With some of the earliest video games, music became an essential part of the experience, working to evoke certain emotions that other aspects of game design often could not due to technical limitations. Modern games have innovated both in the realm of sound design and score, as well as other areas, so music sometimes doesn’t necessarily play as pivotal a role as it once did. Music can be a subtle addition that complements the gameplay experience, or it can act as a focal point to the experience that heightens the emotion even further than expected. 2021 emphasizes both ends of that spectrum with a ton of fantastic examples of great video game soundtracks.
2021 may have been a strange year for games to some fans, but in terms of impeccable soundtracks and scores, this year presented a ton of variety. An impressive spread of AAA and indie titles showcased a ton of musical styles and themes that stood out this year, all to varying degrees of prominence in each title. Frenetic surf-rock-fusion plays in the background ofDeathloopto heighten the excitement of each gunfight, while mysterious, chaos-infused electronic music elevates the uneasy atmosphere throughoutthe exploration of ZDR inMetroid Dread. Some of the most impressive video game soundtracks came from 2021’s biggest games.
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The Artful Escape
Rightfully so,The Artful Escapedeserves to be honored as one of 2021’s best video game soundtracks because of how intrinsic music is to the identity of the adventure. Originally conceived by Johnny Galvatron, frontman for the band “The Galvatrons,“The Artful Escapebegan as a sonically-inclined indie platformerwith a failed Kickstarter.
Annapurna Interactive picked up the title to publish it, and the psychedelic platformer impressed many indie fans with its prog-rock soundtrack that emulated Galvatron’s emotional journey from musician to game developer.The Artful Escape’s journey is deeply personal, exploring an artist’s spiritual journey as they attempt to live beyond their uncle’s shadow as a famous folk musician. The game’s soundtrack evokes feelings of cosmic discovery aptly, weaving together elements of rock music with various electronic melodies that combine with the spiritually cosmic art style and atmosphere. The game’s soundtrack is as insane a trip as the game’s narrative is, and better for it.
Deathloop
Fusing jazz influences and 60s rock with modern instrumentation and production,Deathloop’s score perfectly complements the retro-futuristic settingand action of the game. Colt’s journey through the titular groundhog day plays out a lot like aJames Bondfilm on LSD, emphasized by the psychedelic rock influence on the soundtrack. A mix of stylistic vocal songs, along with funky pulse-pounding instrumental themes, elevate the strange atmosphere of Blackreef.Deathloop’s score is full of earworm melodies that are always just a bit off-kilter, drawing from spy thrillers and action movies from the past to accentuate the game’s theme excellently.
Deltarune
Toby Fox has already become a known quantity in video game orchestration thanks to his incredibleUndertalesoundtrack, and he shows no sign of stopping with the music ofDeltarune. With Chapter 2’s release this year, the nostalgic and complex chiptune orchestrations ofDeltarunecontinue to iterate on the fantasticUndertale-esque sound with the new game’s JRPG-like presentation and atmosphere. Variance in character and setting themes, the reliance on consistent work with leitmotifs, all culminate in creating a familiar sound of which the composer is known for, while also givingDeltarunea unique sound that elevates Kris' hero’s journeyas it continues to unfold.
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights
In the quietermoments of theEnder Lilies: Quietus of the Knightssoundtrack, various somber piano melodies pair with vocals that evoke a childlike innocence to emphasize an overbearing feeling of tragedy. In a similar vein toUndertale, this gloomy fantasy Metroidvania utilizes the leitmotif of Lily’s theme throughout the soundtrack, spliced between original orchestrations for overworld and boss themes. Battle themes in particular are whereEnder Lilies’score experiments the most: There’s an impressive mix of striking percussion and dramatic strings, harrowing solo piano themes, and even modernistic synth melodies like the “Helplessness” theme. All of which culminate in underscoringEnder Lilies' grim journey through its dark fantasy world.
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
Dramatizing the conflict of a tenuous courtroom in video game form, theAce Attorneyseries has had plenty of iconic character and court themes throughout its 20-year run so far. The distinctly Japanese caricatures of the series all have iconic moments throughout the series, andThe Great Ace Attorney Chroniclesis certainly no different.
However, the soundtrack for the latest entry adopts a more fantastic sound to matchThe Great Ace Attorney Chronicles' Victorian-esque setting. What sets it apart, however, are the distinctly Japanese-esque string melodies that inter-spliced between European harpsichord sections. The interwoven music influences are meant to emphasize the main character’s displacement in an unfamiliar land. BringingAce Attorney’s signature sound into a Victorian setting makes this soundtrack stand out from other games in the series in a big way.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Perhaps the most striking soundtrack of 2021, theKena: Bridge of Spiritsscore is incredibly unique because of the story behind it. In producing the game’s soundtrack, composer Jason Gallaty reached out to the Gamelan Cudamani ensemble group to work on the game, injecting traditional Indonesian orchestration into the game. Melodic percussion comes courtesy of the live performance of the Gamelan Çudamani, arranged by Gallaty throughoutKena: Bridge of Spirits. This resulted in the merging of traditional sounds with contemporary orchestration to create a memorable soundtrack that resonates withthe themes of spirituality inKena: Bridge of Spirits.
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Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Any proper adaptation ofthe iconicGuardians of the GalaxyMarvel heroesneeds to feature an iconic classic rock sound, butMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxygoes above and beyond. Eidos Montreal’sGuardians of the Galaxytakes a three-pronged approach to its soundtrack: An original orchestral score, licensed classic rock music from the 70s and 80s, as well as an original “Star-Lord” band and album.
Together, all three create an exciting trichotomy of unique sounds that makesGuardians of the Galaxystand out. The licensed music is iconic and recognizable, while the original score helps give the Guardians a traditional hero’s theme to ramp up the intensity in more serious moments. That being said, the original album produced specifically for the game fromthe fictional “Star-Lord” band is the star of the game’s soundtrack. Even if it’s charmingly cheesy, producing an original rock albumalongsidea score and licensed music makes the game’s soundtrack iconic.
Metroid Dread
In name alone,Metroid Dreadsets expectations for the gameplay experience pretty early, but the score does a great job of hammering home its titular feeling. A deep uneasiness is emphasized by the irregular and chaotic orchestration played in every new area of ZDR that Samus explores. Whether it’s the ambiance that’s in the background while players wander through Artaria, or one of thehorror-inducing and pulse-pounding E.M.M.I. chase themes,Metroid Dread’s soundtrack does a perfect job of making the player feel uneasy. It’s not exactly the type of soundtrack to listen to recreationally, but it sets the uncomfortable and scary tone forMetroid Dreadartfully.
Narita Boy
For a game bent on emulating the early80s world of gaming, Salvinsky’s original score forNarita Boyis an incredible retro wave throwback that perfectly complements the game’s aesthetic. As a retro-futuristic platformer complete with blurry resolution and digital gridlines,Narita Boy’s soundtrack was clearly inspired by the popular synthwave genre of music. Harkening back to 80s electronic music, with punchy synths and high BPM that resemble the scores of films likeBlade Runner, there isn’t a single track in the score that seems out of place.
NEO: The World Ends with You
Following up on the original game over a decade later, it makes sense thatNEO: The World Ends with You’s soundtrack is just as stylishand anime-esque as the first entry was. The J-pop and punk rock fusion across the entire track list, alongside dedicated vocals on nearly every track, makesNEO: The World Ends with You’ssoundtrack sound extremely over-the-top. That in turn makes it very distinct compared to every other game soundtrack released this year, even in comparison to other anime-inspired JRPGs that were released throughout 2021.
