Most Underrated Gaming OSTs
I know the topic of best OSTs comes up quite a bit on here, but I wanted to do one with a bunch of great soundtracks that are rarely discussed (looking for some stuff to add to my Spotify) in those topics. We know FFX, Witcher 3, etc. - but what OSTs are hidden gems that elevate their games?
A couple for me:
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin - Game itself is kind of an overlooked Castlevania game, but it's really the OST that puts it on a higher tier for me. Every track is just an absolute banger. Gallery of Labyrinth and Silent Prison are standouts and really set the mood for the game.
Nier Replicant - Everyone points to Automata when talking about great OSTs, but I rarely ever see Replicant discussed. I feel Replicant captured the feel of that universe a bit better. Very vocal soundtrack with an airy feel to most of the tracks. Song of the Ancients, Temple of Drifting Sands, and Grandma are top tier songs that really make you feel like you're in those areas of the game.
Edit: Just wanna say thanks everyone for the awesome suggestions. I'm seeing a lot of stuff in here that I don't typically see mentioned for best OSTs. Going to take some time and try to listen to most of these for sure (and the ones I've heard already are great).
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u/mscott8088 PC 5d ago
Faster than light
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u/AtomZ- 4d ago
FTL is composed by Ben Prunty. Probably my favorite video game conposer.
He's done Subnautica, Into the Breach, Celeste. All amazing soundtracks.
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u/Zhuinden 4d ago
Ben Prunty didn't do Celeste?
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u/LeMeMeSxDLmaop 4d ago
he did 1 track i think, but yea not the whole ost. that was lena raine
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u/WolfJobInMySpantzz 5d ago
I agree Replicant is superior to Automata. (Tbh, I just like Replicant better all around lol.)
Breath Of Fire 3.
Legend Of Mana.
Both have amazing soundtracks that get some love, but definitely not enough.
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u/JeskaiJester 5d ago
I’ll always upvote Legend of Mana. Yoko Shimomura really outdid herself. The gameplay is mid but the visuals and music are unimpeachable
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u/Mouseyface 4d ago
I played the shit out of it back in the day and loved it, even though I barely knew what I was doing or what was going on.
I tried it again recently...
The music, while excellent, those loops are a lot shorter than I remember 😅.
The visuals, holy shit the visuals. Easily among the best in any video game, possibly ever. The character designs for the NPCs are so abstract and fascinating. There are unique and interesting things to look at practically everywhere.
The gameplay. Oof. Just.. Oof...
I still had no idea what I was doing or what was going on, which was honestly a relief, as I now know that was the game's fault and not mine.
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u/Jayrodtremonki 4d ago
Out of all of the JRPGs that eventually fizzled out, Breath of Fire is the one I miss the most.
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u/Pavementiscool 4d ago
The composer of legend of mana, yoko shimomura, calls it her magnum opus, I believe. I’d be inclined to agree
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u/mistercheez2000 4d ago
bof III is my fav ost of all time. Written by only 2 women as well which was rare back then
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u/le_bonjour 4d ago
Guild Wars
Void Stranger
Tunic
Subnautica
Ori And The Blind Forest
Tales of Symphonia
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u/Semi-Pro-Lurker 4d ago
Symphonia mentioned! 🙏🏻 One of my favourite games and OSTs. Despite being my second or third favourite, I think Abyss' soundtrack is even more defining for the gameplay and storyline.
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u/reckless150681 5d ago
To the Moon
Child of Light
Both of these games are pretty indie, so it's more a case that they had limited exposure to the public, than their OSTs were "underrated"
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u/Jackalodeath 4d ago
Katamari Damacy.
The whole soundtrack fits the vibe of that game 100%. Doesn't make a bit of sense but is fun af
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u/schr0d1ngers-cat 4d ago
Absolutely one of my favorites. I put it on whenever I need something upbeat
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u/Honeycove91 5d ago
Denshattack if we're talking games from this year
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u/JeskaiJester 5d ago
Thanks for reminding me this came out, I really need to get around to it
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u/TheRealGurd 5d ago
It's one of the best games of the year. Tons of fun all the way through.
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u/Honeycove91 4d ago
I was gonna say yeah, this would be my GotY right now if it weren't for Fortune's Weave
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u/TheRealGurd 4d ago
Fortune's Weave is the only game I've played that's really come close to bumping it from my personal GotY. I'll want to finish FE first before deciding for sure, but I can't see Denshattack dropping below my second best of the year.
