#TBT A journey through memorable video game music, this second article is dedicated exclusively to PC video game soundtracks. We have our hands full given the wealth of excellent material available.
A PC Gaming Music Journey: From Doom to Terraria, System Shock, and More Memorable Soundtracks
- Thread starter Shawn Knight
- Start date
Shadowboxer
Posts: 2,074 +1,655
Shocked that Civ 4’s Baba Yetu was missed from this list.
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2011/02/how-a-song-from-the-2005-civilization-iv-won-a-2011-grammy/
Also, no minecraft? Like the most iconic soundtrack ever?
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2011/02/how-a-song-from-the-2005-civilization-iv-won-a-2011-grammy/
Also, no minecraft? Like the most iconic soundtrack ever?
LetTheWookieWin
Posts: 158 +340
Great article, just like its prequel. Also like its predecessor, it's missing some major entries:
Half-Life 2 - One of the best game soundtracks ever on any platform. It was ingenious in the way it matched the mood of the scene or foreshadowed impending danger. CP violation is classic
Return to Castle Wolfenstein - Another soundtrack that fit the environments exceedingly well. Hard to believe it's 20 years old now, as it still sounds great. I still stream the music occasionally while working:
No list would be complete without mentioning Star Wars games from the golden era of PC gaming (90's to 2000's before everything became a console port). X-wing and Tie Fighter were good for their time, though my personal favorites were Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight and Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. While these weren't original compositions, the choice of music for certain levels was spot on and made you feel like you really were living a Star Wars movie (the original trilogy, not the trash that came later).
Last, how about a nod to the old Sierra 3-D adventure games of the 80's and 90's? Games like Kings Quest IV, Space Quest III, or Hero's Quest (later renamed Quest for Glory):
(Side note - I had an original Tandy 1000 (4.77 MHz 8088) with 3-voice sound and after "upgrading" to a Gateway 386 I was appalled at how bad the regular PC speaker sounded. These games literally drove me to buy an 8-bit SoundBlaster just to hear the soundtracks. To put this in context, the game boxes had ads *from Sierra* to buy an AdLib card or a Roland MT-32 just for the soundtracks.)
Half-Life 2 - One of the best game soundtracks ever on any platform. It was ingenious in the way it matched the mood of the scene or foreshadowed impending danger. CP violation is classic
Return to Castle Wolfenstein - Another soundtrack that fit the environments exceedingly well. Hard to believe it's 20 years old now, as it still sounds great. I still stream the music occasionally while working:
No list would be complete without mentioning Star Wars games from the golden era of PC gaming (90's to 2000's before everything became a console port). X-wing and Tie Fighter were good for their time, though my personal favorites were Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight and Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. While these weren't original compositions, the choice of music for certain levels was spot on and made you feel like you really were living a Star Wars movie (the original trilogy, not the trash that came later).
Last, how about a nod to the old Sierra 3-D adventure games of the 80's and 90's? Games like Kings Quest IV, Space Quest III, or Hero's Quest (later renamed Quest for Glory):
(Side note - I had an original Tandy 1000 (4.77 MHz 8088) with 3-voice sound and after "upgrading" to a Gateway 386 I was appalled at how bad the regular PC speaker sounded. These games literally drove me to buy an 8-bit SoundBlaster just to hear the soundtracks. To put this in context, the game boxes had ads *from Sierra* to buy an AdLib card or a Roland MT-32 just for the soundtracks.)
My personal picks:
Red Alert 2 - Hell March 2 (Frank Klepacki)
Jazz Jackrabbit 2 - Frolick Lane (Alexander Brandon) (shame on Epic for not re-releasing this game on current consoles!!)
Heroes of Might and Magic 4 - Preserve (Paul Anthony Romero, Rob King, Steve Baca)
Fallout 2 - Vats of Goo (Mark Morgan)
The Last of Us - The Last of Us (Gustavo Santaolalla)
Astro Bot Rescue Mission - Discotree (Kenneth M C Young)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy5kQD1miJw&list=PL4jUFKwCCT34wnO_0NHIM0ErPyCvHayA6&index=6
Killing Floor 2 - Collapsing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLD3dV2eGjc&list=PLN4BZK1a5htWLcVwPPcvph5mHbUYmwsAf&index=23
Diablo II Tristam (Matt Uelmen)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XheJnmLAwhk&list=PLDncyqgTM9PIzmAoi_rgWBUXvrtdTiKFb&index=5
StarCraft 2 - Terran 4 (Derek Duke, Glenn Stafford, Neal Acree, Russell Brower, Sascha Dikiciyan, Cris Velasco)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YfQjho2IOk&list=PL96A1D3209ECD24F0&index=25
(I have no idea why the forum turned the first 5 links into embeds, but not the rest)
Red Alert 2 - Hell March 2 (Frank Klepacki)
Jazz Jackrabbit 2 - Frolick Lane (Alexander Brandon) (shame on Epic for not re-releasing this game on current consoles!!)
