If you’re looking for the best video game soundtracks, this guide rounds up the best video game soundtracks of all time. At Voice123, your go-to platform for skilled video game voice actors, we’re taking a look at the best game soundtracks and the best video game songs. Use this list to get inspired to create the best video game music for your next project!
The best video game soundtracks of all time
1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
This soundtrack by Koji Kondo complements the game’s magical setting. Video game soundtracks like Song of Storms and Zelda’s Lullaby blend mystery and adventure with rich melodies.
2. Super Mario Bros.
This score is one of the most recognizable video game soundtracks. The lively gaming music, like the Overworld Theme, is playful and nostalgic, perfectly capturing Mario’s adventures.
3. Final Fantasy XVI
The video game soundtrack by Nobuo Uematsu perfectly captures the game’s emotional depth. Tracks like Aerith’s Theme enhance poignant moments, while gaming music like One-Winged Angel ramps up the intensity.
4. The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
The soundtrack by Jeremy Soule is a masterpiece of epic fantasy music. The best video game music – Dragonborn features a 30-person choir singing in the game’s fictional Draconic language to create gaming music that immerses players.
5. Journey
One of the best video game soundtracks of all time was composed by Austin Wintory. I Was Born for This, featuring Lisbeth Scott’s ethereal vocals, reflects the game’s themes of solitude and exploration, resonating with players on an emotional level.
6. Persona 5
Shoji Meguro blends acid jazz, rock, and electronica to create a unique sound. Tracks like Rivers in the Desert match the game’s rebellious, high-energy themes, making it one of the best video game soundtracks of all time.
7. Chrono Trigger
Thevideo game soundtrack by Yasunori Mitsuda and Nobuo Uematsu conveys the game’s time-traveling narrative. Frog’s Theme and Robo’s Theme enhance the emotional depth and auditory experience.
8. Halo
This title features some of the best video game music by Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori. Gaming music like the Halo Theme Mjolnir Mix amplifies the sci-fi wonder and gaming experience.
9. Red Dead Redemption
Bill Elm and Woody Jackson composed over 200 video game soundtracks, including the award-winning Far Away. The video game music creates an atmospheric sense of the American frontier.
10. Mass Effect
This series features video game songs composed by Jack Wall, like Suicide Mission which enhances the game’s futuristic setting, drawing players into the storyline.
How to compose the best video game soundtracks
Build character and mechanic motifs
The best video game music is memorable because it’s modular and repeatable. Give each character, environment, and event a unique soundtrack that works like a catchphrase to connect players to different parts of the video game.
Tailor video game soundtracks to performances
Record scratch VO, then time swells and rests to human phrasing to avoid crowding dialogue. Keep orchestral scores for dramatic, inspiring moments, and use subtle video game songs as background music during character interactions.
Use adaptive layers for video game soundtracks
Break music into layers (percussion, harmony, melody) so the game engine can mix them on the fly. This creates seamless transitions in intensity—like adding drums when enemies appear or stripping down to a single pad when tension builds.
Mix for clarity
Great video game music doesn’t fight to be heard; it complements the story effortlessly. In mixing:
- Sidechain music under voice-over, so speech is always clear.
- Use EQ to clean out muddy low-end and tame sharp high frequencies.
- Leave headroom for sound effects and UI sounds so nothing feels crowded.
Use voice over that adds to the video game soundtracks
Even the best gaming music falls flat if the voice acting doesn’t match the vibe. That’s why smart studios keep a pipeline of pro actors ready to audition.
On Voice123, you can post a project and start receiving auditions in minutes. For larger projects or when you’re pressed for time, you can hire voice actors who are also professional music producers to create and combine music and voice-over seamlessly.
The best video game music for different genres
1. RPGs (Role-Playing Games): Epic orchestral music, like in Final Fantasy and Skyrim, enhances emotional depth and creates a sense of grandeur within vast, immersive worlds.
2. Adventure Games: The atmospheric soundscapes of video game music in Journey and The Legend of Zelda evoke mystery and wonder, perfectly complementing exploration and storytelling.
3. FPS (First-person shooter) High-energy tracks in games like Halo and Mass Effect drive intense action sequences, keeping the pace fast and the stakes high.
4. Open-World Games: Dynamic soundtracks in games like Red Dead Redemption adapt to player actions and environments, providing a seamless and immersive experience.
5. Fantasy/Sci-Fi Games: Fantasy and sci-fi games often feature orchestral or ambient music to create epic, otherworldly atmospheres that transport players to imaginative, alternate realities.
Final Thoughts
The best video game soundtracks aren’t playlists; they’re design systems that contribute to immersive gaming experiences for players. So, if you’re composing one of the best video game soundtracks, remember to match the scores to characters, events, and voice overs.
Ready to pair unforgettable scores with equally unforgettable voices? Find voice actors on Voice123 to bring your video game music to life!
FAQs
The Super Mario Bros. Ground Theme. It’s the first video-game track preserved by the U.S. National Recording Registry, cementing its cultural status
Counter-Strike 2 & Go, Fortnite, Minecraft, and Roblox consistently have the highest monthly average users, making them the most popular video games.
Journey’s video game soundtrack is a top pick for the most calming video game music since its ambient score was the first video game soundtrack to earn a Grammy Nomination.