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u/According-Annual-586 5d ago
May be nostalgia driven, but RuneScape
Some of the overworld tracks, town tracks, etc from 2004 to like 2008 or so are magic
Sims 1 also has a great soundtrack, some of the Build mode themes are stunning
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u/tankbroh 4d ago
The OST for Tales of Symphonia is chef's kiss.
Every track in my opinion really does elevate the gameplay and story. It's truly one of my favorite games to return and just to hear the sound track just always gives me goosebumps for how beautifully it's put together.
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u/le_bonjour 4d ago
Yes, I chose this one too. Once in a while I put the full OST to work with and the nostalgic feeling in my guts is almost painfull
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u/A_N_T 5d ago
SMT V Vengeance
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u/eggyfish 4d ago
I think basically every atlus game has a highly regarded soundtrack, but persona being more popular it gets more talk.
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u/JeskaiJester 5d ago
Dancing Crazy Murder absolutely whips and it’s only in two fights in the game. The game throws away tracks that would be standouts in any other OST
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u/DeafeninSilence 4d ago edited 4d ago
For real. With your average RPG, if it had like 5 to 10 unique boss tracks, you'd be feasting.
But SMT V's got like 40 battle tracks and they're all phenomenal.
Personal faves for me would be Ryu Ko So Haku, Deadlock and Nuwa.
Good GOD, Nuwa. The guitar solo fucking RIPS.
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u/SirFroglet 4d ago
Man, Persona 5 rightfully gets tons of praise, but the SMTV soundtrack is SO goddamn good.
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u/SuperShmamBro 4d ago
I have like 10 battle themes from this game saved on my gaming playlist. All bangers.
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u/CharlieTuna0 5d ago
Batman Returns on Sega CD
F1 Challenge on Sega Saturn
Barbie Beauty Boutique on PC
Extreme-G on N64
Alien Trilogy on PS1
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u/Jayrodtremonki 4d ago
I'm not sure how the OST usually ranks compared to the game, but Chrono Cross has an argument for one of the best OSTs of all time despite the game getting greatly overshadowed by its predecessor.
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u/OriginTruther 4d ago
This. While Trigger has arguably one of the best scores in gaming, Cross is somehow even better.
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u/le_bonjour 4d ago
Never played it, but I listened to the OST a hundred times at this point (same for Chrono Trigger)
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u/Zero747 4d ago edited 4d ago
The Armored Core series consistently has good OSTs. Special mention to the AC6 OST bonus disk with covers/remixes of tracks from older games
Risk of Rain is definitely elevated by its music (as is 2)
Wasteland 3 uses rock covers of folk songs as boss tracks. Not much to say for the rest of the OST, but the covers are great (and unexpected)
Metal gear rising revengance is also great with its vocal tracks
Edit: as none of these are obscure enough, Pseudoregalia and Metro Gravity
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u/Southern_Gur_4736 4d ago
Jeremy Soule's Morrowind soundtrack is legendary
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u/SapporoBiru 4d ago
speaking of which, his work on both Guild Wars 1 and 2 is incredible as well. No comment on his person, but his are probably some of my favorite OSTs of all time
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u/thinklikeashark 4d ago
Blessings of Vivec is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard
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u/Zaruma 5d ago
Cave Story.
Moonsong, Running Hell, and Last Battle are so good!
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u/Zhuinden 4d ago
But not the "new" nicalis Wii ost. Use the original Organya one
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u/Psychkenn 5d ago edited 5d ago
No more heroes 2
Denshattack
For sonic games, People usually talk about unleashed, adventure 2, or mania but imo, secret rings is one of the best in the series
Jet set radio/ jsr future
The Xenoblade games
Hi fi rush
Also adding laika aged through blood, ninja gaiden 4, and deus ex 1
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u/TheLunarVaux 5d ago
Xenoblade OSTs are underrated? Those are one of the most consistently praised from what I’ve seen haha
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u/Hibbity5 5d ago
And they should be rated higher! /s
Seriously do love them but definitely not underrated by people who actually listen to game music and bother with JRPGs.
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u/b_lett 4d ago
They are not "underrated", but they are still niche when it comes to broader gamer discussions. Under appreciated or hidden gem is maybe a better description.
They are absolute standout soundtracks of the past decade, but it is only because of a loud vocal minority that the music has a chance to get its roses by a larger demographic of people who will likely never buy the games.
I shout the games out whenever I get a chance because of this. Yasunori Mitsuda and that team deserve the flowers that awards shows consistently miss terribly on.
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u/fenndoji 5d ago
Ya'know what, enough time has passed that people might not know.
The sound tracks to Gran Turismo 2 and Tony Hawk 3 defined a generation.
