Hello and welcome back to the blog posts where I discuss the best of the best, a playlist which is still big enough to require splitting into three parts! As you can probably guess, my general soundtracks playlist is somewhat enormous, a design choice which makes listening on shuffle a delightfully unpredictable experience.
When we left off I’d revealed my favourite Skyrim soundtrack, but the Elder Scrolls isn’t done being represented here! Not by far. I’m a quite a fan of Elder Scrolls Online, you see, and they’ve had a number of expansions since launch.
Runner up: The Towers Cast Long Shadows
The best part about an MMO’s soundtrack is that it’s brimming with atmosphere. Moons of Evening Star in particular sends me back to the many hours of exploring the larger world of Tamriel for the first time, becoming familiar with places never before seen in the Elder Scrolls games but often written of in the game’s many books. I can almost picture my Dark Elf Sorcerer stopping for a rest somewhere amidst the ashen hills of Stonefalls as this plays. I love it!
Runner up: A Land of War and Poetry
I never got to play Morrowind when it was a, erm, modern RPG, and I absolutely cannot get into it now – I’ve tried, several times. And I know there’s thousands of elitist TES III fans who would cry out to hear me say this, but ESO fulfilled my desire to explore Morrowind’s island of Vvardenfell. It’s one of the best times I’ve had in ESO, and was the closest the game has ever felt to a traditional Elder Scrolls game to me, insofar as I was highly immersed in the quest and world design. Grazelands Dawn, then, was a very prominent soundtrack in and around the outdoor zone of Vvardenfell, and I associate it with some of my best memories in the game. Plus, even I can tell it’s a throwback to TES III itself!
Runner up: Dusk Song of the High Elves
Okay, so login music feels like an easy choice, right? But that doesn’t make it the wrong one. It’s great both in context and without. In context, it’s the music you associate with an entire year of ESO, with that entire expansion, and it’s one I happen to like. Out of context, it’s a track which with a lot of elements; it has some of the zone’s peaceful atmosphere, and some of the story’s battle theme, composed in a way which gives a sense of adventure.
Runner up: The Two-Moons Dance
More login music! I’m continually impressed at the multitude of ways they manage to alter the original Elder Scrolls theme to fit whichever corner of Tamriel wins the year’s story. As with Summerset before it, this soundtrack has many elements of the Elsweyr chapter as a whole. And while I admit that the story and land of Elsweyr didn’t grip my quite as thoroughly as the preceding expansions, the music certainly didn’t fail to form a vital part of thematic zone cohesion, which is totally a game design term and not something I just came up with on the spot.
That’s all for ESO, for now, as Greymoor has yet to be released! Onto another Blizzard franchise.
Okay… confession time. I’ve never played Diablo II. But that Rogue theme is ICONIC. It is so masterful at evoking that spooky, dark-fantasy feel of the Diablo franchise and has assuredly inspired many ARPG soundtracks in the years since. I hear not only the obvious Diablo III soundtrack coming from this, but also a lot of Torchlight’s atmosphere (which sadly doesn’t seem to have been released). But enough fanboying, I suppose I should move us on to a game I actually have played…
Runner up: And the Heavens Shall Tremble
Twang. Twang Twang. The first time I played Diablo III was as a demo on the PS3, and I was immediately struck by the evocative and flavourful music that was New Tristram. If Blizzard know how to do one thing, it is to craft a world with atmosphere, and the soundtrack is vital to making that craft a success. New Tristram has dark fantasy gloom in spades. It took the rogue theme from Diablo II and it ran with it, applying drear and dismay to every mortal it touched as it passed by. Just… just bravo.
Chains of Fate has this build-up to it which I basically salivate over every time I think of it. And words fail me a little here, as I’ve mentioned before, as I have very little knowledge when it comes to actual musical theory, but something about the instruments used with that always building tempo paints this picture of… hopeless perseverance? It just suits the Nephalem so perfectly, and their journey thorugh the world of Sanctuary.
Man, Diablo IV cannot get here soon enough.
Runner up: Brothers In Arms
Duh-duh-duh-DUHHH! I was tempted to choose one of the slightly less obvious themes in the game, but come on, it’s the Halo theme, and we’re talking about masterpieces here. And this masterpiece is such a masterpiece that you’re about to see it posted three times in a row!
