by IV and Apocalypse.

Standout Tracks:
"Da'at: tamachi"
"World of Shadows -Shining Bright, or Death's Shadow"
"Battle -destruction-"
"Battle -eon-"

Suggested by: Ivanich

Having composed a Dark Ambient album or two in my time, I can say with confidence that Fatal Frame II is a damn good OST. Unlike it's more melodic contemporaries, there's nary a hook or beat to latch onto here; just pure, creeping dread. Loads of droning pads and low rumbling ambience, mixed in with some traditional Japanese instruments to create an almost Tribal Ambient sound that really reflects the setting of the game. The enemy encounter themes are some of the highlights of the soundtrack to me, mixing in diegetic sounds like creaking ropes & labored breathes on top of haunting spoken word parts just barely audible to the point needed to freak you out while listening. What it lacks in memorability in makes up for in sheer overwhelming anxiety & dread, leaving you on the edge of your seat with just the audio itself; a true sign of a fantastic horror score.

Standout Tracks:
"Presence"
"Villagers"
"Door Woman"
"Kusabi"