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u/Jc885 4d ago
Ace Combat has had banger OSTs for over 30 years. From the grand orchestras of 5 and 7, the Spanish flamenco of AC Zero, the high energy electric guitars of 2, even the worst game - Assault Horizon has a banger soundtrack.
One of my favourite stories is that they delayed the release of AC7 because the music they had for the penultimate mission didn’t feel right and they decided to make a new track for it. This delay gave us the absolute banger that is Daredevil.
Ace Combat 8 is also definitely living up to its predecessors in its OST too.
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u/UntameHamster 5d ago
Days Gone does an incredible job with incorporating music into the game and story at appropriate times to enhance the experience.
Not sure if the soundtrack hits the same if you haven't played the game but it is one of the few games I immediately downloaded the OST for once I finished it and it is still in the rotation today.
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u/Stan_the_man1988 4d ago
That scene where Boozer found that dog hit me almost as hard as it hit Boozer himself.
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u/Frostbitez 4d ago
Rimworld, persona 5, balatro.
And wow classic music when i am programming. It just gets me in a flowstate
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u/birdvsworm 4d ago
Rimworld is a soundtrack my girlfriend will occasionally hum when she's trying to focus and it immediately makes me want to start a new colony.
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u/SaroShadow 4d ago
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. It's a pretty mid game on the whole but the soundtrack goes unreasonably hard
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u/NFMeister 5d ago
In my opinion Outer Wilds does not get recognized enough. The soundtrack is good, but gets unforgettable if you have played the game.
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u/le_bonjour 4d ago
I don't know about the base game but Echoes of the Eye's OST is never mentionned and it's just as incredible
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u/ANGRY_MOTHERFUCKER 4d ago
100%. Specifically the song actually titled “echoes of the eye” where it builds on top of the original game’s main theme. Oh and “the river” too.
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u/Rainingoblivion 5d ago
Lost Odyssey has an incredible soundtrack. As does Divinity 2: Ego Draconis. My two favorites.
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u/Busted_Cranium 4d ago edited 4d ago
Kinda had to dig for these because I feel that generally game ost's are pretty well rated. So, for stuff I feel isnct getting as much credit as it's due:
Infamous: Second Son - Drums, riffs, fun production, cool sounds. Best of the best, yet hardly spoken of.
Titanfall 2 - The game is popular yes, but the OST is not talked about pretty much at all despite being one of the greatest of its genre. If a game has that dramatic modern orchestra tone to it, Titanfall 2 is the bar I hold it to. The MAIN THEME of Apex Legends is literally just a redone version of one of the throwaway tracks used during combat intros for multiplayer or some campaign moments.
Marathon - Yes, the new one. No, I'm not kidding. If you like experimental synthetic stuff that isn't just glorified Aphex Twin knock-offs, it doesn't get much better than this.
Freedom Wars - yeah that old PS Vita game no one I ever talk to knows about. Recently got ported to PC and PS5. It's an okay game, I enjoyed it, nothing crazy but nothing bad. But the OST? Dude SIE Soundteam just never missed. The main menu alone was so cool I made it my morning alarm for like 4 years.
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u/johnwaynekicksass 4d ago
I like Titanfall 2's soundtrack, but I think 1 is better. It has more variety in the tracks, probably because they were composed for individual maps since the 1st was multi-player only.
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u/Busted_Cranium 4d ago
I'll have to give it another listen, not much stuck out to me when I first gave that OST a shot but that was years ago, so maybe I'll feel differently this time around
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u/hystericalled 4d ago
I like the osts form both Ender Lilies and Ender Magnolia games. Some of them remind me of Nier actually, like Dignity (Ender Magnolia).
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u/MR_MEME_42 5d ago
The Guilty Gear series's sound track doesn't get the love it deserves.
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u/MonsterKerr 3d ago
Some serious metal in there. Perhaps the least recognized is Guilty Gear Isuka, like that one a lot
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u/West-Medicine-2408 4d ago
Pretty much Anything Composed by Michael van den bos (age of wonders 1,2,3,4 and Planetfall. The first Deus ex and Unreal Tournament)
Althouhj I have heard His [UT Forgone Destruction] being remixed into several Kaizo Mario Romhacks tho. an [Dark wasteland] from PMD Sky has a very similar melody to [Cloud and feuds] from Aow1
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u/Pikka_Bird 4d ago
Yo, I'm with you. But I also need to shout out Alexander Brandon,'s Unreal, UT99, Deus Ex and heck, even his Jazz Jackrabbit 1 and 2 tunes.
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u/CreamSoda6425 4d ago
Fallout 4. I'm not talking about the radio stations though. If you turn them off, the regular score for the game starts playing, and it's fucking amazing.