Because, in my defence, I’m still waiting on Halo 2 and 3 to be released on PC. But omitting every version of duh-duh-duh-duh-song just felt wrong. Especially when this one added GUITAR phwoarr guitar.
And I mean, really, when all is said and done, will my choice for album Masterpiece be any different? I fully expect to find a few themes I love that I’ve never heard before – like Halo CE’s Brothers In Arms, or On A Pale Horse – but come on, it’s the Halo theme.
Runner up: Overture
Well, it’s close to the Halo theme, but it’s not quite – and isn’t that just Halo Reach in a nutshell? Regardless, Reach was the first Halo game I ever got to play, as it’s what they released first on PC, and this cinematic was when shit really started to hit the fan. That campaign drew me in and blew me away, and I was listening to this track for weeks afterwards.
We’re skipping Halo 4 because I know so little about that game I don’t even know if the Halo theme is in it. And it is of course, but I do tend to look up soundtracks after I’m already familiar with the source material.
Runner up: Dominus Ghaul
Destiny 2 was my introduction to Bungie’s second space opera, and my god was it an introduction. Bungie’s many years of experience paid off in spades during the Red War campaign (Destiny 2’s main story), and I think it’s criminal that New Light players currently have to search for it in the corner of the main hub to play through it.
Journey tells a story of… well, the Hero’s Journey. It’s a story we’ve heard many times before, but the soundtrack, as with Bungie’s Red War campaign, tells it in such an expertly crafted and moving way. And as a voiceless Guardian, the soundtrack acts as your entryway into your character’s state of mind. Despondent, defeated, but then determined, resurgent, triumphant.
Oh, and one quick note on my runner-up track – Dominus Ghaul is such an incredible track that I honestly considered breaking my own rules and having two songs from one album in the same playlist. But I’m not breaking that rule for Game of Thrones, I’m not breaking it here.
Runner up: The Rifleman
So uh, apparently Bungie heard about Russel T Davies and Murray Gold owing me therapy and figured they’d pitch in for some of the bill.
Destiny 2 has so many amazing action themes, but I keep choosing the heartbreakers. But in my defence – and to Bungie’s credit – it’s never one-note. This song succeeds in telling the story of a character without a single lyric, and it does it all whilst simultaneously remaining true to the character and feeling bittersweet.
Man. Imagine thinking that videogames aren’t an art form when this exists.
Runner up: Salvation
All right, all right, here’s your action track. The thing I love so much about this song is that it plays during the end of a Strike, and it’s one that I had immense trouble with when playing through Shadowkeep for the first time. There was so much juicy story to follow and Hashladun, the space hag, was keeping me from it with her infuriating knockback stomp move. I did not serenade her with compliments for this. Motivated by the song, I gritted my teeth and threw myself at the fight time and time again until I overcame her and her endlessly spawning thralls and beat her. And it was one of the most satisfying moments I’ve had in a videogame; it was that rare, non-recreatable moment when the game’s narrative aligned my character’s determination with my own, making the taste of victory that much sweeter.
Runner up: Mice on Venus
Let’s shift gears a bit.
I could – and probably will – write an entire blog post about my history with Minecraft, but long story short, it dates all the way back to 2009 when I was playing the “classic” free version in a web browser window. Back then, the game only had three songs in it, and this was one of them.
C418’s melancholic, atmospheric piano easily takes me back a decade, even when it kicks in during a Minecraft session today. I’ll often take a moment to stop, look to the horizon, and remember long-lost save files of bases long past. I wonder if I still have any in my Dropbox…
Runner up: Haunt Muskie
I’ve only just realised that Volume Beta is full of songs that are Creative mode only. And I typically like my Creative worlds to be a flatmap, so this tune is often accompanied by the vast expanse of empty space, and the sound of me placing a bunch of stone bricks to outline a building I’m never going to finish. And maybe the occasional baa of a sheep that I’ve spawned in to fill the silence.
It’s less depressing than it sounds, I promsie.