Heroes of Might and Magic 4 - Preserve (Paul Anthony Romero, Rob King, Steve Baca)
Fallout 2 - Vats of Goo (Mark Morgan)
The Last of Us - The Last of Us (Gustavo Santaolalla)
Astro Bot Rescue Mission - Discotree (Kenneth M C Young)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy5kQD1miJw&list=PL4jUFKwCCT34wnO_0NHIM0ErPyCvHayA6&index=6
Killing Floor 2 - Collapsing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLD3dV2eGjc&list=PLN4BZK1a5htWLcVwPPcvph5mHbUYmwsAf&index=23
Diablo II Tristam (Matt Uelmen)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XheJnmLAwhk&list=PLDncyqgTM9PIzmAoi_rgWBUXvrtdTiKFb&index=5
StarCraft 2 - Terran 4 (Derek Duke, Glenn Stafford, Neal Acree, Russell Brower, Sascha Dikiciyan, Cris Velasco)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YfQjho2IOk&list=PL96A1D3209ECD24F0&index=25
(I have no idea why the forum turned the first 5 links into embeds, but not the rest)
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A ton of iconic / outstanding soundtracks are going to be missing from a very short list of 8, from most things Jeremy Soule, Alexander Brandon & Inon Zur to Kiril Pokrovsky's last work before he died (Divinity Original Sin 1) going way back to half the old DOS-era LucasArts point & click games (jazzy Sam & Max, etc), to the weirder side of The Neverhood's "The Gargling Drummer" (link) to Planescape Torment's "Morte's Theme" (link). Some memorable soundtracks even came with a bonus Audio CD containing tracks that weren't even in the game (still got my No One Lives Forever's "In The Lounge" CD somewhere)...
It was a crime that Command and Conquer: Red Alert and Heroes of Might and Magic 2 was overlooked!
Back in the day after Doom came DESCENT! 1 then 2 with it's awesome cd soundtrack with Type O Negative and skinny puppy. That cd rocked.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UGGojdnjSc
O and don't forget Quake1& 2, those cds rocked also.
O and don't forget Quake1& 2, those cds rocked also.
mr5elfd3struct
Posts: 19 +10
Quake......message ends
We're guilty of not adding this kind of comment at the end of the article, but we've added it now to invite you to share your own favorites. Great job @bviktor @LetTheWookieWin and others that have already done so!
Farkinell
Posts: 245 +399
Another vote for Red Alert or Red Alert 2 (Hell March specifically) - that intro with the Soviet Invasion, I’m not sure 14 year old me could’ve been more pumped to start an RTS!
Shout out to the Mass Effect 2 soundtrack of which there were several. Listening to the Long Walk and Infiltration during the Suicide Mission always gets me.
Avro Arrow
Posts: 3,721 +4,821
You know, one game that has some pretty awesome music is Godfall. The game itself isn't great (it's good, not great) but the musical score is fantastic and sounds like it was done by an orchestra.
Honestly though, I don't think that anything can beat the musical scores from games that were based on the Playstation 2. Back then, they were actually trying to make the music great because, you know, Sony.
Honestly though, I don't think that anything can beat the musical scores from games that were based on the Playstation 2. Back then, they were actually trying to make the music great because, you know, Sony.
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corrosive23
Posts: 57 +92
You typed minecraft when you mean to type Duke Nukem 3d.
EClyde
Posts: 2,404 +950
Well, It's Europe.
Superconductor
Posts: 287 +342
Quake II music was the smashiest !
Stingy McDuck
Posts: 300 +268
Unreal (1998) music was great. And Deus Ex Human Revolution had good tunes too.
Doppleganger3333
Posts: 9 +10
Morrowind
Dungeon Siege
Oblivion
Far Cry 5
Dungeon Siege
Oblivion
Far Cry 5
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