Since One Night Of Love won the Oscar for Best Soundtrack in 1934, the “Best Score” award has been one of the most coveted in the entertainment industry. Movies in general, are often judged by their soundtrack – think Psycho or Lord Of The Rings – to the point where producers will put as much time into hiring the best composer as they would for any other aspect of the production.
The same hasn’t quite been true for games, however. For a long time, game developers were constricted to chip-tune soundtracks, and it wasn’t until the rise in console technology that they were able to infuse something a little more sophisticated into their titles. Even then, however, gaming soundtracks were not considered important to a game’s success. Most of the popular soundtracks were popular by association rather than on account of their original quality.
Over the last decade or so, however, gaming soundtracks have been increasing in quality. For the latest games online and console games, they are now an intrinsic part of the gaming experience, to the point where they can completely make or destroy the game itself.
Why is this the case, and what are some examples of impressive gaming soundtracks today?
The Best Gaming Soundtracks Of 2023
Before we get into why gaming soundtracks have become more essential – as well as the question of whether they are on the same pedestal as movie soundtracks – we’ll give you three examples of the best in 2023.
- Hogwarts Legacy
This soundtrack is perhaps the best example of how far gaming scores have come. Using the same layout as the movies, this was essentially a video game movie adaptation, which means it was up against one of the best and most recognizable soundtracks in the world. Hogwarts Legacy realized the importance of music to elicit a magical atmosphere, and it managed to do so on its own terms with an original, wild score that is just as magical as John Williams’.
- Diablo IV
Every entry into the Diablo franchise has had a compelling, dark, and brooding soundtrack that seizes the imagination. In fact, the soundtracks have been considered so good by fans that you can even buy them on vinyl or CD. No matter how good we thought those original Mario or Sonic soundtracks were, they never got the vinyl treatment!
- Star Wars: Jedi Survivor
Honorable mentions go to Baldur’s Gate 3, Final Fantasy XVI, and Horizon: Call Of The Mountain, but Star Wars: Jedi Survivor managed to replicate the soaring, imaginative music of the Star Wars movies in a way that seemed almost impossible. It’s simple and fun but perfectly dark enough for the story and the tone.
Why Are Gaming Soundtracks More Important?
Story and tone are some of the biggest reasons gaming soundtracks have become more essential over the last decade. With higher-tech consoles like the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X reigning supreme, games have become more immersive and story-driven. This means that music has become more quintessential to tell the story and establish a tone, just like in movies.
This has carried over into other games, including platformers and even online games. Gamers in this day and age are no longer jumping on mushrooms or collecting wumpa fruit. Often, they are immersed in a dark and complex tale set in the Wild West, the Viking Age, or somewhere out in space. Games have steadily become more like movies, and the soundtracks have had to keep up.
When it comes to whether gaming soundtracks are on the same pedestal as movies, we would say that they are. Earlier this year, Assassins Creed Valhalla: Dawn Of Ragnarok clinched the first GRAMMY award for “Best Score Soundtrack For Video Games/Interactive Media.” The world is beginning to recognize the creative importance of video game soundtracks – and video games altogether – and the work is now being officially recognized. As for whether there will ever be an Oscar for video games and their soundtracks, however, we wouldn’t hold our breath!