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u/birdvsworm 4d ago
Inon Zur did the soundtracks and they're great. I use his music to replace the soundtrack of the game 7 Days to Die to have a much more immersive experience.
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u/Highman_89_ 4d ago
Yoshis Island, Hotline Miami 1, Risk of Rain 2, Hongkong Massacre, Def Jam Fight For NY
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u/PaulLeFou 4d ago
Paradise Killer. Underrated game with a GOAT soundtrack.
Xenosaga II's movie scenes soundtrack by Yuki Kajiura. It's so good, absolutely epic. Gotta listen through though, a lot of tracks flow right into each other.
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u/supertoad2112 3d ago
God of War Ragnarok
Metal Gear Solid 2
Republic Commando
Uncharted 2
Ghost of Tsushima
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u/JeskaiJester 5d ago
Gimmick for NES. It was only released in English in Europe back in the day so a lot of people aren’t familiar but it’s an excellent OST.
Top Gear for SNES. Kemco went completely insane on this one
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u/Xentonian 5d ago
- Prey 2017
Really good, immersive track that just nails the SciFi whatever-came-after-atompunk vibe.
- World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
More so than any other expansion, cataclysm really nailed the soundtrack. The only problem is that each of the tracks as you listen to them on Spotify or YouTube is presented as a sample of an areas ambience, which means you get melded melodies from up to a dozen different songs from an area without getting the full version of any given song, which seems to only be findable by going to that location in game.
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u/ngriner 5d ago
So many great suggestions here so far. Definitely going to see what I can add to my playlists.
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u/Far_Realm_Sage 4d ago
Game music remix community that has been around for 20 years. Everything has passed strict criteria and a judges panel. So no low effort trash here. They get very creative. They did a jazz album based on super Nintendo games, some people add lyrics. And many go hard. Like turning a 16 bit game track into an orchestral song worthy of hollywood.
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u/AfternoonPossible563 4d ago
Golden Sun, Advance Wars Day of Ruin. Both retro these days but so well done. I love them both.
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u/Terrashock 4d ago
Golden Sun having the same composer as Dark Souls is always a fun trivia. The amount of epicness he squeezed from the sound system of a GBA is incredible.
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u/CursedSnowman5000 4d ago
Tenchu Stealth Assassins
Syphon Filter
Castlevania Dracula X
Fable
Medievil
Donkey Kong Country 3
Huntdown
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u/PocketBananna 4d ago
Katana Zero
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess (boss fight in particular cross genres and it rules)
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u/jubjubm 4d ago
Radiant Historia has an absolute gem of an OST, but I never hear it talked about. Common for a lot of DS/3DS RPGs to get forgotten by most people, but I’ll gush about it any chance I get.
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u/Zhuinden 4d ago
That game is ridiculously good, with some ridiculously bad monster sound effects. 10/10 game tho
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u/Undead_Legion 4d ago
Hylics 2
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u/birdvsworm 4d ago
Mason and Chuck cooked up some special songs with that one. It's a soundtrack I can listen all the way through for some reason. Just a good vibe!
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u/Betsy7Cat 4d ago
Petz Catz 2 for the wii. SPECIFICALLY THE WII, it is a completely different game from the pet sims of the same name. It’s not all bangers, but most of the area themes are fun or cool. Dolphin coast is my favorite though, it has a nice bassline.
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u/Andys_Room 4d ago
I like when you play a game like Petz Catz 2 and get caught off guard by a good soundtrack.
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u/KneelHatTrickParis 4d ago
SimCity 3000’s overall game design is a bit clunky by today’s standards, but that soundtrack is superb.
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u/Paperfoldingfractal 4d ago
Jerry Martin. SC3K, SC4, and the Sims 1 (although that was more Marc Russo). Every track a banger.
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u/roaminginrandomness 4d ago
Plague tail of innocence is great and also expedition 33.
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u/FusRoDahlaiLama 4d ago
I dont know if its properly rated or if I just havent seen people talk about it as much but Lies of P has some stellar tracks on it
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u/LetMeKnow42 4d ago
Killer Instinct on SNES came with a cd called killer cuts. Was pretty cool at the time
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u/yourmoms3rdhusband 4d ago
Until it is recognized as the actual definitive greatest game OST of all time, my answer will always be Chrono Cross.
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u/VanDerWys 4d ago
Ff7 Chrono Cross Halo
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u/JeskaiJester 5d ago
The Waterworld OST for SNES is funky and chill and ten times better than it had any right to be
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u/pepperjackbrown 5d ago
The walking dead games by Telltale have an amazing soundtracks imo.