Runner up: M54
Speaking of depressing though, here’s a track which goes on for literally twenty minutes and is some of the most beautiful and intensely melancholic atmosphere I’ve ever heard in a videogame. And I fucking love it. And if you don’t know what catharsis is yet, dear reader, then you’re probably very concerned about me, but rest assured, all is well. It’s good to let yourself be sad sometimes!
Jokes aside, there’s a grace to this which is rarely found in game soundtracks, and I’ve found it to be very useful in times of hardship before, both inside and outside the game.
We’ve reached the superhero portion of the soundtracks, so of course we’re starting with Batman! I’ve chosen what feels like the most quintessential / epic version of the Christopher Nolan Batman theme. I always liked how unreservedly dark these films were, and Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack reflects that theme exceptionally well. He also does a good job of creating a ticking clock and signalling Bruce’s determination.
Oh, and sorry for taking this long to include Hans Zimmer in my best soundtracks of all time playlist, I know that’s somewhat sacrilegious. But I had an order, okay?
Runner up: Flight
Now might be a good time to mention that I’m a DC Cinematic Universe apologist. Man of Steel was amazing! And that’s not just Henry Caville’s abs talking. Right, in all seriousness, I respect that people expected a different tone for a Superman movie, but the shounen anime fan in me just revels in the large scale devastation shown within the movie. Hans Zimmer seals the deal with another truly epic soundtrack. Again, not hugely confident in the musical terminology here, but I love how he uses low notes for foreboding and evil, and high notes for some of Superman’s big moments. Simple, sure, but remarkably effective.
Runner up: Is She With You?
How far do my shameless apologist ways stretch? Far enough to defend Batman v Superman to my dying breath. Not far enough to touch Suicide Squad with a ten foot barge pole.
I find it really impressive that Hans Zimmer (and co) managed to make another theme for Batman which was completely different to the Nolan films, and yet still fit Batman really well. I suppose you could argue that it’s more a theme for Bruce Wayne, given that this is the backing track for his origin story, for his parents getting shot. Either way, it’s effective in how it signals trauma and loss.
All right so… this may be cheating a little bit, regarding my rules, but I bloody love Wonder Woman’s theme and I can’t find as epic a version specifically within the Wonder Woman soundtrack. There’s some fantastic tracks in there for sure, but I remain enamoured with her battle theme from Batman v Superman.
Very, very excited for WW84!
Onto the MCU, where you’ll find… less than you might otherwise expect, as Marvel do a surprisingly bad job of creating memorable movie soundtracks, in my opinion. The Avengers theme is iconic though… though it’s a little hard to listen to independently without being reminded of half a dozen memes which blow out the audio for comedic effect. That’s hardly Alan Silvestri’s fault, though!
You’ll notice the odd song in here which seems maybe a little overly appreciated, at least compared to other themes. I don’t know, I have a few of them. The fact that this is simply called “Theme from Ant-Man” should indicate that it’s not intended to be especially revered. But it’s an absolute banger. I had it stuck in my head for days after I first watched the movie! It is, much like the movie itself, unexpectedly quite grand. And so it absolutely deserves its place on this list.
Runner up: vs. The Abilisk (another fantastic and underrated track, only glanced over due to the larger second half)
I remain confused as to why the soundtrack to the original film isn’t on Spotify, but this contains the main motif for the Guardians which I very much enjoy. It’s big, it’s grand, it’s good for Big Moments and it’s good for immediate pratfalls. The other 1:09 is good, I suppose, but that theme is what we’re really here for.
Runner up: Porch
Infinity War feels like the moment when the MCU as a whole began to take original soundtracks seriously. This theme in particular was given the task of building tension in a “last ditch effort” scene, and it did the job spectacularly. Infinity War is a masterpiece of a movie in its own right, but when we’re on the edge of our seats it’s Alan Silvestri who stokes our increased heartbeats. This song also includes The Bit Where Thor Shows Up, which automatically gives it bonus points. Think Avengers Assemble x100.
Runner up: The Real Hero
Unf. This moment. This is one of those tracks which I imagine won’t do a lot for you unless you know the context (at least until the Avengers motif kicks in), but uh… I can still hear the cheer go up from my cinema viewing of this movie. I can’t think of another movie which has brought an audience together as successfully as these two movies, and while I’ve said as much before, Alan Silvestri is the guy on the boat who beats the drums to stir the oarsmen.
