Music. Can make a good game into a great game. Can make a great scene into an unforgettable one. Can vastly change the whole mood of a setting. Video game music enjoys a huge following, with many composers becoming somewhat of a 'household name'... Nobuo Uematsu, Koji Kondo, Masami Ueda. Here I discuss the top 10 games I feel, in its own special way, convey a great mood, a great emotion, whether it be pathos, happiness, or fear.

Donkey Kong Country, at number #10, is a bit different from the other games on this list. Primarily composed by the prolific David Wise, this light-hearted game’s mood is enhanced 10 fold by its music. Just hearing the intro music, the original DK theme, made into a kind of hip hop song, puts at least a smile on any face. But its not just all happy and dandy. There are some seriously good tunes on here. The first to stand out for me is ‘Aquatic Ambience’, is what the name suggests; a floaty ambient piece. A very beautiful string intro is met by the percussive sounds used through the entire game, then the unforgettable piano piece. Unsettling, yet peaceful. A very moving piece. ‘Life in the Mines’ is another kind of ambient piece. The background noises are I believe various noises from the game. The simple flute theme, again, portrays sadness, but the faster passage suggests hope for me. And ‘Fear Factory’, again using that percussive piece, has a very mechanical feel to it. It suggests to me a bit of urgency, but the beautiful middle section is such a relief that you almost want to stop the game for those 5 seconds and just listen. The majority of the other tracks are jungle based, with heavy bass and percussion. A very fitting, cool soundtrack.

God of War is a game I unfortunately couldn’t really get into, and the only game I don’t own on the list. I finished it, and thought it was great, but I would never have bought it, due to (I feel) its limited replayability. The soundtrack however, is a different story. You probably know that this game is based a lot on Greek Mythology, and the music is no different. There were a range of composers on this OST, most notably Gerard Marino, (according to his Myspace, he used to DJ a strip club!) who all offer their ideas and come up with a very polished, and appropriate album. You will notice straight away the influence, it just sounds ‘ancient’. A plus (or a negative, depending on what way you look at it) is that the tracks with speeches are included, which I’ve never heard before. It’s kind of cool to hear, but I don’t listen to them anymore. Unfortunately I can’t review this soundtrack like the others, because I simply haven’t played it enough. This soundtrack gets into my list for being simply perfect in terms of ‘fitting’. It’s very powerful, very moving, epic stuff. It’s worth listening to just for the percussion.

This one’s a bit hard to summarise into such a short review, being it has about 800 tracks. The magnificent Masami Ueda does this one by himself. How he gets so many ideas is truly beyond me. The only problem with this OST is the length. It runs over five hours, so listening to it all is a marathon. But, similar to God of War, this game is based on mythology, this time Japanese. You can see by the graphics that the Japanese theme is obvious. Ueda uses many traditional Japanese instruments here. There is such a vast range of emotions portrayed in the music! The theme where you save a tree! (I’ve only got Japanese track listings, I’m afraid) Happiness! Pure Bliss! Issun’s theme! Juvenile! Playful! Orochi’s theme! Sad. Brooding. And with all the mythology and the graphic style, the high quality of the music really delves you deep into the realm of ancient Japan. Brilliant stuff.

This game could make it on this list, just for the pure sadness evoked from Aeris’ Theme, particularly in that very famous scene involving Sephiroth. This game really has it all. One of the most popular titles for the PS, perhaps of any system, has one of the most popular OST’s to boot. ‘Opening/Bombing Mission’ is one of the more frenetic opening pieces to a game I’ve played; its pumping triplet bass matches the urgency of the game very well. The two fighting themes are my favourite in any game; the lush “Fighting’ with its moving and bold middle section makes those long fights bearable. And the guitars, added tension, and brash bass of ‘Still More Fighting’ makes it a classic. ‘Trail of Blood’ is first heard after witnessing Sephiroth’s true power, its dark and minimalist tones portray emptiness, hopelessness, and awe. And ‘Cid’s Theme’… well what more can be said, than uplifting? One of the truly happiest songs I’ve ever heard. A brilliant game, and a brilliant OST to match.

Just listening to this opening theme, you know you are in for a fantastic ride. Unfortunately, this music is very suppressed, thanks to the N64’s terrible sound quality. It doesn’t take anything away from the beauty of the music though. No piece that I’ve heard in my video gaming has such a mood swing like the opening title ‘Title Demo’. Before you even touch a button, the tranquil Clock Town motif is played, a short montage, then the brilliant segway to the angst filled ending, with its low violins and sad Majora’s motif. Motifs play a big part in this soundtrack. You may recognise the theme when you first step into Clock Town. The Clock town themes are special in their own right. The first day, almost a carnival like theme, very happy. The second day, still happiness, but its not as fun, not as carnival like. Less instruments are used, and sombre violins are employed. The 3rd day, the same themes are used, but you can instantly recognise a sense of urgency, over the low dissonant violin pad. Genius. The Majora themes in the final battle are also worth mentioning, the ominous opening theme is used in all three pieces. The first, very dark, slow. The second, one of the oddest pieces of music I’ve ever heard, throws you a bit off guard, but I guess matches the oddity of the boss. The third theme is a bit more frantic, again the pulsing snare plays a big part. And I will mention the ‘Milk Bar’ theme is the coolest thing I’ve heard :D