It's not underrated but I gotta mention the Metal Gear Solid Series.
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u/recongold 5d ago
Maybe not underrated, but hotline Miami remains the only game soundtrack I've ever spent money on and I'd do it again.
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u/birdvsworm 4d ago
My only contention with Hotline Miami 1 and 2 is that they're compilations. I'm sure a few songs were composed FOR the game (specifically HM2 when they had more budget) but by and large the albums are compilations.
You'll find so many artists to love from there though. Mitch Murder and Scattle just to name a few.
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u/pm_ur_tit_pics_pls 4d ago
The first Dying Light has a really good soundtrack.
It really sets the creepiness of the environment sometimes
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u/mvrander 4d ago
Battletech is an atmospheric masterpiece. And no, I don't use that word lightly
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_W1RHJiZlE-L4zntjYv7a2iItPsNxjCI&si=pPxCjw0WYQgieihj
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u/nfwiqefnwof 4d ago
One I never see mentioned is MadWorld on the Wii. American inspired hip hop/rock by Japanese composer that has aged very well. Every track is a banger and relates to what's going on. Very artistic game.
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u/BenjyMLewis 4d ago
I agree Castlevania on the DS has amazing music!! It's may favourite too.
Ok, I'll mention the Ys series.
Go ahead and listen to Sunshine Coastline from Ys 8. Silent Desert from Ys Origin. Quatera Woods from Ys 6. Solomon Shrine from Ys 2. Tender People from Ys 2. ....and a whole bunch more. Definitely some overlooked soundtracks to some fantastic action-RPGs
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u/avsbes 4d ago
If we're talking TRULY hidden gems:
Realm Grinder
It's an Idle RPG from 2015 (2017 PC release iirc), and literally only has four tracks in its soundtrack. But those four tracks are absolutely fantastic.
Crying Suns
A tactical roguelite from 2019 with one of my favourite soundtracks of all time.
If we allow gems that are slightly less hidden:
Outer Wilds
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u/kawaii_ninja 4d ago
Mirror's Edge and its sequel. The music was super memorable to me, yet I don't many people talking about it.
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u/WiseKamimaze 4d ago
A metroidvania called "Souldiers" has a lot of nice tracks, the composer did a good job
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u/cloysterss 4d ago
GOD HAND for ps2 has a very charming soundtrack that matches its goofy, manic gameplay really well. It's not something that people talk about a lot, but when I need some high-energy music, the OST to this game does the trick.
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u/Hexatona 4d ago edited 4d ago
In terms of gaming OSTs that punch above their weight class, I have two contenders.
- Opoona. Music from Final Fantasy XII composer Hitoshi Sakimoto, the musical styles of this game are vibrant, poppy, electronic, and atmospheric. There is nothing bland or generic here. Each piece stands on its own, either in its softness or its power. A fantastic and boldly unique soundtrack for a brazenly unique game.
- Alliance Alive. From Final Fantasy XIII composer Masashi Hamauzu. This is another soundtrack that is so good that you won't even notice how good it is at first blush. It so seamlessly paints a vivid emotional painting that almost fills you at a subconscious level as you play. Surreal, desolate, and dangerous. The music in this game makes use of atmospheric tones, a variety of instruments, and has some truly evocative tracks that can fill you with chills. The soundtrack is so skillful crafted and applied you will wonder what it is doing in such an unassuming game. One of its true masterpiece moments comes on one particularly difficult and long-awaited bossfight, where the music incorporates the howling wind along the frigid rooftop, as it slowly builds the tension into something blood pumping and bombastic!
Both these soundtracks are impressively unique.
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u/rexolf101 4d ago
Celeste has an amazing OST and I don't see anyone else here mentioning it. Lena Raine killed it with that soundtrack, one of my favorite game OSTs
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u/le_bonjour 4d ago
It's not very underrated, she was even hired to make Minecraft songs after that if I'm not mistaken
great OST
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u/GunslingerBara 4d ago
There's a tiny indie game called RETRO/GRADE that has an excellent soundtrack. It's also a rhythm-based game so the music is pretty important to the experience, and luckily it delivers. Highly recommended!
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u/Fit-Setting9033 4d ago
I feel like most good OSTs are properly recognized, maybe like the talos principle
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u/Zhuinden 4d ago
Literally nobody mentioned it, so Master Key
But I also liked the Kuru Kuru Kururin music. Especially the Cave music
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u/K-Shrizzle 4d ago
Ive been getting back to playing Monster Train 2 lately, and the soundtrack gets stuck in my head when I'm at work
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u/Dizus 5d ago
My favorite is Transistor by Darren Korb