Welcome to Fandom’s totally subjective list of the best video game music of the month! Let’s face it, there are a lot of games out there with great soundtracks that slip through the cracks. That’s still gonna happen, but we’re here to make sure it happens a little less!
With some notable, armor-clad, magic-wielding exceptions, April was kind of a slow month in terms of big AAA releases. Thanks to that, we get to take a look at the tunes from some more under-the-radar games. Enjoy!
Dark Souls III
“Pontiff Sulyvahn”
Yuka Kitamura
The alleged final chapter in the Dark Souls series, Dark Souls III goes all out, with one of the best soundtracks of the year. The production sounds so much more massive than the original Demons’s Souls, with the haunting choirs and somber strings soaring over the timpanis. Some of the boss themes even feature melodic elements from the previous games’ boss themes, a very cool touch.
DiRT Rally
“Watching the Wind”
Reporter
DiRT Rally takes a different approach than the licensed soundtracks of its predecessors for a more relaxed, downbeat series of electronic tunes. It’s a great fit and dodges the usual licensed soundtrack problems of the songs getting old quickly or overwhelming the gameplay. While some of the tracks were composed by Stuart Ross, we’ve highlighted a track by reporter here.
Enter the Gungeon
“LEAD LORDS KEEP”
Doseone
Enter the Gungeon is the latest from Devolver Digital, who published the Hotline Miami games, cementing them as possessors of the legendary Good Music Taste™. Gungeon’s OST, done by Doseone, of anticon fame, is a brisk chip-tuney jaunt that occasionally clashes with some more moody choral and string sounds.
Skullgirls 2nd Encore
“Pick of the Litter”
Brenton Kossak & Blaine McGurty
While Skullgirls has technically been out for years, I’ll take this month’s release on Vita as an excuse to post the awesome character select tune, “Pick of the Litter.” The game’s jazzy noir OST is super unique and filled with great tracks. Highly recommended.
Ratchet & Clank
“Planet Aridia (Fortress)”
Michael Bross
Featuring new versions of previous Ratchet & Clank tunes, this snippet from PS4’s Ratchet & Clank blends symphonic cues and electronic flourish super smoothly. You can almost hear the assuredly high production cost at work, and this wouldn’t sound out of place in the new movie either.
The Banner Saga 2
“More Stars Tonight than Last Night”
Austin Wintory
The much-anticipated sequel to 2014’s hit tactical RPG, The Banner Saga 2 arrives with its beautiful trademark style intact and a stirring new soundtrack. Perfect for any somber Viking funerals you may have planned in the near future!
Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge
“Bowser”
Composer unknown
With a nice compact title that rolls right off the tongue, Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge is a downloadable minigame for the Wii U and New 3DS. It leans pretty heavily on amiibo usage to get the most out of the game, but it features some fun remixes of a lot of classic Nintendo tracks. Definitely worth a listen for OCRemix and Nintendo fans.
Did we miss any of your favorites from this month’s releases? Let us know @getfandom on Twitter by using #NotoriousBGM!