I’m not quite sure why I included System Shock 2 in this list. I could have put another worthy game in instead. (Vagrant Story, Chrono Cross, Goldeneye 007) But I just love this soundtrack so much, and how much it does for the game. Sure, most of the fear in the game is based on the downright terrifying hybrids, midwifes, and other enemies. Instead of possibly going for the predictable yet effective shrill orchestration sounds, Eric Brosius went down the unconventional techno/ambient route. And it works. Oh how it works. A hybrid chasing after you, moaning all those terrible things, and a pumping techno beat put under it, it just adds to the fear. What to do? It almost puts you under pressure sometimes to act quickly, because of the pace and urgency of the piece. For the most part of the first floor you are treated to these pacey techno beats. When you are introduced to the ambient Medical Section of the same floor, it puts you off guard. Is it safe here? Why has the music slowed down? You creep forward, just not knowing what to expect. Props to Eric, for trying something very different, and pulling it off. It just adds so much to the aura of the game (to scare the living daylights out of you).

The unquestioned beauty of this game will probably be credited to its superb graphics, its brilliant portrayal of the lifeless land. But I feel a lot of it should go to its music. A game like this, music can be taken for granted. So much emphasis is put on the colossi, its surroundings. But its peaceful lead up music, to when you have found a particular colossi’s lair, to its own powerful theme (I didn’t even realise every colossi has its own theme until I obtained the OST) to the recurring theme when you find your way onto the beast. No track really stand out for me like the other games (a lot of motif work is used, and some tracks can sound quite similar) but the ‘Final Battle’, not included in the actual game, is a personal favourite. Why it wasn’t included is beyond me, it is far superior to the actual final boss theme, it terms of emotion. This is a powerful piece. Snare drums hurry this piece along, giving a sense of urgency. The lush orchestra, especially the high violins, give a feel of epic-ness, like this long journey is about to end. All the battle themes are wonderful, in fact. A must have, if you own the game, or just like classical music in general. This is the most epic sounding OST you will hear.

Number #3 is Diablo II, and its expansion, Lord of Destruction. Matt Uelmen doesn’t have quite the repertoire of other composers in this list, with only the Diablo series and a few tracks from WoW to his name, and I really wonder why. The well known ‘Tristram’ theme is missing from the track listing, it would have been a worthy addition, as it makes a short appearance in the cursed town. The town is different this time, not the peaceful refuge like the first game, but an overrun hellhole. Its dissonant acoustic work, and string and horn arrangement is so versatile that it can portray tranquillity, and despair. My personal favourite track from the OST is ‘Desert’, with clear Middle-Eastern influence. It is mainly a percussive piece, with ambient strings and sounds filling out the sound. It really characterises a barren land, a dry, infinite desert. But the real strength of this game is the five-track expansion disc (recorded with a real orchestra). The brilliant ‘Siege’, one of the most powerful passages of music I will ever hear (1:51-1:58), its strong snares, piercing violins, perfect for roaming the deadly snow fields. And few match the safety and beauty of ‘Ancients’. Two fantastic soundtracks, now for some more material please, Mr Uelmen!

The heavyweight, Masami Ueda, known for his lush compositions of the horror genre, for the second time on this list, shines. The Resident Evil series is built on fear, the unknown, and suddenness… who does it better than Ueda? He has some help this time, Shusaku Uchiyama and Shun Nishigaki are on board, both prolific composers in their own right. The first seven tracks, which are mainly the menu/prologue/ending themes, could be described as almost movie like. Particularly the ‘Beginning of Story’ which matches the FMV perfectly. But where do I start with this soundtrack? So many great themes. My favourite is the great ‘Front Hall’, which I fell in love with the moment I stepped foot into the building. It really has a sense of calmness to it, safety, tranquillity; it lacks the high, creeping violins and pianos. And I love the tubular bell. You almost are certain nothing ill lies in this room. The ‘First Floor, is almost frightening to listen to on its own. Slow, brooding, scary; it starts with just a violin pad, some eerie piano, some strange percussive sounds, it grows like this until about 1:02, a huge sound hits you. (Remember I was talking about suddenness?) and then the theme starts all over again. Fantastic. ‘Ada’s Theme’ has a certain beauty to it, a nobleness, a calmness to it. Its haunting piano poses the question: Can we trust Ada? ‘T – B’ gets a special mention, for its superb intro. And ‘Credit Line’ is the most elegant piece you will hear in a game. Finally, we’re safe! The subtle use of instruments in this game, and the pure fear it induces, gets RE2 to number 2 on my list.

And number #1... Final Fantasy 9! The king of emotive music! This game enjoyed a return to its roots, more fantasy based, and with a sadder storyline than its PS counterparts. This game is Uematsu's shining moment I feel. Such strong music! 'Assault of the White Dragons', with its blaring snare parts (quite a theme!), its epic violins and flutes, and giving the game's motif a new twist. You are embarking on a never-returning quest, and you can really feel the urgency in this piece. 'Mistaken Love' has a beautiful introduction, played when we first see the Princess, its beauty and nobleness is a fitting theme for her. And of course, the brilliant 'You're not Alone!' affected I think every person who played this game. What will happen to Zidane? Nobuo delves into the relatively unknown realm of distorted guitar for this sad and beautiful piece. The whole soundtrack is brilliant, and conveys the most emotion out of any game.

As a music fan, and a musician, music to me is just as important as the gameplay. Bad music can often ruin a good game. The ten I have chosen took an already good game, and made it great, with music. May the future grace us with more great music, and more great composers!

List by ardub