Runner up: The Prowler
This is one of those movies that employs the use of pre-existing music to great success for the majority of its soundtrack, but that doesn’t mean that Daniel Pemberton doesn’t deserve to be praised for the original score. The sounds behind this climactic moment, as with many other themes in this movie, are so refreshingly different to the kind of thing you hear in most superhero movies, whilst achieving the same goals as them. And that statement rings true for so many aspects of Into the Spider-Verse.
Runner up: Inside the Numbers
Oooh, did you see that cheeky transition back into videogame music? It was glorious, wasn’t it? Shh, you don’t have to say it, I already know.
Ahem. Hi! I bought a PS4 for Marvel’s Spider-Man. It’s one of the best Spider-Man stories across all of media, and all of it is backed by John Paesano’s wonderfully cinematic soundtrack, which is – in my opinion, at least – reminiscent of the original Spider-Man movie trilogy, but better. More modern, more heroic, more epic in scale. Having this in the background while you swing through New York is truly marvellous. Why are you reading this? PLAY THIS GAME!
Runner up: Home in Florence
One of those “ooh, yeah!” moments, if you’re reading this and you’ve ever played Assassin’s Creed before. This song is iconic. It’s so evocative of Ezio’s pain and sorrow after the opening events of Assassin’s Creed 2 that you don’t once doubt his resolve to see his quest for vengeance through. It’s such a good theme that – as you’ll soon see – it was adopted as the main theme for all Assassin’s Creed games, despite being initially composed for Ezio’s own story. Because that’s the beauty of music – it can mean anything you want it to. It’s masterful as a vehicle for Ezio’s emotions, yes, but it also works as a general theme for the Assassin’s brotherhood in general, as Ezio’s story and cause is reflected in so many others of the order, for good or for ill.
Runner up: Master Assassin
Curse Ezio’s Family though, for being on the same album as Home in Florence, one of the best ambient soundtracks ever made. Ah well, City of Rome is almost as good, though different in tone. It speaks to the history of the already ancient city, making you really feel like you’re roaming around in an important center of Europe, and the world in general. The story of Brotherhood opens up a lot of avenues into planetary-scale conspiracies, so it’s only appropriate.
Runner up: Enough for One Life
This song is hauntingly beautiful. It’s been a long time since I played the game itself so forgive me for not knowing where it’s specifically used, but it really gives the impression of an older Ezio looking back on his life. As you may someday see in my writing, I really have a thing for older characters who have a lot of regrets in their life to work through, and this evokes that so beautifully that I’m touched by it even without remembering the specific context of its use in the game. Just… wow.
First, if you have a favourite theme between Revelations and Origins I assure you I’m not snubbing it, I just haven’t played those games. In fact, the reason I love this version of Ezio’s Family is because Origins is so different in theme that it went a long way to helping me reconcile this game as an entry in the Assassin’s Creed series. And it’s so masterfully made in how it’s familiar, yet Egyptian! I’ve not played the game to completion, but I have enjoyed my time with Bayek, and as I mentioned during the Ezio’s Family entry, the pains of Ezio’s journey to becoming an Assassin are mirrored in the series’ other protagonists, including Bayek.
Legend of the Eagle Bearer
And when we get to Odyssey, they finally abandon all pretence and just name it the theme of the series. Again, I’m impressed with how familiar yet unique it sounds, and how it adopts the Greek themes found elsewhere in Odyssey’s soundtrack. It’s fantastic! The only thing I don’t like about it is how they play it during the inventory screen, so it’s overdone fairly quickly. Nevertheless, that doesn’t stop it from being fantastic. As for the legitimacy of it being applied to Kassandra, well… I’ve never seen a protagonist in this series with such a well fleshed-out and interesting family tragedy. If you haven’t played Assassin’s Creed since the Ezio days, Odyssey is absolutely worth your time.
Hello again, it’s me, your favourite under-line text telling you that I’ve put a stop to this excessively long blog post. If you’ve made it this far and you’re interested in my picks for best soundtracks, then thank you, it honestly means a lot to me. It’s kind of a personal project I’m strangely passionate about. Might get more into that in part 3. So stay tuned for the final part!
Perpetually Perturbed 